The New York herald., 1864-05-16


saees to convey to loved ones a, homo Il may fal"
more than has said 70 me; but have not seen
banched cheek or trembling step.
sKIRnisHIsa
A. thirty i've minutes past O'Clock Of the morning
Of The 9th abe shot fred by picket skir
mshers. This was before tho fog and smoke had lifted
which quarters Of hour later Inc
skirmshns slow, with very little firing was even
doubted whether there uch Of force In our immc
tiate front. Generals and stat officers began TO ride
sectiy in every direction To arrange our line 10 proper
connecting position Is eviaenty the great preliminary
work TO be accomplished before every nght.
AZ noon the skirmmhng bec.me lively, AMI there was
cautious feeling for the enemy along the entire line
nRsr CANNON nRxp
The nrst cannon was nred half past twelve o'clock
Tho shot was sdo and from Captain winslows
Co. D. Firss New York battery Two sections under
command Of himself and the othcr Of Louenan. shelton
bad gone 70 an advanced position, accompanied by
infantry supports and feeling Ihe enemy with
lso grape and canister Only two three rounds were
nred, 70 which NO response was mada.
ooxxxsunrvr OF A GENIAL nArns-sss sAnIs GROUND.
had been ascsrsaned Inst ~ enemy In front Of
us In heavy force Al enc p. NJ began tho days serious
conflict. But nrss win describe the position Of the
corps OF The ground. A. will be understood
from what written above the TMth corps comprised
shs centre Of attacking column. Our line wM tho
are OF cirols hke our battle line ~ Gettysburg, tho
periphery towards the enemy Here tho paralei ends
We occupied no such commanding heght, and had 70
meet and Asht The spsny dense woods our forces ad
vanong on opss ground and the position every way TO
ths spsmys Advantage Tho ground VAS undulasing,
and our advance from eleariu embracing several hun
dred acres oi enc Old LACY iarm.
Ym wnDBRHDs.
excepting small cleared short distance from our
isr, 'front.' extendA back fOr miles, and has been rightly
named The Wilderness" and wilderness It 10, indeed
made Up Of dense pines, except belt Of oak timber,
fronting the Of corps The Ewood House, as
h called, the original Lacy mansion, Is half mile
from tho woods, Its looking westward toward the
portion OF woods entered by the right OF our corps
From this house. the south and east there quite an
abrupt descent, around whose base winds Wilderness
run insignificant and shallow stream, very few feet
in width Beyond the run 10 plain OF some htty
acres and beyond this, the south the land
rses into quite bur, whose summit, for short
distance back, Is covered with second growth timber,
after which the approach through dense pine woods
Tho edge these woods extend round to the front OF
the house on the east, the Culpeppcr Court
House and Fredericksburg plank road, and what Is
called the Brock road which in,crsect about third OF
mile north OF the Elwood House. South OF m few
miles, and running parallel to the plank road named
is the Orange and Fredericksburg plank road. Mine
river h seven distant almos! directly In front Of our
centre. This wilderness sufficiently Described In
both tho Chancellorsve and Mine river campaigns to
render further description unnecessary have only At
tempted TO make Ineligible our exact position at the
commencement Of the fight now beginning.
Yus BATTLE.
And how shsll describe the batteY The air hot and
feversh-pot . breath stixring-apd loud. among the
forest valleys and hills sounded tho Of musketry,
mingled with the fierce battle cries OF the opposing COL
umus. Terrible and ncessant waged the conflict.
GENERAL oRIyYns
This division, consisting OF Brigadier General Ayrcs
cavalry brigade second Quilted States infantry Captain
Hovsy Eleventh Unlted States infantry. Captain Cooley
Twelfth United States infantry Major Brown Fourteenth
United States infantry, Captain HUDSON Seventeenth
United States infantry Captain Pease; Ninety nrst Penn
syivanis Lieutenant Colone Lenox: Ono Hundred and
Fifty nfth Pennsylvsnia Co onel Pearson One Hundred
and Forsieh Now York Colonel Ryan; and Ono Hundred
and Forty sixth New York. Colonel jenkins. Colonel
sweltzer's brigadc-Sxty second Pspnsyvana, Lieut..
Colonel Hull Fourth Michigan, Lieut.. Colonel lombard
Ninth Massachusetts, Colonel Ewing; Twenty second
Massachusetts,. Colonel Tl.on; Thirty second hassachu.
setts Colonel Prescott; Brig. Gen. Baretps brigade
Forsy.fourth New York, Colonel Connor One Hundred
Eighteenth Pennsylvania Colose GYM Eighty third
Pennsylvania, Colonel WOODWARD Eighteenth hassachu-
selts Colonel Hayss; Sixteenth Michigan, Colonel WEIGH
First Michigan Lieutenant Colonel rroope, and Twent eth
Maine Colonel Chamberlain The most hoy pr essed
OF any In the corps At this point OF the attack The
division drove the rebels beyond their nrst two lines Of
intrcnchments their third. Here they met force
three times their strength when fearful onslaught
made them compelling retreat Was only superior
numbers drove them back
onI CIRrLAHe Ds sHo3
Tho First brigade lost heavily. Captain Hudson, com
mandlns the Fourteenth United States Infantry, was
among the nrst who fsll He shot In the left leg
below the knee-a severe but NOT dangerous
woasd. He win DO renembered ss having been on Gen.
hcCslIan's star through The entire Peuinsuar cam
paisn.
OTHER LOSES.
Sergeant Kyl color bearer his regiment, shot
through tho head, and killed instantly mention the
fact here from remembering mentioning him At the bat
tie Of fredericksburg where, while carrying the coors
. shell passed through the asg killing three behind
him and no not turning his head.
Lieutenant swan Of General Ayres' stan, was wounded,
but not dangerously.
The one Hundred and Yort,csh New York lost thrce
hundred mea ten limo officers Strange say all the
neld officers escaped.
The old Second brigade fought most CALAMITY, as IL
always has fought Its records Of mortality ~ exhib
tied In the list OF killed and wounded, show what Il
suffered. For . hong the combat terrific. yetc
ran troops nearly ali Of them, they behaved with The
greatest coolress and bravery.
Lieut.. Col. Lombard fell mortally wounded. 81 have
for my country faeo," he family whispered TO me, a.
four litter bearers bearing bm from the field but
hcre that his look and eye aitesting recompcuse
for his sacrifice Of life. braver oeDcer drew
sword He the third commander of this regiment Who
has fallen In battle.
Col. Ewing, young, accomplished and brave officer,
likewise fell. He shot through the lower part Of the
forehead, and viii lose eye; but the wound
tai He was wounded while the column was stin ad
vancng "Never give up, boys" we're his words be
fe-words uttered when he thought his wound could
not prove otherwise than mortal.
General Bartlett had horse shot under him. bis sabre
hs places, and fourth shot grared bis forehead
Colonel Hayes was hit In shs head and Colonel Gym