The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-05-13


and ID a few moments a. battalion after bat
tallion became engaged. the roar surpassed all
conception, and indicated that the fight would
be- one OF the most terrible nature. General
Bcrry's division which had checked the enemy
advance the N -ht before. engaged him agar. /
and Il it were possible Tor them 30 ADJ u
hlrlls 10 iler jaime. t-en tley did ID thrice
over again. Tie enemy advanced bis Infantry
in overwhelming numb,rS and seemed deter
mined TO crash our forces. Bat the brave men
of Sickles al3 >iocum. who fought their col
umns with q ~ptrate galiaairy. held Ga. rebels
In check. and id cted dreadful slaughter among
them. Gen Freuch's diyi>ioa was sent in on
the right tank OF our line al ahOat : 4. NJ
and in d short tine a horde Of ragged. stream
ing rebels running down the road. Indicated that
that portion ot the enemy line had been crush
ed. Al o'clock \. NJ. Gen. Preach sent his
compliment o. Gen. Hooker with the iniorma
ton that be bad charged the enemy and was
driving him before him. S'ckles maintained
the attack upon his liza, ,,th great endurance.
The enemy 81 med determined {, crush him
with the immensely OF bis forces. and A. sub
s-lu.ntlv shown from the statements Of pris-
oners. i've whole divisions Of the rebel army
were prec plated upon this portion Of the line.
for from these I'VE divisions we took during the
DAY an aggregate OF over two thousand prison
ers
The exploits of our gallant troops ia those
dark tangled. gloomy woods NAV never be
brought TO light, but they ould Gil hundred
volumes J was a deliberate. desperate hand
90 hand conflict. aud the carnage vas perfectly
triEhiful Cool officer say that the al and
wounded of t.t el.rrv coi "red the rr1und i'm
heaps and shat Che lriti- seeem,d utterly
regardless OF tle,r lives. aid literally threw
themselves upon the muzzles of our guns
Many desperate charges were made during the
fight, particularly 10y Berry's division. Motifs
brigade made fifteen distinct charges, and cap
tured screen stand of cOlors the Seventh New
Jersey. Col. Fracine capturing four stands Of
colors and i've hundred prisoners
Gen COUGHS Second Army Corps, though on
| " In part present. did excellent work. 1t was
General French who charged and drove the
enemy on the flank. and il was the indenitable
Hancock who calamity went to the relief Of
the hard pressed Sickles.
/ The Enlargement lasted without the slightest
intermisslon from 3 - \. NJ to $40 4. NJ.
when there was temporary cessation on our
/ part occasiOnCd by getting out Of ammunition.
/ We held eur position for nearly an hour with
the bayonet and then being re-supplied. an
order was given o fan back to the vicinity of
the Chancellor House, which We did in good
order Here the contest was maintained for an
hour or more. not so seriously a. before, but
with great havoc TO the enemy. and cOnsdera-
bic loss to ourselves. The vicinity of the
Chancellor House was now the theatre of the
| fight. aud my visits to that spot became less
| frequent. Gen Hooker maintained his head
quarters there until 10 \. NJ. when il was set
on FIRE 10y the enemy's shells and is now in ru-
ins Charlottesville il no longer in existence.
/ having persisted with the hame, but ChaRcel-
! louisville Is in history. never 10 be eilaced.
Oar new line was now 20 far established az ~
render il safe to withdraw all our forces on that
front, which was accordingly DONE and at 1880
A VI. the musketry firing ceased.
The engagement had lasted six hours. and
had been the most terrific of the war Our ar
tillery had literally slaughtered the enemy, and
mary OF the companies had lost heavily ia nen
themselves, but the guns were all saved
The enemy WAS nov no longer in our rear.
but had been showed down directly ia our front,
aid Is now directly between rs and our forces Ia
! Fredericksburgh, and We are again in an en-
:reuched and formidably fortified position. Tie
] eneny las gained some ground % is true. bui
n the sacrifice Of the flower of his force. sve 70.
his seven divisions having been cut 20 pieces 80
the effort, and over ,0G0 OF them have fallen
into our hands
Our right wing, under Gems Reynolds and
Meade was not engaged, save the division OF
cen Humphreys, which went into the woods
Oh the enemy's left flank, ana fought vaanty
under their brilliant leader, until their ammuui
ton vas exhausted
During the afternoon, the enemy had made
several attempts to force our lines, particularly
at the apex Of our position, near the Chancellor
House, but Capt Weed had massed a large
quantity of artillery in such a position as to re
/ pulse with great loss everything placed within
it, range. The enemy tried several batteries
and regiments at that point, at different times
during the afternoon, and they we're literally De
strOyed by the fire Of our terrible guns. Moth
ing can live within their range
Our present position is impregnabe if orr
troops continue to Sight as they have to-day.
Gen Lee, the prisoners say, has issued an order
that our lines must be broken at all hazards
Let them Try il again, With what they have l,ft.
They can aui perhaps will destroy themselves by
attack upon this position
Our troops are perfectly cool and confident.
They have fought With great spirii and enihu-i-
asm and will continue 10 10 -
The rebel prisoners report that Gen A. p
Hill Nas kilie this forenoon. during the sangui.
nary conflict biz division bad with Gen Berry 5
divisoin. Gen Berry Was himself Killed. while
sa.snu} fighting his brave men.
uoNDAY
HE heraW says
GU messengers from Rockers army bring
details oi his movements 10 MoDGt5 night, and
OF the movements Of Sedgwick 10 o'clock o.
Tuesday morning. Hooker maintained his new
line on tae edge Of the woods, short distance
North Of Charlottesville. crossing the main
road leading to the United States Ford, without
important change There was 10 fighting there
until late ca honds, afternoon, when division
Of tie 6lh corps advanced towards Fredericks-
burg, meeting the reD-l -kirrisLers IN the
woods, and driving them back. The main body
pushed on. meeting large bodies OF rebel. in
deubi- Inc Vi battle. a h>lf hour heavy 6riag
essued, our batteries compelling The rebels to
fab back 30 disorder The division then return
ID 10 our main line and rested having zscer-
tanned The enemy's position.
LIFT WlNG OBJ Tile ARMY
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