The National tribune., 1910-06-23
THE WILDERNESS. CAMPAIGN
tContinued from page one.)

He.J
been such disparity tbetweaS the losses
of the two armies as the SqYthern writ
ers would have u.s. believeU borne out
in their assertions by the fulminations
and also by the clamors of the Copper
head press of the Nprth. tilt was the
card of the Peace Party Of the North
ii the Union armies, bafticulaHy those Of
the Army of the Potomac This was
done to discourage the Northern peo-
pie with the policy of theu Abolition
the South, and to sicken them with the
ruthless slaughter Of their sons. Con-
sequently all these stories have to be
subjected to careful examination and
a marked reduction.
The Army of Northern Virginia had
started into the campaign with approx
mately 10000 men, and we know that
it lost as many, if not more, in prison.
ers than the Army of the Potomac. If
the total loss of this army was 37,335,
that of the Army of Northern Virginia
in those awful 16 days must have ex-
ceeded 10000, so that Lee had under
his command at Spotsylvania in the
|neighborhood of $4,000 to confront the
$1,000 of the Army of the Potomac
IL.
ments, which were being sent to him
as rapidly as possible, but not 90 rapid
ly as Lee was being strengthened by the
arrival of troops released from the
Shenandoah Valley by Sigers defeat
and from Petersburg and Richmond by
the "bottling up" of Butler at Bermuda
Hundred 1t was felt by the Confeder-
ate Government that Picketts fine di-
vision could be spared from Petersburg
and it arrived at Hanover Junction with
an effective strength variously stated by
the Confederate writers at from 4,41g
to 9,192. Hoke's Division, 5000 strong
also went up from Petersburg to join
the Army of Northern Virginia, and
Breckenridge, leaving Gen. Imboden
with his mounted infantry to guard the
Shenandoah Valley, brought his infan-
try to reinforce Lee.
A Bait for Lee.
Finding so much of the aggressive
ness taken out of the Army of Northern
Virginia, and such a manifest indispo-
sition to fight outside of strong works,
Gen. Grant threw out very tempting
bait to Lee to draw him out into the
open. 1t was something that Lee could
not have resisted coming from McClel-
Ian, Burnside, Hooker or Meade, but
from Grant II was an entirely different
matter. Gen Lee had acquired a vast
excessively dear school in the Is days
in which he had had active dealings
with Grant.
On May IS Gen. Grant directed Gen.
Meade to move Gen. Hancock with his
whole corps and as much cavalry as
Gen. Torbert could gather about 20
miles out on the road toward Rich
mond, fighting whatever force he~might
encounter. The rest of the army was
to be kept well in hand, so that if Lee
nibbled at this bait, and rushed out to
attack Hancock the other three corps
would pounce upon him and destroy
him while Hancock held him in front.
Tyler's fight on the Fredericksburg road
on the 18th had postponed the execu-
ton of this order until the night of the
goth, when Hancock was directed to
move as soon after dark as was prac-
ticable by the way ofaGuineyfs Station
and Bowling Green to Milford Station
and take possession of the right bank
of the Mattapony. He was toifight the
enemy wherever he found him, and re-
port progress constantly to headquar-
ters.
Gen. Warren was ordered to get
ready to move on the morning of the
21st to MassapOna;o Church and thence
southwark across the Ny and Po by
way of Mud Tavern Burnside was to
follow Warren and Wright. to follow
Hancock on the night of May 21.
Gen. Hancock moved as ordered, ar
irving at Guineys Station, which was
eight miles on his way, at daybreak,
and about 10 o'clock In the morning
struck Kemper's Brigade, intrenched at
Milford Station. This was driven out
of its works and across the Mattapony
with a loss of prisoners. Hancocks
sharp advance secured both the wagon
and railroad bridges, so that Barlows
yfctn ~, at ~
the same day and intrenched. While
this was going on the skirmishers of
the other three corps pressed up close
TO the Confederate intrenchments to
watch his movements and if possible
catch him in the disorder of retiring.
Apparently Gen. Lee was slow to un-
derstand the movement. News was
sent to him of our advance in force on
Guiney's Station. Ee dispatched a ci-
pher message to Richmond saying that
Grant was evidently trying to place the
Mattapony between the two armies. and
had changed his base to Port Royal on
the Rappahannock.
AS the troops from our right began
to move off Gen Wilcox was sent out
by Lee late in the afternoon with two
brigades to see what this activity meant.
Wilcox ran up against Wright's skir-
nish line, and after sharp attack was
driven back. When the Fifth Corps
finally withdrew the movement could
no longer be concealed, but Gen. Lee,
instead of rushing off. as 1t was hoped
he would. to attack Hancock. hurried
on to Hanover Junction to interpose be-
tween Grant and Richmond.
Hanover Junction and the North Anna.
Hanover Junction is situated at the
crossing of the Virginia Central Rail-
,ESSSACE1KOIn7REfEIS