Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-05-19

My dispatch yesterday afternoon left the
army in the midst Of terrible bat tle-as
terrible for the time it lasted as any in the
recent series of fights Heretofore the con
tests have been invariably musketry; in this
battle the roar of artillery was as fierce and
incessant and almost as dcafcning as at Get
tysburg. The battle continued till night,
and darkness ended the sanguinary struggle.
Our army added another to the list Of bat
ties and victories. In the morning change
was made in the disposition of our lines
Our men greatly strengthened their earth
works, threw up additional abattis, and
everything was done to make the day one OF
decisive results. Very active skirmishing
all the fore part of the day which merged
at lepgth into a general engagement.
The most determined and persistent eff
| fort which has been made since commence
! to turn our right. Charge after charge wa,
made by the enemy on the right Fom
columns of men repulscd each charge val
iantly. At length the 9TH corps drove the
enemy, compelling him to fall back into hi,
! third line of dcfcnscs. Tho effect Of thi
repulsc was apparent. Rebel dead at al
points lay piled in heaps
In one of these gallant charges fell the
brave Gen. Rice at the head Of his column
as he has been in every fight.
Busy in the midst Of the terrible conflic
was Gen, Warren. He rode up and dowr
his lines, directing the movements regard
less of shells and bullets. Another horoC
was shot under hm--the third within til,
last four days.
lie made a general assault at seven p
m. 1t was the most magnificent one of tn,
war. Batteries, through the cutting dowl
Of some trees, were placed in an advanta
geous position; as likewise batteries of othe
corps. Simultaneously these cannon hurlet
murdcrous missiles into the ranks Of tn,
enemy, accompanied by u general volcy o
musketry, and from this hour until darl
the conflict dccpcned. Night left US vie
tors. Every side Of our lines was now ad
vancing, and we had taken more prisoner
than we had lost. But it had been an ex
pensivc victory; our losses were heavy, bu
it is believed that Of the enemy far exceed.
ours. We expect the battle will recon
mence in the morning Our men are still
in good spirits, and there is no give way tC
| them.
Times Special
WASHINGTON, May IA distinguished
officer who left Grant in the saddle as lat,
as 10 o clock this morning, sums up tn
bloody work Of yesterday thus:
The fight opened all along the line
hongstrcct corps, under Hul, held TIA
rebel right, resting about two miles nortl
east Of Spottsylvania, and Grant pitte
Burnslde's 9th corps against it. Att give
moment later in the afternoon, Burnsld
prccipitated his entire command, eXcer
; colored troops, upon the rebel right, driyin
: and completely crushing it, capturing thre
rebel brgades and four pieces of cannon
The fight continued with ferocity nevC
before witnessed until . p NJ, when nigl
, closed upon the bloodest field produced i
this war. The losses on both sides are sti
, ted to be very large.
OF the rebel brigades captured, some c.
capped during the awful carnage which 10
lowed, but 1900 Of the captured were SCI
to the rear this morning. Our informal
talked with some Of them before lcavin
to-day, and they acknowledged they In
been in every principal battle of the wa
, but never experienced such terrible tigh
! ing The battle ceased at 9 o clock, OF
, line having dvanccd-Burnsidc occupyir
at the end of the conflict the entrenchmcn
held by Longstreet at the beginning Th
70 morning the fight was renewed-up to
1 o clock Burnside held the same positio
{ Lee army was then contracted into II so
Y of horseshoe form in and about the TOW
t Of Spottsylvania.
; Gen. Stevenson is killed
| General Butler movements ON the SOU
5 of Richmond have been felt and appreci
ted