Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-24
A PATRIOTIC PILGRIMAGE.
Laying Of The Cornerstone Of Int
Davis Monument.
GENERALS LEE AND MCCLELLAN
The Latter's Account of Their
Meeung-A Confederate Inform
Toucbing story Told at He"ni'"
The Rugie's Calling.

The Hughes taih"s'
The unveillng OF General Hancock
statue yesterday. says the Washins 'oN
post If Wednesday, recalls one OF tle
Nos, terrible conflicts of the war-the
fight at the bloody angle In Lee 'ii'e'
near Spotsylvania Courthouse
7, the Confederate line. as located 10y
General Lee. there was faulty pace
None knew It better than the Cohleue-
rate chief. Two days before the pat'io'
General Lee. with General N. L. smith
who April 10th. had been sent 10 INC
ARMY OF Northern Virginia, as chleI til
si,oor and General Walter ii. Stevens
ENGINEER officer on Lees staff. rode aiohg
the Confederate lines. About midway the
three halted.
81 know what sou are about 10 say
General" said Lee to General smith,
81 was thinking" the other responded
ele1entlv chat this ang1s'-poinung
20 a place where the lines took on the
shane Of a widely. inverted VS. the
1veak point In your disposition. 1t GER
tain.y Is the only one have noleu H.
yet"
yes know IT," the Confederate com
mander answered. but could not a'o"
If And II Humphreys consumna!e
Engineer officer. then chief OF stan Oh tne
Army OF the Potomac-"sh should see tn,S'
the brunt of the Federal attack VIII DC
here" 80. linz
In his reconnaissance Of Lees hne'
Humphreys had seen 1t.
At midnight. May 18th, the Second Corps
was silently moved from its position, ana
two dlvlsions-Birney's ana BARROW 5
were put into marching columns. Inc
night was warm and pitch dark. Ihey
were TO assault the Confederate hne AZ
the faulty angle at dawn OF day so dense
wes the darkness. aided by a thick fog'
that nothing could be seen, and there was
great danger that the enterprise might ne
come n bad b.under. The troops dared
not wait until day began 10 break, Tor
then they would be overwhelmed.
The evening before the assault General
Hancock had rode over most Of the
ground alone, and succeeded in making a
very satisfactory examination. a resi-
depce. called the Landrum house, he no.
ticod, was prominent landmark or
the nelghborhood. He fixed IT'S location
carefully in his mind. 1t was well he
did 50.
II guided my movements by that house.
he said to Colonel Richard Lee. years
after "and i do not know how / could
have found my way but for it"
General Ed. JohnsOn's division Of
Ewelrs Corps. was holding the oiHcult
place. Poor fellows, they were dog tired
with three days OF hard fighting, and
weak. for they had no food but parched
Corn. SO the Federal advance absolutely
stepped over the sleeping. half-starved
centre lines without waking them, and
finally reached the work itself. There
they encountered a vigilant line Of senu-
nels. who gave the alarm.
The battle then began. The darkness
and fog made It difficult to distinguish
friend from foe. But the kept OF the Union
soldier marked him, while the Confederate
was clearly Indicated by his gray old
SLOUGH hat. Not much firing occurred
after the FIRST rush. Ii was man to man,
with bayooet and dubbed musket.
THE dead were piled so high that they
formed breastworks for both sides" says
General now United states Senator) John
u. Gordon. "ln the history of modern
war there ia no record OF an assault so
bloody nor OF one so boldly contested as
that of May l2. 1854"
After ropulsing two attacks. the third
rush was not TO be overcome, and the
Army OF the Potomac scored its first
triumph under Grant. Major-General Ed
ward Johnson's Division lost very heavily,
and he. with General George II. Steuart.
one OF his brigade commanders, was cap
tured.
How are you. Ned?" said Hancock.
holding out his hand when the two gem
tral officers were brought TO his quarters.
Hancock had the rare quality of looking
fresh and clean no matter how hot the
work might have been In which he was
engaged an hour before. Colonel Osman
IAtrobe. Of Longstreets stan. was an
other who was natty and well dressed
always. I'm sorry for your mis-
fortune. Ned. but II you had TO be cap
turod | am pleased that IL is my good
fortune 10 entertdin YOU"
Johnsons fine eyes hlcd with tears. He
and Hancock had served together in the
old Sixth Infantry on the plains years be-
fore. and had been like Jonathan and
David. Johnson was Hancock's senior by
about ten years. Thank you, Hancock. +"
he managed to say.
How are you, George" Hancock said
turning 10 Steuart. whom he had also
known well In the old army.
NOW Steuart. never too amiable at any
time was humlliated by his misfortune
or capture and mad all through. He did
not notice the outstretched hand OF his
captor. but drawing himself up TO his
fun Eve feet seven inches. he replied
Sir. sm General Steuart. OF the Con-
federate srmyr
Hanoock's face in an Instant was scar
let. Under any other circumstances
General Steuart should not have offered
you my hand" was his OILY reply. Pray
be seated. gentlemen" he went on. I'VE
VIII have breakfast directly. You know
Colonel Morgan lthe corps inspector. an