The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-08
What Was News
Fifty Years Ago
From the richmond Dispatch. May 7. 1851

! or the fighting between Orange
Courthouse and Chancellorsville. In
Spotsylvania County, General Lee re-
ports officially to the Secretary OF War
that General Gordon turned the enc
my's extreme right Friday afternoon
ana drove them from their rifle pits
They were forced into their intrench-
| mcnts on the Brook Road, extending
from Wilderness Tavern TO Trigg's
MIL Tho enemy has abandoned the
Gerinanna Ford Road and removed all
the pontoon bridges toward Ely's.
There was no attack yesterday, but q
great deal of heavy diminishing all
day.
1t now turns out that General Long
street was shot by the men of tho
Sixth Virginia Infantry OF Mahone's
| Brigade, firing on our men by mistake
His wound In the neck, while severe
and painful, is not considered serious
The general Is doing we'll.
1t was Gordons Georgia Brigade and
Johnson's North Carolina Brigade that
! so gallantly and successfully turned
tho enemy's right and saved the day in
! the fight of Friday In tho Wilderness
| The severe battles of Thursday and
| Friday occurred In desOlate wooded
country. Little or no artillery could
| bo brought into action. hence tho small
| number Of men killed as compared with
tho number wounded.
| When General Longstreet was
wounded in the baltic of Thursday,
| General r. II. Anderson was assigned
to the command Of the troops in Long
streets place.
Among the many prisoners taken In
the two days lighting in Spotsylvania
were Brigadicr Generals Seymour and
Shaler.
Tho engagement at Port walthan
Saturday was n brilliant success to
tho Confederate arms. General Bush
| rod Johnson was in command Of our
| forces. He drove the enemy back after
| severe fight lasting for nearly five
| hours. Ono thousand of the enemy
| were killed and wounded. while our
| loss was not half that number. Yam
keo pickets tore UP some OF the rail-
road track, but when they were driven
off the damage was quickly repaired.
and trains were running as usual yes
| terday.
Tho Federal gunboat Suwanec. lying
off Pickctt's farm. near Curtis Neck.
was attacked Saturday evening by two
companies OF dismountcd cavalry and
Stnrke's Battery OF light artillery. who
had approached the river for that pur-
pose. The crew and Soldiery were ut
dinner when the attack was made. but
soon rushed upon the deck. where they
were easy marks for the rifles and the
artillery on shore All of the officers
I
wounded. and the gunboat was set on
fire by the rapid firing. The mon sur
rendered. and tho most of them were
saved by the only boat our men had.
hut several were drowned. among
them some of the wounded men Tho
Suwhnee was blown up when the fire
reached tho boiler.
A telegram from Wilmington. n. c..
says Captain Cook. OF the ironclad
Albemarlc. engaged nine Of the cncmy's
gunboats In Albcmnrle Sound on tho
6th. sinking one and disabling two 9TH
ers, The night lasted from 4 p. NJ.
until night.
Colonel Mosby captured two wagon
trains heavily loaded. and the horses
ATTACHED. near Martinsvillo on Thurs
day last
The dwelling OF Robert Dunn, ncay
Port Wal:hall, was burned Saturday by
Yankees retrcating from Bushrod John
sons men.