The National tribune., 1910-08-04
THE WILDERNESS CAMP PhIGN
Continued from mage onel

time on the front line of the men. AL
tho the enemy was not driven back, he
was beaten down into quietude. The
18th Pa, 4th and 9th n. Y: Cav, on
Gen. Merritt's line, rendered valuable
service, and the 10th n. Y. Cav, a
splendid regiment, specially distin-
guished itself in this fight, holding the
enemy in check at very important
point on the extreme left and rear
Wade Hampton reports that his divi-
sion lost SO killed, 25S wounded and
295 missing, but Fitzhugh Lee does not
report his losses. Hampton says that
he ordered an immediate pursuit, but
til S must have been an afterthought,
since he seems to have had quite
enough to do to reorganiZe his COM
mand and prepare for another heavy
blow, when, to his qualification, ne
found that Sheridan had Withdrawn.
Sheridan says of this fight that it was
by far the most brilliant one of the
present campaign. The enemy's loss
was very heavy. My loss in killed and
wounded will be about SIS. OF TINS
number 490 were wounded. 1 brought
off in my ambulances 371-au that
could be transported. The remainder
We're, with a number of the reDel
wounded that fell into my hands, LETT
behind Surgeons and attendants were
detailed to remain in charge OF them
l captured and have now with me $40
prisoners of war, including 20 commits
stoned officers My loss in captured will
not exceed 150."
Sheridan left near Trevilian three
hospitals well stocked with medicines,
liquor, hard bread, coffee and sugar.
About 80 of our men, too i'll to be
moved, were left there with many of
the rebel wounded in charge of Sur
geons, as he says. Altho the wounded
Confederates received the same atten-
ton our men did, the Surgeons were
not well treated by the enemy, who
robbed the hospitals of the liquor and
stores.
No junction With Hunter.
What was most important, Sheridan
learned from the prisoners captured
that Hunter. instead of moving toward
Charlottesville, where he could be
reached, was directing his march upon
Lynchburg. Therefore. junction with
him was impossible, particularly as
Breckinridge's Division had gotten
ahead of Sheridan and was interposing
between him and Lynchburg, while
Ewelrs Corps was on its way to Lynch
burg. Had there been nothing but the
Confederate cavalry in his way Sheri-
dan would have scattered it and Joined
Hunter, no matter what the distance.
With heavy body of infantry behind
the cavalry it was quite another mat
ter.
Having now carried out his orders in
drawing off the Confederate cavalry
and preventing it from interfering with
Grants march to the James, Sheridan
decided to return. This gave Hampton
and Fitzhugh Lee an opportunity to
claim a victory over him. They were
very careful, however, to make no hot
pursuit.
During the night of June IL the COM
mand moved back unpursued and un- |
molested behind the North Anna, where |
the next morning the horses were at |
last unsaddled and turned out to rest
and Craze after their two days of ter |
ribly hard work. Wade Hampton and |
Fitzhugh Lee followed at such a re- !
spectful distance that they came in
sight but once before Sheridan reached |
West Point, on the York River. There |
he expected TO find transports on which |
to place his groaning loads, which, with |
his 500 prisoners, would be conveyed |
northward. These prisoners had been |
almost as much trouble to him as the |
wounded. AS usual, Sheridan and his |