The National tribune., 1882-03-04
Stonewall Jackson's grand assault, which cost

| About noon lull occurred but it was only
the calm that precedes the storm. Longstreet,
following Jacksons tactics, massed his entire
corps on our left We managed to get BOWS and
Edgehills batteries in position at short range,
ours being put in a position commanding the
| plank road About a p. M. the change was
made, led by Longstreet in person. 1t was the
heaviest of the war and on it Lee staked his
hopes of driving us beyond the Rapidan. Our
men stood it like heroes. The guns were double
| shOtted with canister and fired at short range,
but still the column pushed forward. At this time
a portion of Motifs division and entire
brigade of Brney's- Kearney's-broke and
went to the rear en- masse, taking along their
colors and for time we feared the line would
be severed. Their conduct was the more mex
cusabie as they formed the rear line of battle.
To add to our discouragement the breastworks,
which were built of planks, caught fire, COM
| polling our men to fall back on the second line.
The rebels renewed their shouts their colors
danced all along the works and hundreds of
| them rushed from the Wilderness into the road
they had gained. But the eye of Hancock saw
| the danger, and at the command Charged" the
Second Corps, mindful of it's past history, rushed
to the front, captured or killed those of the
enemy who had gained the road, drove the re-
mainder back, capturing their colors wounded
Longstreet, killed Jenkins, and disabled num-
Der of other prominent generals. The other
corps were engaged, but not so heavily. We had
repulsed the enemy, but they held their original
ground besides securing their wounded and
thousands of ours. They had lost heavily and
we counted our dead and wounded by thousands
Grant is said to have declared that his previous
battles were but skirmishes compared to this.
The picket firing was very heavy during the
entire night and succeeding day. On Saturday,
about dusk, it was discovered that Lee was
moving towards Spottsylyania Court House.
The arms in our possession, either captured from
the enemy or belonging to our killed and wounded,
were gathered up and broken or buried and in
order to deceive the enemy headboards were
placed over them containing the names of ficti-
tious soldiers. During the entire night the
weary soldiers were marching. Warren had the
advance, followed by Sedgwick- COM
handing the rear guard, which, however did
not leave the field until daylight of Sunday.
The heat was so intense that many fell by the
way, worn out or sunstruck and had to be aban-
doned to the tender mercies of Mosby's omni-
present guerillas
will describe here what saw of the charge
against the salient at Spottsylvania on the 18th.
1t was just getting light though heavy fog
rested the earth, when the low command,
Forward " was given. The men passed quietly
over three-fourths of the distance ere the enemys
pickets fired and fell back. Our fellows then
charged at the run and gained the works before
their men were really awake. They had only
time to fire few rounds of canister Unfortu-
nately, at the sight of the prisoners and captured
guns, the supporting columns could not restrain
themselves, and gave vent to their Joy by the
most noisy yells imaginableNthus alarming the
enemy's supporting lines and warning them of
our advance Had it been otherwise nothing of
any account would have been left Of Lees army.
as their centre was pierced and in few moments
more we would have been in their rear. But the
enemy were aroused, and hastily drawing troops
from other points endeavored to retake their
works. The Mississippi brigade regained por-
ton Of the line in front of Birneys division, and
at this point occurred the hardest fighting of the
day. Our men only retreated about thirty
yards, and though unprotected, fought unfinch-
ingly Throughout the entire day. So steady was
our fire they could not show their heads nor take
steady aim, nor could they retreat, as our guns
covered the open space behind them. Where our
line joined theirs the men could touch each other
and would load and fire over the parapet. This
continual and terrific roar of musketry was kept
up through the night in order to prevent the
enemy from carrying off some artillery which
lay between the two lines To show its intensity
/ may state that trees eighteen inches in thick
ness were cut down by it, and that the bodies of
men and horses lying between the two lines were
so riddled as to present shapeless masses
AS Hancocks headquarters were in our bat
terry we saw and heard all that was going on. A
moment after the charge we beheld a crowd of
men coming confusedly to the rear I could
scarcely believe the corps had broken, especially
as there had been but little firing; but the gray
uniforms soon dispelled the fear They came by
us in thousands and we began to fear they would
outnumber the weak guard sent with them
Maj General Johnson was brought in He
turned to his guard and courteously thanked
them for their kindness. "You are damned well
come" was the blunt reply of the sergeant.
Hancock greeted him cordially, saying: 81 am
glad to see you, Ned" "Under other circum-
meet you" Hancock then said to an aid in his
decisive manner, "Telegraph to Warren and
Burnside to attack at once; that have routed
Johnson and am going to roll up Early; have
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