Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-30
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoToMAc,)
SoUTH BANK OF THE NORTH ANNA RIyER,}


ing, here then is the Army of the Potomac
sixty miles from its starting point north OF
the Rapidan, safely planted south of the
North Anna river within twenty-five miles
of the objective point, which for three years
has been the goal of all the blood and strug-
giles of this army. The experience of the
two weeks we spent before the lines OF
Spottsylvania brought the conviction that
that position could not be carried save by
an expenditure of blood out of all proper
tlon to the results of any victory that could
be achieved there.
Day by day the commanding general
continued to throw out toward the left,
with the hope of overlapping and break
ing in the rebel right wing, and from oc-
cupying, as we did at first line two or
three miles north and extending five or six
miles west of Spottsylvania G. H., we final
ly come to hold line running almost due
east from that point and about four miles
in extent; our LETT resting at Mattapony
Church. But just in proportion as we
stretched to the left Lee extended his right
to conform to our line and intrenched him
self till finally he came to have front
practically impregnable. Nothing in fact
can be imagined more formidable than the
improvised works which each army has
learned to construct to cover itself withal.
A layer of stout logs, breast high, forms a
frame work in which thick parapet of
earth is thrown up in front of this line.-
The timber for several hundred yards is
felled, making an elaborately interlaced
abattis. Imagine one, two or three such
lines along the enemy's front; plant be-
hind each line Of battle; rake obstructed
approaches with lavish supply of artil-
lery, and place in front of all several lines
of rifle pits, and you will form concep-
ton, Though still an inadequate one, of
the task imposed upon an army when an
attack is proposed on the enemy's works.
Yet in several instances, as you know,
and as all the world will some day learn
with wonder, the illustrious valor of the
Army of the Potomac has plucked victory
from these jaws of hell, and bayoneted an
unflinching foe in the very enceinte of his
citadel.3I 1-gi FF taI .gfi
With a view to force the enemy's aban-
donment of his lines, with the determina-
tion of seeking elsewhere the arena for a
new trial by battle, it was needful first of all
that the army should accumulate such sup
plies as would allow it to cut loose from its
old base, and enable it to advance far
enough to open new and more accessible
one. This done, 1t was very certain that by
simply moving on the left of our front We
would so threaten Lees communications as
to compel him to evacuate his fortified line.
In other words we would effect a turning
movement on the rebel right flank. True
TO expectation, when the rebels, on Friday,
discovered the corps of Hancock, which the
day before had been feeling their extreme
left, shifted over to their extreme right, Lee
began to look out for his lines. NHsl3t.p
On Friday night, May 20, Hancock took
up the march, advanced due east to Massa-
ponax Church, then diverged on one of the
main roads leading due southwark from
Fredericksburg, and continued on during
the night and the following day, and on
Saturday evening, May 2lst, occupied
Bowling Green with the head of his column
at Milford, distant from the point of start
ing seventeen miles. He met no enemy.
ic On the very same night on which Han
cock started, Lee began to withdraw. In
the dead of the night, o'clock A. NJ, of
Saturday, the rebel reveille was heard to
beat, and the head of LOngstreet's column,
which was assigned the advance in retreat,
filed southwark. Here then begins grand
race of two armies, similar to that which
they ran from the Wilderness to Spottsyl-
vania. A glance at the map will show us
which has the better chance. 1t will be
observed, if the examination be made with
an adequate Typographical map in the hand,
that the rebel front at Spottsylvania covers
the direct and best route leading southwark,
namely, the telegraph road with the roads
converging on and radiating from this main
line. On the other hand it was O necessity
of the proposed operation that we should
bear well to the eastward. 1t is a recog-
nized maxim that the party executing
flanking movement exposes his own flank.
Such maneuver in the face of q vigilant
and vigorous opponent is always danger
GUS one. iba :'ni- 5EN3 -H'H
B 1t had, therefore, to be done both eau
ox.H xfa hat of
Lee, as we know by experience, is both
vigilant and vigorous. The former quality
was proved by the promptitude with which
he met the advance of our fanking column
by corresponding movement to the rear.
The latter was made manifest in another
way next day. auc9 lHG lo'iAi
Hancock's I'd Corps, as we have seen, had
withdrawn during the night of Friday.
Warren's 9th Corps set out early on Satur-
day morning, following for some distance
over the same route as pursued by Hancock.
About the same time Ewells corps of the
rebel army appears to have followed Long,
street. In the meantime our old position
near Spottsylvania was still held by such
portions Of our front, as the corps of Gene
rails Burnside's Ninth and Wright's Sixth
covered. At u. NJ, of Saturday, Burn
side, who held the position on the left of
the Sixth, withdrew, and the remaining
force of the rebels, HIPS corps, ancying
that the Sixth was also retiring, left their
works, came up directly in Wright's front
and attacked. They succeeded in breaking
his slirmish line in one place but Wright
opened heavy artillery fire upon them,
which checked their advance Hill COM
mitted an error in making the attack in
front, for had he crossed the river little
above he would have struck the right flank
Of the Sixth Corps, uncovered by the with
drawal Of Warren, and would have had an
enfilading fire on Wright, which would
have been difficult to withstand. Qiioc 3fi
In addition TO this, the assault was made
with much persistence and was probably
designed simplyeto develop our actual
force left During the night, Wrightwith-
drew. Hill did the same, and the works of
Spottsylvania ceased to be the objects of
either attack or defense. They remain now
as parts of the parallels, that from the Rapi-
dan up to our present front, stand as monu-
ments of the most desperate campaign in
history. riyhal 9ff gJa19li d .ele9 9di ig
The two armies once fairly on the march,
their operations belong to the domain of
strategy, which deals with the movements
of armies out of sight of each other. The
first obvious goal is the North Anna, north
Of which IL was not deemed atallprobable
that Lee would attempt to make astand.