The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-14
ANNALS OF THE WAR.
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.
HAYS AND sTAFFORD's BRIGADEs-
issA GENERALS STAFFORD AND 1.-I1s1
JONES KILLED. .rs1 ssa1g
Desperate Attack Upon Hill's Corps Gen.
Gordon Wins Major Gen-
eralship, Etc.
BY AN Ex-OFFICER G. S. A.

WeuL vigorously 10 WOTk 10 SbTeIlBbu IL HN-
merically and increase It's efficiency In every
possible way. To guard against any move
ment that his antagonist might make against
him, Gen. Lee had caused new and stronger
works to be constructed along the line Of the
Rapidan, behind which river the Army OF
Northern Virginia was posted; and, in the
event OF the enemy attempting to turn his left
flank in the direction Of Madison Court
House or Stanardsville, military roads were
cut and Notifications were thrown up pat every
important position.
Gen. Lees chief of engineers at this time
was
GEN. MARTIN LUTHER SMITH,
formerly stationed at New Orleans and after
wards commanding brigade under Pember-
ton at the siege OF Yicksburg. He was skill
full engineer, and the long and complicated
lines of defense in the Wilderness, Spotsyiya-
MIA and at the second battle Of Coal Harbor
were built under his direction One serious
mistake he made, which was the construction
of the salient at spottsylvania, assaulted and
captured by the enemy on the memorable
twelfth OF May. In conversation held with
the writer, two days before that bloody fight,
Gen. Smith regretted that he had run his line
out SO far at that point, stating that ne had
done 60 to prevent the enemy from planting
their batteries on that commanding position.
1t was then too late to rectify that grave and
fatal error. He regarded this salient as the
only vulnerable point In the whole line, and
expressed apprehensions that 1t would be
attacked by an overwhelming force and
taken. It Is hardly necessary to repeat that
his fears were fully realized
Gen. Smith was remarkable for his sombre
aspect and imperturbable gravity of manner
for these peculiarities he was nieknamed by
his West Point comrades, Dismal Jimmy,
which appellation stuck to him during all his
army life. He was, nevertheless, warm
hearted, eompanionabe gentleman, end
made many friends during his stay In New
Orleans. After the second battle Of Coal
| HaTbor Gen. Smith WAS removed.
COL. WALTER II. STEVENS
was appointed to assume his position and
during the prolonged siege Of Petersburg tip
| to the surrender st Appomattox, That most ae-
complished officer acted as chief engineer of
| the Army of Northern Virginia. The forti-
| fcatiOns around that beleAguerad city were
SO many monuments to his extraordinary
skill and transcendent abilities Col. Stevens.
| for several years prior to the war, was sta
| toned at New Orleans, where he made host
| OF fTlenuS VINO nplu MIN LII REe9hG esteem. He
married Miss Ernestine Hebert, sister of
Gen. Louis Hebert, of this State. Four years
ago he died in Baltimore, and his aceom-
pIished widow Is now eking out q subsistence
by laboring with her pen In one Of the de-
partments OF the governm ent at Washington
But to return from this depression. Some
time in the latter part Of March Cen. Lee
ordered Gen. Smith to stop work on the Rap
idan and proceed with his engineer and pio-
neer CORDS to designated point on Wilder
M Rnn IN fUUn n nHa
the dense woods, thence to a point on the
CathaTpen road, six miles west OF SpottsTi-
vania Courthouse, thence to Hanover juno
ton, bridging the North and South Anna
rivers. The order for the construction Of
these roads, six weeks before the opening OT
the campaign, cOnclusively shows that Gen.
Lee had even then penetrated
THE DESIGNS OF GEN. GRANT.
Over these identical roads our troops and
wagon trains passed In the month of MAY
without them the movements of the army
would have been greatly retarded, and per-
haps Gen. Lee been unable to thwart Gen.
Grants tremendous efforts to interpOse his
army betw zen him and Richmond.
In the latter part Of April Grants plans be-
came plainly manifest. Beast Butler was at
Fortress Monroe with two corps, designing
to advance on Petersburg; Sigel had q force
of 1900 men at Harpers Ferry and Martins
burg, intended to sweep through the valley OF
the Shenandoah, capture Staunton and
.
tions with the South, whence he drew his sup
plies; while Grant himself, with the army of
the Potomac now greatly augmented By the
| accession Of reserves, marines and artillerists
from all the garrisoned cities of the North,
was to fall upon Gen, Lee. Burnside's parti-
COlOred corps OF whites and negroes had
joined Grant, and their united forces amount
ed to 10000 men, while Gen. Lees army
numbered only $4,000!
ON THE THIRD OF MAY,
|
around Culpeper and marched in two coli
umns In the direction Of Germania and Ely,s
| fOrds, with the evident intention of hankfng
Gen. Lee and forcing him to retire on Cor
louisville, perhaps to Richmond. On the fol.
| lowing day intelligence having been received
that the Federals had commenced to cross the
| Rapidan our whole army was put in motion
| to meet them. Instead Of falling back 10
| avoid the thanking movement Of Gen. Grant,
| Gen. Lee marched sixteen miles to meet him,
designing to engage his antagonist at or near
| Wilderness Church, the junction OF the Ger
mania and fredericksburg plank road with
the Orange and Fredericksburg road. EweIP Ps
corps took the turnpike, which passed through
| Vediersville and Locust Grove. Hills corps
| marched over the Orange and Fredericksburg
| plank road, while LOngstreet proceeded from
Gordonsville to the Catharpen road, with the
intention of marching up that road a sufficient
distance to enable him to fall upon Grants
| left flank.
That night May A. our division Rarlys)
| bivouacked near Locust Grove. On the next
morning it resumed the march, Johns0ns
and ROdes' divisions being in our front. At
an early hour johnson came up with the enc
my near Wilderness run, at the junction Of
the Germania road with the turnpike along
which We were marching.
| "oLD CLUB FOOT"
as the men somewhat irreverently called that
| brave and accomplished officer, formed his
division-Stuart on the right, then Jones
and Stafford, with Walker on the left-and
moved cautiously forward, In echeleB by
| brigade. Walkers brigade (the @StonewalpJ
soon became engaged with the enemy's skir-
mishers who, taken by surprise hastily wlth~
drew. StaffOrd,s Louisiana Brigade struck ?
column Of New York Z0uaves Qhe Excelsior
Brigade) on the flank, doubling It up, and
| scattering those red breeched fellows after
but little lighting. The StoneWal Brigade