Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-06-02
iCfle Battle of the I2sn.

So much interest has byl expressed in reference 10
the details of the great battle of Thursday the 18th
nstantn front of Spottsyvania Court House, (caled
by tie Richmond correspondent of the London Times
the battle Of the N.Y. from the of small stream
near which it vas fought) that we have concluded,
at this late day to give the account urni shed to
the Richmond Dispatch by p. w. A, the wellknown
newspaper correspondent 1t is on the whole the most
satisfactory, for its length, of any account We have
seen -
The battle fought on tae North side Of Spotsy,va
MA Court House. the uudulatng ground diversified by
fields pine thckets and patches of woods. Our line
crescent SHAPED, perhaps would be
tends around the court House or village on the orh and
Northwestern side SIS to cover all the approaches from
those quarters Sight entertainments had been thrown ND
al rg entire front, extending from the Shady
Grove Cor Cathapen road contnued) the West around
to and beyond the Fredericksburg road the Northeast
nenco few hundred va,ds ia advance Of The general d.
recson of cur ne as ia order to prevent The enemy
from getting possession of it for his artillery sharp angle
ens The result slows that this was an unfortunate
piece ct engineering. Past he foot of the hill the
North side SWEEP ravne which presents nvex line
to the h the two approaching each other like circles
that touch bot do not cut each other. The avad
the weakest point lines, being considerably
advarce of the general re and beyo the reach of cup
The assauting force had been assembled in the ravue at
the foot of the h very strong, and advanced
port says in column of regiments. had rained the
mag eoIe and considerable fog PREVAILED under cover
OF which the attack made One or two guns got
into position and fred but the horses attached to the other
pieces shot down before they could DE uumbsred,
whose commander killed il the Wilderness. the Stone
wall an other brgades belonging to the division becom
os smon aad the last that was seen Of
in his hand, contesng the ground snge.handed with the
the otooewall J. H. Walker jones' brig both
OF this State Stewards brigade OF Virginans and North
Stafford fell ct the Wilderness Walker was wounded
yesterday Stewart aud Johnson the commander Of the
ing Jones' brigade reported killed. with many ohsr
dces The left the eld but which neither party
Has been aoe to move account Of the fire of the other
come l8 I0-are eai1 20 belong to Crenshaw's and
Pages battaion 1000 1900 prisoners lost at
This occurred ct very carly hour il the morning If
Jones' Brigade had not given it possible. though
tain bis ground He Of the best officers ia the army,
and the sublime spectscls he presented when battling
excite our admiration rather than provoke criticism But
It sho1d not be imagined that the gained the hill
was covered with his slain but he had massad such
force upon single exposed ponS.
advance Of tho general line and incapable Of being nsan
ansey + 3D. that it. was o9d M to re-
coaree spirited it SUCCESSFUL, and fleets
OF the from its comparative isolation, having
temporary odgmeat in the angle two days before,
eessfu with the preparation be had made.
The Gonfederates suffered severely they retreated
the iyening to second line
to the line which extends the ANGLE and which may be
considered tho base Of the triangle covering bill Even
this line is what in advance of the direction of the
general lne But the broken division did stop here
they continued their retreat far to the Fortunete7
the gallant Gordon commanding Early's Division was in
and to the manner that excited
the admiration of every behoder, including General Lee
The enemy s#srmed over the hill and rushed against the
lines to the right and !ef but Rhodes and Gordon and vii
cox were there to meet them.
The battle was soon fully joined. and for nine hours
ara missed and dashed the bloody angle
along the Dls,lng entertainments like angry beat
IRE was the most sustained and continuous have ever
hearo or 80 long time. averaging thirty shots to the
minute or to the hour for hours The rattle of
musketry was not less furious and ncesssut At tan
CLOCK "nen the din and uproar at he highest an
angry storm cloud SWEPT field and thus to the
tnunoes OF Dat lie was added " the dread artillery of the
skies. was now manifest that Grants real assault as
zen: Lee had Seleved, would be launched agasst onT
Tisg ana TO- that point the opposing forces gravi
win electricity forms heavens ali the lesser
Gnu RACKS drift to it, aud swallowed no in the
swelling angry mass. ~ ny 40 1Ao
Gatt stroVe hard to hold other parts of tina field
ana this concentration of force and for that pu
b eusaseo anderson on our left Early, who had
e sem TO the extreme right He made hrae separate
18th as ga tne 1ormer but repused each time
Early, at the head of HnPs corps hurled him back as
au Duu would an ncauous mast caught upon his horns
q Often az no advanced upon him.