, 1864-06-05
Movements from the North Anna
to the PnmuulEy.

d,on. whllo now and then comes the boom ofguns,
whose reEeIhcrattons are eaaly heard In the eapi
Gaines Mills and Mechanics,fl1c are within an
hours ride. Fait Oaks you can reach in two
hours stroll. Richmond Ii ten miles of. It Ia there
that history repeats i,self: The present position
movement, which, commencing On Thursday Last,
IN TWO days planted our corps across the PamunkY
rlTcE, rendered useless the elaborate defensea Of
with 1ork river, the Chesapeake, and the ample
resources which those wascta loat- OF this move
nent, have eent yon such reports II 1t has
been possible 10 eeud with such unfreQuent
opportunities Of communication - are offered.
u appears 10 be conceived that this movement Is
snndessiood to be toli9Nips up Ct tho enemy. Who
tween the North and South ANNA conception
which docs injustice to the eeneralship OF onr
conmanoer. It was not Lee Int Grant tS1t took
his line along the South Anna, md would willingly
hare awaited battle there. bnt was forced ont OF
ths Eos.'o9 TT he vs. compelled to
sive movement, thra,tealng. his eonmunicatlons-
anovencnt bold In conception and mastery in ex-
eeuuon. "Gfant !" says the Eremtntr Of Satur-
Hanover junction. Perhaps We should say that
Ills arrny has saved hin. the trouble Of de:lnins
i. !tts certain that both armies ara moYtae, TWO
atoree hare lately pse,s4 :: g -. ~: Erection which
bedy of Ysnfets Scso Foos n ths apper pais
Of ua1oyeE. but 1t has not been confirmed as Is uu-
likely. The more probable statement IL that Grant
to p1erent an .attack nom General Lee, and theu
returning to the northern bank # the North Aupa,
passed Gown the Ramunktg to Hanovertqn, few
ss Raats aeoTs The pn Tee hs point 70 wheh
tiver with the greater part Of hts force II Gtaut
has real landed there, he may BE- said to have ii.
ready te reached the destination predicted for him
ninsula: Ills next base will b the'Pamupkcy and
York. the White House and West Point. Unable
TO remove tho Obstacle on the threahhold Of bis
a sRS Ggn m hut to sn9
to the head-Wcters OF the York, monstrons circle
70 reach point WAefe hc might have Landed on
the flst Of Mag. had not his head been added. by
hie Victories orer Fefuberton and Brseg,''
Th1s ta the tone or men who, knowing the pro-
diet5us labor expended In fortifying chosen po-
sion, thentelyes compelled to forfeit Its adyau.
their capital, now line Of defense. Cortntnty, Il
the Richmond journalists ind any satisfaction In
tho monstro1s circuit the army has made, the
point at which 1t has Aimed this army Is In copdi
tion TO share tic sentlments.
Ree1ossiug the North Anna on Thursday night
and Etiday morning. the CORPS we're directed on
10 the Town Of Lanorer, il tue vicinity Of which
two divisions Of cavalry crossed the river at sir In
The morning; Three hours afterwards, Russei's
Of tWenty-two mllcs, made the passage. The en-
emy apparently not expecting the crossing to BE-
made 20 far down tho rIves, had only cavalry
tN4LE ~ VuEEAfAt1OA a. LILLE Q14Hk, Lug H4S
easily driven of, GO being captured. The fords
wns eeeted anrtne he dsy. ee1tatn tat ai i
TINT Lee commenced the manea1ering necessary
to meet 1t. "Grant," saya the correspondent Of
The Richmond papere, writing on Friday, "last
with hla whole force, and corresponding move
ments % s!s nc" m on foot on our side to meet those
Tho movement necessary on tho part Of tho
rebel was simple change of 'front.' aud retro.
grade march due south along tho railroad, and ten
Milcs would bring them 10 the Chlckahomiuy,
great to eur ie 20 6as Z rseh 'd tne
eame point In which the enemy coald make in a
ten g5s ss vas ss ieF p e
march In q southeast direction to elect the pas
eaEe Of the river, and then nova westward for the
vance. ''>'
Thie detour o. "nonstrous circuit" as the
hehuond writer's term II, Has uecc:sitsted By two
different eonsidcE!ttons: Fisst, because a flank
march Of the Kind determined upon 10 one which
Is always somewhat hazardous In the face Of q
yigilant and enctcetic opponent aud secondly, be.
canse Il was prime desideratum to open Up a
water base, our communications having been
abandoned when this move was initiated,
force was sent down 10 White House, and to-day
9nr water transportation IL reported at that point
The Of the past three duss haa been the steady
pressing forward Of forces from uanoecrton to tbu
westward; n lins leading to the cbickahoniny,
4nd 9ehme,g ,he gfsnia a'1aoG Central and Fredericksburg
The advance oil Greg:'s division On Saturday de.
ycloped the enemy with Ills entire caTalrY force,
and portion Of bis infantry, covering those roads
]osFee on both slices, ranks Amons the heaviest
cavalry fights Of the Wal Grcgg's division lost
lis lis been tteadi!y advancing. fesse1day ;@ondsy5
the 30th, found our right III front Of Hanover
Count uouee, whi;e our left stretched beyond To
nI11
cap:tal. The enemy showed In our front a !inc oil
battle and tktrnifh line formed By part Of the
corps Of Ewell and Hill -,
Dange yesterday eyentng skrmishing took place
We feeling the Ct Eny y line.
Eall5 in the morning. CFawtord's division ol
Wh1en's GRIPS mosed In support Of Gen. Grsfin's
~srd cs eaf By een Wsrsn
to support Grifhn's LEFT, ~ he ADVANCED. Tbs
road 10 Aechanicssi}ie ran parallel to the rnad up
whs css ssy aSs a9d p.a 9d
determined to push for this road crots Il possible
and advance towards McchanIcsrtlIe.
Accordingly be ordered Col. Hardin forward witE
tht, drnt BRIGADE, directing him 70 advance tbt
picket line In his hunt 70 support it closely, and
move for the MechantcsyiIte road. It Was nearly
tbree-tourths OF 2 mile from ous len flank.
1t. Forming when the enemy aavanccd hia line q
battle directly on hts fank.
the enemy attacked On both tanks, and finding thu
fo1ce hotiy engaged, he mored to The aeld With htl
Wbole division. The enemy haE1ng aaaked nae
era brigade to bold the right, and advanced Col
Kitchen, with TWO regiments. 10 support the line
On the lef, but It was too late. He osderet
the lne 70 tall back to the crest OF hill. Here he
extended 1t and ordered the men to throw up IN:
trcnchmeute,
Old nils, loes, ana whatever WIS handy ve7s
Fishers brigade was thrown across eravt1e On H.
right and n1uc pieces of artillery planted to sweeF
the rayine. Hardly were the men in position whef
on our line. Awaiting their coming nntH they xafe G
ed 4 7ery heavy 1,e. The 1sbei eolors we1o sho'
essF eSan had c them 9e es.is s~sg a %its tss a
SCI tine 6ey were deea back es eR, .bs Haaes men e;
our ,ns na1rhed out Of their rotEs I'D ioof M ss1 M
enty prisoners, among them sf1 otfcer.. 4 very
large uumhet Of the enemy werc killed, among
ien iyipE il our mont inside 81 tae ane q skisn
itheis. Crawford lost considerable nunber Q
me- mel Bs.g tnc RssaJ na5 Tas !s on he hsls 81
Worth, Of The dth Wis also wounded Col. Tyre
Il killed: Sergeant Thompson Of the Baektails
who eaptussd the battle ass Of a the 3a.a geot9!s
When the attack w.s made npon Warren, Han
cock wss ordered at O'Clock last evening 10 maxi
| ly execrted ind rfter couple Of hours = hesvl
| eereral batteries and t}x no1tars. This mornln!
ands our line much the same formation a. II hs<
yesterday, The 9Th corps (Wright'tl holds TIL
right thtu the cd tHancoet's}; the 9Th (Yarren's}
and then the 9Th Wu1usidefe), which hold Cur left
The only portion Of ous force tnaa tae engaged to
day Il Hancock's corps, from whose front .hav,
turf returned.
The diri:!ons Of Blrney on the right and Rar!oy
on the center, wh.lc rennafned on The ground, I'D
Fanced about siI hundred yards, carrying the cne
1nish force. Birney captured forty prisoners, wiz
! proved to belong to Btecktnridge'a eommapd.1 !,
There is hardly doubt howeyer, that the posi-
advanced 1iue which they will bold as long - pos
sihle ior the purpose Of gaining ttms to peFfec
thclr defcnses On the Chickahominy. On that h,a