Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-05-06
slept on their arms. That nights work was
IoI



United States Ford on Saturday afternoon.
1t was Immediately put into position on our
right, winch was withdrawn from the plank
road to the Ely's Ford turnpike. This line
was Immediately formed by Gems. REYNOLDS
| ana Meade, the latterS position, c,t The left,
having been relieved by Gen. HOo.nPs Ilth
corps, which, notwithstanding its disorganized
condition, was SO far reorganized during the
night as to be fit for duty this morning. At
| O'Clock a. N. the rebels could be plainly
| seen up the plank road about a mile and
malt from the Chancellor House. which Gen.
Hooker still retained as his headquarters.
though shell had gone through it the even
ing before, and another had cut down a tree
directly in front of it. Our line of battle was
formed with Cen Berry's gallant division on
the right Gen. Birney next on the left, Gen.
Whipple and Gen. Williams supporting. At
IL A. NJ. the advance became engaged in
the raYine, just beyond the ridge where Capt.
Bests guns had made their terrific onslaught
the night before, and where they still frowned
upon the enemy and threatened his destruc-
ton.
The rattle of musketry soon became a long
continued crash, and in a few moments, as
battalion after battalion became engaged, the
roar surpassed all conception and indicated
that the fight would he one of the most terri
BILE nature. Gen. Berry's division, which had
checked the enemy's advance the night be-
fore, engaged him again, and if it were posi-
bic for them to add more laurelS to their fame
then they did it thrice over again. The enc
my advanced his infantry in overwhelming
numbers, and seemed determined to crush
our forces. But the brave men of Sickles
and Slocum, who fought their columns with
desperate gallantry, held the rebels in check,
and inflicted dreadful slaughter among them.
zen. trench's division was sent in on the
right Hank OF our line at about Z A. NJ, and in
short time horde OF ragged, streaming reb-
els running down the road, indicated that that
portion OF the enemy'S line had been crushed
At A. NJ, Gen. French sent his compliments
to Gen. Hooker, with the information that he
mad charged the enemy and was driving him
, before him.
Slckles maintained the attack upon his line
with great endurance. The enemy seemed
determined to crush him with the immensely
OF MS forces, and, as subsequently shown
from the statements of the prisoners. five
whole divisions Of the rebel army were pre-
clpltated upon this portion of the line. for
from these five divisions we took during
the day an aggregate of over two thousand
prisoners.
The exploits of our gallant troops in those
brought to light; but they would fill hun
dred volumes. 1t was a deliberate, desper-
ate, hand-to- hand conflict and the carnage
was perfectly trighttul. Cool officers say that
the dead and wounded of the enemy covered
the ground IN heaps, and that the rebels SEEM
ed utterly regardless OF their lives and liter
ally threw themselves upon the muzzles of
our guns. Many desperate charges were
made during the fight particularly bv Berry's
division. Motifs brigade made fifteen dis
unct charges, and captured screen stands of
colors, the 9TH New Jersey, Col. Francine,
alone capturing four stands of colors and five
hundred prisoners.
The engagement lasted without the slioht-
est ., ints ter from IL A. to 8.45 A.
our part, occasoned by getting out OF a1ifnd.
milton. We held our position for nearly an
hour with the bayonet, and then, being re-
supplied, an order was given to fall back to
the vicinity of the Chancellor House, which
we did in good order.
The vicinity of the Chancellor House was
now the theater of the fight. Gen. Hooker
maintained his headquarters there until 10 A.
NJ, when it was set on fire by the enemy's
shells, and is now in ruins. Characteristic
is no longer in existence, having persisted with
the flame, but Chancellorvile is in history,
never to be effaced.
Our new line was now so far established as
to render it safe to withdraw all our forces on
that front, which was accordingly done, and
at ll.30 A. NJ the musketry firing ceased
The engagement had lasted six hours, but
had been the most terrific of the war. Our
artillery had literally slaughtered the enemy,
and many of the companies mad lost heavily
in men themselves, but the guns were all
saved. The enemy was now no longer in our
bDt had lppu ShpVp1 UOIVu dirpptly in
our front, and is now directly between us and
our forces in Fredericksburg, and we were
again in an entrenched and formidaby torti-
fed position.
Our right wing, under Gems. Reynolds and
Meade, was not engaged, save the division of
Gen. Humphreys which went into the woods
on the enemy's left flank and fought valiantly
under their brilliant leader, until their am
munition was exhausted.
During the afternoon the enemy had made
several attempts to force our lines. particu-
larly at the apex of our position, near the
Chancellor House, but Capt. Wood has mass
ed Il large quantity of artillery in such po-
sition as to repulse with great loss everything
placed within its range. The enemies tried
several batteries and regiments at that point
at different times during the afternoon, and
they were literally destroyed by our terrible
This battle is to the rebels by far the blood
lest they have yet had, while our sacrifice is
much less. We have taken four thousand
prisoners, with loss on our side of not
tenth of that number
The following is partial list of killed and
wounded officers
Maj. Gen. Berry-killed, while CALAMITY
fighting his division.
Gen. Devens of Massachusetts command
ing LIST division, 18th corps-severely wound
ed in foot.
General Mott-severely wounded in two
places.
Col. Mcknight, 105th Pennsylvania-killed
Col. Riley, 18th Ohio-wounded and left on
the field.
Col. Lancaster, 10th Pennsyl
Col. Person, LIST New York-severely
wounded.
Col Shamrock, l09th Pennsylvania-killed
Col Stevens, 4th Excelsior brigade-killed
Col Parks, I'd New Yorkwounded.
Col Burling 9th New Jersey-wounded.
Col. Willets, 18th New Jersey-wounded.
Col. Potter, 18th New Hampshire-thigh.
Lieut.. Col. Scott, Sd Wisconsn-killed.
Lieut.. Colonel Chaplin, seth New York
killed.
Lieut.. Col. Coggswell, I'd Massachusetts,
arm.
Lieut.. Col. Cook, 10th New York-foot.
Major Keenan,, Sth Pennsylvania cavalry
killed.
Major Strouse, 46th PENNSYLVANIA killed.