Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-17

The inference was clear that We had oyermatoF
Cd him fighting at his best ard strongest.
Men .epqrated ia the heat Of the day, no'
CHANGING TO meet, congratulated each other ID
rebels cant endure another such day, aud We cai
was the expressed conviction On all handf, and tbl
,tltemeut epitomizes the situ1on at sunset
The sun went down red. lhe smoke OF th
battle Of more than Two hundred thousand mel
destroying each other with yAinous saltpete
through all the long hours Of "a long day, filled tn
valleys, and rested upon the hills Of all this vii
Ierness, hung It's urd haze all around the horizoI
md built a deuse canopy overhead, beneath whct
this grand army Of Freedom w,s preparing t.
rect against the morrow. Gems, Grant and Meade
had retired to their tents Quiet regned, bu
lur.ng the reign Of quiet the enemy was forging
a thunderbolt.
Darkness and smoke were mingIing in grin
twilight, and fast deepening into thick gloom
when we we're stattIed cut repose back into
fierce excitement. The forged lhuaderbolt wa'
sped, and by master Wild rebsI yell away
to the right. We knew they had massed and
we're charging. We waited for the yolley witt
which we knew Nedgwlck would NEE the oiset
We Thought ii but night attack TO ascertain !
We had changed our position. We were mista'
kent was more They meant to break through
and they did, Oa Sedgaicks extreme right lay
the 2i Brigade, Sd Division Of his corps, under
Gen. Seymour, who lad b,en assigned TO It but
TWO d.. before. The britade is new 70 the oh
Corp, and ia Known as the Mroy brigade con
meeting on the left Of Seymour by Shller's and
hen Nellis brigade the later being brigade ol
Gettys division thaiha not leen sent to tian ocb'
these troops we're at work ntreucblng when fsl-
len upon. The enemy Gang down Ike torrent,
rolling aud dsshing IN living waves, ard flooding
up against the whole 9Th Corps The main line
stood like rock, but not so the ex rene right.
That flank was instantly nd utterly turned. The
rebel line was the longer, aud surged around
>e,moufs brigade, ti!ed ever it and through i,
beat against Shaler, and bo'e away bis right regi-
ments. All this done in ess than ten minutes,
perhaps not five. Seymotrs men, seeing their
picksls running back, ard hearing the shouts Of
the rebels, VINO charged with all their chiyaty,
were smitten with panic, anc, standing on no order
Of going. went Of once and In an incredibly short
time made their way through a mile and bali Of
woods to tie plank road b the rear They re-
p~rted In the frantic manner usual with stampedea
men. the entire corps brokin. Grant as IN Ham
cocks ci,e, didn't believe H. But when three OF
Sedgwicks staff rode 10 70 army headquarters
separatey and stated hob they had ridden from
Ssdgaicks to keep SeymoW'S men to their work,
bad been borne back by tbe panic, and had asl
seen Scdgs,ck snd Wright nard to the front work
ing like rroians 10 hold the wavering line, the
situation appeared mere cttical. No word came
To- from Sedgwick. Il begin to BE- feared that be
and Wright, di.daning 20 ty, we're prisoners.
Artillery moyed quietly to commanding posi-
sions. 10 he prepared for tn, worst and cool heads
felt that we're The whole Glib Corps broken, the
army. as an army, would still be inylncbIe. War
ren's corps is instantly but in perfect composure,
disposed to NEE, the situation, Grant and Meade
and Warren are in Grant tent oand from which
officers come and 20 with certain earnest air
that bespeaks urgent and important cares. So
during sn hour. No firing has been heard the
last three quarters Of an hour. The rebels must
have ceased to advance but how have they pene-
trsled. and what is the present situation
The OH Corp flag ZONES 10. Where s the
9th Corps ch-fain' My watch says ten O'Clock
At night. A dnpaich received. John Sedgwick
>,fe. Wright safe The 9Th Corp, holds strong
line; only 81, mour, and 4 part Of smaller brig
ade have been broker. The enemy can do nolh
ins mor.. The Gh Corps proper has not lost It's
pristine glory. Compelled to withdraw, under
orders after the detection Of its right, It is still
.nyrcible--i. now, and ever shall be. may not
refrain from mentioning for sslantry, Sedgwlck''
staff and Wrghts.
Riding in the thickest with rare presence Of
mind and rare Judgment, they won and deserved
John SedgwicA' emphatic communication. Gems.
Seymour ond Shaler we're captured. II should
he stated that both are awarded by their division
and eo,ps commanders every credit for doing all
men could to recover their troops from p'n!c,
communicated TO the latter's brigade, not begin
aing there. l. A. r.
Correspondence to tn. n T. Tribune.
MOVEMENTS AND FlGHTlNG From FRIDAY UNTIL
TUESDAY.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoroNAc,
Near Spottsylvania Court House, Va,
Monday May 90 p. NJ.
We hasten to forward a sketch OF series ol
battles which have succeeded that Of the Will
derness, which occurred on Friday, May 9th.
The enemy had then turned our right flank,
and the imprscticability OF iurther engage
mont against the enemy IN that position was
easily perceived Our right was turned and
Gernania Ford was potentially IN the hands OF
the enemy. Our line was now bent into an
angle, and facing both south and west,-Eirth-
works skirted our entire front Our losses IN
killed, wounded and missing could not thus lar
have been less than fifteen thousand and we
had only gaiucd slight advantage on the enc
,y's right. But the enemy though successful
AGAINST our righ, flank, was unable to profit by
the advantage gained,
Saturday morning came and went, and the
enemy showed no Signs Of ability to improve the
advantages gained. Soon from along our lines
there came reports that the enemy were retreat
ing. and It was soon quite evident that only a
small force was before us, and that the rebels
were making the most dihgent improvement OF
their time IN getting saioly back to such posi-
ton as would give them the start in race to-
wards Richmond. Indeed 1t was to be feared
that the enemy had already moved so far on the
route as to put us second IN chase.
But Saturday was, however, not unlmproyed
on our side IN preparation for anticipating the
enemy in such movement, and the cavalry corp'
pnder the command Of Gen Sheridan bad beer
sent out on the road which leads through Spott
sylyania c. II. to Granger Station and Hanover
Cour, House
The cavalry eneout tered the enemy at Todd
Tavern. commanded by Flu Hugh Lee, whlcl
ofT.fed most determined resistance on Saturday
morning, aud before the day closed the whole o
Suart's cavalry corps was IN position to resls
the efforts VIZ were making to turn the rleh
flank Of Gen. Lees army.
OF the result of this encounter, by tar tn
most important cavalry engagement that has ye
occurred in Virginia, you are already informed
We had now possession OF the road to within
l.2miles of Spottsylvania Court House Pre-
paratlons were accordingly made Tor moving tn
whole army on the enemys flank towards Rich
mond. hoping tn by prolonged and iorcs
| - - h ,,,shing nut trnous yigorOusl