The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-05-08
GENERAL INTEaaaGENGE


at his sevcrcst cost, and after one Of tho most
desperate. tenacious and bloody conflicts, for
its short duration, Of the whole war.
Our line Of battle was formed with Gen.
Berry's gallant division on the right. Gen.
Birney's next on tho left, Gen. Whipple and
Gen. Williams supporting. Ats IL am,
tho advance became engaged in the ravine,
Just beyond the ridge where Capt. Bcst's guns
had made their terrific onslaught tho night
before, and where they still frowned upon
the enemy and threatened his destruction.
The rattle of musketry soon bscame long
continued crash, and in fow moments, ai
battalion after battalion became engaged, the
roar surpassed all conception. and indicated
that the fight would be one of tho most ter.
riblc nature. Gen. Bcrry's division, which
had checked tho cnemy's advance tho night
before, engaged him again, and if IL were
possible for them to add moro laurcls to their
fame, then they did it thrice over again.
The enemy advanced his infantry in over
whelming numbers, and seemed determined
to crush our forces. But tho bravo men OF
Sickles and Slocum, who fought their col
umns with desperate galantry, held tho rob
els in check, and inflicted dreadful slaughter
among them. Gen. French's Division was
sent in on the right flank Of our line ut about
Tam. and in short time horde Of ragged,
streaming rebels running down the road ,indi-
Gated that that portion of tho cncmy's line
had been crushed.
At o'clock an, Gen. French sent his
compliments to Gen. Hooker. with the infor.
nation that he had charged the enemy and
was driving him before him.
Sickles maintained the attack upon his line
with great endurance. The enemy seemed
determined to crush him with the immensely
of his forces, and, NJ subsequently shown
from tho statements Of prisoners, five whole
divions of the rebel army were prccipitated
upon this portion of tho limo, for from these
five divisions wc took during the day an as
grcgatc of over two thousand prisoners.
Tho exploits Of our gallant troops in those
dark, tangled, gloomy woods may never bc
brought to light; but they would ill hun
drcd volumes. 1t was deliberate, desperate
hand-to. hand conflict. and the conflict, and
tho carnage was perfectly frightful. Cool
officers say that tho dead and wounded Of the
enemy covered the ground in heaps, and that
tho rebels seemed utterly regardless of their
lives, and literally threw themselves upon
tho muzzles Of our guns.
Many desperate charges were madc during
tho fight, particularly by Berry's Division.--
Motifs Brigade made fifteen distinct charges,
and captured seven stands Of colors-tho 7th
Now-Jerscy, Col. Francine. alone capturing
four stands of colos and 500 prisoners.
Gen. COUGHS Second Army Corps, though
only IN part present, did excellent work. It
was Gen. French who charged and drove tho
enemy on the flank, and II wns tho indomita.
bio Hancock who calamity went to the relief
of tho hard-prcssed Sicklcs.
Tho engagement lasted. without the slight
est ntcrmission, from 5 l-2 A. NJ. to 8:45
A. NJ, when there was temporary ccssa.
ton on our part, occasioncd by getting out
of ammunition. We held our position for
nearly an hour with the bayonct, and then,
being rcsupplicd, an order was given to fall
back to tho vicinity of tho Chancellor House,
which We did in good order. Here the con.
tests was maintained for an hour or moro,
not 20 severely rs before, but with great
havoc to tho enemy, and considerable loss TO
ourselves.
Tho vicinity of tho Chancellor House was
now the theatcr of tho fight, and my visits to
that spot became less frequent. Gen. Hook.
or maintained his headquarters there until
10 A. NJ, when il was set on fire by tho
enemys shells, and is now in ruins. Chan.
ccllorville il no longer in existence, having
persisted with tho flames but Chancellor
vile is in history, never to DO effaced.
Our now line was now 80 for established
as to render it safe to withdraw all our forces
on that front. which was accordingly done,
and ut H. 30 A. NJ. tho musketry firing
ceased.
Tho engagement had lasted six hours, but
had been tho most terrific of tho war. Our
artillery had literally slaughtered the enemy,
and many of the companies had lost heavily
in men themselves, but the guns wero oil
saved.
Tho enemy was now no longer in our rear,
but had been showed down directly in our
front, and is now directly between us and
our forces in Fredericksburgh, and we were
again in an intrenched and formidably forti
fed position. The enemy hos gained somo
ground, it is true, but ut tho sacrifice OF the
flower of his force, five OF his seven divisions
hu'iuS occn Cus w PiOco III viz Ohois, nuu
over 1000 ofthem have fallen into our hands
During tho afternoon the enemy tried sev-
eral batteries and regiments ut that point at
different times, and they wero literally de-
stroyed by tho fire of our terrible guns
Nothing can 1.-Two within their range. Our
present position is impregnablc II our troops
continue to fight as they have to-day. Gen.
Lee, the prisoners say, has issued m order
that our lines must be broken ut oil hazards.
Let them try it again, with what they have
lett. Our troops arc perfectly cool and con.
fdcnt. Tho rebel prisoners report that Gen.
A. p. Hill was killed this forenoon, during
the sanguinary conflict his division had with
Gen. Bcrry's division. Gen. Berry was him
self killed, while CALAMITY leading his brave
mon.