The National tribune., 1910-03-03


vision first struck the enemy ntrenched
beyond a swampy ravine, and the troops
encountered there were two Confcder
ate brigades commanded by Brig.-Gen.
w. f. Perry. Potters Division attacked
| these with spirit and gained some ad-
vantage, and then Wilicox's Division
came up and threw its weight upon
them. broke them and drove them back
| in disorder, severely wounding Gen.
Perry. Prig.-G Wofford was hurried
up to Perry's assistance, and, attacking
Willcox's now disordered troops. drove
| them back. Wofford was reinforced by
| Gen. Heth, and Burnside's men were
forced back to the position from which
they came. The most considerable sue
cess had been gained by Gen. Hart
ranfts Brigade, composed of the I'd,
Sth. 21th and 18th Mich, 51st Pa. and
129th n Y. 1t carried the enemy's
works, and captured a number of pris-
OneTs. but lost heavily, its losses includ-
| ing Col. Frank Graves, Sth Mich, who
fell at the head of his regiment inside
the enemy's works. Christs Brigade,
| 1st and 10th Mich, Goth Ohio and 50th
Pa, advanced to the support of Hart
ranft Another assault was made but
lrepulsed, and the two divisions settled
down into bivouac for the night on a
line close to that held by the Confed-
crates. This line was iutrenched during
the night, and a few prisoners picked
up from the enemy. The Second Divi-
sion had lost "A killed, 389 wounded
and Al missing, making a total of 504.
The Third Division had lost 469 killed
and wounded and II missing, a total of
4S1. Burnside was criticised by the
men of the other corps for not having
made his attack with sufficient vigor.
but it was felt that the difficulties of the
woods which his men encountered were
n in hn
fronts, and accounted for this.
In the Center and on the Right.
While the fighting for the Brock road
was going on the Fifth Corps could do
little more than TO hold its position in
the center, as its strength was being
reduced from time to time by brigades
sent to help out Hancock, and soon
there were two divisions of the corps
with Hancock as well as one from the
Sixth Corps. Warren occupied himself
with holding the troops in his front and
preventing them from reinforcing those
in front of Hancock. AS they were now
behind intrenchments Warren saw little
hope of achieving anything by an as
sault
Constant skirmishing, with some
heavy fighting, went on all day in front
of the First Division of the Sixth Corps,
the most notable event being the skill
fully executed flank attack at one period
by Maj. Totten with five companies of
the 5th Wis, which captured about 800
of the enemy with the colors of the
25th Va. In the Second Division the
Vermont Brigade again gave a very
good account of itself. 1t gained pos
session of two irregular lines of old
logs and decayed timber laid up by the
enemy, and awaited there the attempt
of the Confederates to regain the posi-
ton. Behind this covert the Vermont
Yankees, as was their custom, fired de-
liberately and with sure aim, which
wrecked the advancing lines of the enc
my in every one of his repeated as
saults. Nor did a flank fire disturb the
steady minded Vermonters, who an
swered it by facing the 4th VT to the
right and opening deadly fire upon
the flanking column. They did not re-
to the left was broken, and a great tide
of the enemy rushed thru and opened
fire upon the brigade's rear. Then
Gen. l.. A. Grant ordered his men to
make their way back to the breast
works on the Brock. road, which they
did, and promptly reformed there.
Bidwelrs Brigade, 18th Me-, 43d, 149th,
nth n. Y. and 61st Pa, made an as
sault earlier in the morning, and crossed
a marsh covered with chaparral, but
was repulsed with heavy loss, and a
similar ill fortune attended second
assault made two hours later, when it
was ordered to intrench on the ground
from which it had started.
Gen. Truman Seymour's Brigade.
10th, 1921, 126th Ohio, TSSth Pa, a
battalion of the 9th Pa. and the 9th
Nd was on the extreme right of the
line of battle on the first day, and oc-
cupied position on gently rolling
ground, thickly covered with trees. 1t
had advanced to secure its front and |
Hriu hucl. nj, J, hraa r
works, during which it suffered severe
ly, particularly the 9Th Md and 10th |
Ohio. The 9Th Md. lost 1S0 officers and |
men killed and wounded and the 10th |
113. Among the killed in the latter |
regiment was Mai. McElwain, one of |
the most gallant officers in the brigade |
Col. j. Warren Keifer; of the 10th