Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-04-06

! uhfu luhb lub uo1s III Dluc Ntio AoiSeu
to jump over their breastwOrks to repel
the assaults in their rear In one Of
these assaults Col. Drummond, of the
! fourteenth Michigan, captured an officer
who gave his name as Gen. Hoke, He
was dismounted his fine equipments Ia
ken from him and he was sent TO the
rear, in charge of squad of men, To
escape in the melee was comparatively
easy, and HOke has not yet reported as
a prisoner of war. Captured rebels say
Hardee and staff were at one time in the
rear of our lines,
NARROW ESCAPE or GEN. MORGAN,
While this promiscuous fighting was
going on General Morgan who had been
consulting with JEFF. G. Davis, started
! for his division line, accompanied by
! Col. McClurg, Gen. Davis chief Of staff,
They were fired at half dozen times,
and only succeeded in reaching our
lines by running through at least dl-
vision of rebels, But he found the line
where it was fest established When
the fight was over at night rebel dead
were found on four sides of MitChells
| brigade, in the rear aud front of Vande-
yer and Fearing, while they law in win
rows before Coggswell. Joe Johnston
was extremely unfortunate in striking
this part of the line.
DETERMINATION OF THE ENEMY.
The rebels fought with spirit and de-
termination all the afternoon. In front
of Coggswelrs brigade their line was re-
lieved three times and fresh troops sent
! in. Vigorous charges were made at
other points, bnt nowhere did our lines
wavGr. Late in the afternoon their cav
airy appeared on the left in considerable
force, threatening our wagon trains.
| Dustan and Case, of Wards division,
with one Of Kilpatrick's brigades, block
ed the game, however, and nothing fur
Their was seen of rebel cavalry during
the Bentonsyille'fight.
THE LAST CHARGE.
The rebels massed for final effort
emerged from the woods in front OF
Jackson and Carlin just as the sun went
down. They came into Mr.. Morris
open fields silently without that yell,
universally accounted part Of rebel
charge, and marched steadily towards
hODluSOu anu JIlG i've UdJJGtlCS. IHGf
were received with the heaviest musket-
ry fire Robinson and Selfridge could
give them, at which many of the gray
mass threw up their hands deprecating-
ly, as have seen "bummers do while
fighting bees.
Our five batteries then opened at a
distance of less than 700 yards, throw
ing canister and spherical case into the
Wavering mass of rebels, the discharges
being as rapid for time as the ticks of
a lever watch. Smoke settled down
over the guns as it grew dark, and the
flashes seen through it seemed like a
steady, burning fire, and powder and
peach blossoms perfumed the air.
The enemy retired hastily and in con-
fusion, and one hour later not shot
was heard along the line. General Slo-
cum ordered his tent-dy pitched near
the spot where his headquarters had
been, and slept quietly on the ground
the left wing had won.
JOHNSTON S FRONT.
During Sundays fight Gen. Slocum sent
four messages to General Sherman, set
ting forth that the left wing had heen
popnced upon 10y JOhnston's entire army,
and asking for assistance.
General Sherman moved troops rapidly
| forward when General Slocum's second
or third dispatch managed to find him
| At daybreak on the morning of the Goth
Major General Hazen's division Of the
fifteenth corps, Geary's of the twentieth
corps and Baird's fourteenth corps re
ported on the field, having marched all
night from the new Goldsboro road
| where the trains were moving. General
Howard, with Logans and B1airs corps,
came up on the right, by way of Cox's
bridge, and at noon of the Goth Sher-
mans army was in line before Joe John
ston, outnumbering him two to one
The enemy abandoned the line facing
west during the night of the 10th, and
took up one facing south, yet not exact
ly uncovering the road to Goldsboro
over which the left wing must travel.
Morgan moved up and faced the new
line. Hazen's division went in on the
right, and the connection was complete.
| During the afternoon .Of the Goth, Lo-
gan's corps passed up in front, while
| VChCIdl NlONCI NINlolOllt vi bldll
corps, attacked and carried couple OF
lines on the right. They penetrated to
a point where they could hear our
wounded cheer in the rebel hospitals,
when they were stopped by darkness
and line they could not carry. Mon
day night Johnston left, bag and bag
gage, burning the bridges over Mil
creek. Logans corps went into Bentons
vile and brought off large number Of
our wounded left by the enemy in his
hasty flight. Many of their wounded
were found and paroled, and everywhere
along the line of their retreat dead reb.
els were found. One of Stackhouse's
guns, lost in the fight of Sunday, was
recovered in the woods. Rebel state.
ments show their loss to be five thous-
and killed and wounded. | do not
boubt it, for no point could be selected in
that pine woods where rebel dead were
not in view. Our loss will probably
reach fifteen hundred killed, wounded
and prisoners. ...- .-- e.
THE REBEL PLAN.
Some of Johnston's troops marched
forty miles the day before the fight
coming from beyond Smithfield. That