Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-05-18
From the Springfield Republican.
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
THE BATTLE BELOW THE RApIpAN.

Rapidan on Wednesday, the 4th. Gen
Lee made no attempt to prevent the pass
age of the river evidently hoping to re
peat the history of Fredericksburgh an,
Charlottesville and compel disastrou
retreat. Our army moved towards Lee
right below Charlottesville, instead o
assailing the enemy in their fortified pc
sition, and they were thus compelled t.
come out from their works and give battl
or be fanked and see Grants army ge
ahead of them on the road to Richmond
Accordingly on Thursday the rebel army
made grand assault in force, repeating
Lees customary tactics and dashing il
full force successfully on different portions
Of our line The rebel movements were
made with wonderful celebrity. and once
or twice our heavily assaulted lines were
pushed back and suffered severe losses
Our troops. however. fought stubbornly,
and though the advantage was with the
enemy at night he had not effoctually
broken our lines or achieved any impor-
tant success. Not half our army had
been engaged, against apparently the en-.
tire rebel force and the enemy had been
foiled in all his attempts to sever our
lines. On Friday the rebels renewed the
attack, and series of bloody engage
ments occupied nearly the whole day. i'll
which We lost a great many men, includ.
ing Gen Hays and many valuable officers.
The battlefield was in 1.-The Wilderness"
where the nature of the ground prevented
the use Of artillery, and the fighting was
almost entirely with infantry. 1t was
doubtful at the close of tho fight which
side had the advantage, but the retreat
of Lees entire army during the night,
leaving the field and thousands Of their
wounded in our hands, made it evident
that the rebels either felt themselves beat
en-, or so nearly so that they could not
risk another day like Friday. Lee had
sagaciously placed his army in Gen.
Grants rear, with his right toward the
Fredericksburgh railroad so as to avoid
a flank movement in that direction. On
Saturday there was only light skirmish-
ing and our army did not follow the enc
my until toward evening. 1t was now
found that the enemy had merely changed
their position, and were in line in
strong position this side of spottsylvania
Court House, some twelve miles south of
the Rapidan. The retreat. if it can be so
called, had not been attended with panic.
but was orderly and successful, and was
no doubt in accordance with the plan of
Lee if he failed to drive our army back at
the first onset. The fredericksburg route
to Richmond is across half dozen rivers,
and affords many natural strong defensive
positions, which have been fortified for
just such campaign as is now in pro-
gress, and when Lee reached the Pc River
he may be said to have got behind Sc
ries of Notifications reaching all the way
to Richmond. Our advance was necessa-
rily slow, from the nature of the country
and the necessity of protecting the army
trains from flank movements Of the rebels.
On Sunday and Monday there was con-
siderable severe skirmishing, in some ca
ses rising to the dignity of small battles,
and We won no rod of ground from the
did not cost us heavily. In
the afternoon of Tuesday the enemy made
fierce onslaught on the extreme right,
held by Gen. Hancock S division, but were
repulsed and followed with great slaugh-
ter. Near night there was q general bat
tle Our army made grand assault and
drove the enemy from the first liue of
their works, capturing an entire rebel brig.
ade and many stands Of colors. The bat
lie continued till evening, and was the
most terrible yet fought. Our losses were
greater than Cd any previous day, and
bur entire losses for the week are estima-
ted as high as forty thousand. If this is
not greatly in excess Of the truth, it is
evident that VIC shall need great many
more men to fight through to Richmond in
ibis style. There seems to have been as
yet no strategy and no attempt at it,
nofhino h,t hord 6uht;nn f.o 4. G..