The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-06-03
Hancock's Assault on the Rebel
Works.
The Most Savage Struggle Of the
War.
From VIM. swinton.s Cor. ofN. Y. Times.

terday morning. At the point at which
hi. assault was made, the rebel breast
works formed an angle or salient, and his
men advanced silently and, without firing
a shot, entered the works at the salient
and swept up the inside of the right, max
ing the splendid haul of prisoners already
known to you. Unfortunately, the sup
porting line cheered when nearing the
works, otherwise we would, the prisoners
say, have captured both Ewell and Lee.
The assault was made between 4 and B
o'clock, in the gray of the morning. Bar
lows division, which had the advance,
Miles brigade leading, went up in column
by battalion double on the centre, Biz
neys division in two lines of battle, and
the divisions of Gibbon and Mott, in the
second line, supporting. The stormisg
column rushed over the enemy's breast
works, which we're exceedingly strong,
with ditch in front, and drove the enemy
back for mile. Here the enemy rallied,
and Hancock at six A. M. returned and
formed his line of battle in the enemy s
works. As this was the key of the whole
position our right was gradually refused,
and the main body of the army massed on
the left. The Sixth CORPS Wright which
had been on the right of the Second with
drew behind their skirmish line and united
with Hancock's right, and afterward two
divisions of Warrens were brought over.
The history of the day after 6 o'clock in
the morning, is all summed up in five suc-
cessive and fierce assaults which Lee made
to retake the lost position. At first,
Ewell's corps alone confronted Hancock,
but during the day Hill and Longstreet
were drawn over from the rebel left, and
the whole army of Lee flung itself in five
desperate efforts to recapture the breast
works. But it was all in vain, as every
assault met bloody repulse.
So terrific was the death-grapple, how
ever, that at different times of the day the
rebel colors were planted on the one side
of the works and ours on the other, the
men fighting across the parapet. Nothing
during the war has equaled the savage
desperation of this struggle, which has
continued for fourteen hours, and the
scene of the conflict, from which / have
Just come, presents spectacle of horror
that curdles the blood of the boldest. The
angle of the works at which Hancock en-
tered, and for the possession of which the
savage fight of the day was made, is per-
feet Golgotha. In this angle OF death the
dead and wounded rebels lie, this morning,
literally in piles-men in the agonies of
death grooming beneath the dead bodies
of their comrades. On an area of a few
acres in the rear of their position, lie not
less than a thousand rebel corpses, many
literally torn to shreds by hundreds of
balls, and several with bayonet thrusts
through and through their bodies, pierced
on The very margins of the parapet, which
they were determined to retake or perish
in the attempt. The one exclamation of
every man who looks on the spectacle is,
"God forbid that I should ever gaze upon
such sight again"
Hancock's movement is regarded here
az the most brilliantly conceived and exc
cuted tactical operation of the war, and
has added to the splendid fame he won in
the three days fight in the Wilderness.
After the turning movement of the morn
ing, the Sixth Corps and two divisions of
the Second should be included in the his
tory of the day. They share the honors
of the glorious but bloody field of Spott-
sylvania. Our loss of yesterday must
reach ten thousand.
NEAR SPoTsYLyANIA CoURr-HOUsE,l
Friday, May -, 6 Pm
The army has, to-day, been enjoying the
repose so absolutely essential after the
terrifically exhausting labors Of the past
eight days. continuous battle. The men
are worn down almost to helplessness.
The Commanding General, however, does
not loose his hold of the rebels. One d.
vision from each corps has been out all
day engaging the enemy, who holds po-
sition about 500 yards in rear of that held
yesterday morning.
Telegraphic Cor Cincinnati Commercial.
GRANTS HEADQUARTERS, May 13, Bpm.
The ground fought over by Hancock on
Thursday, presents the most awful spec
tacle yet exhibited in the history of the
Army of the Potomac; the dead and
wounded were literally heaped up in piles
Nearly one thousand dead were lying on a
piece of ground covering but few acres.
All the wounded that could be moved have
been sent to Fredericksburg.
The roads are in a horrible condition.
rendering the moving of trains and ar
tillery very difficult.
In the attack by Hancock, on Thursday,
Barlow's division had the advance in col
umn by battalions, followed by Birneys in
double line of battle, Motifs and Gibbons
divisions forming the second line. The
whole column advanced upon the enemy's
breastworks, and carried them without fir
ing gun.
The advance was to be made with the
utmost silence, and the surprise of the
enemy would have been complete had II
not been for the cheering of the second
line. The testimony of the prisoners is
that had it not been for this, both Lee ant
Ewell would have been captured. They
had not time, however, to mount theiI
horses, but made their escape on foot.
There is nothing in the records of thu
war equal to the description of struggle
between Hancock's and Ewells corps II
the course Of Thursday, over the posses
sion OF the rebel entertainments.
The enemy made FIVE furious but unsuc
cessful attempts to regain possession
charging up to the very parapets and
planting their colors upon them exchang.
ing shots and bayonet thrusts over It.