The Portland daily press., 1896-06-24

many of the hard fought battles during
Grants campaign of 1864 and 1865.
On May 4th, 1854, the third and fourth
divisions under the command of Gen.
D. B. Birney and Gen. Gersham Mott.
with the first and second divisions of the
second corps, crossed the Rapidan River
at Ely's Ford and continued their march
until they were upon the old and IA
miliar battlefield of Charlottesville
where they bivouaoked for the night, In
the forenoon of the 9th, the corps moved
forward to the Wilderness. The
BATTLEFIELD OF THE WILDER
NESS
was located In Spottsylyania county. a
little south Of the Rapidan river, ex-
tending some ten or fifteen miles in q
southsrly direction and about the same
distance to the westward of Chanoellors-
Vile Ihe whole tracE, with the exceed
ton of a tavern and few buildings at
the intersection of the road, was almost
wholly without Inhabitants. and the
formation was such that the Union artil-
lery could not be brought into action,
1t was one OF the strangesU fields ever
chosen for great battle. 1t was covered
with wild and shaggy growth of scrub
YAK, uWafA PIN anu nazel tnlckeG WOW.
en- together by trailing vines and briers.
Into this dense jungle Birney's and
Motifs men plunged and were instantly
lost sight Of by their commanders At
about 4. so on the afternoon of the 9th,
Biraey and Mott came engaged with thu
Confederate corps under the command of
Iieus: Gen. A. P. Hill, and savage
SIGHT instantly ensued. Hancock says in
his official report: "Ths musketry was
continuous and deadly along the entire
line, but the men pushed through the
dismal wood and the treacherous bogs ID
front OF them, though decimated by the
bullets OF unseen enemies. In the Jungle,
they made their way inch by inch, driv-
ing HllPs troops everywhere before them
until the darkness of night put an end to
babOie." Gen. Humphrey, in his official
report says: IAN hour more of daylight
would have driven Hill from the field -
During ths battle Gen. Alexander Hays
commanding the second brigade of Biz
ney's division, WAS killed. During
the night Grants army was kept busy
constructing earthworks, and at &. N.
on the 9th the battle was renewed by the
. fifth and sixth corps under Warren and
Wright respectively with great vigor
upon the Confederate lines. AT noon, of
the sixth, Longstieet advanced in two
columns and struck Birney's division
in front and flank at the same moment,
Il
l.5o until about p. NJ. there was
LULL IN THE BATTLE
which had been raging along the left of
the line since early daylight. At about
4 p. IN. Longstreet's corps was again
thrown upon the second corps front, the
third and fourth divisions sustaining
severe and stubborn attack. whic h
lasted some thirty minutes During the
attack upon BIrney's left which Joined
Motifs right the breastworks which were
built from dry logs, were set on fire, and
the mon were obliged TO leave them.
This left an onanins at this point, where
the enemy rSshed through and forced
the left of q rney's and the right OF
Motifs divisions back and, for a time
threatened extreme disaster to Birney's
and Motifs divisions. Dow's sixth
Maine Battery, which was posted quite
near, was put forward and poured can
lister and shell into the Confederate
ranks and materially aided in repelling
LONGSTREET'S ATTACK.
1t was during this attack that Gen.
Lohgstreet received a severe wound |
which disabled him from taking any
further part in the campaign of 1864 !
The losses IN the third, or Kearny's old
division, during the 5th and 9th of May
were $40 killed, 1850 wounded. and 1S9
missing. In the fourth, or Rockers OLD
division, there were 66 killed, 561
wounded and ~ missing, a total of 294l
in. the TWO divisions.
On the morning of the 18th the second
corps moved back to Todd's Tavern. On
the 9th Birney's, Barlow's and Gibbons
divisions crossed the Pc river. The cross
ing of Birney's division was very STUB
bornly contested by the Confederates.
Motifs division being hald in reserve, on
the morjing of the 10th Gibbons and
Birney's divisions raorossed the river |
and B1rpeY's division was moved to the |
rear of :, .tren's corps. Early in the fore |
noon Motifs division was ssut to Gen.
Wright Of the sixth corps. During the
10th the army fought another terrific |
battle, in which both Birney's and |
Motifs divisions were engaged. At LBS |
onythe morning Of the 18th, the second |
corps made the assault upon the Con
federate line before Spottsylvania court |
house, Rarlow's and Birney's divisions
for ming the first line, Gibbons and
Motifs the second. Sheltered by thick
fog the corps advanced quietly and can
tiously toward the Confederate works.
until tho men were near the Confederate
entertainments, when, with cheer, they
ENTERED THE WORKS,
capturing nearly the whole of Johnson's
division. Gen. Edward johnson was
taken prisoner by Sergeant Haskell and
Private ToGman, Of the Seventeenth Me-
Gen. Stuart, commanding brigade in
Johnson's division, was also captured
by some Of Birney's men.
On the 18th Of May she fourth division
was consolidated into a brigade and as
signed the third division owing to
having been SO largely reduced in num-
5ers by the casualties of war ana the |
expiration of the terms of enlistment of |
several of its regiments. Gen. Mott, it's
division commander. was assigned to
the command of tine brigade. On the !
18th. Birney's and Tyler's divisions were
engaged with Rodes' and Gordon's d. |
vision of EwelPs corps on the Anderson !
Farm near the fredericksburg Pike. |
During the battles between the 9Th and |
the 18th. inclusive the third or Birney'a |
division had 256 killed, 1857 wounded, |
and 1870 missing, or fatal of 1898. We |
have been unable so ascertain the losses |
in the fourth, or, Motifs division, be- |
tWesn These dates as the division WAS