The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1863-12-05
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Chicago. 10 i. na.. Dee. 3.

| Chicago. 10 = M. Dec. 3.
The Virginia campaign IL ended. The
ISollowine soeonntr has Just heenrsceiyedt
Ia marching south from the Rapidan
the purpose was % turn the snsmys
position by detour to Fredericksburg 4
orarge Court Heuss9 thy turupiksT at
fRsberston's tavern, midway on the road,
lhains ths. first ohisctiye. point. The en-.
lemy we're found here, in position With
This line formed on One Mile Rum q trih-
utary of the Rapidan. d When he discov-
Fered onr movements he threw his forces
down to head US of in moving The Sd
and 9th corps advanced on the westerly
road, moving parallel with the rebel po-
sition. This road was supposed TO lead
!. out. to the turnpike east of Robertson's
tavern, but instead ran into thc<roAd
Heading to Raceoon ford, on the ehehls's
line of communication. The head Of the
3d cnrps led by Princes second division
fell in with the enemy at the junction of
this road at. noon Friday. Heavy Skin
mishing ansued.. 81 The enemy was de-
| terrRinei tn resist our advance. General
French. commanding the corps rnassed
the other two divisions which we're close
at hand and ordered Prince to advance.
| This brought on serious action, the en-
envy bhowinga large force of infantry. -
The woods were So dence that it was i'm
practicable to work artillery Only one
battery was, engaged onour side, and Two
guns on the rebel side. The Sd divisions
Gen Carr, was deployed I'M a thIckeg Is
the loft of Prince. Immediately the en-
gagement became general, lasting until
dark, when the rebels Withdrew leaving
their dead and wounded on the field. -
The roar of musxetry during this brief
battle was never exceeded The enemy
opposed us with the entire corps of Ear
~ and one division Of Hills, the total
force estimated Mt 10000. One brigade
of the second and Two of the third diyiS-
ion only become engaged, the latter with
two of its brigades. Egan's and Coils
wards. were slightly engaged also; e.
marks ofthe 9th corps were in support
in,g distance in the rear, Smiths brig
adc third corps, new troops. moved in
under q tremendous fire md broke in
considerable confusion. Birney advanc-
ed Egaa into their 20 ton who held the
ground with the Sd and 9Th Michigan
20th Indiana, 10th New York and lst
Berdan sharpshooters. The enemy
made two fierce chaIg es on Refer and
were both times handsomely rcpulsed.
Morris drove the enemy from bis in
trenched position, charging across the
opening and up the hin.
The enemy's position behind the
breast works in the edge of the woods
was carried most handsomely The reb-
els attempted to retake it, but were re-
pulsed by the same brigade.
seely's battery K, 4th U. S., was twice
charged upon by the rebels. The guns
being double charged with canister.
moved the assailants down fearfullv.-
They were repulsed on both occasions by
cannon alone with tremendous slaughter.
Every brigade but Smiths did molly.
Smith subsequently rallied his men, and
did good work. .':-.
Our losses are surprisingly light COM
pared with the length Of the action and
the ferocity of the attack Our total loss
is two hundred and Atty killed. five hun
dred wounded, and from two to three
hundred missing. The latter are mostly
slightly wounded, and strayed away in
search of Hospitals.
The third army corps bivouackcd on
| the battle field.
Ambulance trains arrived after the
termination Of the battle, and were en-
gagged all night picking up the wounded.
Owing to the scarcity of ambulances, we
were unable to gather up any of the
rebel wounded.
Upwards of four hundred of their
dead have been counted on the field
| Their wounded will number fifteen hun
dred or two thousand These were of
necessity lett unoared for, and the deed
left uhburied., ,... =. -.
We took two hundred prisoners, and
had we followed up the victory would
have turned the left flank, instead of
which, when they retired, they fell back
into formidable position already en-
trenched on the heights west of Mile
ran, forming line with the right rest
Ing ON ClaFk's mountail, and stretching
| across the blank md zturunttoi srauflS