The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-05-17
The sldrGHce
0F IaE lRAI Or TIE PoToNlC

P, ren, commanding iat r hth VI fot
marched from Cglpepper CoGri House
10 Germnnia, and began crossing the
head of bis column On two ponioon
bridEes thrown across in the night by
| the engineers Of Brigadier General
/ Wiieon's division Of cavalry. Con-
ltrary 10 the expectation Of many, the
enemy was no, me. in force. Gen
eral Wilson threw bis cavalry forward
"A far as Wilderness Tasern and
lf,hnncellorsville. without having as
sscii as a respectable skirmish, the
strategy Of General Grant diad 50 ey-
/ idenily deceived General Lee. The
latter seemed TO expect us 10 advance
! IN force along the line OF the railroad,
I by way cf Orange Court House aud
1 Gordonsyille, and bad been bnsily en-
gagged uncoYering all the fords and
crossings Of the lower Rapidan and
I Rappahannock, and massing bis troops
on our apparent front from Culpeppr.
/ As a consequence we met with no OBJ
struelion Of serious character dntil
reaching the edge Of the Wilderness.
General Warren marched nearly TO
The turnpike leading from Chaneel-
lorsyille to Orange without halting.
In the morning be was ordered 70
turn the right on the turnpike and
occupy the heights, about mile
southwest Of its crossing with the
\ plank road from Germania. lie was
| in position by noon, with hastily con-
strueicd field breaslwork crossing the
road at a right angle and extending
considerable distance on either side.
Major General HancocS's Second
corps marched from the vicinity OF
Brandy Station at the same hour Cen
enal Warren left Culpepper General
Hancock crossed at Ely's ford, about
five miles below Germania, and pass.
ed 10 The right of Charlottesville,
inttrseeting the plank road from
thence 10 Orange Court House, by
way Of Bakers store, about two
miles south Of the latter place. Cen
vral Hancock found no enemy in bis
front until reaching the intersection
named above, when he drove small
rariics Of scouts and pickeis.
General Sejgwick's Sixth corps
crossed at Germania, and marched to
a position assigned him on The right
nf General Warren LA foil upon
the abel outposts about nine o'clock
and drove them in by firing a few
shms.
Major General Burnside, Of the
Ninth corps, followed in the rear OF
General Sedgsick, and occupied the
ground between bis right and the
Rapidan.
THE BATTLE on THURSDAY, MAY D.
AT one o'clock on Thursday we
we're in line Of battle with the best
corps on the extreme right--the Sixth
the Fifth with the Second forming
our extreme left. The cavalry had
been skirmishing in tile meantime
with newly discovered body Of
Stuart's men, near Charlottesville
These were soon found to have aug
mented, and the skirmish speedily
swelled into the proportions OF bat
tie. General Wilson, with a portion
Of bis command, was cut off from the
main body, but joined them later in
the day.
| The fighting here established the
great superiority OF our cavalry tc
Stuart's famous pariisans. The lat
ter were badly worsted in the days
engagement, and retired toward
fredericksburg, to join General Fltz
hugh Lee, Of whose command Stuart:
isa part.
On taking the different positions
assigned them each corps began the
hasty construction Of field bfeastwark'
ia front Of IFS first line of battle, anC
soon had them capable OF offering
formidable resistance. The face o.
the country and character Of its grow
ing timber was found TO be the mos
unlayorable imaginable TOR offensive
operations. The roads were narrow
generally, tedious aud bounded Of
either side with a dense growth o
young pine, chinkapin and serubbJ
oak, with an underground OF hazel IL
many places that rendered the iores
almost impenetrable. The pines vert
los lin.bed and scraggy, and tht
ehinkapins the slifiest aud brislliest o
their species. An advance in line d
battle vas almost impossible. Artil
lery could not be brought into actor
at all. A few places on the iInmedl
ate line ol the road, and ia an oecas
ional break in the forest on eilhei
side, we're the only positions possibl,
/ for planting batteries. Over tire,
hundred pieces lay idle during I'll,
whole Of the irsi day fighting.
The position was admirable Tor de
fence, and Was selected BY Genera
Lee instantly on learning that Gener
al 6rant had out man9uyred him aus
gained crossing without battle
Many oi the rasines were deep ass
impossible, bui a majority we're not *
on account Of precipiious deeliviiies
The main obstacles we had to o0nsens
Against Was the thick growth OF scrub
BY timber thai prevented the pFopeI
handling Of the troops aud concealed
The eneIny's presence and disposition
d his forces.