Maysville weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1864-1866, 1864-05-12
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
FRIDAY,S RATTLE

of details are left out through fear that on
account of the storm along part of the line +,
the wires may not be able to get it through.
fridays BATTLE.
The battle on Friday lasted through all
the hours of daylight, but ended W bout
decisive results. Sedgwick, with two divi.
sions, Pickett's and Wright's, held the right.
Next 10 him in the center was Warren with
bis corps, and Stephens division, from Burn
sides corps. On the left vas Hancock with
his own division, and Getty's from the 9th.
Burnside formed the reserve. and his men
were thrown n from time to time as the ex-
| igencies of the battle demanded. The right
had orders from Grant, through Meade, to
advance at FIVE O'Clock. but Ewell. who lay
opposite, took time by the forelock and
himself advanced quarter be fore five much
10 Sedwick's disgust. A spirited action of
an hour ensued, and by six O'Clock the
rebels were pushed back, each side holding
ground upon which it had spent the night
The loss was severe on both sides. This
action on the right was hardly over, till
Hancock, on the extreme left, became en-
gagged, Lopgstreet and the rest of the rebel
force opposite, having all attacked him -
Several hours of heavy fighting followed,
when this rebel attack was repulsed like the
other By O'Clock ali was quiet, aud Lees
| left, had been successfully defeated. For a
time the rebel movements were shrouded
! In mystery and our own side, scarcely ready
to 60 TO find them, awaited the develop
ments. By IL o'clock they came. The
rebels again made a heavy attack on Sedg-
wick, and part of Warren's Corps. Sedg-
wick promptly goes in, ana after a sharp &C
ton, drove Ewell back to his second line OF
hastily constructed works. Here they stand
and the action continues fercely. Warren
now wanted to aid Sedwick by charging
and clearing the ground, but a personal ex :
animation of the ground showed that it
would have been folly to attempt it over
the long exposed space swept by their ar
tillery. So the Interchange of infantry and
artillery were continued till noon, when
Sedgwick again silenced the enemy, and
for the second time rested upon his arms
Warren, meanwhile, finds point further to
the left, where be thinks the euemy's line
vulnerable, and orders an assault by Wads-
worth's division. The rebel line is here
held by A. P. Hills corps. The ground is
covered with a dense underground. A
wav eriDg fight RACES, for three quarters of al
hour. Finally Wadsworth orders charge
! With loud cheers from the men, he leads
the charge. One horse is shot from under
! him; he mounts another, and but for his
uDtimely fall, we should have been entirely
successful. Wadsworth was shot through
the head, killed instantly, aud his body fell
into the hands of the enemy.
On the left. where Robinson's division
Joined up to Hancock, an assault was order
cd, and with better hopes CT success. At
noon Sedgwick is no longer engaged and his
liue again rests on the same ground as on
the previous night.
The enemy now showed disposition to
renew the battle in the morning. Sedgwick
was in his short line, and our part is done
better than in the former charge. Ewell is
forced back to the second line of works.
where he makes a desperate stand. War
rem who was oD Sedwick's left, endeavors
to assist, but finds it impossible. At IL
O'Clock the enemy press hard on Warren
and Sedgwick, and their heavy guns pour
ing volley after volley into our column, es
pecialIy into Sedgwick's. One mar and
three horses were killed within twenty feet
of him.
The enemy again came forward with ter
rife impetuosity. and, for time, lifted up
and bent back our lines. Straggiers broke
back and the road was soon filled with
paDic-stricken crowds. The story was car
ried to headquarters that General Hancock's
line was roken through. Grant refused to
DGll6N6 IL, Dub S6luo IO-0DlOiSchODto- LII
was right in both. Hancock had bravely
and skillfully rallied his men, and DOW, !
steadied by the advancing supports. pushed
forward again. In less than an hour from
their first fierce onslaught, he was driving
the rebels. Several hundred prisoners were
taken, ard their loss in killed and wounded |
was terrible. By sun set the action was |
over. Perfect silence reigned along the
line. We held our ground everywhere, aud
all supposed the work over. 1t might be
briefly reckoDed up. Everywhere the en-
emy's attack had been repulsed; but this
heavy massing for attack is the eDemy's
strongest game. and it is not ours. The
conclusion, they, was in our favor. and sup
posing it were only drawn battle, all felt
that we could stand that sort of thing longer
than the rebels could. The troops began
preparing for the night. Dispositions for
the watch were made. The generals retired
to consult for the next DAYS work. The
soldiers composed themselves and talked
cheerfully of the chances. Suddenly amid
the darkness, the old and too familiar rebel
charging yell was heard ringing out on the
right. 1t was a fierce, sudden, resistless on
slaDght on Sedgwick's interpreting llues.-
The troops had been at work throwing up {
hasty intrenchmeDts for the night. Sey- {
mour's, Shaler's and NelPs brigades, thus 1
aken at disadvantage, gave way. The i
rest of the corps bore bravely up but tn I
extreme right was turned. Our men fed in i
he widest confusion, utterly stampeding.-l t
Sedw:ck, however, did his best, and be is Il
stubborn fighter. ,Seymours and Shaler's
brigade having been broken. he was COM q
'elled to draw back his whole line, but the I
nemy failed to break it, and after half an c
lour's fierce fighting, abandoned the ate pit. 9
seymour and Shaler were taken prisoners, O
nd by O'Clock silence once more reigned o
n the field. -rE COW 8