, 1864-05-14

THE NEWS.

on Tuesday, May Sd, tbs vast Army of III
Potomac Was stirred by quietly prornulr.
ted order. At midnight It's march besau
AL day On Wednesday, hay 4th, it trampe
steadily sonthwArd. It had begun its rout
to Richmond. The forda Of the RupIdau wer
crossed with no sIgns Of the foe, Lee had
purpose not unsuspectcd by our commander
Below the RapIdan stretched the great ant
horrible tract we'll named "NIlderuess. =
Herr 1t was Les hoped to entrap and fal
upon our army. He did fall, and, like man
who should fall upon rock, he has hurt
himself Thursday morning, May 5th, saw
y tie Army Of the Potomac upon the ill-st4rrcd
field Of ChancelIorsyiIle.
The hattie Of Thursday was a fearful en-
counter in the mazes ofa tangled and scrubb,
forest and woody swamps. The only weapon,
were muskets and the bayonets Our five hun
dred cennons, like restless war dogs in lessh.t
hang on the edge Of the doubtful conflict,
without availability. The terrific fIght onl,
ended with nightt&ll. The victory was ourn
Tor nc went there to stsy and did stay, The
enemy vas defeated, for they aimed to drive
us back md did not. But it was evident that
Lee was determined to stake his whole fo7rr
he WIS playing the game of buttle with one
Of no less nerve. Burnslde's reserves were
hurried from Mnnaesas.
Fridays dawning saw the battle renewed.
Inc same scenes as on lie previous dreadful
day. Desperate charges Of the massed col.
umns Of tie foe, were met and beaten hack.
Lees tactics Of fighting were prncticcd to
Inc fullest extent Again and again the heavy
col'sion Of his best troops hhook, but
without breaking tue Union 1inea
once the resistance faltcred, and the stand
nra dropped; but for the noble sedewick
the day had been lost Lee, secure in HI.
ability 10 crush Grsnt, detached a force +o
hold the tords Of The Rapidan.' Grant had
no objection to that He was not going that
why. Night fell on the second day,. h,,t,a
Of the Wilderness.
Saturday, May sth, reproduced the scenes
Of former days. Sunday rolled tho wave of
oattte nearer spotsylvania. Our army had
moro than held their own. Withs tcnac,t,
OF purpose, proof against ali suffering. tber
stf1 pressed forward. Any 1zlterlus In their
leader, the detection or incompetencv of a
hingle corps commander wonld have lost al,
The position Of a1airs on Monday. NAV
Nh, "as as follows: After the contiunon.
march and fighting of whole w.ek tte
army imperatively demanded rest. The air
days provisions, with which the troops hid
marched out on the Wednesday preceding,
had nearly run ont, and it became necessary
10 repleuish the hayezsacks and comnanv
wagons 4 halt was therefore made till
Inc supply wagons should be cmptied, The
number OF wounded also was fearfuIly 1arre.
and It, would be inhunsn not to bend thu
Whole energies Of the army to hare them
conveyed to the rear and attended to. The
annbn]ances and wagon trims Of wounded
were sent to Fredericksbnsg, There va.
little fighting On thu: day.
Tuesdny, May 10, gave the most desperate
OF the battles yet fought It commenced at
little after noon, and continued to o. m,
our artillery gained good range, aud
poured shot and shell, grape and canister
into their ranks, rs they With frantic rect-
lessness Of lne' charged forward upon our
infantry lines. The enemy used but little
artillery In reply.
hednesday's and Thursdays reports are
gwen elsewhere, at this writing (a1< A, x.>j
"e receive dispatch that Lee hss eracn.ted
bis line Of dcfcnses and has retrcated. We
choose not wholly to disacmb1e the doubt +
NAT ne may yet make stand at some 1ayor- &
lblc new line Of defenscs, but We believe he l
I'LL not. We are confident that the road is | {
i last open to Richmond. The mass of dis I
'atcfies Of yesterday Is before our readers. !
he most thrilling pngc In the history OF this
'ar-its first DECISIVE VICTORY.
Tears for the dead, sympathy for the b. | =
eavcd, butjoy for the rescued milton, re-
'icings for tho dag defended, exultations for 4
ae bright promise that the end is near when u
rncd rebellion shall only exist in broken O
nd scattered forces, early to Spend their 81
:ultaess force against the power of this gov ii
,.,- ~ A!'oice III "ha1 Is al- a,
saa, recorded: 1t cannot be long before re ii
nd the last dismissal Of doubt that Grant
Eay write *tRichnond'' on his ecabbara o'
e-.~--..
T., 4h,. AoAx.
'pp'ic6 for the many thousand wounded in NJ
. rfeent battles the loyal men and women
TIC North hare the right to rejoice in the
j canasa.,.~ ~3s coAecteo oy tue patriotism
- Ta;,s ~ ~ G ps"pe 'n Inc great Sani- ?,
c,t.,, - s " 1ae "taIef months. And the
oe'4ee noole one. Prompt on The In
mnIsstou snd the T1n;f,.d statas rss":a.s1 s m.
mmissiop were ready ~ on+a~ asaa ~ 4e.4au .-a, r
'r1. 4 prope,1er fox;nr +,ro tas"s @os 81, ...
aet; down with Sauit.rv snnn,,as -. 30;
1t to Acquia Creek and Fredcr,ckahn~r M
th I'll army Of nurses and surgeons. Hand -.
hal.d with the Sanitary Com mission 70 th- ~
ents and co-laborers Of the United States
ristian Commission, whose Chr1stI4n -.
ors In the army hare wrought 49,. 49,
1ndant fruits- These last also aid to ~.
sanitar, Conmfss;an g. 49, a~., s ths
.-,:.r - 49, NV Ae'e4 'ens CIR
olcoca' WHICH the people have been fill
n,t., l., w.. - W. aeto
1a =. a.1., ~ sA auo 1eoie1 WY -oaess
se0e.ous P*t11o1ahn oI tne people Kept
"alcn realized go much from the 10
11eAt Falfs Of last winter. But remem. I
a''f, that Inc Drain 1e immense md the pati