Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-05-13

rebels running down tho road. indicated
that that portion Of the enemy's line had
been crushed. At 8 o'clock, A. NJ. Gen.
French sent his compliments to General
| Hooker, with the information that he had
charged the enemy and was driving him
before him.
Sickles maintained the attack upon his
line With gre, / endurance. The enemy
seemed determined TO crush him with the
immensely Of his forces, and, as subse"
quently shown from the statements OF
prisoners, five whole divisions of the rebel
army were precipitated upon this portion
of the line, for from these FIVE divisions
We took during tho day an aggregate of
oyes two thousand prisoners.
The exploits of our gallant troops in
those dark, tangled. gloomy woods, may
never be brought TO light; but they would
I'LL hundred volumes. 1t was delibcrN
ate desperate hand to hand conflict, and
the carnage was perfectly frightful, Cool
officers say that the dead and wounded of
the enemy covered the ground in heaps,
and that the rebels seemed utterly regard
less OF their lives, and literally threw
themselves upon the muzzles Of our guns.
Many desperate charges were made durN
ing the fight particularly by Berry's diyl-
sion, Motifs brigade made fifteen disN
tinot charges and captured seven stands Of
, colors, the Seventh New Jersey, Colonel
Frencine, alone captured four stands Of
colors ard five hundred prisoners
Gen. Couoh's Second Army Corps, though
only in part present did excellent work.
, It wa, Gen. French who charged and
drove the enemy on the flank, and it was
| the indomitable Hancock, who CALAMITY
went TO the relief of the hard pressed
: Sickles.
: The engs cement lasted without tho
slightest intermission from So A. NJ. to
1 |8.45 P. NJ, when there was o temporary
, cessation on our part, oocasioned bv get'
n ting out of ammunition. We held our
!, position for nearly an hour with the bay
2 onet and then, being re-guppled an order
-. was given to fall back to the vicinity oi
h the Chancellor House, which we did in
I order Here the contest was maintained
a for an hour or more, no. so severely as be-
q fore, but with great havoc to the enemy
! and considerable loss to ourselves.
= The vicinity Of the Charlottesville
House was now the theatre Of the fight
f. and my visits to that spot became less
g frequent. General Hooker maintained
a his headquarters there until ~ A. NJ.
" when it was set on fire by the eaemy'
-, shells and is now in ruirs. Chancellors
/. Vile is no longer in existence, having per
Il ished with the flame, but ChancGllorsYillt
> is in history, never to be eitaced.
Our new line was now 80 far established
!. as to render it safe to withdraw all ou
~ force on that front which was accordingly
o done, and at ll1 A. NJ, the muskotry fir
/. ing ceased.
= The engagement had lasted six hours
a. but had been the most terrific Of tho war
4 Our arullery had literally slaughtered tho
I enemy, and many Of the companies haC
- lost heavily in men themselves, but the
. guns we're all saved.
:. The enemy was now no longer in our
p rear but had been showed down directly
;, in our front, and is now directly between
if US and our forces in Fredericksburg, anc
% we are again in al enLrenched and tormid
q ably fortified position. The enemy ha!
'1 gained some ground it IS true, but at The
!. sacrifice of the flower of his force, Eve ot
a his seven divisions having been cut 10 pie
- ces in the effort, and over two thousand
of them haYe fallen into our hands.
a Our right wing, under Gems. Reynolds
+ and Meade was not engaged, save the div
ision Of Gen. Humphreys which went in
! to the woods on the left flank. and fought
;. gallantly under their brilliant leader, unit,
10 their ammunition was exhausted.
During the afternoon the enemy has
J made several attempts to force our lines
~ particularly at the apex Of our position
u near the Chancellor House, but Captain
u Weed has massed large quantity Of ar.
u tillery in such a position as to repulse with
!. great loss everything placed within it:
= range. The enemy tried several batterie:
~ and regiments at that point at different
Il times during the afternoon, and they
were literally destroyed by the fire Of oul
y terrible guns, Nothing can live within
6 their range.
;, u Our present position is impregnable i
J our troops continue to fight as they have
. 20 day. Gen. Lee, the prisoners say, has
= issued an order that our lines must be bro
= ken OF all hazards. Let them try it again
/ with what they have left. They can, and
!, perhaps will destroy themselves by making
u attack upon this position.
= Our troops are perfectly cool ard conf
II dent. They have fought with great spirit
and enthusiasm and will continue to co 50
J. The rebel prisoners report that Gen.
J. p. Hill was Killed this forenoon, curing
c the sanguinary conflict his division had
' with Gen. BerFy's division, Gen. Berry wal
g himself killed while CALAMITY leading hi.
y brave men.
:, L. L. CRoUNsE.
= CTfTI. TATEp