Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-05-18
The Great Battles in Virginia,
Most Terrible Conflicts of the War.
Rebels Steadily Forced Back.


Rebels Steadily Forced Back.
From tue mass OF dispatches which have
reached Us, NE select the following. accounts
ofthe battles in Virginia, beginning on Thurs
day, the fifth, ana bringing it down TO We'd
nesday, the eleventh
The Tribune has letter from the Potomac
army dated Thursday night, saving that early
that morning the march was resumed IN the
direction OF Tod,s Tavern, which point was
reached before noon, and Gen. wilson, COM
handing Kilpatrlck's former cavalry division,
made his whereabouts known by brisk can
nonsding several miles southwest OF the Tav-
ern and in the vicinity of Shady Grove
Church, where, for hree.quarters OF an hour
he was Sharply engaged, with large body OF
rebel cavalry, and a considerable force of in
fantry, by whom he was gradually forced
back upon the second corps.
Had not the maneuvers of Lee prevented,
night would have found Gen. Hancock's COM
mand at Shady Grove Church connecting
with Gen Warren on his right. By this
maneuver we would have occupied the pike
running in northwestern direction from
Germania ford on the Rapidan.
The movements of Lee soon revealed his
real design. Gen. Warren was directed to
attack him at once, which he did about IL a.
NJ. A determined fightof about an hour and
half ensued, in which Warren drove him
from his position with great loss. Griffin 5
division of the 9TH corps led the attack and
suffered severely, nearly 1000 being killed,
wounded and missing 80
Finding his effort to break our center fu-
tile, the enemy next attempted to interpose
an overwhelming force between Warren and
Hancock, the latter of whom, in accordance
with ORDERS was marching his corps rapidly
to form junction with the former. Fortu-
nately his advance, consisting of Birney's
corps, came up just in time 10 circumyent the
rebel General who at P. NJ. commenced an
onslaught on the divisions of Birney, Gibbons
and Getty. The latter had been temporarily
detached to form the extreme right of Han
cocks command.
The fight ragged until some time after dark,
and resulted in the complete repulse of the
enemy at all points Our loss does not proba-
bly, exceed 900 men. Scarcely any artille-
ry was brought into position, the character of
tue ground rendering it useless. The battle
field is covered with thick growth of under
brush and medium sized oak trees, and it is
owing to that fact that our losses are COM
paratively light. Our captures in prisoners
are about 500. = .-.
When Hancocks corps retired toward Par
kers Store, 800 of the 18th Pa cavalry, under
Major Brunton, sentt relieve the pickets sew
eral miles below on the Spottsylvania road,
were attacked by large body of rebel troop
ers and driven back TO Tod's Tavern in CON
fusion, and quite large number taken pris-
oners by the rebels
The special correspondent of the Times,
writing from headquarters at the Wilderness
Tavern, Friday evening, gives the following
intelligence
''The great battle of Friday has closed upon
a terribly hard fought field, and the Army of
the Potomac has added another to its muir
dercns conflicts. Lees tactics, so energetic
ally employed at Charlottesville and Gettys-
burg, of throwing his whole army first upon
one wing and then upon another has again
been brought to bear, but / rejoice that the
Army of the Potomac has repulsed the on
slaught of the enemy and stands solidly to-
night in the position it assumed this morning.
"The first attempt was made upon Hancock,
whose right was somewhat weakened in num-
bers by the battle yesterday, but the iron old
second corps nobly stood its ground. Then
the enemy hurled his battalions upon Sedg-
wick and once or twice gained temporar ~
advantage, but the old veterans of this corps
were nobly rallied and repulsed the rebels
with fearful slaughter.
about half past 1 p. N. Lee made fenj
upon the whole line, then suddenly fell with
whole force upon Sedgwick, driving him back
temporarily, but the advantage was soon re-
gained and the rebels hurled back with great
loss Night now came on and it is believed
at Headquarters at this hour that Lee has
withdrawn from our front.
although the nature of the ground has
been of terrible character, most of it being
so thckly wooded as to render movements all
but impossible, and to conceal the operations
of the enemy, yet he has been signally re-
pulsed in all his attacks, and nothing but the
nature of the battlefield prevented it from
being a total defeat to him.
The Herald has the following relative to the
battles of Friday and Saturday:
At o'clock in the morning the contest
was renewed against our line and the roar and
hum of battle came from every quarter.
From certain indications it was concluded
that Lee was reinforcing Longstreet on Han
cocks front, and part of Burnside's corps
accordingly moved to his support, taking a
position to the left of Gen. Warren and COM
plete6 filling the gap into which the two brig
AIDES had been thrown the previous evening.
On moving at daylight toward the assigned
position through close forest, they found it
occupied by the rebels, prepared to dispute
| its possession The lighting at this point
was over by o'clock, finding i. impossible
to dislodge the rebels from their position.
Early in the morning Hancock was driven
back close to his breastworks by a superior
| rce, but subsequently rallied his men and
| succeed in regaining most of the ground.
Between 10 and l o'clock, however, Long
street succeeded in turning the left OF his
| advance and throwing it into great confusion.
| This extended along the entire line and nearly
| involved the whole corps in inextricable con
| fusion. lie was once more forced back to his
| breastworks and the rebels actually planted
their colors inside them but could not sustain
themselves and were elected. AT this time
heavy achievements were thr Jwn to his sup
port from BuFnside's corps and his men were
rallied and taken well IN hand and the danger
| of further disaster removed
The charge of Longstreet was completely
overwhelming. Solid masses of infantry
were hurled upon Hancock, time after time
with an impetuosity nothing could withstand
This was exceedingly fortunate for the 9th
| Corps and the whole army. He was checked
at the critical period and driven back with a:
much precipitancy as he came.
The ground in front of Hancock had been
| fought over a number of times, and there
| were vast numbers OF wounded and dying OF
the field.
At night Hancock occupied his breast
works and had nothing but few prisoner:
and rebel dead TO show for the slaughter 81