Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-06
Wednesdays Fighting - Position
OfOur Army.

New YORK, June 5.-The Herald's cor
respondent has details of Wednesdays
fighting. He says our line of battle ex-
tended fully ten miles in length from north
west to south. Hancock's line was ON the
Mechanicsville pike, in the rifle pits wrest-
ed from the enemy the day before. They
were made impregnable to an ordinary as
sault. Burnside's corps was next, on high
ground. Warren was thrown little for
ward protected in front by double and
triple lines of the most formidable field
breastworks. Wright's corps was marched
to the left with two divisions of Sheridan's
cavalry in the front flank.
An attempt was made with rebel infant
ry, early in the day, to drive our cavalry
from Cold Harbor, but it resulted in their
repulse, killing and wounding large num-
Der, and taking between two and three hun
dred prisoners. The rebels were reinforced
for another attack, but Wright coming up,
enabled us to hold the place and take more
prisoners.
Wright followed up his success and
brought on an engagement, which lasted
till an hour after dark. At that time we
had carried the rebel line of rifle pits and
driven the enemy to the Chickahominy
river. The enemy then made furious as
saults late in the evening upon our right
upon Warren's, determined to pierce the
center, and throw the line into confusion.
Attempt after attempt was made, and the
men hurled to certain destruction. The
battle ragged fully three hours in front of
this corps. Our losses at this point can only
be tithe of what the enemy sustained.
The attack on Hancock was nearly stimuli
taneous. He not only repulsed the enemy,
but pressed them back so far that he was
drawn into a bad position, and was COM
PEELED to make hasty retreat and resume
the ground he occupied at the outset. The
object of Hancock's advance, however, was
apparently ruse, as he was Immediately
ordered to abandon his position, and move
his corps from the right of the line to the
extreme left.
Another correspondent with the 18th
corps, says of the fighting at Coal Harbor:
The enemy were in heavy force between
Coal Harbor and Gaines Mills, strongly in
trenched on the edge of dense wood. They
had rifle pits and other earthworks thrown
up. At 4:30 the troops were in position in
three lines of battle. At five skirmishing
commenced. A battery of 20-pounders OPEN
ed fire on the rebels and the roar of its guns
soon completely swallowed all sound from
the skirmishing line.
At $50 an order was received for both
CORPS the 9Th and 18th, to charge the rebel
works in our front. Brooks and Devins
pushed through the woods on their front
and poured like a tornado over the open
field. The rebels opened with grape and
canister and heavy musketry fire, and the
first line was badly cut up. The second
mingled with it and the third, and almost
Immediately after wild, inspiring cheer
rang out above every other sound, and the
,obole 5rivan mill mall from fhait.
works and through the woods.
The rebels were rallied behind their re-
serves and attempted to recapture their lost
position. They rushed forward but were
received with such severe and murderous
fire of artillery and musketry, that they
broke and fled in confusion. Again and
again they were rallied and returned to the
charge, but only returned to be driven back
with greater slaughter. -.-i--.a
The same correspondent says: Five hun
dred and ten rebel soldiers, belonging to
the 10th and 18th Georgia volunteers, came
into our lines ut daybreak on the I'd. They
say they are tired of fighting and do not
want any more of it. They advised our
men to go in and fight it out, as this was
the last fight for Richmond and we could
take it this time. They report the rebel
army as becoming each day more and more
demoralized with their constant reverses.
A Coal IIarbor dispatch of the Sd to the
Herald states that a general attack was Or
dered along the whole line at IL o'clock, this
morning, resulting in the fiercest fight of
the campaign. The left of Hancock's corps
after desperate resistance, turned the enc
my's left, carrying portion Of their main
line, capturing guns, colors and many pris-
oners; but unfortunately, was unable to
hold the ground or bring off the guns. The
battle still RACES with the promise of a
bloody day. bat seiea ls.
A Fortress Monroe dispatch of the Sd to
the Herald, says a dispatch has been receiv-
ed from Badly Smith that the rebels attack
cd him with three columns, but were driv-
Gil of after desperate fight. Smith is re-