Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-05-21
The Great Battles in Virginia.
Most Terrible Conflicts Of the War.
Rebels Steadily Forced Back.

Rebels Steadily Forced Back.
From the mass Of dispatches which have
reached us, we select the following accounts
of the battles in Virginia, beginning on Thurs
day, the fifth, and bringing it down to We'd
nesday, the eleventh S.
The Tribune has letter from the Potomac
army dated Thursday night, saying that early
that morning the march was resumed in the
/ direction of Tod's Tavern, which point was
reached before noon, and Gen. Wilson, COM
handing KilpatrIck's former cavalry division,
made bis whereabouts known by brisk can
/ nonading several miles southwest of the Tav-
ern and in the vicinity of Shady Grove
| Church, where for three-quarters OF an hour
he was sharply engaged, with large body OF
rebel cavalry, and a considerable force OF in
fantry, by whom he was gradually forced
back upon the second corps.
Had not the maneuvers of Lee prevented,
| night would have found Gen. Hancock's COM
mand at Shady Grove Church connecting
with Gen. Warren on his right. BY this
maneuver we would have occupied the pike
| running in a northwestern direction from
| Germania ford on the Rapldan-
The movements of Lee soon revealed his
real design. Gen. Warren was directed to
| attack him at once, which he did about i A.
/ NJ A determined fight of about an hour and
a half ensued, in which Warren drove him
from his position with great loss. Grifin's
division of the 9Th corps led the attack and
suffered severely, nearly 1000 being killed,
wounded and missing.
Finding his effort to break our center fu-
tile, the enemy next attempted 70 interpose
an overwhelming force between Warren and
Hancock, the latter of whom, in accordance
with orders, was marching his corps rapidly
| to form junction with the former. Fortu-
nately his advance consisting of Birney's
corps, came up Just in time to circumvent the
rebel General who at p. M. commenced an
onslaught on the divisions of Birney, Gibbons
and Getty. The latter had been temporarily
detached to form the extreme right of Han
cocks command.
The fight ragged until some time after dark,
and resulted in the complete repulse OF the
enemy at all points. Our loss does not proba-
bly, exceed 1000 men. Scarcely any artllle-
| nv was brought into position, the character of
the ground rendering it useless. The battle
field is covered with thick growth of under
brush and medium sized oak trees, and it is
owing to that fact that our losses are COM
paratively light. Our captures in prisoners
are about 500.
When Hancock's corps retired toward Par
kers Store, 800 of the 18th Pa cavalry, under
Major Brunton, sent to relieve the pickets sew
eral miles below on the Spottsylvania road,
were attacked by large body of rebel troop
ers and driven back to Tods Tavern in con-
fusion, and quite large number taken pris-
oners by the rebels.
The special correspondent of the Times,
writing from headquarters at the Wilderness
Tavern, Friday evening, gives the following
intelligence:
oThe great battle of Friday has closed upon
a terribly hard fought field, and the Army of
the Potomac has added another to its muir
derous conflicts Lees tactics, so energetic
ally employed at Charlottesville and Gettys-
burg, of throwing his whole army first upon
one wing and then upon another, has again
been brought to bear, but rejoice that the
Army of the Potomac has repulsed the on
slaught of the enemy and stands solidly to-
night in the position it assumed this morning
''The first attempt was made upon Hancock,
whose right was somewhat weakened in num-
bers by the battle yesterday, but the iron old
second corps nobly stood its ground. Then
the enemy hurled his battallions upon Sedg-
wick and once or twice gained temporary
advantage, but the old veterans of this corps
were nobly rallied and repulsed the rebels
with fearful slaughter.
"About half past p. NJ Lee made a feint
upon the whole line, then suddenly fell with
whole force upon Sedgwick, driving him back
temporarily, but the advantage was soon re-
gained and the rebels hurled back with great
loss. Night now came on and it is believed
at Headquarters at this hour that Lee has
withdrawn from our front.
although the nature of the ground has
been of terrible character, most of it being
so thickly wooded as to render movements all
| b,,t iDopncSibla and N annaaal tho npaPafions
of the enemy, yet he has been signally re-
pulsed in all his attacks, and nothing but the
nature of the battlefield prevented it from
being total defeat to him.
The Herald has the following relative to the
battles of Friday and Saturday:
At o'clock in the morning the contest
was renewed against our line and the roar and
hum of battle came from every quarter.
/ From certain indications it was concluded
that Lee was reinforcing Longstreet on Han
cocks front, and part of Burnside's corps
accordingly moved to his support, taking a
position to the left of Gen. Warren and COM
pleted filling the gap into which the two brig
AIDES had been thrown the previous evening.
On moving at daylight toward the assigned
position through a close forest, they found it
occupied by the rebels, prepared to dispute
its possession. The fighting at this point
was over by 9 o'clock, finding IL impossible
to dislodge the rebels from their position.
Early in the morning Hancock was driven
back close to his breastworks by a superior
force, but subsequently rallied his men and
succeed in regaining most of the ground.
Between 10 and i o'clock, however, Long
street succeeded in turning the left of his
advance and throwing it into great confusion.
This extended along the entire line and nearly
involved the whole corps in inextricable con-
fusion. He was once more forced back to his
breastworks and the rebels actually planted
their colors inside them but could not sustain
themselves and were elected. At this time
heavy reinforcements were thrown to his sup
port from Burnside's corps and his men were
rallied and taken well in hand and the danger
of further disaster removed.
The charge of Longstreet was completely
overwhelming. Solid masses of infantry
were hurled upon Hancock, time after time,
with an impetuosity nothing could Withstand.
This was exceedingly fortunate for the 9th
Corps and the whole army. He was checked
at the critical period and driven back with as
much precipitancy as he came.
The ground in front of Hancock had been
fought over a number of times, and there
were vast numbers of wounded and dying on
| the field.
At night Hancock occupied his breast
works and had nothing but few prisoners