Year: 1863

posed to his interloper via Fredericks
burg There was, therefore, no fighting
In the afternoon, with the exception O
now and then a slight skirmisb


The number of killed and wounded is
doubtless large, though it will probaly
fall short of the casualties of Antietam
as the troops were less exposed to mur.
derous artillery firing. The small arms
were more suited to the nature of the
field, although at times artillery was
used with good effect.


The correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from near Chansellors-
vile on Sunday evening, says:


Probably no battle was ever fought
upon ground more unfavorable for the
maneuvering and deploying of troops.
Nearly the whole country in this vicinity
is covered with dense forest, much of it
being of the same character as "The
Wilderness, lying only short distance
west of this point The timber is most
ly dead, and still very dense; then. to
make the forest still more impenetrable,
:. there is a dense growth of dead. under
man-certaily not for beasr-aftet--
worst place conceivable for handling
troops. Yet great part of to-day's ter
rible battle was fought in this almost i'm
penetrable jungle, and many dead and
wounded on both sides still lie there,
concealed in the gloomy depths of "The
Wilderness" The only open ground
upon which the battle was fought was
that plain on the south side of the plank
road, near Charlottesville, half a mile
long, and perhaps three hundred yards
wide. The only open ground in our
present position is a semi-circular crest,
extending from the left of Gen. Sykes
position to the right of Gen Towards


Immediately in front of this are dense
woods, concealing our skirmishers and
those of the enemy. This crest is our
artillery position, and here guns enough
are massed to blow to atoms the armies
of dozen Southern Confederacies. The
enemy seem to have proper apprecia-
ton of the courtesies in waiting for them
from this position. Twice to-day they
have essayed out of the woods towards
our guns, and twice have those guns
sent to their earthly doom untold num-
bers of desperate wretches. The artil-
lery at this point is in charge of Captain
Weed, Chief of Artillery of the Fifth
Army Corps.


conduct Of a large portion of the lth
corps, was the means of turning to ashes
grand victory almost within our grasp,
while the position was only retrieved by
the superb generalship OF the Command
ing General. A portion of the troops,
the brigades of Coils. Bushbeck and Nc
Lean. stood their ground manfully until
overpowered by vastly superior numbers
Gen. Barlow's brigade was absent with
Gen. Sickles.


The manner in which General Hooker
proposed to checkmate the rear attack of
Jackson strikingly illustrates the bold
and daring character of our commander
Finding that jackson was marching by
the old Catharpin road past our right
front, General Hooker promptly ordered
Ge~Aral Sickles TO attack that impudent
column on the flank. This was rot more
cuted. In one hour and a nan tr6ii aGhe
time the movement began the head of
General Birneys division was engaging
the enemy, and our force and vigorous
attack were so great, that the enemy's
left flank was speedily turned, his col
umns doubled back, one upon the other,
and his men seized with decentralization
and panic.


Williams division ably assisted this
dashing movement, while General Geary
attacked sharply on our center front, and
the prospects were cheering indeed. The
eleventh corps was strongly intrenched.
Its position ought to have been held, and
somebody is to blame for this disgrace
full affair, which smote US so sorely, just
as We were about to reap rich fruits from
the boldest move yet projected since we
crossed the river And to remedy the
effect of this disaster, we have spent this
day in fighting which onlyputs US in our
former condition, and the enemy once
more in our front Albeit we have in
hcted on Lee murderous loss, and so
shattered his columns that he must have
time and endorsements to enable him
to fight again as savagely as he fought
to-day. Beside, his position is now such
that he must inevitably attack our strong
position, or retreat Retreat in his case,
with our swift-marching army after him,
is most surely disastrous He may pre-
cipitate his whole force upon Sedgwick,
who can retire to the Nights of Freder-
icksburg, and wait for Hooker to follow
up in his rear Two or three times GEN
eral Hooker has said that he would COM
pei the rebels to come out of their forti-
fications and attack him on his own
ground 1t is brilliant generalship in
deed that has so faithfully fulfilled this
promise. To-day the enemy literally
leaves his fortifcations, and stands be-
fore our intrenched camp, essaying its
capture.


! of great moment to the enemy. HIS
communication by rail, if not totally sew
cred by our cavalry, must be seriously
interrupted by the presence of our forces
in the vicinity of Hamilton's Crossing,
five miles below Fredericksburg, which
has been the rebel supply depot during
the winter. The prisoners taken to-day
had nothing to eat, and some of them
saw no rations had been issued to them
for three days.


Our men never behaved more mag
nifcently. Cool, confident and brave
they fought with splendid valor, ant
were even complimented by the prison
ers who fell into our hands. The de