New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-05-23

Special Dispatch TO The n. l. Inbnne
WASHINGTON, Saturday, May 2l-l0:33 n IN.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoToMAc
Friday Evening, May 20. le64.
Your correspondent Hammond has already
dispatched an account Of the brilliant affair Of last night
and this morning But later account and therefore
more detailed and circumsantia would not In any
case be supernuous still should hardly 60 over the
ground again but It is only with the later hours Of TO-
day that the magnitude and significance OF the action
have been fully understood.
Our extreme right had been considerably Withdrawn
last night; 1t rested say two miles rearward OF the
battle field Of Wednesday. and seemed TO barely cover
the Fredericksburg pike
This extreme right Of the line understand that the
entire iHe is fully six miles long, was held by Iylers
division, consisting Of six heavy artillery regiments,
lately brought the front from the forts about wash
ington and their great guns exchanged for muskets
and Kitching's brigade, being the 9th and 18th New
York Artillery, taken from the reserve artillery. and
likewise given muskets.
In the course Of the afternoon diminishing
became quite warm, but the firing was not such rs TO
attract the attention Of the various headquarters until
about o'clock At that hour the yolleys became CON
tnuous and so heavy that at the extreme left where
happened to be ii apparent that well contested
action being waged.
II appears that having forced back the skrmsh line
in some confusion upon their supports EweIs entire
oorps burst upon the troops above mentioned Instantly
that able General developed brisk skrmsh INTO de'
terInincd assault The object is palpable He meant II
possse to turn our RICH, and get baggage train
perhaps cut and permanently hold our communications
Failing in this he might reasonably expect TO gam the
advantages and information 10 obtain which recon-
noissance in force is the last resort He was beautifully
foiled He gained, certainly. one bit OF information
which may be Of service though not particularly agree
able to him. viz that this army knows how to take care
Of itself let the emergency be neverso instant and crit
CAL
Col. Tannotts brigade, lst Maine Heavy Artillery
and LIST Massachusetts Heavy Artillery received the
assault and then, a wider front Of Rebels appeared
the whole division became engaged and not long after
Kichings brigade found the enemy coming upon them,
and there was nearly mile OF battle.
I asked a veteran officer OF the LIST Massachusetts
how his men fought. His reply was, "Well, after a
few minutes they got little mixed and did NJ fight
very tsctically but they fought COMPOUNDED pucky-
lust az well as ever saw the old ID"
He had served in the cd Division of the I'd Corps aud
mpst have seen some Of the best work Of the war
Finding his men gradually yielding ground Col Tan
mott ordered counter charge and drove the Rebels
across small field. He could not dislodge them from
the adjacent woods and was finally himself driven back
to the cover Of the woods his own side OF the open
space.
Meanwhile Gen. Hunt had ridden RAPIDLY from Head
Quarters, and succeeded in planting Harris battery at
the left Of the line of action and just in time to repule
an assault upon that quarter little later he had
placed another battery in effective position and Col
Tidballs 4th " Y Artillery was brought up but not
then put in.
Until sunset period OF an hour and half charges
and counter charges swayed the action back and forth
DETECTING the line bearing it back here and pushing II
forward there but never breaking it, and scarcely
changing the mean position. II was not yet decisive
but the enemy checked and heavy reenfoTcemeh'S
coming up 1t must have been during this time
that few hundred OF the enemy penetrated the
woods widely around our night. and pnrs'
out OF the woods upon the Fredericksburg Pikc anos'
directly in the rear Of the main engagement.
| During few minutes. they were In possession OF
long empty train headed to the for suppeA They
ha6 captured few teamsters and killed few horses
when iley were hustled back by an iDpIoDptu io'ee