The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-05-21
Ottana fire. Gra0er.
OTTAWA, ILL. NAY 81. 1864.
War News of the Week.

al
ending with the premonetions o. great
victory over Lee at Spostsylvania. and
fsolis,i report that he had surrendered,
&c. The dust has cleared away since then
and We have full and clear accounts CT
Fridays fighting. 1t was doubtless the
hardest battle of the five or six that had
followed each other in such rapid success
sion. Hancock made a charge On Lees
right before daylight on Thursday morn
ing, took him somewhat by surprise, and
nearly annihilated that wing, taking 1000
prisoners and forty gus. Among his
prisoners were Maj. Gen. johnson and
Gen. Geo. Stuart. Burnside also drove
the enemy in the center, and generally,
(withont at this late day detailing the
particularly the rebels had decidedly the
worst Of the days fighting, although the
losses were heavy on both sides Eut the
supposition that Lee would therefore re-
treat was not correct. Lee commenced
entrenching, still on the north side Of the
Pc, and is there yet, while Grant has not
deemed 1t prudent to make Determined
effort to dlslodge him. OF course, where
two such armies lie within cannon shot
of each other, there must be some coils
ion each day. and such has besn the case
all week but from Thursday of last week
up 10 last Wednesday, there has been no
general battles By Wednesday, how
ever, Grant had received enough rein
forcements to venture on another attack,
and on Wednesday morning, the dis.
patches say, another severe engagement
commenced, the federals, at II a'clock,
(the latest have been heard from) having
gained some advantage The battle how.
ever, could net have been decisive either
way, or we should have had the epd of
before this.
While the great battle was in progress
On the Pc on Thursday, Gen. Sheriden
with the cavalry, was executing a move
men. in the rear Of Lees army, scarcely
less important than the success Of Han
cock in front He passed clean from the
Pc to Rlohmon !! destroying all the rail.
roalds and immense quantities Of stores,
and then making a circle around Rich.
mond, fin ally joined Butler on James river.
As active hostilities are again commencing
on the Pc, it is iDtimatsd that Sheriden
has started on another movement, which
will be still more important in its results
than the first.
Butler has considerable fighting along
the Petersburg railroad and around Fort
Darling during the week, generally re-
pulsing the rebel attacks, until the 10TH
when Beauregard was reinforced by Long.
streets forces, and made a furious attack
on Butler, in the midst Of hesvy fog
At first, Butler's forces gave way, but
again rallied, and after severe fig ting the
rebels were repulsed,-so the dispatches
state; and Butler, ha.ing lost 3 siege guns,
light pieces Of artillery. large numbe
OF prisoners Gncludlng Gen. Hickman |
and many killed and wounded, fell back |
from before Fort Darling, snd, on Mon |
day evening. "had securely arrived be-
hind his new line of entertainments"
where, 1t is announced, "he is able TO
Withstand an attack from all the forces
the rebels can bring against him"
Breckenridge, with largely superior
force, attacked Sigel at New Market On !
Sunday last, and drove him across the |
back to Stransburs. Sigei |
lost $50 men and pieces of artillery, but |
claims to hare Infected greater loss on the
enemy lie get of al! his wounded, his
trains, &c.
Full details are at length Published of
Gen. Shernlans movements in northern
Georgia. After driving the rebels out of /
Dalton, and occupying Buzzard Roost Gap, |
he left the latter place on the 18th, and
advanced upon Resaca, near which point a
battle took place on Saturday and Sunday |
last, in which advantages were gained By !
the Federals,-their lcss, however, being !
4 900 against goo on the pert Of the reb !
els Four Federal Generals were wound |
ed, and three rebel Generals killed On !
Sunday night Johnston evacuated Resac1 !
retiring tow ards the Etowah River. Sher- !
man pursued him promptly, and by Wed.
nesday had reached Kingston, the rebels
still retreating before him. At noon
Thursday, both armies were in PLAIN sight
Of each other, two .niifs east of Kingston,
and cannonading was in progress. Rome
is occupied 10y a Federal division