The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-06-10
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
Memorable May of '64.

ginia and Sherman in the Southwest
started upon the closing campaign of
the great war.
Let me speak of the army served in
the Potomac. 1t was then camped at
Culpeper, Brandy Station, and on the
banks Of the RappahannOck River
Tents were struck, wagons loaded and
the troops in line ready to move before
daylight. 1t was a warm, sunshiny
May day.
From the rise of ground to the east
Of Culpeper, one could see, in all dircc-
tions, that moving army-infantry, ar
tillery, cavalry followed by thousands
of canvas-cOvered wagons bearing ra-
tiOns, ammunition and camp equip
age. 1t was an army of fully 100000
men. The march to the Rapidan was
quickly made and a crossing effected
without serious difficulty. and before
night most of the troops had reached
the Wilderness. The men had muskets
for bedfellows.
1t seems but yesterday that Grant, a
young man just past AZ, with his glo-
rious lieutenants, Meade, Hancock,
Warren, Sedgwick and Burnside, back
ed by dauntless thousands, plunged in
to the Wilderness the 9TH and fought
one of the bloOdiest battles of the war;
but it is a third Of century. What a
coming together it was! The two
armies had rested for several months;
had not been in L great battle since
they fought at Gettysburg the July be-
fore, except Longstreet's corps, which
had helped Bragg at Chickamauga.
Both armies were in the best of spir-
its; both had the utmost confidence in
their leaders; both fought with a ten
acity thay had never before exhibited.
and when the blackness of night fell
upon them and the roar of battle ceased
the survivors, exhausted, fell asleep
amid the grOans of the wounded, with
dead and dying about them. In that
days work more than 10000 men died
or were wounded. 1t was drawn bat
tie. Neither side could claim victory.
What mighty work there was for
Grant and his generals between sun
down May and sunrise May 6. SO
had Lee and his generals great tasks
to perform. The wounded had to be
removed from the field to hospitals.
The lines had to be rearranged and
supplied with ammunition. Divisions
and brigades had lost their command
ers. New ones had to be provided; col
Onels of regiments had been killed or
wounded and new commanders had to
be assigned. During most of the night
Grant was busy receiving reports and
giving orders for the next days Inch,
which began before sunrise with an
attack that for hours promised disas-
trous results to the army of the Poto-
mac. 1t was LongStreet's men against
Hancock's and portion Of Warrens
corps. How those men in blue and
gray fought in that smoky forest!
The second days fight was really
defeat for the Union army. It had been
driven back after first driving, and suf-
fered great loss, but it had also infiict-
ed heavy punishment upon the enemy.
Longstreet was seriously wounded and
thousands of Lees best men were mus
tered out.
There was feeling throughout the
line that May I would witness the
army of the Potomac on the way back
across the Rapidan. What gloom 1t
produced. A fraction of that army had
gone to Manassas, in 1861, been whip
ped and rushed back to Washington: if
had gone to the peninsula and worked
up to the back door OF Richmond, and
tEen, without excuse, fallen back, after
losing nearly $4,000 men in three
months. 1t had gone the second time
to Manassas and suffered defeat; it
had crossed the river at Fredericks-
burg and lost 1900 men in killed and
wounded without gaining a point. and
-hen marched back between two days |
1t had crossed the Rappahannock and |
he Rapidan under Hooker with a |
great blast of trumpets, met Lee and
his host at Charlottesville, lost Ii. 900 |
men, and then, in the dark, swept back
o the side of safety. After Gettysburg |
t had moved out to the Rappahannock |
md then as suddenly flown back. close
y followed by Lees legions. A few
months later it went forth to Mine |
Run, remained in line of battle two or |
hree days and again crept back to
amp.
An army made up of other than |
American citizens would have been
after so many mismoyes
,ut our armies We're not made up of |
machines; they were composed of men
Who loved their country and who knew
he prize at stake. But that night of
iay 6, as they looked forward to the
leXt day, expecting an order to fall
,ack, the gloom, as stated, was intense
.Iorning came and the fight was not
enewed; noon came and the army had
lot retreated, and that evening word
'assed from command to command
hat the army would move to the left.
That was the beginning of Grants
lank movements that wore out Lees
rmy. took Richmond, Petersburg and
farmer McLean's house at Appomat-
OK. Notwithstanding the two DAYS of
errible fighting every man felt like
heerins.
Grants lieutenants had expected to
all back. The night of the 9th they
altered about him and discussed the
ituatior. Each corps commander was
iven written instructions. When he
eturned to his headquarters he read
hem. They directed move to the
eft. The army was moving all the
light of the eth and early the morning
f the Sth fell in with a portion of
.ee's troops, and then the long days of
eavy fighting in and about Spottsyl-
ania began-a series of battles extend
lg over two weeks, in which the loss
S were greater than those at Gettys-
urg.
1t was while fighting was going on
t Spottsylvania that Grant, in order
ng new troops to join him, sent word
D President Lincoln: 'I shall fight it