The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-05-14

tho enemy. had driven them frsn the pa
s,tlsn which they hsd % strongly contest
ID, but tho dark aess was 80 great that We
could not safely press them and epottsyi>
vania Court House still remained that
night in the haads Of the rebels"
Monday msr.ing our troops spent quiet
ly in camp, both for the much needed rest.
and for refreshing the army with ratiehs.
On Noaday evening it was thought the
enemy was again retrsating, and at eur
lines again moved forward. The right
crossed branch Of the river Pc, and drove
q light battery Of that was posted to de-.
fend bridge. Hancock on the LETT. and
Warren, (risht Of Hanceck) now had =
lively engagement, and also drove the en-
emy back At dark all fighting ceased
The NEST serious loss in to days fighting
was Gen Sedgewick, whs was killed by =
sharpshooter, at time when there was no
serious fighting anywhere.
BY Tuesday, beth arnies had get out
Of the wilderness into open country where
for the first time the use Of artillery be-
came practicable. Lee was still on beth
sides of the Pc, (Which runs nearly north
and south, asd our army north Of him, 2
miles from the Court House. The enemy
had been all night engaged in strengthens
ing his position, and during the morning
worked like beavers in the sight Of our
army.
Thus matters move On until p m,
when the enemy attacked cur right.
(partly across the Pc but was driven
back At half past six our whole front
was advanced on the enemy. The rebel
liae opened q murdersus FIRE. but ur
lines swept irres.tibly on driving the
rebels slowly back, capturing some 20C0
prisoners, and several guns In this fight,
despatch says. 'lerGsiIeet'A corps, I'M
der Hill, held the rebe. right, resting
about two miles noriL east Of Spottsylva-
mia, and Grant pittsd Burnside 9th cory
against it. At given moment, Burnside
precipitated his entire command except
the colored troops upon the rebel front,
driving and completely crushing it, cap
turing three rebel brigades and four pieces
of cannon. The fight continued tn q
ferocity never before witnessed, until nine
o'clock, when night closed upon the blood
lest field produced in this war. The bat
tie ceased at 9 o'clock, our line having
advanced, Burnside occupying at the end
of the conflict, the entertainments held
by Lonsstrsets forces at the beginning
On Wednesday, there seems not to have
been much fighting The rebels made
feeble dash on cur right which was
promptly repulsed. Towards evening
news was read on. parade, that Sheridan
with the cavalry had get to the railroad
near Beaver dam and destroyed 10 miles
Of 1t, thus severins Lees communications
with Richaond. News was also read
from Sherman, that he was driving Jehn-
stoa before him in Georgia These des-
patches created tremendous enthusiasm
among the men, and after eating a hearty
supper, they lay down. and, as the des-
patch says, slept swestly"
thursday morning a, O'Clock the bat
tie was renewed with tremendous vigor on
our side. There have a mass of des;-stch.
es been received at the telegraph office IN
this city in reference to this days fight
later than those contained in yesterday s
Chicago papers, but they sre so confused
and junabled. that it is difncul1 to get their
right meaning. Their general tenor, how.
ever, indicates very decided success on
the part OF the federals on Thursday
Hancock and Burnside made the princi,
pal attacks, and a despatch from the for
mer says, he took 1900 prsoners-anons
them two Generals, and 40 guns. Burn
side also took several thousand prisoners
and some guns. Tho rebels weredriven
at all points, and the de.pa tches close
by saying the head Of Grants army, at
noon on Thursday, was six miles south of
Spotsylvania Court House. We hope all
this-which is really the first and only
Gecisivsly good news of the whole seven
days fighting, may be verified
OF the movements Of Gen. Butler and
Smith on the Peninsula and towards Pc
tersburg. there are very few details. A
gassy despatch from Butler, On Noaday,
announces that he had whipped the reb-
els and cut the railroad between Peters
burg aud Richmond, but later advices
seemed to contradict this The latest des.
patches, however, show that the forces IN
that region had soms heavy fighting, re.
sulting in driving Beauregard into Peters
burg, from which he will be unable to
send reinforcemsnts to Lee.
Smith, rumer says, undertook to pene-
trate to the Fredericksburg X. K at Han
over C. II, met a superior force of the
enemy, AID got whipped. Doubtful.
Siesel is said to have reached Lynchburg
cutting Lees communications with the
west.
Another Dispatch states that siegel,
Couch auG Crooks, joined by Hooker, 25,>
600 strong in all, passed through Face
Zap, bound east to attack Lees left wing,
or cut his communication with Richmond
Terry d. ubtful.
We have said nothing thus far to throw
cold water in the least OH the effort to
make up the 10000 100 days men so
foolishly and recklessly rendered by Gov.
now that the time is nearly over, and we
are tainted with the fact that two-thirds
of those who have volunteered in this VII