Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-07
@0reestGr Dalln Spp
THE DAILY SPY.


New York Tribune:
EARLY on Thursday morning the enemy
commenced feeling the lines of Gen. Meade's
army. Skirmishing continued more or less
severe until o'clock in the afternoon Sud
denly, at about this hour, the enemy opened a
terrific lire on tine Cemetery hill held by the
lin corps ON the rlght-centre held by the I'd
corps. The artillery in front of the enemy's
fire replied vigorously, and for two hours the
roar and thunder and flame and smoke of ar
tllIery, and the Screech of Shells SO complete
ly filled the heavens thai all else seemed for
gotten.
One form, however, with mind intent on
high purposes stood on an eminence leaning
slightly forward, and with am eagle eve pierc-
ed the Vail OF smoke, and saw and felt and
knew than an hour more terrible by far than
the present was coming rapidly-was even
present. 1t was evident the willy commander
OF the rebel forces had determined on some
desperate charge, but when and in what man.
ner 1t would be made was unknown to the
man who stood calmly yet with deep solici.
tude regarding every pulsaton of the battle
On the left, through the woods, black
masses were seen movng-larger, more fire.
quent and nearer! SkirmiShing in that part
OF the field became sharper. Gen. Sickles is
ordered forward to develop the enemy's in
tenuohs. HE black columns come out of the
wood, and suddenly the thunder of artillery
ceased, and, with cheers and yells, the roar of
musketry and flash of bayonet, full 10000
men from Longstreets and Hills corps came
rushing against our lines. The Sd corps stood
1irm for awhile, but afterwards gave wav be-
meath the weight Of the attacking column;
ana on they came tentold more furious than
before.
Sickles fell severely wounded in the leg,
and his corps was literally cut to pieces The
second corps was thrown in the breach from
the right and the fifth from the left The
second suffered fearfully. Hancock received
painful flesh wound in the thigh, but re-
fused to be led from the field while the en-
gagement lasted Here, too, Gen. Gibbon
was wounded in the shoulder. The terrible
charge and fierce battle ragged with uuabated
1ury' The fifth corps, including the regulars
ana the pennsylvania Reserves, struggled in
the herculean labor with the determination of
men born to conquer in battte
1he and OF the twelfth corps, from the ex-
IRENE right, was called for, and division was
ordered up, and about the same time Sedp
wick came up with the sixth corps, after a
march OF thlrty-siX consecutive hours. The
men were tootSore, many without shoes on
their feet hungry and weary, ready to drop
on the road from exhaustion. When, how
ever, the situation flashed into the minds of
these weary soldiers, the fire and zeal for
which this corps is Sc Justly celebrated. was
klhdled anew IN their hearts. They awaited
but the order, and that impatientlv to be led
against the enemy. The order was given.
ana like men fresh from camp, they went
down upon the naughty foe like an avalanche.
Inc rebei column staggered and reeIed and
then fell back i'll confusion, leaving their dead
lying against and across each other in this
field Of slaughter.
The sun went down. Suddenly as the
western hills ecipsed his rays the battle cur
mage ceased on the left. Equally sudden, a
fierce charge dashed against the weakened
lines OF the right wing The suddenncss of the
attack and the weight of Ewel's column gave
some advantage to the enemy. Reinforce
ments however, were promptly up and the en-
envy checked in his advance
The rebel general was determined to break
through the right aud gain control of the val
ley roads. The failure to turn the left, and
the snatchlng the victory from their clutches,
hurting their broken columns back defeated
and confused upon the left, made their case
more desperate, and the attack on Socum
was furious even to madness. The LIST and
9th corps came up promptly to the support of
the 18th corps From dark until half past
nine o'clock the battle ragged with undated
fury. The lines moved to and fro, each in turn
advancing and falling back. AT this hour of
the night the enemy made his final charge on
the lett OF the right wing, held by Geary's di-
vision. He was repulsedwith terrible slaurh-
ter and refused to renew the attack. At ten
O'Clock the battle ceased, and during the night
all was quiet.
Ewell had been largely re-entorced, and
held a position of some advantage Gen.
Meade determined that he should be dislodged
from the place, and as matter of honor as
signed the task to Gen. Slocum, who had pre-
viously occupied the same position, but was
compelled to abandon it because of the re-en-
torcements sent to the support of the left wing,
overwhelmed by Longstreet's and A. Z. Hills
divisions. Gen. Slocum accordingly made
preparations for the work assigned His own
corps was in strong position, and determined
to regain the ground lost the night before. A
division from the Sixth corps was posted on
the right of the Twelfth, thus forming the ex-
IRENE outpost of the right wing. The Fifth
corps was sent over as a reserve, and Gen
Wadsworth's division of the First corps, took
position to strengthen Towards right where
tjoined Slocum's left.
These were the preiminaries. The men
well knew what sort of work they would be
called upon to do in the morning, and nerved
their hearts and cheered each other against
the hour Of trial by fire. On Friday morning
at O'clock, Slocums line opened a terrific
fire on EwelPS men. The enemy responded
III most furious charge, for which mode of
nghtlng they are justly celebrated. The fight
ing on Thursday on the left, where Longstreet
anu HUI fought with most terrible desperation
Tor three hours, and the subsequent battle on
the right by Ewell, were regarded by the old
est ofnGers IN the army as the most obstinate
and bloody contest OF the war Officers and
men lay dead IN fearful numbers. But the
enemys charge in response to Slocums fire
seemed ten times more furious.
With fendsh yell and such contemnt of
death during SIX full hours, they hurled their
solid masses against the wel-defended lines.
The national troops stood like a wall of fire
whose flaming tongues enwrapped in death
whatever came near, whose foundation were
firm as if one with the primal rock ON which il
rested Nothing during the war has equalled
this six hours of carnage. In front of Geary's
position were more rebel dead than the num-
Der Of the entire list of casualties in the 18th
corps. The dead were lying literally in
heaps many hit in all manner of degrees
from clean shot through the head to bodies
torn to pieces by exploding shells.
At ten o'clock Slocum had repulsed anc
driven back the enemy at every point, and re-
occupied his original position. The battle
ceased at eleven o'clock, and there was q
pause like to the stiffness of death resting fol
three hours on the living and dead. No mat
ter how long pressed by the enemy the UnioG
4..1t IL, a. IL. al,