Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-05-14
ent Hancock gallantry going to tn ,
relief Of Sicklcs, who was hard

pressed. as,l 1. &c.,.
The engagement lasted from. 5:3Q
to s:45 A. NJ. when, being out Of am.
munition, our forces held their. posi-
tion for an hour at the point of the
bayonet and on being supplied they
fell back in good order to the ChanceI-
lor House, where the contest was
again maintained, with great havoc to
the enemy and considerable loss 10
ourselves. -as.
was now the theatre of the, fights
and Hooker maintained his headquar.
ters there until ten o'clock, when it
was burned by the roSc!s' sheh. -.
I'm the meantime Hooker. estab-,
lished new liue., Our forces were
withdrawn from the front, and at IL so
the musketry had ceased. -.
The engagement lasted six hours;
and was the most terrific of the war.
Our artillery literally slaughtered the
enemy. Many of our batteries lost
heavily, but the guns were all saved.
The enemy now is no longer In our
rear, but directly in our front. between
us and our forces in fredericksburg:
We occupying fortified and intrench-
ed position. .-.,s.e s...... -,
Tic enemy gained some ground. but
at q sacrifice Of five of his seven d..
visions. ,...
Sunday afternoon the rebels made
several attempts to force, our lines.
Several of his batteries and regiments
were actually destroyed in attempts
to carry the apex Of our position
near Chancellor House, where a large
quantity Of artillery is massed.
Our present position is impregna-
Bile. Gen. Lee has ordered that our
lines must be broken at an hazards;
but the rebels will only destroy them
selves by their attacks. #9
Our troops are perfectly cool and
confident. t--T.9
The rebel Gen. Hill is reported
killed.
Gen. Berry was killed whiie lead:
ing his brave men.
Having learned the enemy's posi-
ton, Hooker on Sunday night and
Monday entrenched himself and hi
abundantly able to resist any rebel
attack. 1t appears that after the
great struggle Of Sunday; Leo de-
tached large body TO attack Sedgc-
wick, and it was known that Long
street was rapidly getting in Sedge-
wick's rear at the same time.
Early on Monday morning large
masses Of rebels appeared ON The
nights Of fredericksburg, where we
had but a small force, having sent q
large portion of our troops to strength:
EN- Sedgewick.. The position was re-
linqashed after short resistance, we
having first moved all the guns.
Some fighting occurred above Fred
ericksburg, believed to have been an
unsuccessful attempt to prevent
Longstreet from moving up.
Sedgewick was holly engaged all
Monday, the rebels pressing him at
all points, and his men were obliged
to give way to overwhelming mass
es of rebels, and his discontinue
seemed certain, when Vermont brig
ade made a ferocious charge, repuls-.
ing them and securing the safety of
that portion of the army. The slaugh-
ter of the enemy here, near Banks
Ford, was horrible, whole brigades
being wiped out.
Sedgcwick, however, re-occupied
the river in the face of the enemy, af-
ter midnight. the rebels raking our
brigades with artillery, causing great
loss of life. He succeeded in getting
across in comparatively good order,
and marched Immediately to the Uni:
ted States Ford to join Hooker's main
army.
| General Hooker keeps his lines Of
communication clear. Ammunition
and rations go toward freely. notwith-
standing the desperate attempts Of the
rebels TO take Banks Ford and to cot
our lines of supplies.
A correspondent with Sedgewick's
division, dating Monday morning.
says ....
The battle opened at daylight, and
is still going on, on the hill At the ex-
treme left.
Gibbons division of the Cd corps;
returned to Falmouth last night, aud
Halls brigade has gone over.
All noucombatants are leaving ex:
cept surgeons. aa9
i Cracking Of musketry is near Us,
and even rifle pits are being dug On
our side Of the river to protect the
bridges #
The Times correspondent with
Hooker, writing on Sunday night,
says Gen. Howard has been reotgaA-
izing the llth corps. which has been
placed on duty again. Gen. Avetill,
with his cavalry command, reported
to Gen. Hooker on Sunday afternpon,
having been as far north as the Eapi-
dan Station, where they destroyed a
bridge ON the Orange & Alexandra
Railroad, and drove Lee and Stewar,
out of Culpcpper. sa
Averili has received instructions tc
perform further important work.
i The headquarters Of Hooker to
night is under tree.
The Tribune correspondent with
I Hooker, writing at sunrise Monday
|. says, that the guns are already thun
dering on our left 1t is believed that
, to-day win prove most disastrous Il
the rebels hm
over six thousand rebel prisoner.
|, have been brought in. They repor
that Jackson is in command of the
J, rebel army, and that reinforcement,
: have been sent from North Carolin;
n and the Peninsula.
3 Our loss is heavy.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has dis
3 patch purporting to be from Wash
ington. stating that a telegraphic des
\ patch from Lee, to Richmond, hat
u been'intercepted, calling for reinforce
ments. and announcing his entire ina
q bility to hold out two days longer, un
l. less they are sent.
. Al r. L