Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-05-13

ended.
Now cosae to Sunday zK was per-
fectly evidenk from the poslfon q a&airss
on Saturday night. that tire rnnst be
oh6ngsof oue hines which would throw
The enomy OF of our rl6r md Into our
skillful generalship the enemy was fought
and checked on front, and fank, md rear,
while this wss being done.
Gen. Reynolds First Army Corps ar
| rived at United States Ford on ~6asurday
afternoon. 1t was Immediately put into
I position on our right, which Was with
drawn from the plank road TO the Ely's
Ford turnpike. This lire was immedi-
ately formed by Gems. Reynolds aud
Meade, the latter's position, on the left,
having been relieved by Gen. Towards
| eleventh corps, which, Notwithstanding it's
disorganized condition was so far reorgan
| lied during the night as to be tit for duty
| again this morning. They were assigned
the position on the left, where it was
probable there would be little or no fight
ing, and were protected by the strong
works built the day before by General
Meade's corps. Our new line now assum-
ed the shape of triangle, prolonged at
| the apex, the right of the line being some
what longer than the left. As the por--
| ton of the line on the right was new, time
was necessary to fortify and intrench it,
and the work was carried on vigorously
| by the fifth and first army corps.
1t was very evident at daylight this
morning that the day would bring forth
terrific battle. We knew that the enemy
had been reinforcing his line all night, at
the expense, undoubtedly, of the strength
of his force on our left. His intention
was, evidently, to fight FOR the possession
| of the plank road, which it was perfectly
apparent he must have, as that portion of
it which we then held was subject to the
enerny's assaults in front and on both
TANKS. @ ae
But the possession OF this road was not
obtained by the enemy save at our own
time, at his severest cost, and after one of
the most desperate, tenacious and bloody
conflicts, for its short duration, of the
whole war. At O'Clock A. Nj. the reb-
els could be plainly seen upon the plank
road, about mile and half from the
Chancellor House, which Gen. Hooker
still retained as his headquarters, though
a shell had gone through it the evening
before, and another had cut down a tree
directly in front of it.
Our line OF battle was formed with Gen.
Berry's gallant division on the right, Gen.
|
Gen. Williams supporting. At 81 A. M.
the advance became engaged in the ravine,
Just beyond the ridge where Capt. Best's
guns had made their terrific onslaught the
night before, and where they still frowned
upon the enemy and threatened his de-
struction.
The rattle of musketry soon became q
long continued crash, and in a few mo.
ments, as battalion after battalion became
engaged, the roar surpassed all conception
and indicated that the 6ght would be one
of the most terrible nature. Gen. BERRY
division, which had checked the enemy's
advance the night before, engaged hin
again, and if it were possible for them to
add more laurels to their fame, then they
did it thrice over again. The enemy ad
vanced bis infantry in Overwhelming
numbers, and seemed determined to crush
orr forces But the brave men of SICKLE:
and SLoCUM, who fought their column
with desperate gallantry, held the rebels
in check, and inflicted dreadful slaughter
among them. Gen. FRENOH's division
was sent in on the right flank of our line
at about A. NJ, and in short time 6
horde of ragged, streaming rebels running
down the road, indicated that that portion
Of TIE epenv '9sen hfhEseRa e ssnt is coA
pliments to Gen. HOOKER, with the infor
nation that he had charged the enemy
and was driving him before him.
SIOKLEs maintained the attack upon hi
line with great endurance. The epeu,
seemed determined to crush him with the
immensely OF his forces, and, as subst On, ut
ly shown from the Statements OF prisoners,
five whole divisions of the rebel am,
were precipitated upon this portion OF tie
!:
daring the day an aggregate Of Over two
thousand prisoners.
The exploits of our gallant troops in
those dark, tangled, gloomy woods may
never be brought to light /; but they would
fill hundred volumes. 1t was deHber
ate, desperate hand to>hand conflict, and
the carnage was perfectly frightful. Cool
| officers say that the dead aud wounded of
the enemy covered the ground in heaps,
and that The rebels seemed utterly regard
less OF their lives, and literally threw them
selves upon the muzzes of our gums
Many desperate charges were made during
the fight, particularly by Berry's division.
Motifs brigade made fifteen charges, and
captured seDen stand of colors the Seventh
New Jersey, Col. Francine, alone captur-
ing four stands of colors and five hundred
| prisoners.
General COUGHS Second Army Corps,
though only in part present, did excellent
work. 1t " as Gen. French who charged
and drove the enemy or the flank, and it
was the indomitable Hancock who gal
lantly went to the relief of the hard
pressed Sickles.
The engagement lasted without the
slightest inUerniission from $50 A. NJ. to
$40 A. NJ, when there was temporary
cessation on our part, occasioned by get
ting out of ammunition. We held our
position for nearly an hour with the bay
onet, 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. Here the contest was main
tanned for an hour or more, not so severely
as before, but with great hovoc to the
enemy aud considerable loss to ourselves.
The vicinity of the Chancellor House
was now the theatre of the fight, and my
visits to that spot became less frequent.
| Gen. Hooker maintained his headquarters
| Shere until 10 A. NJ, when it was set on
/ fire by the enemy's shells, and is now in
ruins. charlottesville is 20 longer in
existence, having rerlshed with the lame,