Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-05-24
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has ttcn delayed sey>r.l days. tut the fa.:S
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IerE.iAL CORRESPONDENCE or rnE ENQUIRER |
ARM NuKruEKs VIRGINIA,
May ii;h, lsG4.
perch.7ca yon may have already received
SOM. ;:,;r,rcr,c, Of the battle Of Thursday
18th inst. and its result Another glorious
bu, dearly ,nre!lase;i victory has crowned our
.-,as u","ession"'IE' it was the n"s' 'ar T.
his mcst s#nsrinaIy war, tho unarim"ns
opinion Ct officers and menRho lave partici-
pa,,d in the great batt!eaahasshave aided to
me classic rcnown OF EireTnia:
The unusual moving aagon trai;'s, 'he
silence Of the enemy, Us aaSas Of our own
arm2 Wednesday night, gSye " note OF dread
rul prepara.ion," and warning that the conf
inv lnoruing would. witness an attack by the
! cnc,nv. which, II was not worry d!hcnit 20 per-
| rcyc, Gen Lee hal anticipated. Subsequent
| is, and daring the progress OF the night II
could be percercd that he had not only ex-
ncctci H. bur foresccn against what part OF
aur line the enemy would make his frat as
saul,. s. lar ~ our bcS. information extends,
there iH been little change in the general dis
position Of tie encmy's lines. Without re-
gard to their respective corps, Gen. Ewell
commanded cur right. Gen. X. II. Anderson
| the cartro, aud Gen. Early the left. Wednes
| iay afternoon i. rain commenced falling, which
Continued heavily at intervals during the
night. ~ well af duriag the progress OF the
R:i;.. The ground became : jir and muddy,
anI the night being dark, and Il heavy foS
,!&rmsi;:g tie cncmy's movements, the next
morning, t, took @d94ntagH oL Il TO mass has
frn5rs u,Gcr cover o; Il hill II Gen EwclIs
...iu. and - prisoners afterwards captured
,ay I, the aur,hcr uf ~ 900. Opposite this.
n,i was ~ Intensive auglc in 0rr works pro.
isc:ia.. with H.. obic:t. it Is supposed. Of coy
er!ns !hi- nil, but from the nature Of the Inc
les riJad hy The angie, it WIS impossible to
ire down ~ the u:hcr side Of the hill.
| \ report prevailed wednesday night tia:
Tue cn,my WIS retiring. hu! General Elward
j ,hnson becoming satisfied that he was mass
! ,Ig troops IN 4Ii~ front, conveyed that imrrci
! i'm {, General ES"l. Ahont fva O'Clock,
! r:.ursdlY morning. tie cntmly appeared
/ pouring orer the hill IN immrnse numbers,
! aau :.tya.,tirg {" an assault on the point 81
pu. works, held ~ Juhrs2n's division. GA
, The nariny :lIue in lrasSv" column, and, ar
! ri;InG Es;:T III" works II alc 4 mos desperate
! and turinI' assault on the point Il our line
ahrvc iut'ra:c!. Tar men received the shock
n.t :. ,iy,l :. y,ii', inr rh' ;.sailInta, who.
rac l.,;us ~ ia l., lat beng rallied, cane
! ~ a.Ain - ihr rnnrgc in such overwhelming
! lumber: ~ "a cau!-" :. portion OF Jnhnson's
| :iyi.; n--tac Stounwll and General }. NJ.
| J ,u.s' lriga:cs--,o iaiicr and give way 10
save themselves !rum being llInkcd on both
! rilr- Tic ts~:.;l; waI - sudden, AMI IL
Such !, w. !"rGc that our artillery were una-
lie, ii l. s"iI tn fire, and Eel into the cnsmy's
| hnGj-. HriutrrccmcEts cJIIln1 NJ to tEc
-Urprrt Il j"hu-"E. all advanced - tho at
! tack, and occupying Tho line forming the base
Of tic ;.ngl", and ono of it. sides sncc"clci in
ce;ul~;ug and trivr. :hn enemy, who lad
Occupied the - her sii:. AMI rocaptnrims the
! artillery tia: bad h-cn tasn". Tine Yankees,
ran -! ihickiy icli rapidly before the con.
ce,tratal ant weli.disectcd fire Of our men,
and re'rca'el whence they came in ronsidera,
! bic disorder. Tacy soon rallied, and ag;. in
aivrT2cd 10 the assault IS furiously 40 before,
were again rcpulscd. AID driven back. This
was repeated again and again with the same
re. ut. portions uf our line sometimes rccol-
ing unjcr tho Heavy shock, but quickly re-
c,v"ri:.g itself and hurling back the enemy
with q whitening fire Of muskctry. The caulc
Of he "isrg way Of :, portion Of .Iohns0n's
| division IL attributed To- the construction OF
tho linz 4, rho point they held in I'll" angular
! ~llare. projecting rs above mentioned IIay.
! iny recovered IT, and holding it during the
| day. L Wa Abandoned, ard is formation cor
Z ,t.,l,. Of I'll "a
! had indicated during the day. As it is rs
veil !;npwn - the enemy rs ourselves it j. no
| Eacrc: - LAY that the an".c rests on neutral
! grpra.,i. now occupied 10y neither party. 1t;
! We; o5.;urci. in dou IL whether oar recnptur"l
ARTILLERY, raricusly cstjrnat d ut from fourteen
TO eighteen pieces, was Trough: of to the Inc
a9w' occupied by us, or remains where it Was
rc..;srturcd f-om the enemy.
r." !a'tIc having opened on orr right, be-
glu :. s;r...: !,'" II save uali! tbs whole lino
.aI t.. - ~ in.a engaged. Oar loft wing
ga f..u assaulted wih sclrc"ly !ess fury
than IVA: our right was still sustaining and
r.;uisi;g The rnemv came up in sa:cral
linz; Of battle. and when iC is reelected that
ca.h successive line was rnnui,ed ;nl several
times rallied ard renewed the attack, some
idea nay b. formed rf the desperation with
Z j
t.lart 10 cc, possession Of oar works TT that
uo.rG Various .a7t- Of III" line were sub
ice: - repeated ch ,rEas during the day, some
Of car a~,!!; ~ being take, and as often re-
captured. The artillery displayed much bra
very AID rendered most efficient { operation
with cur uoh, infantry. and poured their
messengers Al death among the thick masses
-; IN" cr"raY. The hr'tic continued fur0n--
~ from ! o'clock until ah0nt =. NJ, and afcr
i brief cause continued. bnr with greatly
abai"l Violence until r!ghi(aI Very heavy
skirmiahing continued Through the nigh,, the
irirg between the lines Of akirm;shers some
times being rs heavy as tIa; of q line OF ba,-
To. The canrrraiinc, irnrl the booming Of
thr sigma! guns az the opening OF the fight, a.
we'll -; Che E!uskct-Y, was the most terrific
and inccssant Of any battle Of tho war, unlcss
it ha that the ONLY exception is in the cannon
aling a@ Gettysburg. Veterans, who have
participated iii them all. affirm that the enemy
never tough. with Is much desperation, and
that the slaughter among them, whio hdyan-
cinc 10 the charge AID rttrcating was f"nrrul
Tho 2ronnd was literally piled with Yankee
slain, while cu- own lOss Was heavy, but com
par.tivc!y small. This is accounted for in
part ~ the fact that Gan. Lee acted strictly
on the defensive, and that our army fought
for tho first time behind breastworks.
The rc:ult Of this terrible battle was, that
the mcss determined and OF repeated assaults
Of the enemy were repulsed at all points, and
that they retired at nigh. dispirltcd, and
leaving the field Rtrcwcd with their dead and
wounded. our army maintaining precisely the
s,ound it held in tho morning. with tho ex-
ccption Of the advantageous alteration of the
pr iccting anglo Of our iinc on the right wing.
III" foregoing will afford q general idea Of the
battle and It's desperate character. Expert.
'nao has demonstrated that an attempt to en-
Ter ia;o "details of 30 extensive an engagement
at this early stage must rcsultin unwilling III
justice to some portions Of cur. army. While
1t may give an idea Of tho hattle's fury, it will
also show that to the skill and genius of our
Commanding General and subordinate Off
GERS, aud tho peerless bravery Of our men, I'M
der tie BLESSING Of God mist m nscriio3 tho