Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-05-11
w A r ne w S i.

HEADQUARTERS Army OF THE PoroMAC,
May 4-6 A. M.-Tte grand mOvem snt is
inaugurated at last The Army of the Poto-
mae is on the march
Inasmuch as the present movement viii be
known-and perhaps felt-bv the entire he
bel army in our front before the close OF the
day. there can be no hahn in making it pub
lie at once.
The order to march was issued from Gen.
Meade's headquarters Yesterday morning,
and was disseminated through the army 10y
p NJ Gen. Gregg's Cavalry Division. ac
coufpcnied by "a portion of the canvass pom
toon train, moved yesterday afternoon toward
Richardsviile, and were engaged till late at
night repairing the roads to Ely's Ford.
Soon after midnight that division moved to
the ford named to establish a crossing.
About midnight the Sd Cavalry Division, with
another portion of the canvass pontoon tram,
left for Germania Ford, five or SIX miles
above, there to establish another CROSSING
1t is reported at this hour that both effurts
were successful.
The advance of the I'd Corps Major Gen
eral Hancock commanding, brake camp at
midnight. and moved down the Stevensburg
and Richardsville road toward Ely's Ford
The entire corps were on the march before
8 clock this morning in the same direction,
and were expected to effect a crossing soon
after daylight.
The 5th Corps, under Major General War
rem, commenced moving at midnight he
advance. consisting of two divisions of in
fantry and q portion of the artillery, passed
through Steyensburg at midnight, closely
followed by the remainder of the eorps-ail
marched towards Germania Ford.
The Fifth Corps was closely succeeded by
the Sixth, under General Sedgwick, VIII ch
quilted It's camp at a NJ. Both the Fifth
and Sixth Corps are understood to be crossing
the Rapidan at Germania Ford.
The entire movement of the army resolves
itself into the crossing of the Rapidan river
at two fords, toward the right flank of the
enemy, placing Itself crossing, on line near
ly parallel with the river, between Orange
Courthouse and Charlottesville. At the
present hour the movement is under way
and there is probability that it will be sue
cessfully accomplished without severe oppo
sition by Lee, to whom this bold push must
be more or less of a surprise 1t is not prob
able that any serious engagement will be
fought to-day. Cavalry skirmishing and
artillery dueling are likely to make up the
days fighting unless the enemy contests the
advance in force.
Thus the event for which the country and
the army have waited for weeks tranpres
All night the sounds Of preparation and de-
paFture have been heard upon the roads,
and in the encampments, nnw almost desert
ed. The rattle of forage wagons, the lowing
of cattle, the slow movement of ambulan
ces conveying sick to the rear, the clang of
galoping h1ofs and, later still, the deliber-
ate and ponderous tumult of thousands of
armed men moving into line and thence away
over the hills toward the enemy, have filled
the hours.
The Battle of Thursday.
The Trbune's letter from the army, da-
ted Thursday night, says:
Early this morning the march was re
sumed in the direction of Todd's tavern,
which point was reached before noon, and
the troops placed in line of battle at noon
Gen. Wilson, commanding Gen Kilpat-
rick's former cavalry division, made his
whereabouts known by brisk cannonad
ing several miles southwest of the tavern
and IN the vicinity of Shady Grove church,
where for three quarters of an hour he was
sharply engaged with large body of rebel
cavalry and considerable force of infant
ry, by whom he was gradually forced back
upon the I'd Corps. Had not the man
nuvres Of the enemy prevented, night
would have found Gen Hancock S com
mand at Shady Grove church, connecting
with Gen. Warren on his right. By this
manGuvre we would have occupied the
pike running in northwestern direction
from Germania Ford on the Rapidan.
The movements of Lee soon revealed his
real design.
Gen. Warren was directed to attack him
at once, which he did about | | a. III. and
a determined musketry fight of an hour
and half ensued, in which Warren
handsomely drove him from his position
inHicting great loss.
Gen. Grifin's division, of the 5th Corus,
led the attack, and suffered severely, near
ly 1000 being killed, wounded, and miss
ing. Finding his effort to break our cen
tre futile, the enemy next attempted to in.
terpose an overwhelming force between
Warren and Hancock, the latter of whom
in accordance with orders, was marching
his corps rapidly to form junction with
the former. Fortunately his advance, con.
sistlng OF Gen. Birney's division, came up
| just in time to circumvent the rebel gen
eral, who at y p. m commenced terrific
onslaught on the divisions of Gems Birnev,
Gibbons, and Getty, the latter of whom had
been temporarily detached to form the
extrep,e right of Hancock's command
The tight ragged hotly until some time aft
er dark, and resulted in the complete re
pulse of the enemy at all points. Our
loss in this engagement does not probably
exceed 1000 men. Scarcely any artillery
was brought into requisition, the character
of the ground rendering it useless. The
battlefield is covered with thick growth
of ofunderbrush and medium. sized oak trees