The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-04
A TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER.

The right and left wings of the
charging Union line met with better
success, aud each drove all in its
front, and, wholly disregardiug the
deirat of the centre, persisted In adj
vanclng, each wheeling upon u piv-
OF. III the centre of tile line-then
held by the Confederate masses.
were soon subjected to a terrible
death dealing Infantry fire upon both
hanks as well as well as by the ar
tillery in front. The swollen stream
forbade Confederate advance to
attack the unguarded artillery.
General Merritt and Colonel Staggs'
cavalry, in a simultaneous attack.
overthrew all before them on the
right and rear. The Confederate
officers galIanlly struggled to avert
disaster, and bravely tried to form
lines 10 the right and left TO repel
the CALLING flank attacks. This
latter proved impossible. The troops
on the fianks We're pushed up To
within a few feet ofthe massed Con-
federates, which rendered any refor-
nation or change of direction by
them out OF the question, aud spec
Oily brought hopeless disorder. A
few were bayoneted on each side.
The enemy were falling rapidly and
doing little execution themselves.
Flight was impossible, and nothing
remained to put an end to the bloody
slaughter but for them to throw down
their arms and become captive As
the gloom of approaching night set.
tied over the field. covered with dead
and dying, the fire Of artillery and
muske,ry ceased, and General Ewell
together with eleven of his general
officers and about all his gallant
army that survived, were prisoners,
Commodore Tucker and his Marine
Brigade. numbering about 2O00, sur.
rendered to me little later. They
were under cover of a dense forest,
and had been passed by in the fret
onset of the assault. ~
OF the particular operations Of the
cavalry the writer of this, of his per.
sonal knowledge, knows little
but no less praise is due
lit than to the infantry
General. Sheridan (May 16. 1861 in
an official report of the battle. speak
ing of the infantry attack, says
1T was splendid but no more than
| bad reason to expect from the gal.
lAnt Sixth Corps" He also speaks
of the fighting of the cavalry and the
captures thus: TIE cavalry il
rear of the enemy attacked simul-
taneously, and the enemy, after a
gallant resistance, were completely
surrounded and nearly all threw
down their arms and surrendered
General Ewell, commanding the
enemy's forces, a number OF othel
general officers and about ten thous'
and other prisoners, were taken BY
US. Most of them fell into the
hands of the cavalry but they are
no more entitled to claim then
than the Sixth Corps, to which equa
credit is due for the result of this ell
gagement."
The overthrow of General Ewelf-
wing of General Lees army forced
him TO move with what remained ol
it Northward, and to the North banh
of the Appomatex. Frcm this po'
sition he was unable to extricatt
himself, and the surrender at Appo
matox Courthouse followed. There
was after this battle. some fighting
between the cavalry of the two ar
mics, and between the Uuion caval
| ry and some of the Confederate in
fantrv, but heavy fighting between
the Army of the Potomac and the
Army of Northern Virginia ended y,
Sailors Creek.