Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-16
"Details Of Thursdays sattIe-Lee
getting into position for Another
Battle.

"Details OF IhurSsaay's Batale-Aee
getting into position for Another
Battle.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY or THE PoToNlAc,
May l3.-The Army of the Potomac has
achieved the greatest victory of the war,
aver some of the seyerest fighting ever re-
c)rGed in history. The battle yesterday is
acknowledged to be the heaviest of all,
lasting from daylight till after dark. It
was renewed about 3 P. M, and continuing
till nearly A. NJ; both parties contending
during the night for the possession of n line
of rifle-pits, from which ourmen had driven
the enemy in the morning, and skirmishing
is now going on. Our troops followed them
up Through the woods. The scene presented
to-day is beyond description. The dead
and dying behind and in front of the breast
works lying in some places in piles three
and four dcep-many of them wounded in
several parts of the body.
The enemy had removed a large number
of their dead and wounded during the
night from portions of the line, but there
were places where they could not reach,
and there they lay as thick as our own. It
was Gen. Birney's Division, of the I'd Corps,
which charged the position and lost about
700 men. Every regiment in the division
distinguished itself. Col. Carroll's brigade
usual, performed their share of the work
with marked gallantry. Col. Carroll was
wounded the second time but keeps on duty.
Some of the caissons are now being
brought in, which could not be done before
The number of guns captured was 3d.
Many colors have been taken, but the cap
tors still retain them as trophies. Col. Car
rolls brigade took number of prisoners
and eight stands of colors this morning
from rebel regiment which they surprised
in piece of wood.
LATER.
HEADQUARTERS, May 13, p. M.-The en-
emy were found to have fallen back to a
new line, abandoning their works on their
right, apparently getting into position for
another contest.
WASHINGTON, May 13.-Ihe boats which
left Belle Plain at 10 o'clock this morning,
are just in. The passengers bring the In
telligence of the result of Yesterdays bat
tie. 1t lasted all day, and Lee was finally
driven out of his entrenchments to Po riv-
e., four miles. During last night the great
er part OF his army crossed that stream, the
glorious victory Of the morning was thus
rendered decisive and brilliant by the result
Of the evening.
Additional advices from General Sheri-
dan show that his, has been a great success,
both the Fredericksburg and Richmond,
and the Virginia Central Railroads have
been destroyed for miles.
Sigel's cavalry in moving down the val
ley of Virginia, have tapped the Virginia
Central Railroad near Charlottesville.
The Secretary Of War, in his dispatch of
yesterday, stated that the Government was
sparing no pains to support Grant. The
energy to this end is truly commendable.-
Since the battles of the Wilderness. and
more particularly since the army has been
engaged in the vicinity of Spottsylvania,
reinforcements have been rapidly sent for
ward. Twelve thousand men left this CITY
Thursday, and it is stated that Sigel rein
forced the army of the Potomac with fifteen
thousand men.
There is every probability that the losses
in the army in the late battles have been
greatly exaggerated, and that the reinforce
ments of twenty-five thousand or more
men referred to above will very nearly
make up the actual losses; SO that the army
is as strong numerically as it was when it
set out upon the campaign.
Times Special
WASHINGTON, May 1910 p. M.-Dis-
patches just received from one of your cor
respondents at the front, dated Headquar-
ters, s o'clock last night, say that the rebels
are in full retreat to North Anna river,
with fresh troops in hot pursuit.
Lees retreat is becoming rout. Thous-
ands of prisoners are being captured. The
streams in his rear are very much swollen
by the recent rains. Supplies are reaching
the army rapidly. Our wounded are COM
ing in very fast and being sent to Wash
ington, many of them without stopping ut
Fredericksburg.
The rebel cavalry drove in two companies
of the 22d New York cavalry, and two COM
panes of New Jersey men last night near
Fredericksburg. Some of our men are
missing. They made no attack on Fred
ricksburg. They were evidently after our
trains, rs all their movements seem for that
object. We have as yet lost nothing in the
way of wagons, except four ambulances,
captured in the field.
Our losses In killed, wounded and missing
are estimated at forty-five thousand, many
of whom are absent without sufficient rea-
son and cannot be counted among the losses.
Grant will crush Lee before he goes to
Richmond, if he has to use his teamsters to
do it. We captured oversiX thousand pris-
oners yesterday, and near forty guns.
New YORK, May 1.-THE Worlds special
from the field gives further details of Thurs
days great battle. The opening was a
complete surprise to the enemy. Hancock
moved at half-past four. A. NJ ana gained
one of the outermost ritle-pits of the r,bels.
They then rushed on the rebels with liked
bayonets and captured about six hundred
prisoners. johnson and Stewart were taken
at breakfast. Forty-eight guns were also
taken and brought off; the remainder, fif-
teen in number, were left just behind our
skirmish lines, and fought for by both sides
several times. The rebels also attempted to
retake the rifle-pits, but were repulsed with
great slaughter.
The 9th corps, under Warren, charged re-
peatedly against the enemy's works, but
were unable to take them with an entilaG-
ing fire sweeping down our men. Our
troops gained and held three lines of the
rifle pits, in addition to that captured on
the left. .--.. ,.-.-..- 80.
The Worlds Washington special of the
18th says near dark our center, for the first
time, occupied Spottsylvania village. This
morning our pickets sent word that Lee
had fallen back on the roads running
straight to the Po river and Penn's tavern.
At O'clock this morning it is said War
rem had came up in pursuit in time to cap
trre one of Lees pontoon trains. The reb-
els, however, were on the south side of the