Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-08-11

liz li"ue stagnant by the thunder of ON an
go. | -, from nlnety-tiye pieces, niched in
| 49, uin-siue commanding the enen7's no.
r.;1i, .aefe eeiched out sheets of fame and
| I-als 60 80 s,NoAe, while the shot and she'll
H. AZ ~.I; screening, bowling, rumbling
I pa A.s.l.ns Oh Hundred railroad trains
but why attempt to give an idao &c 80 -
| describable sound? The sndJoa y! sucn III
from utter silence to iercest cIon, t'aISltion
| rible. So the rude combat rageJ was Ter
| sign of slackening for two long bo,,r- '-o.t
| first the enemy was slow in replying - ~ 50
fire, but gradually their lines We're b,o,, opI
into action, and in less than half an bo,.1
| banks OF angry smoke partially yeilea ~
scene from both Sides VIC
In accordance Nth the plan of battle tho
First Division of the Ninth Corps, Uedlie,sI
was made the assaulting column. Gen. Led
lie formed his troops in three lines of battle
having each front of about six hundred
Inc Second Brigade of this division, (Col
Marshal), led the assault, followed nv tho
FIRST Brigade, (Gen. w. F. Bartlett). and the
third line made up of the Third Brigade (Col
Goulds). The left Of Ledlie's division was
supported by Brig. Gen. Hartraupfts's brio
aae OF the Third Division, (Wileox's). and its
right by Gen. Grifin's brigade of Potter's d.
vision. The Fourth Division of the Ninth
corps lall negroe9 was posted directly in the
rear OF the assaulting column, to press for
wafo whenever practicable. The Fourteenth
ne" York Heavy Artillery were the first to
g Ell the breach made by the explosion
I!ey bounded forward at the word, in the
ILloss VI 'he shock OF the artillery, through
Tue uense clouds Of flying dust and Chamber
ing over the debris, found themseIvaS Viz
lently pushed down into the vswn;na
crater. The sight which there met tbnro7
must have been appalling. Bodies Of dean
rebels crushed and mangled out of all resem.
blance to humanity, writhing forms MARTY
buried, arms protruding here and Ices strnG-
ghng there-a very hell of horror and tor
| ture, confined to space so feet in length
ana nan as many wide But the time was
| not favorable to the play of humane promnt-
lhSs- inns chaos Of mangled humanity mixed
| Win uepflS OF implements and munitions of
war must be unheeded Enough for the
stormlng party to do was found in exhuminr
TWO pieces of rebel cannon with their Gals
sons and, In obedience to the law of self.
preservation, turning these guns upon the
enemy, who was throwing into the crater
shower OF shells and MIME balls from the hill,
beyond and from points on either side, which
they still held on this first line. Getting
THESE pieces into position promptly, and un-
| der cover OF their fire, the assaulting column
was reformed, and at the word of command
dashed forward once more to storm the crest
OF the hill 1t was a task too great They
calamity assayed it, and nearly gained the
summit, subjected all the time to a whitening
ire, which increased in fierceness at every
step, until they became the center of con-
verglng storm Of shot and shell. Attacked
Oh the right flank and the left flank, in front
hoy 1',lk en-
the partial protection of the crater, leaving
their course thickly strewn with the diving
and the dead
The colored troops, upon the heel of this
repulsc, were ordered to charge, and they
| moved out calamity. A hundred yards gained
and they wavered. Then the Thirty-nintE
Maryland Regiment, which led, became panic
stricken and broke through to the rear
spreading decentralization swiftly Their off
GERS urged them, entreated them, threatened
them, but failed to rally them, and, the mass.
broken and shattered, swept back like tor
rent into the crater that was literally choked
with white troops The confusion, incident
to this wholesale crowding and crushing Of
the negro soldiers into the ranks of the white
troops, very nearly caused the panic to
spread. Had such been the result, it might
have been fortunate, and many brave fell
low who afterwards fell, might have escaped
his fate. But at the moment the rebel fire,
which had been murderously directed upon
the place, materially slackened, and the
white soldiers recovered their stamina Our
lines were once more Strengthened, and lust
in time to check an impetuous charge, which
was afterwards repeated, and with a similar
result Of heavy loss to the ASSISTANTS
SO the morning waned. 1t became appa-
rent, doubtless, that the position gained
could not be held without more sacrifice Of
life than could well be afforded at this time.
At any rate, this seems fair inference, or
| the other corps would have been ordered to
advance upon those portions of the first line
still held by the enemy, and as far as | can
ascertain, no such order was given. On the
contrary, about noon the order was given to
ret1re-a matter not easy of execution, as to
gain our works an open space must be tray
ersed, over which one man in every twenty
was sure to be brought down by the cross-fre
that swept the spot.
| omitted to say that when the negro di.
vision advanced to the charge, they were
supported on the right of the Prince George
Courthouse Road, by Turner's division of the
Tenth Corps, which CALAMITY advanced long
way beyond the spot where the negroes
broke, and strove unavailingly to breast the
storm of their retreat. The list of casualties
in this division was heavy. forward the
names of those in hospital.
The losses on both sides, considering the
numbers engaged, were very severe. The
wounded in the hospitals are more than one
thousand. Probably l 8OOx were taken pris-
oners, and the killed and wounded swell the
list materially.
Later reports reduce this number The rebels
only claim to have taken 936.-EDs STATE JOURNAL
a GOOD ORDER.-The new Secretary Of the
Treasury has Issued an order concerning trade
with sections Of the country from which the
rebel forces have been expelled, which all
men must agree is both wise and Just. The
order positively prohibits the transportation
OF goods, wares or merchandise of any des-
cription, either to or from any of the states
declared to be in Instruction, except only
the necessary supplies of loyal citizens with
in the lines Of actual military occupation.
This order will, if properly enforced, put
stop to cotton and other speculations, through
which the insurgents in the southwest have
hitherto been furnished with aid and susie
nance necessary to enable them to continue
in war
MUsTERs.-The Secretary of War has de-