The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-14
BItler's Expedition 60 Destroy the
Bridges across the AppJmatOx.

Leading through the heart Of the ATTAIN
tic sea aboard otstes The tapping Ol
these Richmond roads sewers all com
.nuuicatiOn by rail between Virgins
and the South. So much tor the In
Jortance OF the achievement, and nov
70 the details OF the operations.
The EXPEDITION
The first plan to strike and destroy
the railroad last nig ht was relnqulsheu
for various good reasons, and heW one
fJrmed which seemed to have IN II TO Z
greater degree the elements OF success
FIVE brigades were detailed TO pusL
f,rward and seize the road az the prop
- puint, 10 DO under the command VI
6rigadier General Brooks, and the dt
,lslon Was TO move forward at an earl,
aour this morning. From the Tent
Corps, Second Brigade, First Division
OoL LASTED, OF the 18th Maine, colh
handing; the Second Brigade, Second
Division, Col barton, 4eth New York
commanding, and Col Brakes Brigade
Third Division, were detailed, and Gen
Burnham's and Gen MarsJOn's brlgades
rom the Eighteenth Army CoIp-
dunt's battery, OF the 4th Artillery
vas attached TO Gen. Brooks command
the column lett the forIIhcatIons a,
.bout 10 o'clock, Gen. Burnham brig
lde having the infantry advance, On
ierdonk New York mounted rifles
.eading
THE START.
After the command had been uniteo
by General Books, just without OH
works, OnderdOuk' regiment was sen,
ahead 20 feel the way and develop the
enemy position, ii IL should be on ou
line OF march. 1t took the wrong road
and had advanced some distance, when
it came across a rebel picket, which Il
captured without firing a shot Soon
after discovering its mistake, the req
ment was brought back to the rIgh,
road, and the column started out in Ia,
direction OF the proper point. Genera
Burnham's brigade followed closely eli
ter The column moved quietly tOI-
ward, and without interruption, fol
some distance over a common road,
winding over hills and through swsmps
and ravlnes, under hot sun, without
finding trace OF the enemy; but wheel
within two miles of the railroad the
cavalry advance came upon the rebels,
ensconsed in q strong position in the
under brush on either side of the road,
from which they opened a sharp fire,
which the mounted rifles returned
The enemy's fire increasing in strength
and rapidIty, the mounted rifles IeA
oack TO the infantry line, which de
ployed as skirmishcrs and slowly ad
Vanoed, with q strong support, III line
If battle. The enemy had very Ia
vorable position, and made q stubborn
resistance TO our advance; but they
we're steadily driven back, with some
loss to them, as well as TO ourselves, anu
after a sharp skirmIsh OF about an hour
Uqey retreated on their main Inc, IL
mont of the railroad, whore they haO
lheir lines Of battle and artillery. Our
forces were now formed il line OF battle
with the artillery in the center, and be
gan to advance slowly and cautiously
toward the railroad. ready to meet any
force the enemy might have in position
before them.
Tue ENEMY GET IN FORCE.
Our skirmishers again met the rebels
and this time in strength, this side OF
tho railroad, with their front mOstlA
protected by a swamp, and their line
well strengthened by artillery. No
better position could have been select
ed for a sturdy defense than that chosen
by the rebels.
THE BATTLE COMMENCES
Our skirmishers were soon engaged
with them along their entire line, and
IS our main force came into action the
rebels opened fire from six or eight
pieces, and vigorously shelled our lines
and the woods in which our reserves
we're forming. Our fire quickly became
-apid from the infantry, and the en-.
gagement soon assumed The character
If battle The woods rang with the
,attling fire of the fkirmishers and the
regular volleys of the battle line, and
above the din rose the rapid reports OF
he enemy's guns and the bursting
shells The impediments which the
enemy had thrown ia the way at our
advance were ono by one successfully
overcome, and the line steadily ad
ganced, driving the enemy slowly be
fore it. Our right was strengthened by
fresh brigades, and the enemy gave
way for g while before it, but regiment
after regiment Of rebels were sent in
against it, and the brunt of the battle
shifted from the center to the right, and
ragged with intense fury. Pioneers
we're sent forward to clear a place
for artillery, and finally Lieutenant
Hunt, general Of artillery, succeeded in
putting two OF his rife pieces in position
near our left, and opened upon the
rebel batteries, which were annoying
1ur men considerably They were
to shift their positions re-
by our artillery fire, and at
Times almost siienced The grouud in
'front.' Of the enemy was most uniavor-
able for an attacking party. 1t was
lilly and trayersed irregularly by
-avines, and every advantageous posi-
ion was naturally seized and tenaci-
ously held by the rebels, who were
almost completely hidden by the dense
growth Of young pines, red cedars, dog
wood and underbrush Still our men
pushed forward fighting sharply at
avery step, though falling in their
tracks here and there along the surg
ng line, and wrestling from the rebels
every strong point, one after another,
until at about five O clock the rebels
we're driven from their strongest posi-
ton behind the railroad embankment,
which they held for long time. The
was gained and lost bv us two
Or three times--once on account of the
giving out, and again
because the enemy had massed at
that point and pressed Us back by
their force of numbers The last
lime, we grasped the prize We held
L long enough 10 accomplish the
object Of the movement. The rail
road bridge crossing one Of the tribu-
Sarlss OF the Appottomax river, within
about seven miles of Petersburg, was
set on FIRE end totally consumed, and
the railroad track was torn up and de-
stFoyed for some distance this side of
the bridge, and the road rendered use
less long enough for our forces TO carry
put other and more important opera
tons Our success was not gained with
out some loss, but precisely how great
ca lnot az yet be sscertained. Many OF
10 killed aud wounded we're necessa-
riy lett on the field, near the railroad,
Is the enemy, massing themselves were
able to finally drive us away before We