The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-05-18
FROM GENERAL LEES ARMY.
lraox oua OWN CORRESPONDENT /
ARNr or NRrHERs yIRoIsrA.
Hunfn rlvank n II N..1o fsa4

/ opotsyivanfA u. u. May l3 lSSi |
un yessesiay was fought tn fsoat OF %h,s .nosss,
"t'ie ssiiase-heacsfos,h u be famana through all
| coming une-one OF the hescest anL most obst!
n'te battles OF modern ,lmes. II commenced al
oayitshi, AMI ragged and roared with tremsnaous
| 'ay until two O'Clock In the afternoon when the
enemy retired from the bloody conflict. Grant
made TIE attack again. as he did al the Wilder
ness. and giiasd a Considerable advantage By the
sn'denness and visor OF the assault ea.sy Ia the
day; but With tails exception, he a. tepu!sed with
"ss that will cary ,nournin. 10 thousands oi
| Northern aud EuFo.sesn heaslhsteacs, md ,ismay
ana Confusion TO the prants aud dsa,asosuss
| whose hosts he leads. The coniederates fai,ed al
one point only-pariiy from accident. parity from
mistake, aud partly, fear, from lack of spirit; but
on ali ether parts of the field they vera VICTORIOUS
| and as firm and rsso'u.e as ever. the aseny was
/; beaten, tu, not routed or driven from the field
II Is not my purpose to 60 much into the details
of the tai,lefrst, becau tho letter. If captured
.s&sss~ s.,is iaea ami sics aaaa, rslght give sha
foe desirable Information In regard tu tue strength
! and position Of our forces; and second, because il
| is almost impossible 10 prepare any account Of
battle that will give satisfaction TO subo dina,e OF
! 6cers, and if makes the attempt and fails as
he certainly will, he is almost sure 10 have his mo-
| tives ifapusned and become Involved In a cohuo
versy In the newspapers
| slut patt!c was tOuEut on tue C0!sn side OF spot
| syivania Court House, on unddat.ng ground, di
versiiied by fields, pine thickeIs and patches OF
~oads Oar line is crescent shaped, or perhaps il
would be more correct TO say that il ~ nearly ia the
4 form OF 4 horse shoe, and extends hroaud The
Court House or village on the North aud Northwest
efR side, 50 Us TO cover all the approaches from
| those quarters. slight entertainments had been
thrOwn up along our entire front, extending from
the shady Grove (Ot Catharpen road eon,Inued
on the West, around to and beyond the Frederiess
burg road on the Northeast side OF the village.
one point on The right t3 an ensinencea fs. sua-
ifed yards III advance Of The general direction Of
our itDe, and Ia oder {" p:ssens The enemy from
getting possession vi II Tor his artillery, sharp
angle was projected so as 10 Include the nh t,in
| our entrenchEents. The result shows thar THIS
WAS unfortunate piece OF engineering. Past the
! tcas ai the hill gu the North side sweeps raviar
which presents CONVEX !Ine 10 the hi.i, the two
approaching each other iize Circles thai touch but
do not cut each other. The enemy awaited himself
of t6is rayne In his assault upon The angle, which
WIS the weasest point In our lines, being Consider
ably In advance of the general line and beyond The
| reach of support from the forces operating the
right and LETT.
Information was received night before last iha,
Grant was retiring in the direction CT Fredcricks
burg and GeFmanDa ford report 70 this effect was
HOSed abroad through the army, though subss lent
events show that il was without The least tounda
tinn Through mistake, which cannot trace TO
its source, but which grew out OF this Dschievous
repnrt. The artillery which had been posted the
hsii in The angle alluded u above, was Withdrawn
dating The hight. This len Ma, Gen Johnson. .oi
l
ed 81 The hest in the army, occupied This part
| of tie line, without ANY artillery support. B@
communicated this fact To his corps commander a.,
midnight with the additional Intelligence taat the
! enemy was massing heavy force In his immed.a.e
front for the purpose, he bclisved, OF 3ssiul.ias
him next {yestarday> morning These guns others
were sent back, sRd were just moving into the an
gle al O'Clock yesterday mO5nipg, when the force
which JahDson reported TO be maSsing in his 'front.'
made vigoro os assault upoa Ills position ana car
ri~d if
l
Favme al the foot o the hill, was very strong. aud
advanced, one repof says, In column OF regiments.
It had rained the evening before and coasii Fable
fog prevailed, uader cover o! which she attack was
made. U3e or two saus were 90; iato pJs ;ian
and fired, but the torses etscaea to the other
| pieces were shot 6owa- before they could ha aa-
liwioered and most OF tue eann0nee!s cipfufed,
JoHeS's Virginia brigade, whose c0mnaaGier was
E;:ied az tht ~ .lassn@ss white trying ,ss.fa.y i.Is
rlen. ws- .he rss To bssah the old St0i.s wall ard
o1ner b.igsdes beion yne - the dv-toa, oscoa.:ns
involved. soon followed its example, asd the ias
| seen of Oen J0hnsoH, tie hero o! Allegheny, ID
| wds standing almost a!oue. with mQsscI Ii his
| uaad, euntessiug the ground single handed wi;h
the muiructLous foe. The bf.g3fes composing
the division the st0Rewaii brigade; ;bea tImes
NJ Walker, and Joncs's brigade, h0ta oi this sta.c,
| Sieuar's brisad. ot Eir.igIans and North Carroll
mans, snd S;afford's brigade .. iou;sianians.--
Jones aal Stafford fell at the Wilderness Walker
/ was wounded yesterday Steua.t, snJ johnson,
iie commander OF the division, were taken nfis
oaeIs, aud lite toinRe! con1aiaIa.ng I0Ees'e bs;9
The suna isi :ne ne!d, bat which ar.tae. p.fly
hiss been able 20 move TN zccoGat Q! .l Ike {: ,e
oilrf-soifi- rishIe-n or twsnty --ie said IL ae5aF
l 1" tist.s~'s = All PIgss bai:aiiocs A .t1u s.tna
or Twelve hundred 9risoaef. pef- io7i hf tu~
ime.
Tnis occurred a, a very early hour In the NOM
ing, Ii Johes's brigade had Lot given away II IL
| possible, though not probable, that johnson would
have been ati- tn maihtain his gt0und. He IL
oi tha best officers la isr army, and ia~ -ahn,-
! speciac he ,aeses,ted whan battling alone with
i St-
shanid excite our admiration, raih7r thaa Provoke
criticism. Bat IL siad no. be imagined Ia, the
en.my gained the Hill without opposition, 81 .fsa
aud vigorous as his assault was. lie was received
wiki voiiey sfl-I va;isy, ard l.e srodhd GO
cred with his siaiu bur he had massed sach a
heavy forca upon single gPoscd point, SOM dis
,aace In advance O; ite gfAera iae. Gad !Ecapaosa
| ei betog instan;anecusiy supported, taaI fl was
found Impossible Ia Ispa!5e him. !: - baI isi iG
add, TOO, that .i;e eceny'S charge 0dG al Spirited
as II was sfu, aat n i,ccts Little ereGi,
| unua tbs troops He was aware CT iaa Weaaass.
the p5lnt from its en.np .ra.iye Asola;i0. i1ging
| effected teMpei.,J iodsment ia he aagit two
days before detailed la III" Letter or ya6tesdaY.
| and IL would hsye been Wenirf II bs tlsa fst,t
beea enccsssti .ith the PIE paialtIn b. bad niar
! The t"nte1efsi7s sHfrioi soveseiY iasy q.
steated across t.a isi.ssvranS space 10 second
| iiaa, i.shet ii the lna ~aicsa SubteH1s Iar al
| gle. aad which NAV be considered HE base ot fhe
| ttianse covering the hill. Even ..is ine IS seine
| wn1i iii adsai. ui ihe direction OF tir reurfai
iiae Hui The bsoAsn division did stop h-f- ,
| they coRliaaed THEFT retreat lar ~ The For
| tgnateiy the gallant Goraoa, commanding Eany =
division, was Ia Tes rye and swept TO the de
in manner that excited the admiration OF every
behOlder, inciudiD, Gen Lee The enemy swarm
ed over the hill and rushed against the lines The
right and left, but Rodes, and dord)n, and Wilcox
were there 10 meet them
The battle was soon fully joined, and for min e
| hours 1t reared and Kissed ana dashed over the
bloody angie and along the bfisting entire chments
like an angry sea beating RHd chai.g against a
| rock bound coast The artillery fire was the most
| sustained ana continuous have ever heard for so
| long time, averaging thirty saos 10 the minute,
eJ0 10 the hour, for six hours. The rattle of
| musketfy was hot less furious ana incesssat. al
| iU O'Clock, when The din aad upfoar were si the
hfaftsst angry storm cloud swept over the field,
and thus q, the thnnefs 0f baltic added ''ss.e
Gf ai artillery the skies " Ii now maHifasI
teat Grant reai assault, as Gsa Lee had believed,
would be launched against our right wtsg, and to
thai point the opposing iofces sfasitarH from all
parts of the feid Iast as when cloud sFcharsed
with electricity forms Ia the heavens, al: the Jesse:
clouds aud racks drift 10 Il, and are swallowed up
In the swelling, angry mass.
Giant stfove hard hctd Us 10 other parts Of the
field, And prevent this alton OF force, and
for that purpose he engaged Anderson on our 'oft,
aud Early. who had beea sent To the extreme right.
He made three separate ASSAULTS against The ionaer
| but was rseNlsed each tune with Gigh.iui loss by
Fieids's division, formerly Hoods. Easy al the
head of Hills corps, hurled him back, a uiad bull
| wonid an incauii0us masuf causht upon his hofas,
as nften "a he advanced upon him.
| Bit II was against Eweii, Who held the right OF
the original line, that Graat expended his gfeaies,
| efsfts aud made his most desperate hssaaifs. -
Having gsiaed fo.ti0id the aaeie OF centre OF
Eweit's Position he tsO1aht up line AFTER Hide Esi
nuaed tt with uemcGaous violence, AT ons uaie
asStast Rodes, al another against Gordon, aad
| Itssn against both. Wi:cox was brought ua sad
L. 1ar. kH~&2 II