, 1863-05-06
Details Of Operations to
Saturday Morning.
OUR FORCES IN THE REAR OF
FREDERICKSBURG.
THE RAILROAD TO RICHMOND
SAID 10 BE CUT By
ST0NEMAN.
Several Important Positions Cap
tured from the Rebels.
The ENEMY DECEIVED BY A FElhT
AND SEVERELY HANDLED.
HEADQUARTERS Army or THE PoToAAc, II
1uE FIELD. NEAR REuASCELLQEY1LLE.E Va. !

FRIDAY Evening" may l., tseo-1uP p. H.
, Upon my resurn from United States Ford,
th1s morning, Tie mrs. news that greeted my
ears, was, the death Of that gallant and indom-
liable officer, Laeuten2nt Colonel MeVicaE,
commanding the 9Th New York cavalry. It
occurred last night, during brilliant and
daring Reconnaissance toward Spottsylyauia |
Court Honse. The affair was the boldest act
Of the advance thus far, and as your cores
pondept, q. ". b." accompanied the col
umn, he will detail The circumstances, as he
personally witnessed nnd participated in
them. He was warmly congratulated to-day,
iu the affair, The charge Of less than zoo of
our men upon the whole Of Fitzhugh Lees
brigade, and the successful escape Of our forcs
was 1T and stirring event for tho opening Of
this grind battle.
Tie dav upeued with d heavy mist over
1apgins the country, particularly near the
river, which was NOT entirely dispelled until
the sun was we'll up-say S o'clock. The |
morning was oniet-neither party seemed to
he ready for battle.
We brought up additional artillery during
the night, as well as large ammunition trains.
and an allowance ot six forage wagons to
each corps, which were ordered to return In |
each case before any more were allowed to |
pass the bridges. Major Painter, Of the |
Quartermaster's Department, had charge Of |
wagons and artillery 90 that there vas no |
confusion, while the total amount OF trans !
portation which reached this side Of the river |
was very email, and not in the least cumber- |
some.
TIE I'd Army Corps came up during the
night and encamped near the left Of our posi-. |
lion. The Sd Corps Jay between Banks and |
United States Fords during the night and
| reached the front about noon. The troops
| marched rapidly, and with great cheertulness.
| The great strategic importance Of this posi-
| tton grows more and more apparent every
hour. We hold the GordonsyiDe road secure.
1y. By going half mile TO the rear, We find
aconntry road leading to spotts93yanfa Court
| Honse--four miles to the rear Is another:
Their funk is thus dangerously exposed, for It
| they retreat, they are harasEed BY flank and
| rear; II they fight, they must fight in an open
ticld, on equal terms, with perhaps great adj
| yantages in our favor.
Evidences 1ony accumulate o. the iaet that
| operations, and In grc:lt measure unprepared
to meet us. Tint he Is very nervous IS evident
from the manner in which he falls to digging
rille, pits in every Convenient location: lfany
| found in the capture at this point, yesterday,
! of a disnatth from Cen. Ice To mi engineer
of1icer here. saving IN substance that he vas
yc1y murh surprjsed at Ibis movement. had
n.y., nm This S'1 isptcR vas seS
Ami, % Dnc Ynore fact. NcVicar canturei-
| ~ lis cI,oroe last nioht y disnatcl, from Gcn
lrc ~ IN III FiizIn~l, IT, ordering his carairy
hrSads r., he nj Spottsylyania Court nonse on
| An5il N Thns I cc camc in nnon McVic,r's
rcpr wIo 4gas slsn bound to sunttsvlyania
H,os;ilities amoac the nickets we're carried
IN durinp the ni,5ht viii s1iuht 1oss. Wat
en,,s ~ Lattsrr j., W.a3a,s Eronf thue 1os+ t.ro
,ua, ana e,.it horscs ,nr lin,rs w..rc not . on.
,linraJ ,us5 ,,inht tho tronn: ho;no m,ss"d
-. '5n,9ar ,a innaf;nn'. @4~ S'oOf' A''s~N
AZ p;1It 5IG hara iat sra ,f1 am rive q, 7an, of
r..a+ i,oat;on r. ,.nur ,5,nns 80 80, rr;,i
,:nrcve uer fhancinrvilIe fF ,nt1c. wes, Of
th1rst tr,,o strt ~ Vrr;,;a ~ n
htsocl.cRsGfg, ffne nna stsae Snne o. VT 15n w.
toiss;ot IT, ba,,ea -, tf;s ;nstanee Is ;,
ous-aa'u., 49, ~ :,i ~ i.a a,'..ae, "
nn. - -. uo,n5eJ ~ n;c,, n,,rnsc - -
sIrc"dr % asvotcI "H III ~" pu, IS the
nnt,e ,;9ai i,nort,nce ,n1 ere Teom ~ tI;
~. ~ 'r oi '1msu '..s 1;ro,,,,. vost ~
poina tne M Eaa LILLE uee5 "ss. a. ~ hU
u.pehlo', ~ %.s - sa Th Gandc..-;iia ~
ulniho ;Ha ~ 9 +hoi,t, f,,r ,,'i,ae - 1 a1
"ar The ,,1ans to FTe1crckshu1 - ~ uns
,eai: & r., :" e,,, esa',a tho
ne..ts Wy sas'; .'.han ~ st4o" ueu ~ smo
;nn ;th;,, q & uuu 1xs r ~ oest
. t n.4.nar,hn,st 1nna he oid tnynniEe 70 Fr.i.
, sr;rt shnrr which fntcrsrcts III, nl,nt. .rnad
nrain aboilt three miles from here. Near Ills
;,itersertion \ road hears +, Tho ieff. md roes
i 10 Banks Ford. six miles, direction north.
east. United States Ford les north.north.
:; wcst, and the road thereto leayes the Ely's
y Ford road and bears 10 the right about one mile
from this point. THIS roads winds through
tic timber, anu is very t1dIItFGut aE Inc QEHt,
c The forenoon was mainly occupied By Gen.
f. Booker, his ststI, and able corps command
& ers, in consultation, and in nlaking dlsposi
;: tions Of the columns. At about IL O'Clock,
Gen. sykes' division was sent forward on the
left, By the Banks' Ford Road, to make IN at.
= strength on th;lt bank; If moved promptly
- into POSITION, with weeds, now "atsons
L. regulas battery. Ihs hrst gun vas fired p
tne enemy, aooas - c4och. l. ntash SIT s,.I
r mlsnng conmcnce1, our men .l enlertnE s.;. tns
= heid WIN mncn enthusiasm Luz ~, ON on fenn ZEN,
al 1or sone lime, ana sas.a'1ea '4 Ea.lns IT
ifcm Inc en:mys mMnttJ, put behaved "a, VIII III
L. EreaI lntiepluls. lnsS cna'R e 5ccnassee
Ivn ~ @ ~ 49, " ~ g. su.n .a ~ W 10 g.
paeh, Gsu osf.s L'su .t,a.st tu,G" 1 .u."aaa ~
~ t I"ah =! on VIZ ta
D' aHG avnute 44sh VIZ p;t sne ea'a
ii ,n ~, e!sthSu .ue .u,.s, pa'saiit O .ns
I: tne aet,on ~ ~" ussne 1alte gi;nsitt ~ :,
el ah',.,t no s,no atrangi Tho ra,a1
h''s enueocd 1sas fhet of Andcrson NJ nart
ia M ~ ~ NV eone.sstnf TT;i - ~.
- =. el!eaoes " 1nees, slIu9ney auu nHSoa
Il: S3hcs 3,m 4guEn! LIZ laItst y 9fiEaae ~ u.ines
II. a;ul. 11c 1epes eoateele. tne ground yer.
~ u. rcry hara. Our troops fought for full IN hon
=, with great spirit aud drove the enemy froI
'ic two successive and strong positions upo
III ridges Of land which run parallel with th
iii 1t1pP'@Aalluoeks Aue u!stauee aaAa 614Ae
~ vas nearly one mile, aud some fifty prison
IT, crs. most1f belonging TO Virginia regiments
' were captured, They gave themselves Il
is: readily, many Of them mauifesting pleasur
lid at their position. About halfpast on
"a brigade Of reeu)ars. had expressed 4 desi1
'1o to lake nnof6er ridge" IN order was r.
.x. cejyed by Gen Syl"s }rom Gen. Hooker.
=; ~ snsrtnd the attack and rrtire nearly 10 HI
j. former position. This appeared incxplcabl
i'd ceme hsst s1opr1v nnd n goood ordet frcannr
SIS mutfer;mes wrre i..,ri 5monsr them abon
.s sls hejng ssen The retreat again7, But the :.
'u nnel '.rovcd that fhere WosS e mind nTer a1I nh
nc Directed What vas best for tlern.
n euusg aot ooI l1 bo5 reaaxe ;nfrm,to
frn,r, h;a hooSnna-taro thot +ho onor,E ho
mic thr..,, +,,a ,a1+ ~ ~. f,.ns ~ ~
rs s;lo ~ ~ +66.t;sea,Snns o.i la ,1so -an,n
III I'd mnnr ~ ia rn,,s IN thn love- h,ttar;a
,;5 eni 1.4 49, 4us e;,;a ~ - r.. ,o- ~
~, ~ X eS1 to,e .nsin au 9s.s9n " lue 4ppgl u
m,Eir ~ .omnunus at.sn inaiea11nS an .ntens'on
,.cndcG th,s ~ .r"i9,; ~ vs. ~ .ueleluse ~
FAD ecn arr1,n1,.d VI nre!a asGh ~ - oIGe' ~nas
onorot;ona aisaEhars 1 ~ 'ulpu. -
that # the enemp "a r.as1v aau ELY ~ susss W..
Ire us thnr Won1I ft1," ms n9r rat;r,oni =" le''
IN ~, ~ ho remayEe1. =" ~ fhint rsn mai
for them se1ne out and nGht t,n nc sal5 on ny ov "
ost a a e.n ."u n;s+ooi NJ an1 ra9u,ts
Of ,t;.en,ort T,r ch:c1 anJ G,1,ouaa ~ -. -,
uS ir as We fa1i hal t--" A'1o"eo ~ 10p1
- 'cen sSEcs, J;v;s,on had oot n 4,a;r -
ng nosit;on md rirsrts tbno1n5 nnt - 1rhsn y u
ms tnemy AGAIN apucared ] in force on on the T Ids
ic- t.aioa .s t9os " Ma'Su me ~. Vns men L.:
it'll s::aeheu aln's anu Mels a. resi-. Inc %oo
Of IT rar1 1,"ht ~ snn1as srit t Mt -
Ill ~ s asas LEI a'sn. anGiss M1.a INC road a