Morris tribune., 1886-10-13
AT SPOTTSYLVANIA,
interesting Extracts From The Diary Of GEL
Butterfleld. ,, ,

, ZEN. FnW. Butterfeld had very
complete and interesting diary ofthe
operations ofsa portion of Gen. Han
cocks corps, Athe. Second( in that
acknowledgements under Gen. Grant
toward Richmond. It is "A faithful
record, written down every day
sometimes after a desperate battle,
while yet on the Bloody field; some
times after long and weary, marches.
It ls record OF almost one. contmu-.
GUS bloody battle Of ffty-one days
duration, the corps being under the
enemy s'fre'svery7day of the fifty one
.'','.I 49, IL .HA II
Following wegiye extracts which are
Of thrilling interest: /
May 1.-THE two armies have been
grQTlitS Sat catch other all day, the
Lines being 'only' setenty-6ve OF eighty
yards. apart,y but concealed in thick,
second, growth timber. | received or
Aers from General Hancock to place a
SIX gun battery in position, ON the
frAnt line of battlei i selected a dense
sFPwth f,small pines, where we could
work, without being observed by the
9p9my. Got the battery intrenched
/, an DRAGGED the guns iii by hand. I
| Sharpshootersss BUSY, iaa@ong the hne,a
/, with heavy caBk ponading. on Outright.
May 42,--Atl12 po''Glock last night
|, we left our position and marched
! around to thd extreme left" After
,dpmpinga our X 'aps sacks and every
thing tAat wouldt make the least noise
we quietlyT@11r1oMly marched through
| thick woois, brush and weeds until an
|. order c41me along the line in a low
/ tone to- halt; make no noise; be as
quiet az possible.!"A The corps nam
.bered III Rn nearly, if not Quite, 10000
men, AID so quieb were they during
+ the march that one would scarce
lY, have - Thought that there
|, was more than one regiment in
notion Every soldier knew that
thereawas fun ahead for the morning,
esting'it was absolutely necessary to-
Keep perfectly stiii,' IN order to give us
!, the advantage, and we always liked to
have the advantage in a fight where
+ Dug lives were at stake, and we all
kn5w they would be iii a few hours. as. !
f., GEN! Carroll commanded the First
hrlgadelof the Third division of the
|, Second corps: AS soon as our men
were brought to a halt, and just as
I Gen. Carroll and staff had dismount-
ed Gen. Hancock and staff rode up,
and they, too, dismounted." Our men
were all in position: The moon had
gone down and the stars were shining
brightly All putin. the time as best
they !oould' waiting for the signal at
breaikofday! Some tried to sleep. some
were cracking jokes, and others dis
cussing the Situation; but all spoke in 1
a voice Scarcely above a whis per- ""1
Ell thefirst streak OF light appear
edht 9ieastern horizon Gen. Han
cCwio was wide awake as to what |
GEbcut to transpire, asked one of
staff OF, 4cers for't the time. tOrl be-
told th 1T it was 3:45, he told Gen.
coll tha It he had better have his
men far. III and at the same time sent 1
word toloth f'aoefnamanders to do the
same. Our horses stood reauyySS1. havL
ing stood 'saddled all night We
mounted and then GEM Carroll, in l.
rather a stentorian' voice, forgettingF
himself for the moment; called out to
his men, "Fall' in!"i Gen. Hancock i
spoke up quickly and said: "Please
ION inform the enemy that we are
coming. Gen? Carroll. -" Soon the men
Sereii in line, and. # he order was given I
20 move forward as slowly and silent
Y as possible. toT hE92 "n 49," ,t.0 g..
The! lines of skirTnisheEs' were fifteen j
PAGES in'front 'bfIus. Slowly steadily, RI
out firmly, we mo we'd on. each soldier
carrying eightyroulnds of>ammuf1ition j.
Occasionally y am officer could be heard
;o'ejheulate ifria aowl but empathie F,
Foice: -" "nsteajdy b there, boys; not so
asst; keep quiet" Finally the 'sus g
oense Is 'broken, sfsing gle shot is fired.
The enen3 A1tpost' has disco vered :
ME Of OF irmishers through the :
ray Imorl ght, and has fired at !
nm ahdlr !; ted III hot haste. Our :
kifmisla s. halbs' for q moment. !;
bur frstl il battlelcomes up with :
md joins T. > f'lAniother and anotl1- 7
r shotis'f H;'and then "the line of .
'attle is d eredn to move forward :,
touble duiGE % Then several of the !
hen1yis' ounbosts are gobbled lin great :
o1ffusiohiis, HEARD in Jour immediate' :
roht; the "long roll" is being beaten; J
heibugleI is sounding ITO arms" in !;
he enemy s camps. ,ph a. r3"sss''s "' .l'.t :
But itis too ilAte.iiHhe BOYS is blueI :
ave been ordered toth8rge'with fixed Z
'uyonebs.l Over the first line ofbreast.
worlds they scrambled, and are in, the :,
midst of the enerny's camp; they are g
light among Gheir tehts!'o The surprise {,
s'mostl completes Sohie ofithe enemy j
re II alf dressed; sonie NOT that, but :
he whqle,eanp; sohe7 900 in all, are 5
Of WAR; including Gen. john 4 y
ton, one of Gen. Early's division COM =
1anderst" Many resisted capture, OH I !
? to be bayoneted orr slrot.7 s. Several :
arteries ofartillery also fell into our = p
ands JnhH -1lH hU4 TI3! 0iH ut'S
Il m ct Gen. Johnston as he was pass Fa
1g oVer'his own foftifcations on Ibis q
'ay to1our rear a. prisoner, and he ~
sked NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. these were! L :,
old him they wete'sGen! Hancock s. II /
nd hel saidtHu"Ie Was The MOST gall Z
int ehafgeI ever sawH" Iareplied: =
Yess it was rather gallant affair. "tIf
fGen "Cafpol's brigade took two fe''
Band shoScolots- glory enough for one 'r
ay! Theef1e11y,f much chagrihed at &
1einglorious surprise in this quarter, ~
jon Contemporaries in great force; but nv
Z he4 doar'position all day. 1T was 4'i
gfTt here; tineUuf ffonB,mthat trees, ta
HELL were aboidt iafoot in diameter, ID
ere completely cut down by n1nsket' =
Slls. rStpch was the terrible fire from 1lJ
4e eren1yl IawI' @'hrouim la"n ''it to Fh
May a1l3H4Wel laid on , the battle m
.o1n ID dH friglrt!1 I.had enlarge of che q
1irmish line, and at 7'eo'cloolk this u
corning Iofeceived7 orders to move q
9wlY forward, supported a by aeh. 81
FolhoGWe dfovethe enethy several "a
81 lad Wards nntAf ltt.ithh " Hhit;airhi l. 81