The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1864-06-10

column an h4e rear oi heAVy sNlTlHoAti
and marched it in the same direction |
hind the solid masses Of the left. DI
= ing the night that wing moved, IN III
u. manner, out Of its works; and soon aftt
% wards. followed by the sharpshocters vi
4. had been employed 10 mask the who
movement, took its position in the Ii,
= of naarch.
The scene of the battle ofthe Wilde
ness is situated mainly in SPottsylyani
3 The Courthouse Of that county lies at
distance frons the battlefield Of the 81
I. and 9th ofMay, Of nine miles, In dire
ton almost exactly Ecethcast. I'h
|, country around that village consists, to
! great extent, Of open fields; and wttere
4 by the heads OF the Mattaponk --thos
called -hy strange conceit, the &tat, tn
j Ca, thc Po, Che Ny--presents excslien
S positions for the employment ef ARTILLERY
The occupation Of the village itself cliei
/, ing possession of a lending road 10 Rich
4 mond, became the first object Of the neg
movement; and one that,appQarcd yer
easy Of accomplishments Seeing that th,
only obstacle in the way on the morning
: of the 9TH was q brigade Of FtzhUgi
Lees division ofhorse.
The scouting Of the army Of Northeri
Virginia is, no doubt, a most active ane
efficient agency. But intuition of lht
very highest order can alone explun the
rapidity with which Lee acts in reference
TO the moyenentsof the enemy Wheth
er the cavalry contlict for the possession
of that village, or some rev, lation fsonl
scouts or angels, may have aprrsed lin
of Grants design, the army was directed
by Gen. Lee on the night OF The 9TH 10
move rapidly towards Spottsylvaaia
Courthouse. Mai. Gen, r. Ii Anderson
| holding the right with Long5treets corps,
ordered forward the division commanded
! for tle present by Brig. Gen. kershaw.
| WoAord's brigade broke at once into col
umn, and, followed closely up by Brian,s,
started with yiyacity, at Ii oe'ock in the
Night, to the support OF Fllzhugh Lee.
AS these splendid troops began to move,
the spirit with which they appeared to
go forward shot like electricity from rank
to rank; and found utteraRce in cheer
that, running back along the forming
column for miles rang like the roll Of
musketry from front to rear fronp the
depths OF tie midnight forest, loud and
clear
'lhescnerny, in lis race forSpotRylvania
Court House, had "a start ofa few hours.
Having began his moremenl, however,
trom point opposite our extreme lett,
while we began ours from the extreme
right, tliat advantage must have been
very nearly equaltd. There renained to US
however, no time to spare We wereoblig |
ed 20 push for theS al directly q tfstttt |
est route iay,Nnlortumtely, tL4,, alo.tst
in which accident or design had ,du ing
day, set the leaves on fire. rnesin Ike OF I
the burning continued, still, to hang IN |
clouds upon the-groWnd, threatening the |
troops, as they went on, with actual suiIi1-
cation. Heated, ohoaking toa deglpe1
almost insuppoitabie, they bore their suf-
fefings patiently on their march through
hose smoking woods for di,tanca Of
seven miles. Theien thousand Greeks
Of Xenophon dill not, when they saw the
sea, feel more relief than The Thousands of
Lees men did when they emerged from
hat forest Pandemonium into tho open
country and untaintedair
Kershaw, having reached The high road !
moved forward rapidly. Having on his
yay detached Humphreys Mi.sisiippians
md lis own South Cuolnians 10 the left,
or the relief OF Fitsliush l45e, hepressetl
III with WoifMd's and Brian's Alen to
Court House. llesuccseded ,
II nreaching thai plnce in tiae--about sun /
ise 81 The Sta oil May-lo obtain posses |
ion cf it without firing shot. in the {
meantime, Humphrey. in command Of
he force sent to the left, TUNED from the c
oad Of Kelshaw's advance at point |
,nown as the Block House. about mile d
nd half in front Of the Court House. /
~ IA A .
pporiune luoment--on the morning of Ii
he Sth TO sustain aa attack upon the II
osilion that ha<l been for sonle time heidi q
gailst both cavalry and infantry by some G
Fiizhugh Lees horse. The deiences Q
nprovised at that point in front Of the o
ourt House consisted OF rude barrier il
{ dead trees; hat, even feeble as they 81
ere, they, sill worse, fell short in their a
llent OF tue breadth of liemphrey's o
ont. I
Robcrison's and GriiRn's divisions Of a
le corps ofGen. WaIren-the j,h-ad- d
inced With great spirit upon the Conied il
ate position. The deadly mai ksman ol
ip OF the Mississippians and the South
,rolinians in their front slrot with ter W
ole truth to their belt buckles; but dt
ough they dropped dead like deer A
rucl; down in herd, still they came on. d,
olley after volley swept through their tll
lid mass; but though finally showing ii
ms of ialtcring, they continued to ad-.lar
nceuntil they had actually crossed the Iii
,nlederate barrier The assailants hav- a
. tyonetet some of The men whowith IT
5cd them 50 iercely, qdaiied before in
cir unilinchirg firmness; and with the 10
S. of a considerable number Of prisoners tb
d large number in killed and wound
fled The South Carolinians behaved pc
during the Iepplse; but Of
Id their ground as the enemy retired wi
lie Mississippians sprang over the breast or
Hks in hot pursuit They had not adj su
need across The field more than quar- sit
Of a mile, when they were driven back to
turn-with the loss of many men aud ~
o stands of colofs captured, as was sup. ii
seda the time, by the enemy. That sup. II
sition, however, proved to be mistake. an
aving, after separation from their COM AZ
les, found themselves free, they moved co
/. several miles through the words er,
ound the enemy's left; and next day, Ia
the greatrejoicing Of the whole brigade IA
me back safely, men and colorsl I'M
The assault upon Humphreys was re-. ll'
ated during the day several rimrs; but wo
each instance without any other result be
the assaiIants than defeat and death. eli
iIed thus in direct attack Zen Wa,r..,, du