Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-07


 around, while Gregg came up and urged. him to do as the men wished At that moment member of his staff directed his attention to General Long street, whom he had been looking for and who was sitting on his horse near the plank road. With evident disap- pointment he turned off and joined General Longstreet The ground over which Fields troops were advancing was open for a short distance and fringed on it's farther edge with scat tered pines, beyond which the dense growth of the Wilderness began. The Federal troops had entered the pines and were advancing with apparently resistless force when Gregg's 800 Tex ans, regardless of numbers, Hanks or supports, dashed directly upon them. There was a terrific crash, mingled with wild yells, which settled down into steady roar of musketry. In less than ten minutes one-half of that de voted 800 were lying upon the field dead or wounded, but they had deliv- cred a staggering blow and broken the force of the Federal advance. Ben ning's and Laws brigades came promptly to their support, and the whole swept forward together. The tide was flowing the other way now"
 Lees tactics in the Wilderness cam paign were masterly. He had but 62,- 900 men with which to oppose the ar my led by Grant, numbering 10000. He permitted Grant to cross the Rapi- , dan river and enter the Wilderness
 without striking a blows Instead of rushing on his divisions singly to over
 whelm a fragment of his foes at time, he selected high commanding ground and intrenched, awaiting re- endorsements and the advance of the enemy The ground where Lees line rested was higher than that in front
 where Grant must advance. The Con- federate outposts were in the woods, but their artillery was in battery back in the clearings, ready to pour shot into the Federals should they attempt to pass through the woods.
 General Hill's guns were massed so as to cover the plank road and the crossroads leading from the Federal lines to Park CTS store Farther to the north, along the Orange turnpike, the Federa1s, under General Sedgwick and General Warren, were checked in their advance by swamps and streams which separated the corps from each other by a considerable distance and also separated the divisions in the line. Be- tween Hancock's right on the plank road and Warren's left there were sew eral streams with swampy borders. Along the whole line the impenetrable thicket of low nmbed, scraggy pine, scrub oak and hazel saplings hamper ed the movements of the assailing forces.
 The positions held by the columns under Hancock and Warren the morn ing of May 6 had been gained at the, cost of much hard fighting the day be- fore. Both of these commanders had been ordered by their chief to march to Parker's store, which at the. time the order was given was within the Confederate lines, Hills corps being east of it on the plank road, with Ewell's corps extending Hills line northward across the Orange turnpike.
 The advance of Warren's corps against Ewell on the turnpike was de layed all the morning of the 9th by 1 the impossible nature of the ground and still later by the guns and bay l onets of Ewells line of battle. About 2 o'clock that day Hancock, who was
 forging his way toward Parker's store,
 heard of Warren's situation and also learned that Longstreet had not yet
 reached the field on the Confederate side. Hancock instantly led out three divisions to force the passage on the plank road, where he was confronted by the single Confederate division of l General Heth.
 A roar of musketry fire soon an nounced that the bloody battle of the 1 Wilderness was on in earnest. Heth's
 men fought like tigers, capturing Rick ett's Pennsylvania battery, then losing l it later in a desperate countercharge of Hancock's veterans. Heth's line was finally broken and driven back
 upon Wilcox, who meanwhile had
 brought up his brigades At 5 o'clock | Willcoxs troops we're giving way in 1 disorder, and it was then that Lee sent his message to Longstreet, far in the
 rear, to march at double quick to the l battlefield.
 l Having learned from Confederate { prisoners that Longstreet should ar rive at daylight, May 6, with 12.O0O l troops. Grant gave his famous order l for an attack all along the lines at 5 o'clock At the hour set all were ready
 except the corps of Burnside. Prompt 1 ly Hancoek's divisions threw them l selves upon the Confederate intrench- 1 ments The attack and defense were
 alike desperate. Hancock's. men leaped first log intrenchment and then a line l of rifle pits. In less than an hour the
 Confederate right was routed and in
 flight It was at this moment of sue cess on the Federal side that Long
 street came up to decide the issue. GEORGE L. KILMER | s 7--- ---- 1 Woes of Brother Williams. l s'Ever hear tell 'bOl1t Br'er Williams