The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-06-04
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Y, JUNE 4.
The News.

rejoice even the most respondent might gather
from it a crumb of comfort. Not only should
Americans, but every lover of freedom, of law
and order, have cause to rejoice that victory has
perched upon the banners of the North in the two
battles fought of the Spring campaign.
The first battle Of May 4th, 9th and 9th, was
brought about by Grants forces having crossed
the Rappahannock and Rapidan on the Sd, threat
ening Lees right flank. The morning of the
4th Lee left his intrenchments, and made an at
tack in force upon the whole of Grants line. On
the 9Th Grant returned the compliment, and sue
ceeded before night in driving Lee back some
two and a half miles. On the 9th, Lee hurled
his forces upon Grants line, first upon one wing
and then upon the other, gaining at times a mo-
mentary advantage, but night found the armies
occupying the same ground as on the morning of
the contest. On Saturday, the 9TH, the two Cen
erals were man@uvering, without much fighting.
Lee was evidently intent upon getting between
Grant and his base of supplies, while Grant seemed
to be utterly Indifferent to the attempt, and quiz
city withdrew q part of his forces from before
Lee, and sent them upon a similar errand to the
rear of Lee, and between him and Richmond.
This style Of tactics, so different from what Lee
had experienced at the hands of other command
ers of the Army of the Potomac, evidently caused
him some alarm, for he Immediately commenced
a retrograde movement for the South Anna River,
leaving his dead and wounded on the field of bat
tle-and this ends the first battle.
\ splendid feature of this battle was the forced
march of a day and night of Burnside and his
corps of 80 900 men, from the Plains of Manassas,
in time to take a part in the struggle of the third
days conflict. What q contrast to the conduct
of the c~owardly poltroon Fitz John Porter, who
refused to aid Pope when SO sorely pressed,
although within sound of his guns General
Wadsworth, of New York, was killed in this bat
tie, and a dispatch from Lee reports Longstreet
as dangerously wounded.
In the meantime we find Butler landing a large
force on the James River, and cutting the rail-
road between Richmond and Petersburg, thus
keeping Beauregard from reinforcing Lee; while
Couch and Sigel were marching up the Shenan-
doah Valley, evidently aiming at the Virginia
and Tennessee railroad and if successful, would
thus leave Virginia isolated from the rest of the
Confederacy.
The 7th, 9Th and 9th of May, Lee was falling
back slowly, followed by Grant, occasional fight
ing taking place between the armies. On the
10th, Lee occupied Spottsylvania Court House,
HNASNA hHA oAaAAt NAOROSOt ic lAOA1Co
before him previous to making a grand assault,
which was fixed for 5 O'Clock, p. NJ, but was
somewhat delayed from an assault by Lee on the
extreme right of Grants line, held by Hancock.
The assault was sudden and fierce, but was re-
pulsed with great loss to the rebels. AT h~alf-past
--sHioiy "a uranG openeu upon Lees IN
t~renchments, and the Army of the Potomac, in
column and line, moved upon the enemy, and
now Il most desperate and bloody struggle took
place, but night found them without having
gained any decisive advantage.
On the 18th, both armies were comparatively
quiet. During the night news was received that
Sheridan had reached Beaver Dam, a point on
the railroad between Gordonsville and Hanover
Court House, and had torn up ten miles of the
road, captured Il supply train, recaptured three
hundred Union prisoners, and gained a position
in the rear of Lee, which to us seems a move Of
the first Importance.
Through the night of the l1th, Grant was dis
posing his troops for another assault in the morn
ing, which commenced at halfpast 4, A. NJ, on
the 18th, by a fierce cannonade along the whole
line, responded to by the rebels then their whole
line of rifle pits were stormed, and desperate hand
to hand conflicts were succeeded by their capture,
together with thirty guns and seven thousand
prisoners, including a large part of the famous
Stonewall brigade, now in the division COM
manded by General Ned Johnston, who was also
taken prisoner with General Stuart, commander
of Il brigade in the same division. General Sedg-
wick was killed during this battle. He was a
brave and skillful officer.
This brings us to noon of the 18th, at which
time the fight was still going on, with a report
that Lees right had been turned, which rested
upon the Fredericksburg and Richmond railroad.
If this be true, a most decisive point has been
gained.
From Bntler, we hear of his having driven
Beauregard into Petersburg and carried his first
line of defenses. But his position on the James
River is very strong, both TANKS resting on the
river, with gun-boats to protect them, while sup
plies can be sent him from Fortress Monroe.
In Georgia, Sherman commenced his march
south on the I'd of May, and had met the enemy
on the Sth, and had driven them on that day and
on the 9th and 10th, back 10 within n few miles
OF Dalton on the north, while Mcpherson had
gained a position before Resacca, Il town Just
sixteen miles due south Of Dalton, while a flank
movement was being made on Dalton from Cleve-
land. Startling news may be expected from this
point by our next arrival.
Banks, with his Red River expedition, is alone
unsuccessful, and has fallen back to Alexandria,
where he is confronted by several Generals with
forces nearly equal to his own, and has been re-
quested TO surrender but, from his antecedents,
we hardly think he will comply. \ dispatch
from Con Grant IapnanIS rhar IL hold - o-o;,s