The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-05-17

darkness closed The contest Of the day.
About midnight . charge vas made,
which gave way. and was unable TO
regain the ground lkns lost This Of
course compelled ihe abandonment Of
a great portion Of ihe lins Of breast.
works on the front Of this corps, and
brought the skirmhh line within
half mile OF Geacrals Grant and
Meade's headquarters.
General Sedgwick's corps main
tanned itself against the vigorous as
saulis Of superior numbers at differ
ent times during The day, and had no
serious reverse until laie in the eye-
ming A charge was made on its ex-
treme right for The purpose Of turn
ing il, as was done with Hancock's in
the morning. Milroys old division
was driven back in gfea, confusion at
length, and the enemy succeeded in
eneciually turning our right flank.
The behavior Of this division was Sc
| Nereiy criticlseu.
GENERAL GRANT DURING THE
BATTLE.
General Grams headquarters were
located in field between the plank
road and a small road leading to lit.
tie hamlet known as Parker's store.
During the fight, however, he was
principally with Gen Meade, whose
headquarters were on a piney kfoll
in the rear of Warren's corps. l had
seen Grant at Vicksburg and in Ten
nessee, and his appearance was fa-
miliar; bat as strolled through the
group Of Objects reclining under The
trees at headquarters looked for him
some time in vain, snch was his insig-
nifcant, unpretending aspect and con-
duct while the battle was raging in all
fury. A stranger TO the insignia of
military rank would have little dream.
ed that the plain quiet man, who sal
with his back against tree, apparent
ly needless and unmoyed, was the one
upon whom the fortunes of the day, if
not Of the age and country were hang
ing. 1t was only when some aid or
orderly rode up in bot haste with
communication from some portion Of
the battle field that his eyes upturned
TO seek in those Of the messenger the
purport of the message. The CONSUL
/ tation with General Meade or the di-
rect suggestion or command-all took
place with the same imperturbability
of countenance for which he has al
ways been remarkable. No move
ment of tic enemy seemed to puzzle
or disconcert him. Fertile in re-
sources, the petition for reinforcement
was speedily answered. And while
all this transpired he stood calmly in
the group, at times smoking his favo-
rite cigar-a more vigorous or more
frequent putting only indicating the
inward working of the mind. /. some
thing transpired which he deemed
needed his personal attention, away he
darted on horseback to the immediate
scene, the one or two of his ards and
an orderly exerting their utmost to
keep up with him. Arrived on the
spot, he calmly considered the matter
requiring his attention, with ready
Judgment communicated the necessary
orders, and then galloped away TO
another part Of the field, or TO his seat
beneath the pine tree, there to enter
on the order book some record OF the
battles progress. 1t was amusing
again at times to see him--the com
mander-in-c chief whiting away with
his knife upon the bark Of tree,
pausing now and then TO throw in a
word and sentence in the conversation
of those grouped about, and then 60
ing to work again with renewed vigor
upon the incision of the pine. The
contemplation Of this by those who
were with him at Vicksburg will re-
) call an incident OF a similar character
in that memorable seige. When the
columhiads were mounted in front ol
Logan's line General Grant was de-
sirous of experimenting the opera
tions. During the preliminary work
Of cutting the embrasures he mounted
the epaulment, and while the rebel
bullets struck all around him, deliber'
ately whitfield a rail until the gun:
were placed in position.
THE FIGHTING on SATURDAY
HEADQUARTERS, May 8.
The fighting yesterday was but
light. except that between the caval'
ry under Sheridan, and the enemy's
under Stewart on our extreme left, in
The vicinity Of Todd's Tavern, six
miles north Of Spottsylvania Court
House. Portions Of the Second, Fifth
and Sixth Corps were engaged at in.
tervals with small bodies Of the enc
my, and these encounters generally
terminated 10 success on our part.
Towards evening il became appar-
ent that the main body Of the enemy
had Withdrawn, leaving only strong
line of skirmishers on our front and
hanks. Indeed, during the entire
day, we discovered that the enemy
did not make so strong resistance as
on the day previous, and from the de.
velopmenls, il became evident that