Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-02
RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, MAY 80, 1854.
The Campaign in Virginia.
now LEE WAS ourrLAskEp.

the movements of the Army of the Po-
tomac down to its securing position
south of the North Anna river. No gen
eral engagements Of the armyare included
in these latter dctails, but we have here
the story of some of its most interesting,
important and rapid movements, as well
as Of some sharp and brilliant fighting.
We condense from the New York Times
correspondence,
At Spottsylvania Lee had intrenched
himself until his front became practi-
cally impregnable. Nothing in fact, can
be imagined more formidable than the
improvised works which each army has
learned to construct to cover itself with
al A layer of stout logs, breast high,
forms the frame work on which thick
parapet of earth is thrown up: in front
of this line the timber for several hun
dred yards is felled, making an elabo-
rately interlaced abattis With two or
three such lines along the enemy's front,
a line of battle behind each, artillery
a playing upon the approaches, and several
q lines of rifle pits in front of all, it will
q be seen what is now meant by moving
q on the enemy's works" Over all these
obstacles, as is known, the Army of the
i Potomac has in several instances gained
q glorious victories. But the experience
of two weeks brought the conviction
that that position could not be carried
save by an expenditure of blood out Of
al all proportion TO the results of any pos
sible victory that could be achieved
there, and it was resolved to force the
enemys abandonment of his lines, with
q the determination of seeking elsewhere
II the arena for a new trial of battle
ii with this view, it was needful first
e Of all, that the army should accumulate
n such supplies as would allow it to cut
N loose from its old base, and enable it to
n advance far enough TO open a new and
n more accessible one. This done, it was
very certain that by simply massing on
4 the left OF our front we would SO threat
en- Lees communications as to compel
him to eyacuate his fortified line; in
j other words, we would effect turning
movement on the rebel right flank. True
to the expectation, when the rebels on
q Friday discovered the corps of Hancock,
n which, the day before, had been feeling
their extreme left, shifted over to their
extreme right, Lee began to look out for
n his lines OF retreat. On Friday night,
May Goth, Hancock took up his march,
advanced due east to Massaponax Church
there diverged on one of the main roads
leading due southwark from Fredericks-
burg, continued on during the night and
on the following day, and on Saturday
evening May 2lst, occupied Bowling
q Green, with the head of his column at
Milford, distant from the point of start
"a ing seventeen miles. He met no en-
Y emy.
On the very same night in which Han
cock started, Lee began to withdraw.
In the dead of night q o'clock A. NJ, of
Il Friday Saturday. the rebel reveiAe was
& heard to beat, and the head of Long
streets column which was assigned the
y advance in the retreat, filed southwark.
Here, then, begins grand race OF the
two armies, similar to that they ran
from the Wilderness to Spottsylvania."
Warren Fifth Corps) followed Han
cock on Saturday morning, and for some
distance over the same route. About
the same time Ewell followed Longstreet.
At p. m, of Saturday, Burnside ninth
4 Corps withdrew, leaving only Wright
Sixth Corps in the old position near
spottsylvania Court House. The re-
naming rebel force Hills Corps fancy
that the Sixth also was retiring, left the
works, came up directly in Wrights
"A front and attacked. They succeeded in
breaking his skirmish line in one place
r but Wright opened a heavy artillery
y fire upon them which checked their ad-
II vance By crossing the river little
81 above. Hill might have struck Wright's
right flank NOW uncovered by Warren's
Il withdrawaD and attacked him to much
greater advantage; but the assault was
not made with much persistence, ane
was probably designed simply to de
M velop our actual force left. During tht
night Wright withdrew Hill did th'
same, and the works of Spottsylvani;
ceased to be the objects Of either attacl
4 ordefence. They remain now asparts o
4 the series of parallels that from the Rap
idan up to our present front stand a
monuments of one of the most desperat
campaigns in history.
Il The first obvious goal of the two armie:
4 now fairly on the march, was the Mort
| Anna river. The enemy's position, bt
b fore the start, covered the direct telt
81 graph road. Our route was necessaril
! to the eastward and circuitous. Frol
81 the first, therefore, it was a matter {
E certainty that the enemy would fir,
E reach the river. hai
q ON Saturday night Hancock b
a vouacked at Milford. The Fifth followe
the Second over the same road unit
striking Guinea Station, when it diver.
ed to the right, (that is westward
crossed the Mattapony at Guinea Bridg
and at 9 p. m. bivouacked near the Oh
Academy, having made march of &