Evening star., 1864-05-11
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
FRIDAYS BATTLE

Fourteen Hours of Fighting desperate
Attempt by Lee to Break up Sedgwfck' S
Divlsion-Varying Successes but Final
Repulse of the Rebels.
Especial Dispatch to New York Tribune]
FIELD OF THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS,
Friday, May ell p. m.-Fourteen hours OF
severe fighting to- day, and still nothing de.
cisive. The position this morning was that of
last night, Substantially. General Sedgwick,
with two OF his divisions, Ricketts, and
Wrights, has fought upon the right; General
Hancock, with the four divisions Of his corps,
viz: Birneys, Carr's, Barlow's and Glbbon' q.
with Getty's division Of the 9th corps, has
fought upon the left; and General Warren,
with his full corps and Stevenson's division of
the 9th corps (Burnside's) has fought in the
center. Burnside's corpAhas constituted the
reserve, and has marched and dcounter-marched
necessarily, and gone In by brigades at the
center and on the left.
Sedgwick was to advance at S a. m, but
Ewell, who commands opposite to him, attacked
Is minutes ahead Of his. This action on our
right was spirited and well fought At the
expiration OF an hour the rebels were hand.
somely borne back, the firing ceased, and each
side held the ground they had bivouacked
upon. Our loss was severe, and the euernv,s
could not have been less.
Gen. Sedgwick's Staff were brilliant and
ubiquitous throughout, while the old General
was the man Of Antietam and fredericksburg
repeating himself This action barely over,
and suddenly we heard from the extreme left
that peculiar monotonous swell and volume
of sound which tells Of large numbers en- xaged
so many that single shots and even voileys Of
long lines are not distinct, but are merged in
the mighty noise OF great battle. Hancock
was engaged. ~
The details OF his two hours steady struggle
l do not know, bnt I know that he did his work
cleanly and completely. Longstreet had Joined
the Rebel right, and this was q second deter.
mined attempt to turn our left, and q second
, ONLY 10 n,cIoct and ee had triad a. Al, ,,,;rr
and had met in each case more than he could
overcome, and we asked ourselves what next
AL his movements were silent and invisible,
and unknown until he developed them in the
event. We can deliver blows over in the di.
rection whence blows are dealt us-not against
an enemy advancing In bold sight, but against
one who has mysteriously gathered an6 poised
himself for deadly spring.
But the suspense Is not long. Both combat.
ants are too eager to compel the Issue for either
to delay another and still another encounter.
Shots begin to ring all along the six miles OF
At II O'clock the enemy press close upon
Warren and Sedgwiek, and train number OF
guns exactly upon the latters headquarters.
A man and three horses We're killed within
twenty feet OF the General, and in the very
disposed to renew the engagement OF the early
morning. Sedgwick accepts the challenges, and
advances his whole line, The men go In with
the morning. Eweii is driven back 70 his sec C.
ond line where his guns are In position, and
there makes stand. So
It is noon, and Sedgwick's second fight Is
over, and he again rests on the line Of his last
iinds the enemy-A. r. HiiIs corps-strong
and prepared The diviatons ON his right and
left become engaged with him, and the work is
warm. Here, as elsewhere, the contest Is In q
tangled jungle, and the soldiers push aside the
bushes aid f1nd mortal enemies bursting
through the adjoining growth Of bushes, and
face to face with them.
HAH OF three.fourths Of an hour alternating