The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-13
HANCOCK AT sPOTTSYLYAEIA.
The Bloody Field on Which He Reached the
Zenith Of His Soldierly Career.
Col. r. A. Burr's New York Letter.

Col. T. A. Burr's New York Letter
Grand and full OF great results as was General
Hancock's conduct at Gettysburg, when he came
near losing his life. it remained for him to reach
the very zenith of his career after General Grant
took command of the army which crossed the
Rapidan in May, 1864. and began the battle
which lasted for sixty miles.
In all that running fight move and counter
move. Hancock, with the Second Corps, mighty
as were the achievements of all the rest of the
army, was the mallet with which Grant made
his hardest strokes at General Lee. 1t seemed
as if he pushed it to the forefront whenever OPP
portunity offered after the wrestle in the Wilder
ness. It was Hancock. with the Second Corps
which was leftin the perilous position of picket
line after the balance of the army had been
started on its road to Spottsyivania. In the
bloody work at the Courthouse, Hancock now
and then felt Lees position. But the Second
Corps was finally selected as the hammer with
which to break the Confederate lines at the
salient or dead angle beyond Spottsylyania. 1t
was to march around the balance of the army in
the night, and the story of that dangerous tramp
in the darkness and rain cannot be pictured
with pen or brush. The silent trudge, the COM
rades' touch Of the elbow to see if men were in
their places; the rest of the veterans now and
then made in silence lest the enemy might be
appraised of the advance, was one of the most
picturesque scenes ever known in war. The
massing of the two divisions In the open space
before daylight and sending them forward
against this strongly-fortfed point, was all the
work of man Of unusual courage. judgment
and faith in his troops Hancock had waited
for Burnside until he lost patience, and then
sent the men forward en- masse. and as he stood
watching them pass to their victory, his impetu-
vaf Indh rtnt,r
come back! they will not come back" In his
own eloquent words he thus describes their ter
rbe work:
'They rolled like an irresistible wave into the
enemy'S works, tearing away what abattis there
was in front of the intrenchments with their
hands, and carrying the line at all points in
few minutes, although it was desperately de-
Tended Barlow's and Birney's divisions entered
| almost at the same moment, striking the enc
my's bre at the sharp salient point, Immediately
in front of the Lendrum House. A fierce and
| bloody fight ensued with dubbed muskets. 1t
was short, however, and resulted in the capture
of nearly four thousand prisoners of Johnson's
division of Ewell's corps, twenty pieces Of arti
lery, with horses, caissons and materials COM
plete, several thousand stand of small arms, and
upwards of thirty coors. Among the prisoners
were Major general Edward johnson and Briga-
dier-general George Fl. Stuart, of the confeder
ate service. The enemy fed in great confusion
and disorder, their loss in killed and wounded
being unusually great The interior of the in
trenchments presented terrible and CHASTITY
| spectacle of dead, most of whom were killed by
our men with the bavonet when they penetrated
| the works So thckly lay the dead at this point
that in many places the bodies were touching
and niled upon each other"
General Gordon, who redeemed the confed-
| crate fortunes on that day. as they were trem-
bling in the balance after THIS rerrlnc assault
now tells this graphic story of the famous charge
with which Hancocks name will always be asso
| ciated:
"Gen. Ed Johnson's division occupied the for,
| tilted position at the salient early on the night
of the 11th General Hancock as I learned.
was ordered by General Grant to attack and
take it. He was to make night march, and
coming into the open space fronting this fortif
cation was to throw his whole force upon it Just
at day break, and capture it at the point Of the
bayonet General Burnside, believe. was to en-
gage US on another part of the line, to draw at
tention from this movement. This salient was
near the center of army, perhaps little
nearer our left flank and all that part of line
was in the woods. Hancock moved his forces
under cover Of the night, carrying nothing that
would make noise. At daylight on the 18th Of
May rainy, misty. drizzling morning, he
massed his troops in the opening and threw them
with great fury upon the salient aud captured it.
1t was then that Hancock sent his laconic and
characteristic dispatch to General Grant: Il have
used up johnson. and am going into Early
II Was three-quarters of a mile in the rear of
this salient, and Hancock's movement had been
it came to my ear. 1t was simply great rush
at daybreak with no admonitions Of its conse
quences. He ran over johnson and captured
his troops and artillery, and yet there was no
| sound to warn one of the battle At the time
the rush was made l was lying down under
tree with my clothes on, my horse tied close by
me- My first knowledge of what had happened
came when private soldier of Johnson's COM
mand came running back, ont of breath, and
said the whole of Johnson's command was can
tured. General Gordon said he the Yankees
will be you right here in a minute You
must be mistaken there has been no firing re-
piled. No. SIR said he. but they have captured
johnson, taken possession of his lines and are
coming right along
II instantly called staff officer and started
him out In the direction of the salient to find out
the truth of the mans story. This staff officer
did not return. He rode right into the federal
lines. Soon after L sent courier. He also was
captured Becoming apprehensve. jumped on
my Porse and started to move my force, which
had at once ordered under arms, forward, with
Gen. Robert johnson, of North Carolina COM
handing my advance brigade We moved in
columns, with skirmishers covering our front 1
still did not believe that johnson had been cap
tured. 1t was little after daylight. dark,
misty morning, with heavy fog settled over the
whole country. Az we were passing through
woods we could not see any distance ahead, and
we rode against Harcock's line with only the
skirmishers in front Then came a volley from
Hancock's line of battle which struck down
johnson, who was riding at my SIDE then had
to form his brigade under fire, with the federals
right upon US. Withdrawing slightly, formed
| the brigade and charged Hancocks men, but
everything was lost. The army was broken in
two by Hancock. Fortunately his movement
was stayed few moments by this desperate as.
sault of Johnson's brigade, which gave me time
to form my whole division for battle. Of course
was getting it in line as rapidly as possible
from the instant ] struck Hancocks advance
while was thus engaged General Lee had
become ia
and just as was in the act of leading the charge
again he rode up and pulled off his hat. shall
never forget his appearance, and the glow which
kindled his countenance. / was then ordering
| the charge, when he rode to the front, evidently
with the intention of going in with us.
ut was a perilous time. If Hancock could
not be broken and driven hack our army would
be broken in twain. Impressed with the Gen