Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-25

aud they were easily driven back Again si-
lenee Tslgns. Nsught disturbs ths deep ssill-
ness save the mournfui chant CT tbs whippor-
will The meon shines down il unc.ouasd
luster, disclosing the little band OF Spartan
heroes, stsEdiug firm, with fsess resolved and
determined. u hieh thoughts Of homlh a prAirie
in tho distance, Of grove upon tie lonely hill
sid5 could rot dsunt, but their hcUl of deliver.
ance wGs $t hand. 4 eTAyeR-bssFEed courier,
dispatched to bring them in, alarmed at the
firing, never reached his destination the seeaad
broasht the order 10 retire, snd they ara now
safely with rs. g. J. Il.
AseSFsg sgx2EAsss 2E ES o6SsF SSET'S oSss SsAR
From the Riehuond D-spa;eh. 1871
ARMY OF NoSTHERN VIRGINIA. Soosssyivs
MIA Court House, Nay l3, 1854 Ga yestertsy
was foEght il fr0ai of this godest little village
-hsacefoTsh TO be famous through all comiUg 2
tine--ena cf the feFcess and pogs obstinate
battles of modern timss. Itr 4oileed at day.
lighs AID ragged and rear fgilh tremendous
fEry until two o'clock 10 the afternoon, when
the enemy retired ftom tho bloody conflict
Grant made the attack sgaiH, IS hs did at The
Wilderness, and gained considerable advsnt-
age By the suddsHness and vigor of the assault
esFiy in the day; bat with this exception, he
was Tepused with loss that will carry mourn.
ing to Thousands Of Northern and European
hesrihstenes, and dis1ay sad canfilsion TO the
tyTants aud demsgcgnss whose hosts be leads.
The Confedsrstes failed at one p5ins only
partly from accident, partly from mistake, and
partly fear, from lack of spiHit bat On ali
olhsr paTss OF the fsld they were victorious, and
as finn aud resoluts as ever. TIE enemy Was
beaten, but not routed or driven frtrm the field.
Il is not my purpose to 20 much iRso the de.
tails Of the batile-hrst, becsuss the letter il
r,1 a,eH- IL l.
might give the foe desirable information In re-
gard to the strength and position of cur forces;
and second, hecsUse it is almost impossible to
prepare any account of battle that niil give
satisfaction to subordinate Ulcers, and if one
makes the attempt aud fails, as be certainly
viii, be is slmosi sure 70 have his motives i'm
pugned aud beeom7 involved in controversy
in toe newspapers.
The battle was fought on the noIth side Of
SpOEsylvsnis Court House, on undulsting
ground diversified by fields, pins Tickets, and
patches Of woods. Oar line is crescent shaped,
OF perhaps il ws0ld be more correct to say that
it is nearly in the form of hcTse al,oe, and ex-
tends around she Court House or yillags on ths
north and northwestern side so as 10 cover all
the approaches from those quarters. Slight in
tfenehments had been thrown up along our. en-
tire 'front.' extending from near the Shady Grove
(oF CaihArpen road continasd1 on the wesl,
around to and beyond the Fredericksburg reed
on the northeast side Of ths village. at one
point or tho right is "a emine0cs few hun
dred ysyds Ia adEancs of the geneIsl direction
of our line, and II order 10 prevent the enemy
from getting possession Of ii for his artillery,
sharp angle was projected 50 IS 70 inelads the
bill within cur inirenchmenis The result shows
that this wss an unfortunate piece of engineer
ing. Past The foot Of the hill on tho north side
sweeps 3 rsyine which presents eOnVex line 10
the hill, the two approaching each ether ike
circles that touch but do not GU; each other
The enemy svsiled himself of this l.avine in his
assault upon the angle, which was the weakest
point il our lines, being considerably 10 advance
Of the general line and beyond the reach Of sup
port from the forces operating on the right and
left
Information was received night bsf0rs LAST
that Grant was retiring ia the direction of FEED
/ erickabufg and Gsrmanna ford; report to this
effect was noissd abroad through the army,
/ though subsequent events show thai it wss with.
cut the Least foundation. Through mistake,
/ wieh eannOt trace 70 its source, bat which
gIsw 9ut OF this misehiayous repors The srtilie-
~ which had besR posted on ths bill il tho sngl.
/ slluaed o sboye, vas Withdrawn daring he
/ uigh.. Tbis left Meier Gsnsral Johnson, o.
/ Esslfs corps, whose DIVISION, haretofore con.
sldoEed Cne Of the beat in the aTInT, ooeRrisd
this part cf the line without any egtillsTy sur
! pert He communicated this fset b bis corps
4 commando ai midnigat, viii lhe = iiii0Ras n
+ teliigsaee that ;hs enenly Vas nlassFng he4vs
s0Tcs ia ais immedisfe iront ioT ths purpose, a
he believed, Of asssDlting him nezl yesterday,
morning. Thess guns or othegs Wiss sent back
aud were Just moving into the sRgle st 4 e'elOel
yesssTday morning, whea the force which John
son reported 70 be mzssing in bis font made $
vigorous assault upon his position aud esrrisd +
The sssAultiBg feree hsd been assembled il
the Fayine at tho foot Of tho hill, was vsrJ
strong, and advanced, ono report says IN col
umn Of regiments. L bad rsiaed the evening
Nefors, and considerable fog prslrailed, unds
\yer Of which the attack was made. Oae o.
t o guns wers got into position snd fired, bu
the horses attached 70 the other pisess wsFs sho
down before they could be uRlSnbered, AM
most Of the eanaoneers captured Jenss' Viz
! ginis brigade, whose commander Rss killed :
toe Wilderness while trying to rally his men
/ was tho Erst to break; the old Slonewall An.
olkeT arigSdss belonging TO tae division, bes5nl
;az involved, soon followed It's txsmPls, an.
The last see, q Gen johnson, the hero Of allie
ghapy, he was standing almost ;sione, With
J | naskst ia his hand, eonlesting thu ground sIH
D gle handed with the naa.tiiuaineUs iee. n
! 6rieAdes composing ths division ilre the Stone
! wall brigade Gen. james N. Walker, an
! Jones's brigade, beth Of ibis State, Stsuss'
q brigade Of Virginia1s and North CATolinisnl
/. and Saffsrds brigade Of LoQisiaasns. Jone
: and Stsff5Ed fell sE the Wilderness, Walker ws
b wouadsd yesterday; Sseuart, snoa 55vanson, =
!; commsndeT Of the division, wers taken pTisoE
s egs, aud the colonel commanding Jones' hrgadi
3 IS reported killed, With many oshst officers. Th
q guns left en- ths fsld, but which neither part
g has been a5le to movs on account of the fire
= tho ciheE-some eightsen or tTentE--sTe said I
; belong to Cussha VI aud Psre's klaltalions.
L thousand or twelve hundred prisoaers were los
Q at tho same time.
! This ocsnFTed at a very early hour 10 th
y morning. If Jones' brigade bsd rl0t giyea va
l. it Is possible, though not probable, that Johf
son would have been able 70 maintain hi
i ground lie Is ons Of the best ofdcsTs IN th
4 army; aud .s,7 sublime spectacle ha pEesease
Ia when baitling AsoRs with tbs enenly, though d
a s,45sf by his command, should excite cur adai
e. ralion, rather than provoke criticism. Bat
70 stoaia not be imagined thai the enemy game
le .be hill Wiiheat opposition, saddBn ssd vlga
D. Gus as his assault was. Re Wss received va
y vollsy after volleY, 4Rd tac grouzId was eoyeT'
to with bis slain; hut be hsd nlasss1i such hess
ar force upon single exposed point, some oissAn'
I. in advance OF tho general line, snd incapable
he being insTautaneoasly supported, that it y
re found impossible to Tepulse him. Il is bnt ju
be to add, too, that the enemy's charge was
ut spirited IS i was successful, and Eehec's no
ID tie credit upon his tEoops. 10 was aware OF i
r. weakness OF the point from ito eompaEasf
81 Isolation, having Effected temporary led
20 nlent IN the angle two days before, IS detail
to Ia my letter Of yesterday, and it would ha