Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-06-08
RICHMOND, Nay 25, 1864.

1
lished ;-l lRcbmond Enquirer
CsrreEponasnee Of the London Herald
RICHMOND, Nay 25, 1864.
: mo. AL
On the morning Of the 7th Of Nav Lees roops Law ir
line the isld Of their victorv af IN. Vj-darrsss
E"ell stiA the left snd Hi 10 the CENTRE Long
streets corps, under the command of Major Gen R A
Anderson beld the right Some dssultSry skirmish
firing in front the only evidence presented durine
the day that we were in presence OF the enemy. As
passed along the line Of battle gear batter
than that OF tbs soldier somewhat worse than thai
OF the officer, the mes showed themselves In their
amusing comments on my appearance, to be in excel
, From the headquarters Of Gen. Lee and Of Gen.
Hill went on the evening Of the OH 20 those OF VII.
cox found The latter officer engaged with General
Smith, Of the engineers, in an examination of lie
ground with view TO revision Of the line OF field.
WORKS. Chsuges- dec dsd on in my presence at some
points In those improved defenses were Immediately
shown by stakes and working parties set activey AZ
their execution As rode en- 20 the left observed rs
vision going al other parts Of the line new batteries
| being plsnted, epaunent fer guns being thrown up
snd other Indications ihst the OOnfederaes deter
mined to remain where they were Gems ByveIl Earlv
snd johnson were in glowing spirits, and entertained
clearly no intention OF abandoning the CREST sdvan
tsgss Of their present pcsiiOa Everything along the
trent showed thai Lee, judging, doubtless, from his
knowledge OF Grants character, looked for renewal
Of attack, and far from any intention Of moving from
the held OF his bloody triumph, awaited its del very in
confident Uepai alton the ground he then
The contest OF ths Wilderness presented to Grant
the evening OF the OH the choice Of massacre inseon
OF retreat. THO4hirds Of hs splendid army vet caos-
ble Of duty, be determined mOvezsnI by whieh,
while not exposing the fact OF his bloody defeat he
/ would be enabled to the struggle on ooeu
ground From the point OF conflict the Orange and
FrederieksDufg plank track an eartbern vav Enovn
ss Brooks road, fOilsws the direction along which be
would now seek, naturally, move. The opening Of
thst route in fzet Of the advantages which he
| sought from the attack on Lse's right Tbs employ
men Of that road for bis purposes having, however
been made impossible by the posiion Of tho Coufsd
crates at The close Of the battle he Obliged to adopt
IN its stead some Of the inferior lines Of Il
his Under cover OF skmisners he Withdrew
h4s right quistly on the evening Of the 7h moved il
down behad his to the Orange ana Frsds-icks
burg plank Tosd; ana Directing il along tack for
some distance eSstWafdly, dropped down by several
Tninor roads still further 10 the south The center lie
broke into column he rear Of heavy skrmisne.g:
Rnd marched 1t In the same direction behind the solid
masses of the sft Daring the night that wing svsd
in like manner, ont Of its works. aud soon Afterwards
followed by the shArpshO0teTs thai had EMPLOYED
e mssE the whole movement, took its position the
line OF march
The scene OF the bstte Of the wilderness, il sitused
mainly IN Spot sYlVania TbescOurt house Of that conn
y lies At a distances from the field OF he 9Th 9th Of
ay nns Hhsa IN a direction almost exactly southeast
Tbs country srouHd hat Wilt ge consizts to grest e
tsni OF open heds, and wHtsrsd by the hsAas of he
Ai=tlAPoo-hose called BY strange eOncsit the Nst
the Ia the Po the Eyprsseuts excellent petitions fr
i1e employment OF artillery The occupation Of th-
village Itself offering possession Of leading rosd n
Rcu2ond, bscs the fryt object Of the nav
and one that appeared very easy OF sceoDn by,e,
seeing that be only obstacle In the vsy on tbe T1oj
OF toe TN was brigade Of FiIzhrgh Lees division OF
horse.
The scouting Of tbs army Of Northern Virginia ia M
agency.
I =. tne nsIy highest order esn slOne explain the
rapiaty with which Les In reference to toe move
mems OF ne enemy Whether the cavalry conflict for
tne possession OF that village, revelation from
seOats or angels. may have apprsed him Of grsnta a.
sign iBe srrny was directed by Gen Lee on The nigh
o. ne 'th 10 move rapidly towards SpottsylvAnia
Court HouSe. Asj0rGen K Il. Anderson holding lie |
rsnt win ngsreets corps, ord red forward the d
vision commanded fo- the present by Brig C4en K.r
shaw. Woffords brigade broke at once into 0ol1mn.
adi followed closely up by Brians Started with Wa
NY a. II O'Clock in the night the support Of FitE-
As larr7fT fr,
ihs spirit with which they appeared 20 forward sbot
Ike electricity from rank rank; and found utterauee
IN cheer that running back along the forming umn
IoI mics rang IKE lhe roll of musketry from front to
rear from the depths OF The midnight forest loud ana
clear
Ths enemy, iu his race for spottsylys Court
House, had a start Of a few hours Hst begun |
his movement however, from poi4t Opposite our ~.
IRENE l5it while we begun from the extreme right that
advantage must have been very near sqasled There |
remained TO Us, However, no time to spare We were
obliged 70 puEh for tbs goal directly cur shortest |
route lay unfortunately, through forest in which &C
cdsnt or design had during day set the leaves on
nre. Iho -oSe Of tbs burning continued sn 10 hang
iu clouds upon the ground threatening the boopg ~
they went on with actual sutfocaon Heated blinded
choking, TO degree am0st insupportabls thsy bore
thelr sunsTings psenty tber march through those
smoking woods Tor oiEtsnes Of seven niles The ten
Thousand Greeks u Xensphon did not when they saw
ms sss Isei more relief than the thousands OF Lees
men dld when they emerged from forest Psndeno
ni1m into the open country and Entainted air.
hsrshAW having reached ths high road, moved Tor.
"iId rapidly Having on his way detached Humph- |
rey AiEsissippisns and his south Uaro,nans TO
the left for the relief Of FtEhugh Lee he pressed on
with Wotfords Rud Brains men 10 SpottsyIvsnta q n
de succeeded ia reaching that place in tims-absut
sunrise OF the Ssh Of MEy-o obtain of il
Without firing shot In the meantime, Humphrey, il
command Of tie torce seat she left turned from the
roso OF Rsrrhsws advance ct a point known as the
BLOCK House, sDu1t mile and half In front OF the
Court House Pressing up rapidly Rs bad arrived al
an opportuDe moment-on the morning Of the Sth-to
sustain an attack upon the position that had been for
some time ned against both cavalry aud infantry by
some Of Eiizaugh Lees horse The Gsfenses nproVised
al that point In front Of The Court House consed OF
rnds barrier OF dead trees but, feeble az they
were they san OTse, fell short in their extent Of he
breadth OF Humphreys front
RobsrsOns and Grans divisions Of the corps Of Cen
W&rron-she jth-adYZ with great sprt uDop the
Soheaereie position The deadly marksmanship uf the
elans and tha south CarolinSns front
SHOT with terrible truth their bebpckles but tbousb
1,isy cropped dead ike deer struck down in herd si
cAlle o foLey siter TOlley through Their
SOFA mass hat though 6aaly showing signs OF stsrinR
lney eoHlnued to advance until they had actually
crossed ths Confederate barrier The as.ssnt- bs,io
5syoneted some Of the men who yyithstood tb.Tn so
Mn ~ fasi,ea ss 5 nstors heir unilinching rmness aud
large number in killed wounded, Hsd. sst s.S
CHf0hnlsHs behaved magnhcenty during ths EepuIEs;
but held their ground The ensniy retired. Toe Ms
They had not advanced the field more than a !
quarter OF a uils when they were driysn ae ia tu-p-
with me loss of many and two stands Of cclOrs
captured, as supposed al the time, by the enemy
That ssPposition, however proved to be mistake.
Having after separation from their comrRde, found
themseve Tes they moved for several miles through
the woods around the eneDys left and next day,
a4ea' ms oits4cS GAINS oAck hAloigt
ana coloIs
The assault upea Humphreys was repeated during
the day EeverAi times, bat In each instance without
any other result to the ASSISTANTS than defeat and death
Foiled thus in direct attack, Gen. Warren attempted
carry the position by movement ssEinEt It's flank
Law brigade OF Alabamisns accordingly pat in
Humphreys left with the purpose OF resisting the
blow about 70 be strnck from that direction. The
Federal advance up with CREST vigoT but after
q brief struggle flung back by the atubborn resa,
Of the troops by whom it had been confronted
The combats Of the Ssn bsie and bloody Is they were
Rd Saw In
phgnt possession Of s the positions covering the roads
running southUardy from SPottsylyaDia Court Hone.
nights Of ths day, in the tbs ght pre-
Yious the ConiederatsE had thus come on completely
victorious
LongssrestH corps continued to pour into the held
during the early part Of the day. 1h- positions Of tie
divisions pointed by Gen. Anderson ~ they came
mp were lnmsdiatsly afterwards covered by line of
bsaStFo Ks Al daylight On the morning Of the Sths
The p and 81 corps still holding the Held Of Tie Wil
derhess lie former under Ewell, broke into column;
and moving behind the latter-Hil EpTOcssdsd its
way to the Of the impending conh CT. Having /
arrived the field, 4 Grew up Longstreets left /
Rodes division having driven bsck the ensmy on 4 4
ehArge for nss the whole corps spent the night after
very severe march, taking aud strengthening its /
position.
Ewell's column moved out Of its works. It's leading
on-Anderson's-commsnded fer the present by 1
lis senior DEiEsdier General MAbOne Assaisd on
lis march towards SpotsyvaniR Court House, near
place csll cd Shady Grove. Having after brief DELAY
teputseo sAs %teh7 nOFeu Ouj Dut the "hOle corps
biyeuaeked only q short distance in advance Of the
scene Of that passing conflict. On the morning Of the
9Th It reached ihe hed OF the approaching bsItle and
taking its plaCs the right proceeded rapidly cover
It's front with line OF feid The illness Of the
lieutenant general charged with ths command OF that
grand division Lees army had unified him for ser.
vice when him the field Of the Wildsrness |
dur ng the 9th Of May. He remained however at his
Doss; and the very chatting spirit in impstencs Of
his prOstrsiion frsusht with such great
events, appeared 10 stood Epesk5g to him in
his ambulance tie eld Of the Ny. have delayed
his recovery. GsnsrAl Early, Of EWens corps had ac
cordngly been placed for the tue in command of that
OF Hill the approach of the bloody ial which sp-
| oeAred 70 hang over it the 9th Of Nay.
Our position lay In advance of the Pc. Before Il
flowed the narrow and muddy stream Of the Ny Our
i ,fmEor,