Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-12

1t was now nearly sunset. From one end
of the line to the other not shot could be
heard. The days work seemed over Our
line of Tonight would be that of last night.
The auguries were good. In two days
fighting we had lost heavily, but not more
than the enemy. Our assaults had been flu
tile, but the enemy's had been equally so;
and it Is by these massed assaults that he
has ever achieved his victories.
The inference was clear that we had
overmatched him fighting at his best and
strongest Men, separated in the heat OF
the day, now CHANGING to meet, congratu-
lated each other. The rebels can't endure
another such day, and we can, was the eX-
pressed conviction on all hands, and this
statement epitomizes the situation ut sun
! set.
The sun went down red. The smoke of the
battle of more than two hundred thousand
men destroying each other with villainous
saltpeter, through all the long hours OF
long day, filled the vallies, and rested upon
the hills OF all this Wilderness, hung in
lurid haze all around the horizon, and built
dense canopy overhead, beneath which
the grand army of Freedom was preparing
to rest against the morrow. Gems. Grant
and Meade had retired to their tents. Quiet
reigned, but during the reign of quiet the
enemy was forging q thunderbolt.
Darkness and smoke were mingling in
grim twilight, and fast deepening into thick
gloom, when we were startled out Of repose
back into fierce excitement. The forged
thunderbolt was sped, and by master.
wild rebel yell away to the right. We knew
they had massed and were charging, We
waited for the volley with which we knew
Sedgwick would meet the onset. We
thought it but night attack to ascertain if
we had changed our position. We were
mistaken-it was more. They meant to
break through, ,and they did. On Sedgwick's
extreme right lay the I'd brigade, Sd divis-
ion of his corps, under Gen. Seymour, who
had been assigned to it but two days before.
The brigade is new to the 9th corps, and is
known us the Milroy brigade; connecting
on the left of Seymour by Shaler's and then
Neills brigades, the latter being a brigade
of Getty's division that had not been sent
to Hancock. These troops were at work
intrenching when fallen upon. The enemy
came down like torrent, rolling and dash
ing in living waves, and tloodingup against
the whole 9Th corps. The main line stood
like rock, but not so the extreme right.
That flank was instantly and utterly turned.
The rebel line was the longer, and
surged around Seymour's brigade, tided
over it and through it, beat against Shaler,
and bore away his right regiments. All
this done in less than ten minutes, perhaps
not five. Seymour's men, seeing their pick
cts running back, and hearing the shouts of
the rebels, who charged with all their cav
airy, were smitten with panic, and, stand
ing on no order of going, went at once, and
in an Incredibly short time made their way
through mile and a half of woods to the
plank-road in the rear. They reported, in
the frantic manner usual with stampeded
men, the entire corps broken. Grant. as in
Hancock's case. didn't believe it. But when
three of Sedgwick's staff rode in to army
Headquarters separately and stated how
they had ridden from Sedgwick's to keep !
Seymour's men to their work, had been
borne back by the panic, and had last seen
Sedgwick and Wright hard to the front |
working like Trojan's to hold the wavering |
line. the situation appeared more critical. !
No word came in from Sedgwick. 1t began !
to be feared that he and Wright, disdaining !
to fly, were prisoners.
Artillery moved quietly to commanding
positions, to be prepared for the worst, and
cool heads felt that were the 9th corps
broken, the army, as an army, would still
be invincible. Warren'S corps is instantly,
but in perfect composure, disposed to meet
he situation. Grant and Meade and War
'en are in Grants tent, to and from which
officers come and go with certain earnest
lir that bespeaks urgent and important
,ares. So during an hour. No firing has
been heard the last three quarters of an
lour. The rebels must have ceased to ad
vance; but how far have they penetrated,
md what is the present situation?
The 9Th Corps flag comes in. Where is
he 9th Corps chieftan? My watch says 10
o'clock at night. a dispatch received. John .
Sedgwick safe. Wright safe. The 9th Corps ,
holds strong line; only Seymour's and |
)art of Shaler's brigade have been broken.
The enemy can do nothing more. The 9th |
Corps proper has not lost its pristine glory. |
Compelled to withdraw, under orders after !
he detection of its right, it is still invinci- /
)le-is now, and ever shall be. may not
'efrain from mentioning for gallantry,
staff and Wright's.
Riding in the thickest with rare presence
If mind and rare judgment, they won and
deserved John Sedgwick's emphatic COM
Generals Seymour and Shaler
we're captured. 1t should be stated that
both are awarded by their division and
,orps commanders every credit for doing
Ill men could to recover their troops from
panic communicated to the latters brigade,