The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-13

ment performed under constant pressure
OF attack enforcing quick abandon
ment Of successive lines OF battle formed
to beat Off our advance, presented an
appearance OF rout. which II was not.
How APPEARANCES DECEIVED GEN
ErAL GORDON.
Tho appearance was especially calcu-
lated to deceive General Gordon. Hav-
Ing transferred his command from me
right TO the extreme left OF our al
vance. tho sequential retrogressons, while
bringing on contact and collision with
Kershaw, and Ramseur, were quite away
from Gordon. He thus failed to per-
ce,ve the extent OF the resistance to our
advance. III front Of the center and right.
TO mako this clear, tho report OF Rarn
se,,r's division, by General Crimes, is,
here quoted from: "Grhmcss brigade, or
dered forward, charged most CALAMITY.
but being greatly overlapped on both
tanks was forced to fall back: Smiths
brigade of Wharons division charged
the same wooded hill, but was likewise
repulsed." wofford, OF Kershaw, was
then sent to help make the advance
continuous" on our right. But. after
1t came up, this reports reads. 1T was
not thought advisable to move It against
this strong positions - The Infantry
remained quiet until by concentrated
fire OF the artillery the Sixth corps was
dislodged. The division was re-
formed and rested upwards Of an hour.
The enemy had again made a
stand about three-quarters OF a mile In
advance. 'Ss Here again we halted
perhaps for an hour. These affairs and
3halts. unordcred by Early, tell why our
"advance" was not continuous" The
experience OF the brigade OF Kershaw---
ti,,rr n m
remembered by the writer as similar to
this. After the rout Of Crook on the east
OF the pike about {. A. NJ. Kershaw
led his division across It to assail the
Nineteenth corps. This brought on a se-
rious fight, in which the Mississippi bri-
cnde was repulsed. The other br!gades OF
the division, except Wofford, coming In on
our left, the enemy was forced to- with
draw. We followed up, with hating
and fighting, much as told in General
Grlmes's report Of Ramseur's division
which no commanded after that OFFICER
fell.
WHAT THE CASUALTY LISTS M IND1 y
CATE.
The casualty lists OF the confederates
are very imperfect, but enough Is given.
with the Federal losses, to dispel the idea
that our advance was unresisted. Of
Early's corps proper the losses are given
for only one brigade--G Crimes (North
Carolina) Of Ramseur's division. It lost
,ll9 men killed and wounded: '--4, Three
brjgades Of Kershaw's5 division sustained
loosen as follows: Connors South Caro-
lna), killed and wounded 1856, missing 200.
simms (GecrgiO, about 200 killed and
wounded, This probably includes the
wounded, 81 missing. Most OF the missing
were killed or wounded The brisades
were all small. Conner had about 1880,
officers and men III lne,; Simnls about
COO ana Humphreys about 800. .5s It will
be readily seen that their Casualties
while not extraordinarily heavy for Con-
fcdcrate troops. do not sustain the char
acter OF the advance as pictured IN Cor
don's war reminiscent ces. iTtp They ii wero
mostly sustained before the evening fight
and rout. The casualties OF the Union,
troops tell with even greater, emphasis
that they were in a fight aa well as q
foot race. The sixth corps lost 2,1B
the Nineteenth. 1883; the Eighth. 96o:
cavalry, 1906. Total. 5,6s5; Of which
over 400 were killed and wounded.
Tho Nineteenth corps losses were pTac-
tioally all su stained in the morning. when
assaulted by Kcrshaw. }s
THE GAP IN THE CONFEDERATE
LINE.
Such losses go far to sustain tho con-
viction that considering the disparity Of
numbers, barring the evening rout for
which he was not responsible, EARLY got
all out OF the battle that WAS possible.
or the Confederate break up in tho after
noon Gordon's War "Reminiscences"
reads. There was a large gap between
my right and the main Confederate line.
Ono after another Of my staff was directed
to ride with all speed to General Early
and appriso him OF the hazardous sltua-
ton Receiving no satisfactory answer,
myself rode finally rode to head
quarters to urge that he re-enforce the
left and fill the gap or else that
he concentrate his entire force for des-
rerate defense or Immediate withdrawal.
He Instructed mo to stretch out the al
ready weak line and take battery to
the left. I rode hnck mt furious gall
Top. to execute these most unpromislng
measures. 1t WAS too late. The last
chance had passed OF saving the army
from its doom. ] reached my command
only In time to find the initial columns
of s;ehrdan rushing through the gap
AS. our whole force was on the front. and
every inch of the limo menaced, where
could Early have drawn endorsements
| from? The centre had already been at.
tonuated by detaching Wofford's brigade
traitor or withdrawal" have been er-
fcctod, IN the open country, in the press
| ence OF such cavalry? There wns
| nothing to be done but to fight where
we stood At the very time General
Gordon rode TO Early 10 ask help for the
! left, orr right and center were Fighting tol
| life The break M OF the line reached
/ Kersnaw and Ramseur shortly after they
I had inflicted decided ana bloody re-
| pulse on the epemy's attnrk--an attack
| that may not have succeeded had 1t
been met with equal rcsolntc spirit on the
| left Where The Mississippi brigade stoot
| the fighting was at close quarters, and or
! the field in our front tho dead and
| wounded lay thick Connor's South
!. Carolina brigade WAS on ourNIeft, and the
| report OF its commander, Major Jas. NJ
/ Gpggan, reads; soon after this the en-
| envy made An attack on Humphreys which
| was met by such n heavy fire, so coolly
| delivered by that BRIGADE and the right
| Of my own that the enemy were checked
aud driven back. "A repetition OF the
| attack met with like result and The
! firirr cepscd along tbs whole line
| TIE FEDERAL CAVALRY AND THE
PANIC IN GORDON's DIVISION. +
! The fact Is siheridau's ATTEMPT ia win
I back the day was beote,p by this rcpnlse