Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-05-26
Inncock,s splendid Charge--A
vivid Description.

The special correspondent OF New
York Times, writing on Friday, gives tho
following vivid account Of Hancock's charge
upon the enemy's works.
/ have Just returned from the scene Of Cen
eral Honcock's brilliant victory OF Thursday
morning. At the point at which bis assault
was made, the rebel breastworks formed an
angle or salient, and his men advanced 81.
lently, and, without firing q shot, entered
the salient, and swept up the inside Of the
right, making the splendid haul Of prisoners
ALREADY known to you. Unfortunately, the
suppoItipp line cheered when nearing the
woke, otherwise we would, the prisoners
saw, have captured both Ewcll' and Lee.
The assault was made between four and five
O'Clock in the gray Of the morning. Barlow's
division, which had the advance. Miks
brigade leading, went up in column BY bat
talon double on the center, Birney's division
in two lines of battle, and the divisions OF
Gibbon and Mott, in the second line, sup
porting. The storming column rushed over
the enemy's breastworks, which were ex.
ceedingly strong, with ditch in 'front.' and
drove the enemy back for a mile. Here the
enemy rallied, and Hancock at 6 a. M.
returned and formed his line ofbattle 10 the
euemy's works. As tbi, was the key OF the
whole position our right was gradually
refused and the main body of the army
massed on the lett. -,
The 9th Corps (Wright,) which had been
on the right OF the 3D.. withdrew behind
their skirmish line and united with han,
c,ck's right, and aft erward two divisions ol
Warrens were brought over. The history
of the day utter six o'clock in the morning;
:. -, and
fierce assaults which Lee made to retake
the lost position. At first Ewells corps
alone confronted Hancock but during the
day Hill and Longstreet were drawn ovel
| from the rebel left, and the whole army ol
Lee flung itself in Eve desperate efforts to
recapture the breastworks. But 1t was al
in vain, as every assault met bloody
repulse.
So terrific was death-grapple, however
that at different times of the day the rebe
coors we're planted on the one side of thu
works and ours on the other, the men fghtinl
across the parapet. Nothing during the wa
has eaualed the savage desperation OF thu
struggle, which continued fourteen hours
and the scene of the conflict, from which
have just come, presents spectacle OF h0rro
that curdles the blood of the boldest. In
angle of works at which Hancock entered
and for the possession of which the savaag
fight of the day was made, is a .perfec
Golgotha. In this angle Of death the dea
and wounded rebels lie, this morning, literalI
in pies-men in the agonies Of death groar
ing beneath the dead bodies Of their CON
rades. On an area Of few acres in rear Q
their position lie not less than thousan
rebel corpses, many literally torn to shred
by hundreds fballs, and several with bayone
thrusts through and through their bodies
pierced on the very margins OF the parape
which they were determined to retake G
perish in the attempt The one exclamatio
of every man who looks on the spectacle il
God forbid that should ever gaze on sue
sight again"
Hancock's movement is regarded here ;
: the most brilliantly conceived and execute
tactical operation Of the war and has adde
to the splendid fame he won in the three day
9 fight in the Wilderness. After the turnir
movement OF the morsing the Sixth Corr
: aud two divisions of the Second should |
$ included in the history Of the day. The
, share the honors of the glorious, but blooc
|, field of fSpottslyvania. Our loss ofyesterd'
must reach ten thousand. ....