Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-19

iii tolosssw, whsa ne skAl ssys soatssstien II a.
sane asss indeed tbs snsy be 50 hkralseA Ia hs con.
muDioAtions TO compel him 10 retreat Hut Whatever
may be the determination Of the enemy there will bs
change lot in the resolve Of this army OF ts com
mander and Of the head Of all the armies OF the United
States That resolve TO put the matter through cost what
it may In doing this we shall add to the already appalling
list Of Losses we have experienced 10 this unparalleled
battle of eight days duration but shall end by crushing
the enemy to powder.
While writing firing has oaaaed along the whole line and
it is probable that the contest concluded for the day
The rebel Gen. Johnson captured this morning. the
following explsnaon Of how tho rebel right flank to
be turned this mornings That flank held the division
of johnson, who had very strong position Yesterday
how ever battery which had planted this position
was taken away by his superiors in command johnson
at ono o'clock this morning. sent word requesting the
return of the battery and any other artillery there might
be to spare aud expressing his conviction that the
(we) would make attempt the right at daybreak
The battery returned to him. but too ate and he
just getting it into position when Hancock made his attack
Gen. johnson has played important part late opera.
tons 1t was he that punshed Grfns division SO badly
Thursday and who turned right Friday night,
The question of the death Of Gen Wadsworth is al
length settled. A rebel captain taken to-day who
helped to bury him, and who took his official papers from
1t appears that n order to keep up the spirits OF his
army, Lee has been telling his meo, through proclama-
tions, that Butler Sherman, &C. have been thoroughly
whipped When they find out the truth, what will they
think of It'll ss E
Gen Meades fame rises every day from the mastery
manner In which he handled this army He enjoys the
highest confidence and respect Of Gen. Grant. siaat-
1t ia certain that the struggle is for the day.
1t has been good days work. The is setting, aud
hold two miles more ground than we had when rose
. aG.1aG,
THURSDAY AFTERNOONS BATTLE.
IA despatch from army correspondent of the New
York Herald, dated Friday evening at the q Head.
quarters of the Fifth Army Corps" gives brief account
of the engagement Thursday afternoon which ended in
the defeat of the enemy and other matter of interest
respecting our losses. We extract the following: h
The messenger taking my despatch, wr item at noon
yesterday. had hardly disappeared from sight when the
forenoons battle renewed. With but little inermis-
sion the fight continued until near night For the
sable mantle the The fight if any thing was
more terrible than that of the forenoon 6a s1aafaa
The night found still victorious, although having
materially changed the position of line The change
made to counterfeit the effort of the enemy mass
forces Left and to compel them to abandon the
strong position they had been occupying El5as
Aside from the decisive victory the enemy and ad
vantageous change Of position have added this afternoon
largely to number of prisoners and although taking no
addonalguns have punished the all the prisoners
taken the latter part Of the day concedemoe severely
than n any snge days battle fought heretofore Our
prisoners up about eight thousand while have
lost but little halt this number aud only three guns
thereby rendered useless to the enemy Who will say
that this has been glorious days work for army
The entire campaign has thus far been crowned with
succession of splendid victories. tf
The afternoon fight like that Of the morning has been
general engagement of our ioanry and artillery Every
battery in the Fifth Corps, under COL Wainwright was
engaged and averaged five hundred rounds to bat
terry Nearly all the batteries in the remaining corps were
likewise engaged and exhausted like quantities of ammu
milton So many guns engaged simultaneously, and the
verberaons of their thuaderng roar made the soens al
a GettVsburQ. aDha rical
and shell thrown among the enemy must have told
upon them with nearly like destructive effect " .'
The fght like that of the morning and every battle we
have had has its reports the words unnermtted roar
OF artillery and rattle Of musketry Rising clouds of
smoke and alternate driving Of the enemy and being
driven the sad battle IL s the old battle story epito
missed As the hours pass and arrive amid the tumult
and excitement Of battle takes note OF time More
dead bodies stew the ground and litter bearers and
ambuances bearing away the wounded and the
is filed with shrieks of the dying At intervals loud
above the battles heard OF command
while drowning every thing is the occasional fierce bat
tie cry of the charging columns Only Ia battle is this cry
heard The hiss Of the rstesnake is subme-this ten
thousand voiced battle shout is appalling psray ring
would like to speak Of divisions OF brgsdes and Of
regiments of their charges their rmnes aud their vslor
but where all did their duty they bravey did their duty
today-as they have done all th way through and will
continue to do it long there is battle to be fought
and man left is impossible to make any distinction
All fought magnicently, and they the day. What
can say more What need say more1
have spoken Of the batteries engaged side The
onony opppsnR positOns gave
solid shot for solid shot, she'll for she'll The iron hail
storm fell the heads of battling legons killing
and naming many As the Grain falls the Just and the
UNJUST these shot and shell respecrs persons
or places. With rapdity exciting than pleasing
they fell about headquarters also about the head
quarters Of Gen. Meade, hundred rods distant Having
instructive abhorreDce against cultvang close contact
with the flying fragments Of these murderous missiles
confess to change Iof position after the shells evnoed
firm determination TO keep coming in that direction No
commanding staff officers hit by any u these shells
except Gen. Wright, commanding Gen Wadsworth's old
division, and Capt Pesrce and Lieut. Hasead signal off
but neither receiving wounds compelling them leave the
field. sE
returned to my tent late last night from the hospitals
Of this corps where had been busy the close of the
days struggle getting list OF losses. Ia wounded
alone the Casualties in the Fifth Corps yesterday number
eight hundred The number Of killed and missing Is
not yet known and cannot be until the regmena
in. The second and fourth divisions Of this corps
should have stated above during portion Of the fighting
relieved the Second and Sixth Corps and with heavy
loss. The Second and Sixth Corps am told each lost
heavier than the Fifth Corps 1t ia painful to look back
and figure the aggregate losses The Ninth Masachu
with six hundred muskes and there are but
men left The Sixty second Vermont, which had FIVE hun
dred and thirty musket has only hundred and thirty
men left and the Fourth Michigan out Of two hun
dred and sevenyseven entering the first Fight can now
muster only seventeen And I might 10 on emu
meratug losses to the end Of the chapter If the fights
continue will the leases But have large aud DO
efu army left yet and disposed to stop fighting
until the decisive victory is gained. ...1 q u
Half a mile from headquarters s our battle line
All last evening and night there constant