The Washington herald., 1914-05-23
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
= Fifty Years Ago.
May g. ls6e Federal Amy U.d Cra. Marching from Spotyvania
Courthouse Toward Rehnsad Arrived The Nor Anna River and
Found The Army Of Gea Lee Psssed a Shsas
tCowhght. M4.,

back. and capturing one Of their colonel.
and other prisoners.
Reassured by the favorable turn at the
the progress Of the contest. the lines oi
the shaken divisions were soon re-estab-
nshed. and the Confederates were driver
back, leaving several hundred prisoner,
In Warren's hands. His lines werv
rapidly intrenched and rendered safe
against direct attack.
i Hancock had struck the river at the
County Bridge, q mile west Of thr
fredericksburg Railroad crossing. This
| brought him against the east face OF
Lees v. He found the bridge defended
by q line Of intrencEments on the south
side Of the river. II .as necessary to
capture these works In order to effect a
passage. The division Of Gen David B.
Bfrney was charged with this duty, ana
about an hour before sundown, under
cover Of heavy fire from the corps of
artillery. the assault was made The
divisions two brIgades, under Col. w.
Egan. Of the / ortieth New York. and
Col. Byron r. Pierce, of the Third Mich.
igan. respectively. advanced at a double
quick. carried the bridge. and captureu
about forty prisoners
The Federals were encouraged by these
developments and prepared to push the
crossing OF the whole army the next day.
The movement may be traced here.
Early the next morning the Second
Corps pushed across the bridge and took
up position on the south side of the
river, facing the east Of Lees line, to
which his advance force had withdrawn
from the bridge.
The Sixth Corps now crossed at
Jericho. Thus three corps were safely
on the south side, confronting Lee once
they could not communicate with each
other, on account Of the salient in the
Confederate lines resting on the bank of
the river between the two points of pas
sage.
10 establish communication between
the right and left wings of his army
Grant ordered the Ninth Corps. Gen.
Burnside. to attempt a crossing at OK
ford, between them. division under
Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden attempted to
cross at Quarles Mills, a mile above the
ford. and to march to the ford, but was
attacked and forced back with heavy
loss The division of Gen. G. W. craw-
FORD, which made a demonstration from
warrens front toward the new point of
crossing. was thrust back upon the river
and compelled to return to IL. works,
narrowly escaping a serious disaster.
The Federals took from Lee in the
two days fighting about 1000 prisoners,
but In spite of all that could be done
Lee succeeded in maintaining his center
In its salient position, thereby keeping
the army Of the Potomac so divided as
to render 1t incapable Of advancing ex-
cept at the imminent risk of having
either wing overwhelmed before It could
receive succor from the other.
Grant examined the situation with
great care. but the Confederate position
was found to be impregnable: he there
fore decided again to withdraw from
Lees front-this being the third time in
the campaign he had done so-and to
march again ''by the left' to maneuyer
Lee into the open.
Tomorrow' The Ninth Corn. and
Gen. Burnside.
Copyright. lel4.)