Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-14
TUESDAYS BATTLE.

Our eastern papers received yesterday
give but few additional details of the terrif-
ic battle of Tuesday, a very full drscrip-
tion of which appeared in the telegraph in
THE STATESMAN yesterday morning. The
Tribune's correspondent says:
At IL o'clock Tuesday, the most desper-
ate of all the battles yet fought was com
menced. 1t continued up to nearly 8
o'clock at night. In dogged stubbornness,
Waterloo and Solferino pale before the ter
rife onslaught of Tuesday afternoon on the
banks of the PO. Two divisions of Burn
sides corps held the right, the 9TH and 9th
corps the center, and the I'd corps the LETT
Our line stretched six miles on the north
east bank of the Po, the rebels occupying
the southwest bank and the village of
Spottsylvania.
At Q our artillery gained good range,
and poured shot and shell, grape and canis-
ter into their ranks, as they, with frantic
recklessness of life, charged forward upon
our infantry lines. The enemy used but
little artillery i'm reply. Prisoners state
that they were deficient in ammunition and
could not.
In so horrible strife it must not be sup
posed that we escaped the severest punish
ment. Our losses in yesterdays fight were
much greater than in any one OF the battles
of the previous week. 1t is true there is
smaller percentage of killed in proportion
to the number of wounded than in any pre-
vious battle, and very large number are
but slightly wounded. Roads, fields and
woods are literally swarming with these
suffering heroes, who have detied wounds
and death that the nation might survive.
Our entire losses thus far, in killed, wounG-
ed, missing, ETC., must reach near 1000. The
enemy's loss in killed is much greater than
ours his wounded about the same. He is
supposed to hold some 1000 of our prisoners,
and we must have at least 5000 of his men,
while our scouts report the road literally
alive with his stragglers. 1t is mathe
matical question requiring only few more
days to determine the limit of his endur-
ance.
Rebel prisoners assert that Lee ordered
all his wounded men able to hold musket
to take their places in the ranks again for
yesterdays battle.
Thus far we have not lost gun since the
second day at the Wilderness, nor single
wagon since the campaign opened.
All prisoners unite in asserting that Lee
is dumfounded at the present conduct of
our army. Immediately upon his getting
orders from JEFF. Davis to return to Rich
mond and withdraw from our front at the
Wilderness, he dispatched brigade across
the Rapidan, and planted artillery so as to
command Germania ford, supposing of
course that we were to pursue our usual
course of fighting and then falling back.
The brigade remained there one day and
two nights without any chance of attacking
our retreating columns, and only had the
effect of turning back our wounded. The
pertinacity with which Grant hangs to him
is so unusual and so unexpected, that Lee
is perfectly bewildered.
So incessant have been the marching and
fighting that many are being overcome
with fatigue, and several have been sun
struck; yet never was seen so cheerful, so
resolute, and even exultanta a body of men
on any of the worlds great battle fields.