Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-05-08
GENERAL ROOKER's BATTLES
Further DeialIs-.The SpIen-
did Charge upon Fred
eFickSburg Heights.
We quote the following interesting and

A4AnNAAkLu SAA@A A@--E
At this hour Of writing, it is impossible
to estimate the loss in to-day's battle on
either side. We know that ours is heavy
heavier than ever before in a battle Of 80
short duration. We further know that the
loss Of the enemy is admitted by them
selues to be perfectly f~rightful. We had
the advantage in artillery, and our shells
and canister tore and msngled their ranks
fearfully. The prisoners are silent as to
the loss Of prominent officers, but some Of
the Alabamisns in A. P. Hills division say
that he was killed early in the day, and
that Gen. Raynor is now in command Of
the division.
THE BATTLE-GROUND.
Probably no battle was ever fought upon
| ground more u~nfavOrable for the manOeVer-
ing and deploying Of troops. Nearly the
whole country in this vicinity is covered
with q dense forest, much Of it being OF
the same character 0s " The Wilderness"
lying only q short distance west Of this
point. The timber mostly dead, and still
very dense; then, to make the forest still
more impenetrable, there is q denser
growth Of dead u~nderbrusb, so that it is
hardly passsble for man, certainly not for
beast aRd tbe pEgnrs4t PtP SSeefS great part of
to-day's terrible battle was fought in this
almost impenetrable jungle, and many
dead and wounded on both sides still lie
there, concealed in the gloomy depths of
" The Wilderness" The only open ground
upon which the battle was fought, was the
| plain on the south side of the plank-road,
near Charlottesville, half q mile long,
and perhaps three hundred yards wide.
TIE ELEVENTH CORPS.
The u-nacoountsble and inexcussble con-
duct of a large portion of this corps, was
the means Of turning to ashes q grand
victory almost within our grasp, while the
position was only retrieved by the superb
generalship of the Commanding General.
A portion Of the troops, the brigades Of
| Coils. Bushbeck and Mclean, stood their
/ ground m~anfully until oveTpOwered by
vastly superior numbers. Gen. BarloW's
brigade was absent with Gen. Sickles.
The manner in which Gen. Hooker pro-
posed to checkmate the rear attack Of
jackson strikingly illustrates the bold and
/ daring character of our commander.
| Finding that Jackson was marching BY
the old Cathsrpin road past our right 'front.'
Gen. Hooker promptly ordered Gen. Sick
les to attack hat impudent column on the
flank. This was not more quickly con-
ceiVed than vigorously executed. In one
hour and a half from the time the
movement began the hesiof Gen. Birney's
division was engaging the enemy, and our
/ force and vigorous attack were so great
that the enemy's left flank was speedily
turned, his columns doubled back one up
on the other, and his men seized with de-
- - UsNMg--- Ii
Ion ably assisted this dsshing movement
while Gen. 5eary attacked sharply on our
centre front and the prospects we're
cheering indeed. The Eleventh Corps was
strongly intrenOhed. Its position ought
to have been held, and somebody is to
blame for this disgrsceful affair which
smote US so sOrely, just as we were about to
reap rich fruits from the boldest move yet
projected since we crossed the river. And
TO remedy the effect of this disaster, we
have spent this day in fighting which only
puts us in our former condition, and the
enemy once more in our front.
THE CHARGE AT FREDERICKSBURG.
HEIGHrs ABOVE FALMoUrH,)
MOSDGI MORNING, May f.
Under cover of Saturday night Generals
Howe and Newton crossed over the river.
About two o'clock in the morning orders
came to move at once on the enemy. The
greater portion Of the forces moved quietly
up the Richmond road and winding down
through the gully just below the city reach
ed the outskirts Of Fredericksburgh, be-
tween four and five o'clock. Generals
Howe and NeWton's divisions were in the
advance, then followed the "hying diyis-
ion" or eight brigade" and General
Brooks forces we're extended on the ex-
treme left. The object Of this movement
to the city was to storm the first line Of
rebel earthworks above, which General
Sumner attempted in vain to take, last
December, loosing 1000 men in the
effort. Nor did the idea Of again charging
against those formidable intrenchments
appear so insane to the troops as one
might think. So buoyant and hopeful
were the boys that they felt as if they
could 20 anywhere and surmOunt any and
every obstacle. The reader viii remember
that this line Of earthworks is about one-
third OF u mile from the city, extending
close along the monument erected to Mary,
the mother Of Washington, which is erect
ed on q sort Of natural bluff. Beneath
runs the famous stOneWall and a road
leading off in the direction of Richmond.
Between this road and the city is an open
plain commanded by the rebel works.
Across this plain and oVer the stone wall
the charging column had to advance before
reaching the fortified bluff. About half
past five o'clock in the morning Cochrane's
old brigade, (NeWton's division, now COM
msnded by Colonel Shaler, and led by him
in person, charged over the plain, and sue
ceeded in nearly reaching the stoneWall,
but were obliged to fall back. The sixty
second New York, it is said, ~endeaVOred to
storm the works before this hour Of the
morning. The rebels kept up a constant
fire Of musketry from behind earthworks,
buildings and rife pits, while the guns
from above rained down a perfect storm Of
grape and canister on the troops. General
Brooks division, which was on the extreme
left suffered least though freda at the most
owing to the fact Of most Of the enemy
missiles passing over the heads Of the
troops. 1t was now eleven o'clock, continu-
Gus fighting had been going on for full six
hours, and the rebels still held their works.
General SedgWick now determined on haV-
ing the "light brigade" charge the heights.
Colonel Benham commanding moved his
forces along undor tie protection OF aban-
dOned e~arthWOrks, andthe hillside formed
by the sloping down Of the plain near the
city, until he had arrived directly in front
Of the most formidable position, known as
the slaughter pen" Knapsacks and
any article Of clothing which might impede
their rapid movement were cast aside BY
the men, and they were deployed out in the
following order ohe-hslf Of the Fifth
Wisconsin. Colonel Allen. "a skirmish