Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-10-06

nrst DIVISION OF the Sixth cOrpS under Gara,
al Russell, Immediately in the rear of an
broken centre, was ordered in at the doubI
quick. Colonel Edwards brigade, advancin
on the right Of General Ricketts, sent If
bullets crashing into the cnemy's bordes a.
tonlshlnS and checking them. General Rms
sell, commanding the division, cheered oI
the troops OF his own and General Ricketts,
command, galIopIng along the lines and EN-
ueaVefllls 10 reform the columns which were
| broken. The lines were Constructed with
charged in turn. Wink
As the revived troops moved slowly for.
ward giving out their volleys, Gen. Russell
was struck in the side by a bullet, Straigbt.
ening himself up without utterine word 81
pam, he called cut to the command to ssmove
on, aud moved on with them into the frav
In half moment more a piece of bursted
shell from one OF the enemy's batteries enter
ed his breast, passing down through his yitaIs
and out Oh the other side. He fell from his
! horse without word. His men moved by
! hIlh. His officers, moving by, also, saw with
| hearts tuIl of tears and agony which they will
never forget but which they could not then
attempt, even had it been possible. to allie
| vate,
| The enemy, not yet wholly daunted regain
| ed and preserved a somew what stubborn front
At this moment the brigade of Gen. linton
| also attached to the First division, moved IN
on the right of Col, Edwards and charged
The charge of this brigade was the finest
| spectacle in the infantry battle of the dav.
Gen. Upton, himself a young but laureIcd
nero, rode at the advance of his lines and
drawing his sword, sat his prancing horse
like centaur, calling his men to follow. The
brigade went in With cheer that prophesied
the event to come. Solid and strong, its two
lines moved onward out OF the woods and
into the field. The rebel advance was an adj
vance no longer. The rout was turned. Back
over the fences, into and beyond the rayines.
and into the woods still beyond their lines
flying and broken they were pushed on
The troops Of the Sixth and Nineteenth
corps, reforming and charging, soon won back
the lost ground and portion of the field be-
yond.
The battle now slackened for a time, and
the main lines Of our army were reformed
preparatory to second attack. The Nine
teenth corps was temporarily held in reserve.
the Sixth corps and the Army of Western
Virginia, which were posted on the left, be-
ing ordered to advance simultaneously and
drive the enemy out of their position Dur
ing all this time the cavalry Of Gen. Wilson.
Gen Merritt, and Gen. Averill, on the left
and right, had not been inactive.
Gen. Wilson had joined in the charge made
at half-past eleven, driving the enemY's cav
airy in his front. Gen. Mcintosh, command
ing one of his brigades had been wounded in
the leg. Gems. Merritt and Averill, who had
both been pushing the rebel cavalry from the
Opequan, had formed junction on the Win
chester and Martinsburg pike, and were dri-
wing them in rapid successive charges down
toward the scene of the main battle. Fitz
Hugh Lees cavalry had been overwhelmed by
Custer, in the early afternoon. The rest of
the rebel cavalry made so little opposition,
that for eight miles our troops moved at
trot gallop, corralIing and driving them like
sheep. At 2 IL p. ~, therefore, when the
second cavalry and infantry advance was Or
dered, Gen. Torbett with his two divisions
was in a position to cooperate IN time with
the main army. The fire Of our artillery,
which, owing to the scarcity Of good posi-
tions, had been previously not too destruc-
tive, was now increased. More batteries had
been employed by the sixth corps, and two or
three batteries were put in position in the
rear Of Gen. Crook
4 rapid cannonade was opened just before
the advance. The enemy replied to it with
their usual vigOr. We advanced again about
halfpast 2 p II. It was made steadily from
the first. The enemy must have known that
to Withstand this attack was their last hope
during the day, but although they met it
with a front so stubborn, and for moment
so unyielding, that few would have ventured
to wager upon their retreat, their lines were
very soon shaken by the determined and
fearful voIIeys Of our soldiers. The stern and
magnificent advance Of every brigade en-
,,1o
Gle, the grandeur of which has certainly not
been equaled OIL any battle field of this war.
The left flank Of the enemy, shattered by
Gen. Crook, gave way, and began wheeling
around towards the southwest, beyond the
Martinsburg turnpike. At this moment Gen
Torbett, to whom the sound of our guns was
a signal, moved on his advance to help the
attack. Gen. Devins' advance on the left of
Gen. Lowell, in support, was confronted just
before the advance by the enemys infantry,
pouring out from mass Of woods, in retreat
before Gen. Crook. Gen. Devins had under
his immediate command but two regiments,
the Ninth and Frs New York. The moment
was critical to hesitate was perhaps to lose
both. Gen. Merritt, in command Of the di-
vision, shouted out, "Charge them with what
you have" and Devin, drawing his sabre,
headed his regiments and went through the
! flying crowds, cutting them down, still further
demoralizing them, and capturing 300 prison
ers and three battle-fags. The rest Of the
cavalry charging in turn, in conjunction with
Gen. Crook, kept pushing the enemys left
and flank.
Equally as successful al advance had been
made on our left and centre by the Sixth
corps. The right flank of the enemy was
! also pushed back and in a short time its CEN
| +,oH ba ahal1 linz Il
a triangle, the apex towards U.s. the base
gradually narrowing as both tanks were
pushed in towards each other by our attack.
As the rebel centre began to give way, Gen.
| Sheridan, alighting near the centre of cur
own lines, felt that the day was won Gal
| Looping up to Gen. Grover, commanding one
| of the divisions OF the ninteenth corps, he
said to him that all was going well and that
low was his time also to go in. The next in
slant solid shot whistling within a foot of
Sheridan's head, struck the ground behind
him. Il suppose So" was the dry remark
! of the division commander, as he ordered
! his troops to advance to join in winning vic
! tory.
! The battle was still fierce one on both
sides. Although the day was evidently lost to
the rebels, they fought on at some points
with desperate resolution. The roar OF
musketry, thunder of cannonade, shouts OF
commanders, cheering of our men, echoed
now for miles over the fields; through the
woods, and in the ravines More batteries
moved up to the front, the cannonade grew
| and grew and grew in volume until every sec
ond gave birth to the report OF gun. Bat
terry after battery of the enemy was silenced,
but from whatever guns they could command
/ they gave back fire for fire. Evidently be-
/ lieving from the ferceness Of our charges
| that reserEes were coming up, thev hurled a