Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-30

resuming the advance on Monday morning
Nav 23d, march of few hours brought
the head of ur cOlu nm SO near to the Nortl
Anna that Operations passed from the do
minion Of strategy into the tactical ques
ton of effecting the passage of the river
always a difficult one when vigorously re
sisted. That it would be so resisted wa
natural to suppose, for the reason that II tn
enemy proposed making q stand ON the
, ESouth Anna he would wish to gain all tn
. time possible in order to establish rhimsel
well in his position. and also for the reason
that the North Anna covers the Virginli
Central railroad, which here. runs the gen
eral direction of the stream, and but from
one to three miles south of it. Even If LIE,
shouldbe compelled to sacrifice this impor
tant line of communication, he would still
it was reasonable to argue, attempt TO holt
il till after the rebel detachments that hav'
been in the Valley should be drawn inJ IL
this anticipation we were not disappointed
mot only did he contest the passage, bu
made one of his fiercest assaults with
view OF crushing that portion of our army
that had succeeded in crossing.
The lines on which the army had beer
advancing brought our columns to the
North Anna, near q point at winch tht
Fredericksburg e. Richmond Railroad
|
which had the left, struck it less than one
mile to the west of the railroad crossing
| Werr6n's column which had the right
struck it at Jericho Ford, about four miles
higher.
BY an opposite fortune, Warren was able
| to effect passage without any resistance,
but was savagely assailed on the other side,
while Hancock had fight on the north
side for the passage, but once over, had
thus far found little to bar his progress.
The head of the column of the 9TH corps,
Griffin's division leading, reached the North
Anna at p. IN. on Monday, and within ten
minutes after its arrival began to cross.
Immediately on crossing, Griffin's divi-
sion was formed in line of battle, the I'd
brigade (Sweetzer's) having the advance,
while Ayre's took position on the left,
and Bartlett was held in reserve in the CEN
| ter of the line. Cutters division formed
on the right of Griffin, and Crawford's
Pennsylvania Reserves on his left
Moving rapidly up across an open space
of 600 or 800 yards, Griffin took position in
the woods, where the heavy skirmish line
was soon met. At first the only rebel troops
in the neighborhood consisted of Meow
ans brigade of Wilcox's division, Hills
corps, under command Of Colonel Brown,
of The 14th S. c.; but he was presently re-
inforced by the other three brigades. OF
Wilcox's division, viz: those Of Scales,
Gordon and Thomas, while Heath's division
Joined on to the right of Wilcox, anu pris-
oners say that Breckinridge's division af-
terward came up. + ....-...
The skirmish line, which was all our ad-
vance at first, had been easily driven back
The command had taken up its position in
the woods, and just received orders to in
trench, the first preparations for which
it was making, when Griffin's division at
5:15 p. NJ. was furiously assailed by the
rebel force above enumerated, which sud-
denly developed in two lines of battle, with
a heavy skirmish line in front. Volley af-
ter volley, fierce and sharp, was poured in,
and the enemy opened from three batteries
a very heavy cannonade. Grifliin's division,
though without works, successfully resist
ed the attack, and repulsed it with great
slaughter. Our men, In fact, served them
with the same treatment they had them
selves received in the numerous attacks
they have been compelled to make, and
illustrated afresh the enormous advan-
tage the defensive has in such a
country as this. They shot as they
lay low, covered themselves. well, al
lowed the rebels to approach, and when
the whites of their eyes were visible, raked
fbot,be was calming nofbino. and lost very
heavily If annears fiat the rebel com
mander wbiie continuing TO hold three of
his hrigades in Griffin,s front detached Col
onai Rrow,n,e Sonth Carolina brioade to ief-
feet detour, and make an assault on our
flank. The mode in which he made this l
half an honr safterward. was a prisoner in
orr hands MARCHING nv column mn the
railroad, for some distance. he wheeled bv
the right into line Of hattie. and fell ubon
CntIes' Who as we have seen. was formed
on the right of q riffin. Cutters division
had Snot Vet uotten into nosition when
Rrown attacked with much yiror. It's left
crave wav. and the whole command was
co1sideraflv broken and thrown into much
confi1sion. IGTF IllITfIII} IWI /.
n,,,,, 90 - ,,o,,o.od t,,o ,;o.,,4 90
o.;a,., y, ooutsei h1,o Ue sao,, ~,
a 1,lnna, Si iioi nI 5 .osod h;n, 20 AZ i,,y
DSaue' anu ca S;s 'if, sanI " t,,rnad
n,i Iiinohe Iai? w ~ 10y. me ,,S,naS an'eo
a'ou . 'Iio T IA, fnr,,,",, thro
Ml,a anu DEL patt,s hn;noI h;ah
agsieis nJ ,n nal'te.Vs to sa tha nnSod aanI,
tron' ba;n% rcsd NJ S = IN tbe rpOsstabi;ShH
nt ro, oe ~ ,;ua non,rrnd M ono cm0 Of t6oso odd
nIenC VI .llo my I,,, vaI VI onoso ~
encoIets ",lHn nt;a oo1 as hnttis naPen Hna i nf
ISn pnntIatt,S Pntu omts %0U +ba ead panrsHiuor;o
Pal.ie.Is TmS 0oo 0mn9y ,;d;u
". . 3ot = ;'' oni,S IL
nnt S IN Inc ep of y hattie % ran % ninmn % against
Rrown,s limo which was moving to fniIow
mn its success AGAINST our RIGHT. II was
- 20 tto .;tfsI ~, "a 49,. H., ,,,I,;ol -