Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-05-17

stories of the war, and now told most
effectively is the following sketch of the
midnight council of Gen. Grant and his
corps commanders, after the close of the
first days fighting in the Wilderness
The result of the fierce conflict had
been adverse to the army of the United
States. Gen. Lee had flung one wing of
his army between our forces and the base
of their supplies, which would require
another battle to regain them. Each di.
vision and corps commander knew this sad
of affairs. They were all sum-
moned to council Of war, TO be held at
the headquarters at one o'clock at night.
They were the saddles. steps ever taken
by that band of devoted hearts. Fifteen
thousand brave soldiers dead or dying or
wounded, were lying on the field hard by.
One after another entered, and after max
ing a noiselcss salute took their seats.
Gems. Schofeld, Meade, Burnside. Sickles,
Howard and others, l believe were there.
Not word was spoken. A full half hour
thus passed by. Their emotions were too
deep for utterance. Hopes of millions
hung on the decision of that council. AT
length Gen. Grant asked each one in sue
cesslon if they had any advice to piofier.
Each one answered with sad monosyl-
liable, no The commander then wrote
few lines and handed the slip TO Gen.
Mead and he retired. This was repeated
until all were gone, and the general was
left alone. One Of staff Of division
commander who was sick, was the last to
retire, and he is authority for the above.
All were ignorant OF each others order.
They felt sure that retreat had been d.
rected. Amy other alternative would have
been believed to be madness. Had they
known that the order had been given to
advance, instant and universalmutiny would
have been raised. That eloquent silence
for which he has ever been noted, was the
ing each corps moved, and Gen. Lee, the
instant he perceived it, with yehemence
exclaimed /" Our enemy have leader at
last, and our cause is lost T" He had bid
his officers the night before to let their SOL
diers sleep long. But now he saw the
army whom he thought utterly defeated,
moving round between him and his base
of supplies. He fastened 10 begin retracing
his course, and confessed to an artillery
officer of the confederate army that the
doom of their cause was sealed.
REBELLION IN KENTUcKY.-The reb-
els in Kentucky are as defiant as ever.
About week ago Col Rice stationed at
Lexington, was sent with detachment
of United States troops to arrest a gang of
" regulators near Nicholasville, who had
killed two negroes under the circumstances
of much barbarity, one Of them being
taken from sick bed and hung. The
Colonel left Lexington with eight or ten
mounted men soon after nightfall on the
Sd Of May, and proceeded to the house of
| a Mrs. Crawl to arrest her son, who was
concerned in the murders. The party
halted a little distance from the house, dis
mounted, and Col. Rice, with two soldiers,
went through the front yard. intending TO
knock at the front door and demand ad-
mittance. The night was dark, no lights
were to be seen 10 the house, and all was
still. They had got within few feet of
the door, when the darkness was lit up by
flash Of musketry from windows, doors,
and roof. Col. Rice fell at the first fire,
pierced by three balls, and one of the SOL
diers received slight wound, in the breast.
The unwounded soldier opened fire on the
] house with his revolver, and his compan-
J ions who had been left in the rear came
up Their first care was TO convey the
: Colonel, who lay bleeding. and almost
senseless upon the ground, exposed to the
/ COblttuuCu hiO VI thC ucoASoiuS, ~ q PidSC
I, ofsafety. Having done so they proposed tc
renew the fight, but Col. Rice believed the
J party in the house too strong for him, and
knowing he could not dislodge them, the
house being built of large logs, directed
the Sergeant to withdraw to Nicholasville,
four miles distant, where he could get med
9 cal assistance. As it was afterward learned
that large force of the outlaws were
lurking near by, this was judicious move
$ On reaching Nicholasville, an examination
q of the Colonel's wounds showed tina
though severe, they were not mortal. HI
: was subsequently removed to Lexington
where he is recovering, though suffering
. much. The next day larger expedition
e was sent out and number of arrests made
5 Col. Rice is native. of Boston, served
through the rebellion and was first com
: missioned as Lieutenant by Gov. An
: drew in the 10Th Massachusetts egiment
S and was severely wounded in front o
e Richmond.