The Shasta courier., 1864-07-02
SHASTA COURlEh a.
Gen. Hancock's Late splendid Charge.

The special correspondent of the n \
Times, writing on Friday, the 18th OF May,
gives the following viz id account of Hancock 5
charge, of the previous day, upon the enc
my's works:
have Just returned from the sceneo of Geps
eral uancock's brilliant vsetory Of Thursday
morning. At the point at winch his assault
was made, the rebel breastworks formed an
angle or salient, and ...is men advanced stlent
| Is, and without firing II shot. entered the
works at the salient and swept up the Inside
of the right, making the splendid haul of
prisoners already known 10 you. unfertltl-
ately the supporting line cheered when neaf-
| ing the works, otherwise we would, the pris-
oners say, have captured both Ewell and Lee.
The assault was made between four aud
five O'clock in the gray of the morning.
Barlow's division, which had the advance,
Miiks' brigade leading, went up in column
by battalion, double on the centre, Birney s
division in two lines of battle, and the divis-
ions Of Gibbon and Mott, in the second line.
supporting. The storming column rushed
over the enemys breastworks. which were
exceedingly strong, with ditch in fronts
drove the enemy back for a mile. Here the
enemy rallied. and Hancock, at 6 A. Nj, re
turned and formed his line OF battle in the
enemy works. As this was the key of the
whole position. our right was gradually REL
leased. and the main body OF the army massed
on tie left. The Sixth Corps Wright which
had been on the right of the Secor d, with
/ drew behind their skirmish line and united
with Hancock right, and afterward two di-
visions of Warren's were brought over. The
history of the day after 8 O'clock in tie morn
ing is all summed up in five successive and
fierce assaults which Lee made to retake the
lost position. At first Eweil's corps alone
confronted Hancock. but during tt day Hill
and Lpngstreet were drawn over from the
rebel left. and the whole army of Lee flung
| itself in five desperate efforts to recapsure The
breastwerks. But it was all in vain, asaevery
assault met bloody repulse.
So terrific was this death grapple, howev-
er. that at different times of the day the rebel
colors were planted on the one side Of the
works and ours on the other the men fight
ing across the parapet. Nathin .sinring the
war has equalled the savage deSparation Of
| this struggle, which continued for fourteen
hours, and the scene of the conflict, from
| which l have Just come, presents Il spectacle
| of horror that curdfcs The blood Of the mid
est Tie angle of the t,orks at which Han
cock entered, and for the possession Of Which
the savage fight of the day was made, is "A
perfect Gogotha. In this angle of death the
/ de I'd and wounded rebels lie, this morning
/ literally in plies men in the agoaies of death
( groaping beneath the dead bodies Of their
| comrades. On an area of II few ac' es IN the
rear of their position lie not less ti.an IL
/ thousand rebel corr seS many literally torn to
shreds by hundreds Of balls, and several with
| bayonet thrusts through and through their
budles pierced on the very margins of the
parapet, which they were determined to re-
take or perish in the attempt. The one ex-
camation of every man who looks on the
spectacle is, God forbid that should ever
! gaze upon such sight again.
! Ilancock's movement is regarded here as
the most briliantlv-conceived and executed
tactical operation of the war, and has added
to the splendid fame be won in the three
days fight in the Wilderness. After the
turning movement of the morning the Sixth
! Carps and two divisions of the Second should
be included in the history OF the day. They
share the honors of the glorious, but bloudy
field of Spottsylvania. Our loss of Yesterday
must reach 10000