Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-15
Gives SPOTsYLVkN|A
PALM FOR BRAVERY
Exhibition of Cox, age Declared TN
cqualcd IN History of
World.
MUsKETHI FIRE lNCEsSA NJ
Fetlerals Rcpulscd in Second Charge.
General Lee. Willie Viewing Bat
q tie, Taken to- Place of Safety ny
General John Is. Gordon.
concluded from las, wcel,

concluded from last week.
AS l now recall that scene. looking
back 10 II over the intervening years,
md with the calmer thought and
clearer perceptions that come in more
advanced age. am still more deeply
Impressed with the conviction that.
considered I'm all its phases this battle
between the Confcderntcs and Yankees
on May II and the succeeding night
mt .Spotsylvania has no parallel in the
annals OF war. Considered merely i'll
their sanEuinary character. the num-
Der of lives lost. the area over which
the armies extended and the panorama
presented by vast armies mancuNcr-
fng, charging. repelling, retreatinS
and reforming many OF our battles of
our Civil War surpassed IL Among
these were First and Second Cold Har-
Dor, FrcdcricksburC. ChanCcllorsvillc.
Wilderness. Gettysburg and Sharps-
hurE; but To Spotsylvania history will
record the palm. j am sure. for hay
Ing furnished All uncXampled muzzlc-
,o-muzzlc fire, the longest roll of in
ressant. unbroken musketry. the most
splendid exhibition of individual hero
ism and personal daring by large num-
bcrs, who. standing in freshly split
blood OF their fellows. faced for SO
long n period and ut so short range
tho flaming rifles as they hcraldcd the
DEGREES of death. This hcroism was
confined to neither side. 1t was cX-
htbitcd BY both armies. ana i'll that
hand -to-hand struggle for the posses
sion of rcastworlIs. il seemed ALMOST
Universal.
The appalling might scenes of the
18th did not mark the end OF blood
shed at Spotsylvania. but only com
PEELED a pause IN the siclicning slauSh-
ter long enough to give the armies
toll hrr
failed to drive tho Yankees from tho
outer slope OF that short and disputed
section of brcastworlls. General Grant
had failed 70 drive the Confcdcrates
from tho inner slope or 10 extend his
possession OF the works either to the
right or TO the left Another test
therefore, OF the mcttle OF the NV"
nrmics was TO be made on the same
field.
Five dnys passed. however. before
General Grant clearly Indicated 10 his
nntae onist his next move. ON the lsth'
General Grant decided 10 make another
desperate attempt TO drive General Lee
from his position AT SpotsylNania. TIC
rent General Hnncock's Corps, rc-cl-
forced by fully 5000 fresh troops. with
NyriEht's Corps, TO aid him. back 10
Tho point where the assault of May II
had been made. General Hancock al
ready had twice passed over tnlS
'bloody angle" once In his successful
advance and again upon his repulsc by
the Confcderatcs' countcrchargc. IL"
was now to pass the third time Over
..Ielrs Half Acre" another name by
which this CORY angle WAS known. IN
this last effort he was, however, 10
have tho cooperation of that excel
lent corps commander, General wright.
FEDERALs MAKE PLANS
FOR DAYLIGHT ATTACK
The attack was to be made by DAY
light and not in the darkness OF under
cloudy cover. as ON me morning "a VIZ
18th and not upon the same breast
works, but upon new Confederate IN
trenchments which had been con-
structed behind them. General Grant
was to superntcnd the daring move
mcnt in person. In superb style ana
evidently with high hopes, the yam
KEGS moved to the assault. The Con-
fcderates although their numbers had
been materially decreased by the cas-
ualtics OF battle and Withdrawals from
This left wing to strengthen our right.
were ready for them. and as Hancock 5
and wrght'S brave men climbed over
tho old abandoned worits and de-
bauchcd from the intervening bushes. :.
consuming fire Of grape canister ana
mimic balls was poured in inccssaii
vollcys upon them.
Such n fire was too much for any
troops. Tho first hultcd before II ana
staggered. then they rallied. moved for
ward, halted again. wavcrcd, bent into
Irregular, z!gzaG lines and at last broke
In confusion and prccipitatcd retreat,
This ended tho second series OF battles
im which General Grant had failed to
drive the Confederate forces from the
field In both General Leo had sue
ccssfully repealed General Grants as
eaults, first In the Wilderness and now
a Spottsylvania, and compelled him to
seek other points at which to repeat
his efforts
Dear reader, in this last and final
charge Of General Grant on our front
Ills lines were three columns deep and
heard our men in the trenches from
my left to right say: Il am going 10
shoot at the colorbcarcr" The enemy
lad battle flags and also dress flags
right In the rear Of the battle Nag. The
dress flags were large, blue ANA of SILK
and did look beautiful floating to The
breczes. At the command Fire" the
three lines deep went down. rot 10 rally
again. The artillery 10 our right
played havoc with the enemy after
wards. ] saw q Yankee knapSack shoe,
UP i'll the air as high as a church
stceple. presumably struck by one Of
our artillery shells.
GENERAL LEE WARMED
or DANGEROUS POSITION
After this, all along tho line every
thinG was quiet. General Lee rode
out from the woods mounted on old
Traveller" with his field glasses, look
ing intentlv towards the enemy Cen
eral John n. Gordon rode ont of the
woods right ~ ,i'n and remarked.
''General Lee. this IS 10 plac" for you