The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-03
Egan. nnd BIZ 80 altoeether nearly . Lhouland


terribly exciting one, for the hrnB was 20 sharp
and continuous, the scope of thc battle was 90
small, and the situation Of the advance division
90 critical, that one could almost imagine hims f
in the very midst Of the fight. In fact, the din,r-
ent oppOsingl batteries were so close to each
other, that thc shells poughgd the very ground
beneath the guns.
While the engagement was going on in front n
division OF Rebel cavalry, who had beUn annoy
ing our rear on the Boydton plqnk road com
mcnccd n yigorOul shelling ~ our now position,
throwing our ambulance and ammunition trains
into mOmentJry confusion. A I slt on my
horse near tho Strand House. shells were ly'us
over oar heads no three different angles ami it
puzzled every Cue how 20 escape.
~ one time almost imagined that the Falan.
"a would be compelled 70 give way, AMI perhaps
b. badly whipped. The bravery of TIE men,
however, ard the admirable manucr 10 which
the ID Division was handled by General Eraa.
turned the fate Of the day, and resnited greatly
In our favor.
Our loss was very emal considering the situa-
ton OF our troops. The % Division, although
they hai TO receive q combined attack gu thai-
right ami rear, and exposed 20 IN additional
artillery fire on their front, aud 20 a portion OF
our own artillery fire, uouy wifhsi0Oi the t.r-
rihc onslaught OF the enemy r3pusiDg Clrh -uH-
cCssNe charge, and taking large uunn.rs OF
prisoners. Their loss was Officers and ~ men
killed, with II OIL 'Crs and llJ vUuulCl.
The 81 Division, General Mott, after the iirst
mumenttTy confusion, speedily recovered and
went In again with yir1r. THEW loss vas not over
40Ji but it is now So late that ana unable O. bo
precise.
Tie fight only lasted an hour, anil WIS of the
WA.mCst description. Generals Gran. and Meade
were on the ground, with General Umsost; and
learn irom good authority that General Esm's
conduct vas very warmly praised. General I'AiA
sent for General EgJu afterwards, aud Cnmyl-
mGntGd him highly, and remarked that twas one
of the mos' dilicuit positions for commander 20
be placed ia.
The "a Corps captured altogether some 1900
prisoners.
From the fact shat the 9TH Cops dil no. con-
meet with General Hancock, and in total absence
of tools, the possession Of the plank road was
abandoned, and the corps fell back on thu oh
Corps up tho Wood road, called by the Rebels
Telegraph road" and reached Hacher's Hun
about midnight.
GreGg's Cavalry were lying in support OF 6 ,uc-
raj Hancock, and executed charge TO the eft o.
our position Gni back Of the plank road. IL
created diversion, and was partially successful.
The 9TH Corps moved from their introuchod
camps on our left, passing out by Fort Cum.
miurs, and pushing down the Church ron unil
tbDy struck the Hawks aud Boisselu's farms.
SEEING line Of brgastwJrks thrO vn up by the
Rebels, and abandoned by them Gtter slghs
rC stancc, the corps busted themselves in turning
TIC works and changing sOmewha; heir direction.
This was continued down the road, and the
works extended in unbrolen liGe as they ld-
yanCtd, until they s'rJc', the Duncan road about
mile or 50 TO he right OF Hatchers Ran. Bat
little opposition was made 70 their advance and
scarcely any hindraucc offered 10 their operations
| This, IL substance was the operations Of the Oh
Corps.
Il was contemplotcd that this command would
reach the apex of the cncmY'S position at almost
| the same moment that the 2d Corps would strike
| into the plank road AID the onemy's hank. THIS
would create diversion and cancel, for time,
the movements of 2d Corps and 1t was expected
would lead 10 important results.
The 9th Corps, in fact was the moving pivot in
the whole combined wheeling movement ald
while gonncstinS with our old position on the
right, they would hide the progress ofGho centre,
(jth COrps) and left (2d Corps until % would BE-
too late for tho enCmy to prevent our onward
mOyt ment From some unexplained reason, the
9Jh Corps did not get on the GnGmys line 1t day
light, as anticipated, and the ID Corps had alreldy
become engaged when tho did SO get out
ihus revealing the CNLCnt Of our scheme Of ops
| ratiOns.
General Wsuen's Corps (j.h) moved out by
! the Vaughn road 70 the Church road, up which
they hei, past the g.le o. Poplar Spring
Church, on 70 the LETT Of l4G h Corps ntranlh-
mcnts passing out by Fort Cummings In rear OF
The oh, and then striking ont to the left by no|
military road.
Considerable delay was osal5loncd by the ROAD
inside our works being taken up by the Command
O' General Iathes and although the corps wee
not IN motion at A. NJ, it was plss 8 when
General CrdWiCrd's Division ChG 3d), bringing
uE the rear, d1flCl out Of our works Genera
GIiflns Division Ohe jJh), temporarily uLllr
tie command Of General Bar,lstJ, had tho al
vance, with General hyrcs' Division che 2D, IN
the centre.
After clearing the abal.is in front Of Fort Cam
mngs, the 9Th Corps plunged into the works to
the lett and pushed rapidly sn by q road cut by
the cngineers, and after q rapid march Of about
two miles reached the Duncan road, whore 5uC-
raj Bartletts Division became holly eng ig8i.
The division vas rapidly thrown into three lines
OF baule by brigade, the right overlapping the
military road, and the l0it on the Armstrong
farm, Whie she 81 Brigade or rear line rested on
the Duncan road,
A sharp and running fire Of mu kerry on ued,
ana for time The eugageme ent was pretty severe,
The division ultimately succeeded, 10 yeyer, in
driving the enemy frOu a line of works, hastily
thrown up by them, and the Rebels sulleuly !
back. Our loss in this division was rather severe
considering the period OF the light, sOme sixty
men being wounded, but was informed that
none were killed.
General Ayres coming mp, was ordered TO mass
his division on tho Il o. the military road, In
the woods and 70 tho rear. He did so, facing nis
! troops toward the road aud right where no r3-
NAMED the greater par. OF the day.
General Crawford arrived and proceeded dOyn
the road, pushing past Ihe ID Division, until he
came TO The Duncan road, where he .ugnei tO
| the left, and marched up the Duncan road, past
| the Armstrong House and reached H3,chsrs
! Run, crossing viii IA, ~ the dam nelc Arm
| sUlugs Mills, he formed his division ia order Of
| battle, his right resting on the run.
| The Mary and Brigade, from General Ayres'
| Division, was temporarily detached from his
| command and assigned 60 that Of General Crav.
| ford, lhe lot Brigade G neral Bragg, OF the 3d
Dl}lHlun, uUlnG larger lual me 80, CUlDuCl Ion
! man, the Maryland Brigade WIS spht in two, and
/ wins placed on each flank Df Colonel HOnmaI'3
! Brigade, sLus making both lines OF an adeqplo
| strength.
As soon as the line was formed, the order was
| given, Forward" General CflwfJrl'5 orders
| were 10 advance straigh. f0rw ard, keeping his
! right resting on the run, and 10 ultimately con-
meet with General Erqu, Of the % Corps. Il
! was supposed chat HAlther's Run took is course
! toward tho BoydtOn plank road, IN segment of
circle, and that By takiu5 the run for his guide,
/ General Crawford could not iail to make the
! proper connection.
| The result showed that the map upon which
! these plans we're mItur'i was tO2lly incorrect,
| and this fact caused complete change iu IN
actual mauuuyrgs Of CrtWlOId'5 command. As
| hat General advanced, lie found the ground over
which he hHd TO pass Of the roughcst description,
| huge bouldGrs lying scattered all through the
! woods, and the woods themselves Of the most
! impeneraDle description.
These obstacles, however, were overcome with
| ont much delay, and the lines kept moving up in
| good style for some distance, when the run sud
| denly and unexpected changed It's course to the
| east, forming huge bend or elbOT, which caused
! General CFawfords right to shift slowly TO the
| right as he advanced, thus carrying his lefC fur.
ther 20 the right.
This was the critical moment; for, had not the
| run taken this bend, the left Of the 5th COrps
| would undoubtedly have come in collision with
| Hill's Corps, which was lying concealed in the
| dense woods. AS II was, the division of General
l | Drat iu ~ p1aQred he nd He