Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-17

figures can only be made up from par
tial reports. estimates and differences.
According to these, it did not differ
materially from the national loss, and
In the circumstances of the battle
there was no reason for thinking it
would Among the officers lost, be-
sides those already mentioned, were,
on the national side: Gen. Alexander
Hays, killed; Generals Getty, Baxter
and McAllister and Colonies Carroll
and Keifer wounded, and General Sey-
mour and Shaler captured; on the
confederate side. Generals Pegram
and Beening wounded.
Grant Fighter.
If General Lee supposed that the
army of the Potomac, after sudden
blow, and a bloody battle. would
turn about and go home to-
repair damages as it had been
in the habit of doing - he omitted
from his calculation the fact that it,
was now led by soldier who never
did anything of the sort. Indeed, he.
is reported to have said to his lieu
tenants, after this costly experiment.:
Gentlemen, at last the Army of the
Potomac has head. ''Tactically,it had
been a drawn battle. Grant accounts it
victory, which he says; Consisted in
having successfully crossed for
midable stream, almost in the
face of an enemy, as in getting the
army together as a unit" 1t was also
a national victory in certain dismal
sense, from the fact that - in chang
ing off man for man to the extent of
twelve or fifteen thousand = that had
been done which the enemy could
least afford.
Settles the Campaign.
There was no fighting on the 7th ex-
cept a cavalry engagement at Todd's
Tavern, by which Sheridan cleared the
| road for the southwark movement of
the army; and in the afternoon Grant
gave the order to move by the left
flank toward Spottsylvania Gen. Will
liam I. Sherman says in a private let
ter: 1T was then probably that Gen
eral Grant best displayed his greatness.
Forward by the left fank!-that set
| tied that campaign" That the same
opinion was held by a large part of the
army itself at the time, is shown by
| the testimony of various men who were
there. Frank Wilksen writes: Grants
military standing with the enlisted men
| this day hung on the direction we turn
ed at the Charlottesville House. If to
the left he was to be rated
with Meade and Hooker and Burn
side and Pope = the generals who pre-
ceeded him. At the Chancellorsvil1e
| House we turned to the right. Instant
ly all Of us heard a sigh of relief. Our
| spirits rose. We marched free. The
men began to sing. The enlisted men
understood the tianking movement.
That night we were happy"
General Grants purpose was toNplace
his army between the enemy and
Richmond, interfering with the com.
munication and compelling Lee to fight
at disadvantage. The immediate pur-
pose was a rapid march to Spottsylvan-
Ia court house, fifteen miles southeast
of the wilderness battlefield and a
dozen miles southwest Of Fredericks-
burg. Owing to unexpected circum-
stances, Lees army won this race and
once more the army Of Northern Vir-
ginia stood at bay.
On May 8, Grant sent Sheridan out
to ride entirely around the confederate
army with his cavalry, tearing up the
railroads, destroying bridges and de-
pots and capturing trains. At Yellow
Tavern, seven miles north of Rich.
mond, Sheridan's troops met the con-
federate cavalry under Stuart and after
a hard fight, defeated and dispersed
them. General Stuart himself, the
ablest cavalry leader in the confeder-
acy, being mortally wounded.
The Deadly Salient at spottsylvania.
There was desperate fighting at
Spottsylyania on the ninth and tenth
of May, forty years ago. On the 18th
1t rained heavily and there was no
fighting. On the twelfth, just forty
years ago Thursday, the main battle
occurred. The weak point in the con-
federate line was the salient, at the
northern point of their intrenchment
Grant determined to carry this salient
by assault and here occurred what Is
believed to be the most deadly and des-
perate hand-to-hand fighting of the
Civil war; not even excepting Gettys-
burg or the Hornets nest at Shiloh
The morning of the 18th was foggy,
but by 4:30 o'clock 1t was light enough
and Hancock's men advanced, some Of
them passing through thickets of dead
pines. When they were half way
Ia& IS the open ground in front Of the
sa Vt, they burst into a wild cheer
and Rished for the works. Here they
/ were met by a brave and determined
resistance on the part Of the half sur
prised confederates, who fought irreg-
.Iularly with dubbed muskets. But
4 nothing could resist the impetus of
! Hancock's corps, which was over the
breastworks in a few seconds. Large
numbers Of confed crates were killed,
mostly with the bayonet. So sudden
was Hancock's interruption into the
enemys works that he captured Gen.
Edward Johnston's entire division Of
nearly 1000 men, with It's commander
and also Brigadier-General Stuart,
] How are you, Stuart?" said Hancock,
recognizing i'm his prisoner an old ar
my friend and extending his hand. II
am General Stuart, of the Confederate
army was the reply .'and under the
circumstances decline to take your
hand" Under any other circum-