Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-05-19
THE BATTLE OF FRIDAY.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT.

tween uTant ana Lee, Is EXTRACTED IRON
correspondence of the New York Tribuu,
and World: .. a -.
"This friday morning, Just aftel
first break of dawn lighted up the ole
Wilderness, the battle opened. 1t wa.
a little after a O'Clock when the enemy
in great force, attacked our right anC
centre. Gen. Ricken's division and q
portion Of Gen. Wright's, of Sedgwick's
corps, and part of Gen. Warren's be,
came engaged. The attack was success.
fully repulsed, and the enemy was forced
back by an advance of our own line.
About 9 O'Clock Gen. Hancock ad-
yanced with his corps and the troops
that had been sent to his assistance from
the centre and right the evening before.
After an obstinate contest of about an
, hours duration, he succeeded in driving
them from their breastworks and forcing
them back on both sides of the Orange
and Charlottesville plankroad to a point
within two miles and half of Parker's
store, In this advance several hundred
prisoners were taken by our troops.
The battle BECAME general by 8 IL
O'Clock, and an advance was made by
our right and centre. They moved with
the right thrown forward for about a
quarter of a mile under a severe fire from
the enemy, when suddenly they were
brought to a stop by marsh interven-
ing between them and the enemy's in
trenched position on high ridge.
Finding it impossible to push across
1t, they fell back to their former position
Anotherattempt to drive the enemy from
the ridge was made from this part of our
line about 10 IL O'Clock, but it also fail
ed. General Burnside was expected to
have his command in position on the
right of General Hancock's force by day.
break, and to join in the advance of the
battle, but the battle was fought without
his being able to place his troops where
they were wanted
The enemy perceiving the exposure of
Gen Hancocks position in consequence
of this failure, and evidently abandoning
the hope of making an impression on
our right, having been magnifcentiy re-
pulsed early in the day, resorted to the
famous policy inaugurated by Stonewall
Jackson, and commenced massing their
forces, up TO 10 O'Clock, in front of Gen.
Hancock's corps. a
By half past 10 they made one of the
most furious assaults at once on every
point of Gen. Hancock's line. They came
yelling like so many Infatuated devils
Their line outstretched Hancock's left,
and brought them around his left flank.
Colonel Franks brigade, OF Gen. Bar
lows division, was thrown back in con-
fusion upon Hancock's line, causing a
break and a retreat toward his first in
trenched position along the brook. The
centre and right of his line were also
unable to withstand the vigorous attack
of the immensely superior force of the
enemy, and likewise fell back to the
brook road.
Gen. Wadsworth of New York, while
riding backward and forward in front of
his division, vainly but with the utmost
gallantry, trying to keep his line steady,
was struck by bullet in the head, and
fell, it is supposed mortally wounded,
into the hands of the enemy.
The attack of the rebels was checked
by the vigorous defense of our intrench-
ed line, and they fell back about II 10
O'Clock. In this assault we lost very
heavily. As soon as the efforts of the
enemy to overwhelm our left were dis
covered, concentration of our own
troops, on that part of the lines, was
ordered.
About the time the enemy abandoned
the attack on the left, Gen. Burnside had
succeeded in placing all of his troops in
position, thereby securing a continuous
of our battle front. At about
4 IL o'clock the enemy returned to the
attack npon our left. We were support
ed on the right by Gen. Burnside. Their
attacking forces consisted of the COM
mand of Gen. Longstreet which it was
ascertained from intercepted dispatches
arrived on the ground from Orange
Court House early in the morning, and
Hills corps
They struck the left, which had again
advanced some distance on the left cen
tire. with great vigor and forced it again
back to the brook road Gen. Motifs
division fell back in considerable con-
fusion, This attack of the enemy ex-
tended also to the part of the line held
by Gen. Burnside's divisions and General
Crawfords division of Warren's corps,
which rested on the left of the former.
General Stevenson's division, which
was neck to Hancock's right gave back
very confusedly, compelling the remain
der of the left centre to fall back some
distance General Crawford's division
very severely, one of its regi-
ments, the Seventh Pennsylvania, was
captured almost in a body, aud the ene-
my succeeded in reaching our breast
works. There was imminent danger of
a general break, but General Hancock
ordered Colonel CarrolPs brigade to form
at right angles with his line, and sweep
along the whole front of it, so as to take
the enemy by the flank.
This movement was executed with
bravery and skill, and resulted in the
complete repulse Of the enemy with
great slaughter.
The first few minutes we were stag
gered. Stragglers for the first time in
all the fighting streamed to the rear in
large numbers. choking the roads and
causing panic by their stampede and
incoherent tales of frightful DISASTER
1t was even reported at general head
quarters that the enemy had burst en-
tirely through, and supports were hur-