The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-22

started many hours before Wagfsaa
corpa took the advance for q night
march on the way to Spoisylvania Court
House sedgwiek's corps took another
road further to the left and Burnside
still another one upon which was our
vast army train. Hancock came last
as the rear guard
/ accompanied Gen. Grant and staff
ON this march, end we arrived at "Iodd's
Tavern" about or 2 o'clock in the
morning, where We hauled up and re-
NAMED till about S o'clock, and then
went to Piney Branch Church and es-
tablished headquarters
About two and half miles south Of
Spotsylvania C.. H, Sunday morning,
Warren encountered Longstreet's corps,
which had got in ahead Of him He
Immediately attacked, but rebel rein
forcements came in faster than ours.
There was heavy fighting all day, and
our losses were very serious. We were
not enabled to get ahead much on Sun
day. On Monday there was much
diminishing along the line, but the main
fighting was done by Hancock, who
crossed the river Pc, and obtained what
he supposed to be q strong position but
which, from an unknown bend in the
river, turned out not TO be so valuable.
On Tuesday morning, heavy skirm-
ishing was begun by our troops from one
end Of the line to the other A little
after midday, thinking that Hancock
had got himself into bad position by
crossing the Pc, Lee massed a very su-
pericr force to attack him. Hancock,
seeing what was coming, quietly retired
to this side Of the Po and took up a
new position. Here the enemy made
one Of his most terrific charges upon
him, which we not only repulsed, but,
in return, charged the enemy with IN
surpassed vehemences piling up his dead
IN heaps, snd nearly annihilating Heth's
rebel division. Orders had been given
early in the day for a general attack at
FIVE clock in the afternoon, but the
attack on Hancock delayed this grand
movement till about quarter to seven
Then began the assault which old Of
fcers and soldiers tell me was without
a parallel in this war No language
can give any idea of that dreadful
charge by our forces on the enemy s
| lines of defence. The salvos Of artil-
lery, the terrific roll of musketry, the
shouts of our own brave-hearted sol
diers, as they rushed to the deadly
breach, rising above the din of battle,
made an impression which can never
be effaced. This continued on our cen
ire and part of our left, till darkness
closed in upon the bloody scene. Our
troops had driven the enemy and car
RED his FIRST line Of works, and as We
turned TO ride back to the headquar-
tiers, tile shouts of our victorious heroes
were still ringing in our ears In this
charge, Wright on the left, had eaptur-
ed an entire rebel brigade of prisoners
and three guns; but in the melee and
confusion some of the prisoners got
away, and we could not bring off the
guns.
But after the battle had closed in the
front, Burnside was moving his forces
upon our extreme left upon the right Of
the enemy, pushing him back vigorous
" till ten o'clock at night, when he
found himself within one quarter of a
mile Of SpottsylVania COURTHOUSE
Thus ended the great work Of Tuesday
a real and substantial victory, inspiring
our officers and soldiers with renewed
confidence. The enemy was not only
beaten and driven, but his losses were
vastly heavier than our own
Of the fighting since Wednesday
morning, l can give no personal de
scription of, but it has been one contin
ued success, but purchased by the most
desperate exertiOns, and the most SUI
/ perhuman courage and persistence Of
our troops.
When l left the front on Wednesday
all seemed 10 feel that the great crisis
had passed, and. that our success was
certain. All were in the best spirits
but yet mourning for the many brave
men who had fallen. No casualties haC
happened to LIEUT. Gen Grant or hi
staff, so many of whom are Illinois
men,
Even If had time to write further,
could find no language to measure tht
estimate in which ] hold the general
ship of Gen. Grant. This campaign
viii stamp him as one of the creates
military men the world has ever seen
And as to Gen. Meade, he has proved
himself a worthy second of our grea
Illinois hero, a great executive com
mander, man Of GOODNESS, courage
skill and resource.
Gen. Grant is having every possible
support twenty-five thousand troop
have already gone from here to rein
force him, and his communications ar,
well open so he can get further supplies
The loyal people of the country car
now breathe more freely.
Yours, truly,
+. B. WAsHBUKEE.