The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-09-10
LETTER FROM GEN. GIBSON
NO IL
Correspondents Tim Tribune.

which was approved by his subordI
mates, except in three minor particu
lars. The Army of the Potomac wa
then massed at Culpepper and along
the railroad, and with it he establish
ed General Head quarters.
| Lee was over the Rapidan, strong
ly entrenched on Mine Run, with hi!
left thrown forward to Gordonsville
His corps we're commanded by Ewell
Hill and Longstreet, whilst Hancock
Warren, Burnside and Sedgwi,k
commanded Grants corps, Meade di
recting the army. On the night oi
May Sd, our forces moved, and cross
ing the Rapidan at Ely's and Germa.
Ria Fords, the corps of Warren and
Sedgwick plunged southwark in the
wilderness, camping at "Old Wilder
ness Tavern" on brook of the same
name, whilst Hancock further to the
left, halted near Charlottesville
Lee was thus out-generaled and fore
ed from his entrenohments, being
compelled to change front and seek a
new line. Grant supposed he was
now safe, and could pass the Wilder
ness without battle. But Lee was a
General equal in genius, and quite as
resolute, audAcious aud brilliant as
the conqueror of Vicksburg, and he
determined to force battle in the
Wilderness, where he would have his
foe at a great disadvantage. He,
above all other military men, could
employ limited resources, and render
few intrepid men formidable when
armed. with muskets or shielded by
breast-Works.
The Wilderness is an extensive ta-
bIe-land, cut by few ravines and
stretching forward from the Rapidan
yearly to spOttsylvania. Two good
roads pass through it from Orange
eastward towards Fredericksburg.
These were covered by the rebel lines
and are crossed by the Brock Road
and a road from Germania Ford, be-
sides the usual halfopened paths,
leading to the scattered farm noueCs.
1t is my impression that on a hun-
dred square miles here, there are not
now six homes nor three hundred
acres of open farm land. Once it
was cleared, well populated, and
thousands of acres produced abund-
ant harvests. Along its borders gold
sbounds, and iroE ore in unlimited
quantities. In the last century, both
were mined with profit. As one
saunters through these roads, amid
The ruins of houses, barns, fields, vine
Yards, furnaces and forsaken mines,
he realizes the curse of slavery. The
genial earth refused to produce, when
titled by unpaid and ignorant labor,
and gradually slave-breeding became
the chief business of the land owners.
The once productive fields werc
abaLdoned, and generous nature came
to re-clothc her injured hills and
plains with the garments of deep,
dark "wild woods" Pines, with shag
gy branches, crowd each other, rem
dering the gloom intense aud the for
est impossible, except on foot. A
compact line Of soldiers in gray,
would not be observed at twenty rods.
It was in such q region that the two
greatest Captains of the age first met
in battle. Grant could not escape
from Lees threatened attack without
hazarding the loss of a campaign, as
his trains were not yet up, and Burn
sides corps was still beyond the Rap
idsn. The Rapidan, deep but mar
row, flows northeast, and Wind Riv-
er joins it from the south.
Forced from his entrenehments,
Lee was compelled to ma=ch his corps
an average of twenty miles each, to
reach the Federal encanpments.-
Thus far, scarce gun had been fred,
but while national airs from fhe thou
sand instruments of hundred mar
tial bands echoed in the Wilderness,
and ten thousand camp fires gloWed
in the darkness, the great Virginian
was forming his intrepid troops for
the onset OF the coming day. He or
dered an assault at . o'clock. Grant
thinking all acas s0eH, issued orders
for Warren, followed by Sedgwick, to
move al The same hour to Parker
store, six miles southwest, whilst
Hancock was to move further to the
left, to "Shady Grove Church" be-
yond the store. At 5 o'clock, the
hour indicated, the latter advanced
along the Brock Road, and al 9
o'clock was beyond "Tod's Tavern. "
The other corps moved on time,
meeting Lees advance rushing to the
assault, aud the battle opened
Grant, though disappointed, was not
beWildersd or nonplussed. He or
dered Hancock to return, and march
ing ten miles, the latter reached the
field at 3 P. NJ, and found the rebels
streaming iOrwsrd east of the Brock
Road. and envelOping Warren's left.
With his characteristic promptitudt
aud heroism, Hancock hurled his
magnificent corps upon the enemy
Soon along his front, of a mile, the
battle became terrific, and he thun-
dered along, crushing all opposition
and driving the enemy back, shattered
and bleeding, beyond the Brock Road
and up to their entrenched line. The
recovery of the Brock Road aud iti
occupation was essential to the safe
ty of our army and the progress Of
the campaign. In magnificent style