Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-02

unlike Warren, who passed the river
unopposed, he had to carry his crossing
against severe opposition As / have
already mentioned, Hancock,s point OF
passage was the Chesterfield or county
bridge, half mile above the railroad
bridge. Here the rebels had strong
position and tete-de-pont which had to
be taken before the passage could be ef-
fected. Six or eight hundred yards
north of the Anna is long Greek, which
runs parallalel with the river and emp
ties into east of it east of the railroad
bridge The two streams, therefore form
species Of island, and here the rebels
had a prepared position to oppose any
crossing. Near the bridge head is an
extended redan, with a wet ditch in
front, the gorge swept by rife pits in
the rear. On the opposite or southern
bank of the river is simimilar work
and rifle pits, while the southern bank
commands the northern, and was swept
by rebel artillery, These works were
built years ago, Immediately after the
battle of Charlottesville. The island is
perfectly fiat and bare plain, and across
this it was necessary to advance in o.
der to carry the bridge. The position
was held by McLaw's division of Long.
streets corps.
To Gen. Birney's division of Hancock's
corps was assigned the gloriously peril
Gus task of carrying il. To cover the
assault, three sections of artillery were
put in position, and replied to the artil-
lery fire of the enemy.
An bpur before Sup6nyyp nf Mot5ou
the assault was begun and most brilli-
antly executed by Birney's command
which swept across the open space at
double quick, under storm of artillery
and volleys of musketry, Two regiments
of the Excelsior Brigade, (the Seventy
first and Seventy second New York, first
reached the redan, the garrison of which
| ran precipitately as the menacing line of
! fixed bayonets came sweeping along
Making foothold in the parapet with
their muskets, the brave fellows clamb-
cred upand simultaneously planted their
colors on the rebel stronghold.
Thirty rebels, unable to get away in
time, were captured in the ditch. The
total loss in this brilliant exploit, the
very rapidity and daring of which as
tonished and paralyzed the rebels, did
not exceed a hundred men, and secured
us the possession of the bridge, across
which portion of Hancock's corps i'm
mediately crossed, and held the bridge
head during the night. e.... -
Tuesday was mainly employed in pass
ing over the rest of the Fifth and Sixth
corps and securing positions.
In Hancock's front, the rebels still
held the works, rifle pits and command
ing heights on the southern bank. Noon
found only such portions of the CON-
mand as had forced the passage the pre-
vious night across the river.
ain the afternoon, however, Crawford S
division of Warren's corps extended to
| the left, to make diversion in his favor,
engaged the enemy, and enabled the
whole of Birney's division to pass over
! The remainder of the I'd corps speedily
followed Meanwhile Burnsides corps
still remained on the north side of the
river but the operations Of Tuesday aC.
ternoon having swept the rebels from
our whole front, the Ninth corps was
able Wednesday morning to make the
/ passage at Oxford, midway between the
| points of crossing of Hancock and War
ren. During Monday night Hancock S
| left extended to the railroad bridge, we
holding the northern end and the enc
my the southern. The rebels, however
had prepared it for burning, and during
the night it was set fire to and destroyed
| This is no loss, as there appears to be nc
present intention to use the Fredericks.
burg and Richmond Railroad - Port
! Royal, on the Rappahannock, having
been to day opened as a new base The
water transportation of the army is now
all there, and long train with our
wounded was this morning sent across
under escort to that point.
This, "wednesday morning, May 25
| finds our advance pushed out three miles
south of the North Anna, and across the
Virginia Central Railroad, which has
been etfectually destroyed The main
body of the rebels appear to have drawn
back to the South Anna, which is line
they have long been preparing and
mean to defend to the last. Their ad.
vanced line rests along Long Greek, one
mile north of the South Anna"
The Tribune's special dispatch dateC
May 26, IL A. M, says u
The rebel line forms two sides of a tri
angle, its apex being opposite to Oxford
where Burnside crossed on the night O
the oath. From the apex of the rebe
line, its right line extends in north
easterly direction, crossing the Freder
icksburg railroad at an angle of forty
five degrees, and covering the junction
Its left wing extends in a southwsterly
direction, cutting the Central railroad
and facing northwestward Hancocl
confronts the enemy's right wing on oul
left, and extends his line parallel will
that of the enemy's works and faces
southwark. The rebel works in front o
Hancock can only be carried with grea
loss.
The region between Spottsylvania ant
the North Anna through which the ad
vance of Saturday and Sunday carried
our army, is described by the New
York Times correspondent in the follow
ing glowing terms
The face of the country is beautifully