Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-05-18
Fridays Battle.
Army OF THE POToNAC, ~
"THE WILDDRSEs, F"
SATURDAY. Morninu Nav :

Saturday Morning, May I.
With the exception of the line occupied
by the 9th corps yesterday, our original
positions are held this morning at eight
o'clock. at . o'clock last night, q furious
attack was made on Sedgwick 5 line-tbe
main assault occurring on the right, which
was finally turned by the enemy, and the
corps forced to retire some distance TO the
rear. gallant resistance was made by
Sedgwick's, and at 81 P. NJ, his line was
re- established in the position it now oc
cupies. -.
Considerable confusion occurred in sew.
eral regiments on the right. but momen-
tarially, however, as through the personal
efforts of Gen. Sedgwick and other off.
GERS the stragglers were soon rallied and
replaced in line of battle. All IS quiet
this morning, with the exception of picket
firing opposite our center. A thick vol
ume of smoke and fog envelopes the bat
| tle-feld, and prevents the continuance oi
yesterdays conflict The fight at inter,
walls all day yesterday on our left was Of
the fercest description But very little
artillery was brought into requisition,
owing TO the nature of the battle-f field
which is covered with an almost impene
trable growth of shrub-oaks and under
brush. The fight was altogether one oI
musketry, and although nos continuous,
was one of the most determined and des.
! perate battles of the war.
Our loss in the I'd corps alone will not
fall short of three thousand in killed
wounded and missing. Charges and coun.
ter charges were made at short intervals
during the day, the CHASTITY forms of hun
dreds of the combatants lying this morn
ing side by side in the vast chapparral
that formed the battle-ground attest the
severity of the conflict
| Brig. Gen. Barlow, commanding the Isl
/ division, occupied the extreme left of the
Cd corps; Motifs division and portion oI
| Gen. Gibbons division, held the center
while Birney with his own division, Rob
inson's of the 5th, Stevens Brigade of tie
9th, and Carroll's and Owens brigades oi
the I'd corps were stationed on the right
his line facing westward and extending
across the plank road running from Chan,
cellorsville to Orange Court House.
! At precisely A. NJ, an advance of the
second corps was ordered, and with cheers
our men charged through dense thick ct
! surprising the enemy while at breakfast
and driving them in confusion from their
temporary works, literally stewipg the
ground with the bodies of their killed
and wounded, and capturing large num-
Der of prisoners
The rebels astonished at the celebrity OF
Hancock's movements, were unable to
rally until we had pursued them two and
half miles from the Brock road, running
in a north-westerly direction to Parker's
] Sknra xrIa,, 7
| who the night previous had come up to
within six miles of the battle field, a stand
was made, and terrific musketry fight
ensued lasting until noon. Charge after
charge was made by both sides, and as
often repulsed up to that time, when,
owing to an accidental circumstance, our
lines were forced to fall back to the Brock
road.
At about u NJ. fanking column oi
the enemy charged on the doubled quick
through the interval between Gems. Motifs
and Wards commands, forcing back in
some confusion several regiments to the
right of Motifs division. Simultaneously
desperate charge was made in front
and our line, yielding at last to the ter
rife onslaught, fell back conts sting the
ground to the Brock road, where the
troops were placed under the shelter oi
temporary works constructed of logs and
abatis on the day previous. As the po
sition on the right of the ID corps was
evidently the point which the enemy
specially coveted, Major Gen. Birney's
command was made to consist of nearly 8
whole corps. Against his command haC
been hurled all the morning the combin
ed forces of Longstreet and Hill in theil
persistent attempts to pierce our lines.
Pen cannot convey an idea of the gal
lantry which our troops exhibited in yes
terday's engagement. Officers and mer
concur in the opinion that the musketry
fire was even heavier except at occasion
al intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes
than at the battle of Antietam
The Rebels, in their characteristic msn
ner, charging with demouiac yells, were
each time calamity met, and in every as
sault but one hurled back beyond theil
original lines.
At 4tp. m, the enemy, massing once
more, charged upon the position along
the Brock road, to which we had beer
forced to retire at noon, and with sucl
overwhelming violence that they pene
trated our lines at the intersection of th'
road mentioned and the pike leading t.
Orange Court House, and planted a colo
on the work. For a moment, the safety
eff the corps was in imminent danger
many of our men, demoralized, were hur
rying down the pike toward the rear
and the rebels, yelling like so many de
mons, seemed confident of success. 81
i At this critical juncture Col Carol
whose brigade had been sent for, came uI
the pike, and facing his command int
line harged- the enemy, driving hin
back in a rout to the woods beyond the
road. In his dispatches to Gen. Meade
Gen. Hancock accredited Col. CAIRO
with saving his own corps, and perhap
the whole army, from disaster.
Col. Carol is we'll known and esteemed
as one of the most trustworthy officers il
the Army of the Potomac He received
ball through the..arm on the afternoon o
Thursday, but nevertheless refused tc
leave his command, and still continues
with it, although suffering from his sever
. wound.
In this moment of fearful peril, Gener
al ]. II. Hobart Ward, commanding th'
lst brigade of Gen. Birney's division, wa
also conspicuous for gallantry and presenc'
of mind. Mounting a caisson, his hors'
, being lost, he ordered the driver to driv'
rapidly quarter of mile to the rear
where, in the space of few minutes
he had gathered nearly brigade of strag
glers; and was leading them on the doub
lie quick back to the front.
The power of example is forcibly illus
trated by this incident. Hundreds o
men who moment before were perhap!
thoroughly .demoralized, were the mo
ment after cheering enthusiastically ol
their way to the enemy. Three rebe
colors were taken by Gen. Wards brigade
J OF these the l4lst Pennsylvania capture'
one, and the Goth Indiana the other tw,
A Sergeant, whose name | am sorry t
say am unable to obtain at present ha,
, desperate hand-to-haEd conflict witt
the Color-Sergesnt of a rebel regiment
but finally succeeded in vanquishing hi
r antagonist and securing the prize.