The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-05-19

MS cOmmand 1fOm u sllghI
wayering. He is eheered loudly by
his men who loved the gray haired
chieftain. One horse is shot under
him He mounts second and spurs
to the front, hat in hand, and we should
have won then, but his men saw him
fall, BE was shot through the head
killed instantly, and his body fell into
the hands Of the enemy. 3l'' ~
j. His command fell back to their
original position with comparative or,
der. Wadsworth's death is 8 heavy
loss-scarcely an officer in the army
but could have been better spared, and
mono would have been more deeply re-
GREETED. Yesterday and to-day he had
such marked ability and gal
lantry as to compel bis recognition on
all hands as an able soldier, who, now
that be is gone, can hardly be replac-
ed. He was true man. a beloved,
high-toned gentleman to be respected,
an unshrinking patriot to be emulated,
an accomplished soldier. dead on the
field Of honor, to be mourned.
But this battle does not pause for a
hero slain. From noon until 8 O'clock,
a number of sharp assaults at various
points were made and invariably re-
pulsed, whether made by us or by the
enemy Each one Of these affairs were
material for long letter, but l find it
simply impossible atthis time to ascer-
tain and write out correctly the facts
in detail. ,r....-.g adm
! Prisoners came in at the rate OF 100
an hour. The day was excessively hot,
and the men much exhausted We had
neither gained nor lost ground, but
continued this thing long enough, and
we hoped to finally wear them out
At 81 o'clock Hancock was preparing
for grand movement ofour entire left.
He did not make it, for the enemy an
ticipated him, and he had to repel per-
haps the most wicked assault thus far
encountered-brief in duration, but ter
tifc in power and superhuman memen-
tum.
The first few minutes we were stag
gered. Stragglers for the first time in
all this fighting streamed to the rear
in large numbers, checking the roads
and causing panic by their stampede
and incoherent tales Of frightful disas-
ter. 1t was even reported at general
Headquarters that the enemy had burst
entirely through, and supports were
hurried up. Grant and Meade seated
their backs against the same tree, quiet
ly listening TO the officer who brought
the report, and consulted moment in
low tones. The orders for sending re-
enforcements were given, and for a 1T
tie time not word was spoken in the
group of more than twenty officers
They but looked into each others faces
At length Grant says, with loconiC
emphasis, 81 don't believe it.' He was
right. Long before that Hancock hat
recovered from the first shock, helt
his own awhile, and now was gaining
ground. In forty minutes from the at
tack the enemy was completely beater
back with tremendous slaughter, ant
the loss of some hundreds of prisoners
1t was now nearly sunset. From
one end of the line to the other not 9
shot could be heard. The days worl
seemed over. Our line of to-nigh
would be that of last night. The au
gurics were good. In two days fight
ing We had lost heavily, but not mor'
than the enemy. Our assaults had beeI
futile, but the epemys had been equal
ly SO and it is by these massed as
sauts that he has ever achieved hi
victories.
The inference was clear that we ha'
over-matched him fighting at his bes
and strongest.
Men separated in the heat of the day
now CHANGING to meet. congratulate,
each other. The rebels can't endur
another such day. and we can, was tn
expressed conviction on all hands, ant
this statement epitomizes the situation
at sunset. .......
The sun went down red. The snok
, Of the battle Of more than 3 hundre'
thousand men, destroying each othc
with yillainous saltpeter, through a
the long Hours of lone day, filled tn
valleys, and rested upon the hills {
all this Wilderness, hung in lurid haz
all round the horizon, and built dens
, canopy overhead, beneath which tht
grand army of Freedom was preparin
to rest against the morrow, General
Grant and Meade had retired to the
= tents. Quiet reigned, but during tt
f reign of quiet the enemy was forgin
t a thunderbolt. ....
= Darkness and smoke were mingle
4 in grim. twilight, and fast deepenin
a into thick gloom, when we were star
8 led out of reposc back into fierce e.
n element The forged thundcrbo
: was sped, and by master. A wi
a rebel yell away TO the right. "
knew they had massed and were cha
J. ging. We waited for the volley wit
! which we knew Sedgwick would me
J, The onset. We thought it but mig
n attack to ascertain if we had change
our position We were mistaken
: was, more. They meant to bre'
4 through, and they did. On Sedgwick
Q extreme right lay the I'd brigade,
Q division, Of his corps, under Gen. Sc
s mourg who had been assigned to it b
|, two days before. The brigade is ne
]. to the 9th corps, and is known as t
Milroy brigade; connecting on t
Il left Of Seymour by Shalsr's and tn
q Naill's .hrirades the latter beinp