The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-05-25
A Resume of the Battle up TO last Wed
nesday.
lister PROM nox. b. wAsusUExE.
WASHINGTON, D. c. May, Is, 1s6i

WASHINGTON, d. c. May, Is, ISL.
T. ne Editors C5ieeg7 Tribune.
GESrLEMES: On my return from the
fornt, three DAYS ago, found your favor
OF the 9th inst. urging the forwarding OF
reinforcements To the greatest possible
extent | can Wei appreciate your IN
tentst anxiety, but YOU viii have seen that
the very thing YOU suggest Is being done.
The campaign Of Lieutenant General
Grant, now IN progress, must he rcgar-
deCl as one Of the most i'm portent andStu-
pendous Of which history makes men
ton. taking into consideration the great
numbers Of both armies, the character ot
the troops. the country 20 operate IN, and
TIE vast results depending Il was my
fortune to Re With General Grant from
the commencement Of the movement, the
4th Of this month, throl-h The six days
of battle. and into the seventh. when
left. rs the bearer Of Important dispatches
from the General 70 the War Department,
| cannot pretend u give you, in the
limits of q Lastv letter. any inst idea Of
the great movements and battles OF the
six days witnessed The experience Of
more than Z lifetime were crowded into
these eventftll and exciting days. l
Culpeppcr e. II Va. on Tuesday aftetr-
noon May ;. 1864 So well had the
General guarded his great secret, that
hardly IN officer, and none ofthe troops
knew when the movement was going To
be made. After dark on that night the
orders were given to move ut precisely
midnight So quietly and Silly was
everything done, that the people Of the
village knew nothing of " hat il was their
establishment to find that our whole army
had disappeared, As ii by magic.
The great thing was 10 seize the prop
er fords, and get the army scross the
Rapidan before Lee could interfere h
resist tie crossing of the river. SO
completely was the rebel General dcceiv-
ed rs to where We intended To cross. that
by Wednesday night the entire army OF
the Potomac was safely over. while
Burnside : corps mot belonging TO the
Potomac army J. was coming up As fast
possible His first troops come up to
the river early Thursday morning. Lee,
finding Grant on the move, coward To
Richmond =" by the lower fords of the
Rapidan, was obliged to come ont from
his entertainments At Mine Run and
attack on Grants flank in order 10 pre-
vent our forces getting between him and
Richmond and FIGHT him on equal ground,
The two armies come together in the
..Wilderness" about noon Thursday,
MAY 5th General Grants orders were
to attack the enemy instantly at every
point where he appeared.
BY three O'Clock in the afternoon the
lines of battle were formed along the
whole line, and both armies heavily en-
gagged. Both sides attacked with great
4 -
was the wilderness, and so thick the
undergrowth, it was absolutely impOs-
sibIe to see anything Of the battle at
any point. The enemy knowing the
ground. where it was best to attack He
commenced early his old tactics, 10y
nassing his force upon particular part
Of our line 1t was Hancock's position
on our left, which it was necessary for
him to win, as he fHancock) held the
road toward Richmond, and with him
once driven from that position, our army
would he at great disadvantage Long
street and Hills corps pitched into Han
cock with great impctuoSitv, about
o clock III the afternoon, with the full
expectation of driving him away, and
getting possession Of the coveted road.
But Hancock was equal 10 the occasion.
" ith several members ofGcneral Grants
staff rode out to where Hancock was
at the very height Of the battle, and
never did 8 soldier meet an attack with
more courage, GOODNESS and skill, rcpell
ing every assault upon his lines with
great slaughter. As we rode back to
the headquarters, some two miles, the
road was literally filled by our wounded
soldiers. making their way back to the
hospitals and it was a most CHASTITY and
heart rending spectacle. The great nam
Der who fell on that field told Of the
desperate struggle that had taken place,
But the great fight of all was on the
next day, Friday. The rebels opened on
the right at 4;43 \. NJ, and our attack
along the whole line began at o clock
precisely Hancock went in on our left
with the dash Of courage which belongs
to him and which has rendered his name
immortal. He attacked with unsurpaes-
ell fury. and drove the enemy for a mile
and half, taking one line Of works and
capturing many prisoners and several
flags. The enemy finding his right likely
TO be turned by Hancock mastery at
tack. saw that his salvation depended
upon pushing Hancock and turning him.
At about four o clock, P. NJ. Lee again
Inassed his forces for last and grand
assault 1t came, and it was terrific.
The rebels seem to have staked all on
that attack-up, up. up, they pushed on
on our columns, which. overp0wered by
numbers, were slowly crowded back con
testing every inch Of ground. Falling
back gradually, our soldiers got to their
rifle pits The timhers have been cut
down n their front, 50 they can have a
fair shot On came the enemy. flushed
with the maddened hope OF certain sue
cess-a rebel color bearer advances clean
up to the rifle pit and plants his standard
defently on the top. Then rise up our
waiting hosts and pour such a stream of
death and obstruction into the advancing
ranks Of the enemy that he falters, halts.
and falls back: but not until he had bro
ken over one portion of our lines. Only
4 small force got over and was speedily
driven back, and then the whole mass
finally retired before the unreienting
bravery Of our men, leaving his dead and
-z-y,-4r, 4 al 74v.-.7 he fall T.