Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-11-18
A VICTORY VIRGINIA

Sasa o!P p unaer command of Major General
- " 'I'' advanced to Rappahannock Sta
80 - tlo'iiihS the right wing of the ar
my ana the LIST and ID Army Corps formino
the LETT wing, under Major General Fra-,cbo
proceeded TO kelly's Ford '
heh the right wing reached the Rama
hammock the enemy was found Ia he IN ~,
siderable force, holding this side of the river
ana the rebel batteries, earthworks and re-
doubts crowned the banks on each sidn of 40
Rappahanock- Gen. Sedgwick at once al.
vanced and followed them with great oalIar.
try and impetuosity. causing much Slaughter
aud taking large number of prisoners
W hen Gen. French reached kelly's Ford
about SIX miles below Rappahannoek Station,
the enemy threw across an entire division 70
support their pickets on this side Gen.
French took position so as TO bring his ar
uilery to bear upon them, and sheled them
with marked effect, not only killing a large
number, but throwing them into utter confus
ION, scattering them widely. and taking many
prisoners. Gen. French following up his ad-
vantage over the enemy, threw the first d.
vision of the 3rd Corps, commanded by Gen.
Brrney, across the river, which ended his.op-
erations for the dav
This morning he crossed the river with the
remainder of his command
Geu Sedgewck had previously crossed If
and at 9 o'clock this morning. tue two wings
had formed junction, and held both banks
of the river.
The enemy after their defeat in these two
engagements were so hotly pursued by our
victorious forces that they threw them
selves into the river in their efforts to escape,
when some were drowned. and many We're
killed by our infantry
All the artillery the rebels had on our side
OF the river was captured, which is reported
to be several guns Their whole Camp eouiu-
age undoubtedly fell into our hands as they
were compelled TO leave them in their hastv
retreat.
Gen. Bufords cavalry crossed at sulphur
| Springs to cover the right flank several
miles above Rappahannock Station and Cen
| erals Gregg and Fitzpatrick crossed below
| Kelly Ford to cover the left wing. No def
| mite information of their operations have
| been received up to noon to-day.
| The enemy after crossing the Rappahau-
! mock under cover Of night, moved in the di-
| rection of Culpepper, and the advance of our
J forces, supposed TO be cavalry, reached Bran
| dy Station early to-day This morning our
/ whole line advanced, and no doubt pressed
rapidly forward after the retreating force
! The entire number of prisoners taken by
| both Sedgwick and French is now known to
| be l,o26. The prisoners composed prin-
| cipally of North Carolina and Louisiana
| troops This afternoon the three o'clock
tram commenced bringing prisoners into
| wick was from 200 to 400, the remainder
| were taken by French.
! y gentleman who was present with the ar
| my, says it was a novel lght to see all of
| Sedgwick's prisoners in a crowd the largest
| lot ever captured by our forces on the Vir-
| ginia side, and they were guarded by cavalry
to prevent struggling escape. French's
| prisoners were also gathered in one body
| Our total loss Is reported to be 400 III killed
| and wounded. but rlrispuprS llur u-gr1Tt-
deG were carried to Warrenton Junction
| From thence they were sent to Alexandria
this afternoon.
New York, Nov. Q.
The Herald has the following:
RAPPAHANNoCK STATION, Nov. Major
General Sedgwick, commanding the right
| wing of the army, consisting of the 9th and
| 9th corps, left Warrenton this morning with
| orders to proceed to Rappahannock Station
and take and hold that point
The march was a rapid one and the lst
Division of the 9th Corps, under command of
| Brig. Gen. David A. Russell, Gen. Wright
being in command of the Corps, reached the
Heights this side of the Rappahannock about
| l O'Clock, and drove in the enemy's pickets
! Sykes Division of the same Corps, on Rus
| sells right, commenced skirmishing soon al
ter and drove the enemy before them
| The 9TH Corps, under Major Gen. Sykes,
! formed their skirmish line on the south of
the Orange q Alexandria Il. r., stretching
dow n towards Norman's Ford
Early's division, and EweIrs rebel corps.
| occupied the heights on this side of the river,
| the works upon which they had so tlcncd rs
/ TO make them defensive from an attack from
this direction. These works were construc-
| ted by forces last summer, while we oc-
| cupicd the line of the Rappahannock. The
enemy, however, had strengthened them by
| digging a sem-circle of rifle pits around their
front. Such the formidable position which
| Russclrs brave boys attacked and carried to-
/ day
| Col. Tompkins, Chief Of Artillery. on Gen.
| Sedgwicks staff, posted the artillery on the
/ heights about thrcc-fOurths of a mile this side
| of the river, and commenced to shell the
| works At o'clock, Is guns were engaged in
! Smelling them at short range, having "A beauti-
| fuI effect. The fire of the enemy is also very
| fine.
! Although Gems. Seigsick, Wright and
! Tyler with their stats were present and ac-
| tive, all agree in awarding the credit of this
| brilliant achievement principally to General
| Russell and his gallant troops pom their sue
| cess in this preliminary movement.
While this was going on, Russell was busy
with his musketry. He pushed his line of
| skirmishcrs upon both TANKS of the enemy's
works until nearly sunset, when his own
| brigade, composed of the 9Th Wisconsin, Col
| Allen, the 9TH Maine, Col Edwards and the
12lst New York, Col. Upton, were ordered to
charge the rife pits and earthworks upon
both aanks. Led by Gen. Russell in person.
they went steadily and silently onward, fight
ing as they proceeded, till nearing the works
they fixed bayonets and pitched in with cold
steel
This was too much even for the flower of
the Southern army, (for it was the much
Wanted Louisiana Brigade they found there)
and after a short hand TO hand contest they
turned to fee to the pontoons, which were
lying directly in their rear, but here they
were foilcd. Our boys had already secured
the approach to the bridge, and they had no
alternative but to surrender or swim for It.
Some of them tried the latter, but it vas no
easy matter and they yielded.
| When those on the opposite shore found
We held this end of the bridge, they set FIRE
to their side and destroyed portion Of it
Thus closed at dark one of the most brilliant
actions of the war. 1t fought BY the
same troops that so gallantly stormed and
carried the Heights of st. Marys at the second
battle Of Fredericksburg.
~ JEFF DAVIS said in his speech at Mis-
sonary Ridge, the other day, that obedience
was the first duty Of soldier F." With what
,5-l+ - barra 10,