The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-01-27
General bOngStreCt and the Battle of the
Wilderness.
HIGHLY INTERESTING SKETCH OF THE

CAMPAIGN OF THE "wILDERNEss."
The old Corps of the Army of North.
ern Virginia had but little rest when tber,
was any hard fighting to be done. Al.
ter the second Maryland campaign wa
had been sent ont to the Army OF Ten.
nessee our corps had maintained the
high reputation of the "Virpinia
troops )" at the bloody battle of Cblcl,a.
manga the old Sharpsburg sonbriouct
was set aside, and General longstrect no
longer called the "War Horse" was
generally known as the "Old Bull Of
the Woods" Then came the skirmish..
es Of 'le Noir's" and the Campbelps
Station" the seize of Knoxville and ,br.
terrible winter of IS63-64, in desolato.
East Tennessee,
Our men had borne, unmurmeringly,,
hardships greater than any to wEick
even they had before been accustomed :.
they had not complained, although
with insufficient food, without blankets.
with ragged clothing, and, too, often
without shoes, they had tramped witlv
bleeding feet for many weary mile.
On the march, and in the bivuac, dur.
ing the freezing day and comfortless
night, in hunger and in thirst, they had
been sustained by the remembrance OF
their dear Southern land. All tbinrs.
however, Lave an end, and in the
spring Of lsG4 we joyfully returned to
Virginia.
On the Sd of May, lsG,a, we, left our
camps near Gordonsville, and on the
night of 5th our two divisions-Eields'
and Kershaw's-went into bivouac
few miles from the Wilderness. By
daybreak in the. morning the troops
were again in notion. and marching to.
wards the field OF battle ! The Federal
troops made a fierce attack upon the
RICH. of General Lees line and l,aG been
repulscd. Again they came on and in
increased force, until at last Hcath's
! and Wilcox's divisions, in spite Of their
steady and determined fighting, were
driven back = in confusion. With
cheer the Federal troops pushed for.
ward our exhausted men could do no
more there seemed no hope Of further
successful resistance, but there was
cloud Of dust on the road, and General
longstrcet followed by his conmn,
came rapidly on. kershaw's division
was in advance /; without hating. the
men filed into line, and charged with q
furious yell.
Nothing could stand before them
they were inspired With Arious, unhesi.
tatmg valor; the onset of the enemy
waa checked and the next moment they
were being slowly driven back. Rc.
pratcdly did the Federal officers bring
up their shattered regiments ,rcinibrce.
ments were put in only to be, speediy
broken, and che arrival of Bielils 6iy.
slon'and The magnificent botlTs 81 men
comn.apdcd' BY General Robstt Ander.
son, enaSicd General Lcg, 10, rs. Establish
his lilie.s We lost heavily, .Riliy. pf our
most gelsant men had fai,shs, bns, The re.
terse'of thc early morningtbask been re.
trleved and our success was so FAR com.
plete. 1.
1t is we'll known that tbs section of
country usually called the ""Wlder.
ness, is covered with dense growth
of pines. the undergrowth, of bushes and
briars being so matted and tangled that
it Is very difficult to force a way
through it, while at distance OF forty
or fifty yards the form Of man could
scarcely be distinguished by any but a !,
quick.sightcd observer The Federals
were now resting comparatively quiet,
taking, perhaps, long breath before
trying it on" again, but they were not
to have it all their own, and we, in.
turn, became the aggressors. Mahone's
brigade, with, / think, two others, was
ordered to move around and attack
Grants left Generals Lee and Long.
street lying on the ground ar the,
plank road, quietly awaiting the result.
! The rapid firing told us quickly that
the "boys" were at them and before:
long mounted officer rode up to an.
no,ince the successful completion of tho