Year: 1863

his right on Berrys flapk This new line
had been provided for during the night by
the construction of breast-works and rifle
pits along its entire front, and throwing
up field works for the artillery in the rear.


THE ATTACK.


A little before sunrise, while General
Sickles was moving his two divisions, the
enemy fell upon him in great force, the
attack coming from the woods on the
northwest of the field. The bulk of the
corps had been withdrawn from the field,
and were already in position at the desig-
mated point. A single brigade, each of
Birney's and Whipple's corps, remained,
and these set their faces bravely towards
the enemy and returned the fire that was
so unceremoniously poured upon them.


Simultaneously with this attack the
rebels pushed on down the plank road and
fell upon Berry 5 divisions at the edge ofthe
woods, and then upon French, lying on
Berry's right flank, and almost in a mo-
ment the fighting became general and in
tensely hot along the entire left wing of
the army. The position in which the two
divisions of Sickles' corps were placed, so
far in advance of the rest of the army, and
with no breastwOrks to shelter them, was
delicate in the extreme. The enemy, for
the first time, brought up several pieces of
field artillery, with which they opened up
on that little body of brave men with a
vigor that threatened their humiliation.


They were assailed by not less than
twenty thousand of the enemy, against
whom they could oppose scarcely more
than five thousand men in both brigades
combined. Fortunately there were one
or two batteries yet remaining on the
field, which were so efficiently worked as
to check the advance of the rebels. Gal
lantly they fought, those two brigades,
many of their number falling upon the
field under the merciless fire of the shell
tered foe; but they would not run, how
ever severe that fire might be. But it was
impossible that they could stand long
against such odds as assailed them here.
For half an hour they held their ground,
and then fell back in good order to the
shelter of the stone wall that divides this
field from the Chancellorville opening,
dragging their cannon after them. And
here they made another glorious stand. l
some of their numbers were left on the
upper field, ten times the number of the
foe, who now advanced from his shelter
and occupied the ground they had vacated,
were laid there to keep them company.
The position was changed now. The
weaker party had the shelter while the
stronger were forced to fight in the open
field. And coming into the field the reb-
els also exposed themselves to a most Sc
we're raking from several field batteries
planted on the other side of the neck close
by the position of Whipple's division. 1t
was truly astonishing how lavish they were
of human life and blood. Regiment after
regiment were completely swept away by
our musketry and the grape and canister
of our artillery, and yet fresh regiments
were as often pushed forward to take their
places. AT last, gaining possession of the
wood on the right of the stone wall, they
got an enfilading fire upon our little band
Of heroes, who were compelled to abandon
their position But if the enemy had
driven them back it had cost him dearly.
That little field was strewn all over with the
mangled cOrpses of the slain rebels, telling
the silent story OF the desperation Of the
struggle.


THE GENERAL FIGHT.


The determined Obstinacy of this little
band of two small brigades, in holding the
rebels tor more than an hour in check, had
given General Hooker opportunity to per-
feet the formation of his main line of bat
tie on the line he had intended it to take,
and with the exception of these two bri-
gades, who were LOO much exhausted to
renew the action Immediately, the line
was formed precisely as desired. The two
brigades that had done the hard fighting
fell back to the rear, leaving the field open
for the enemy to advance up to our rifle
pits. f.r.' '...,ot. .........,... ..,.. ..... ..


THE POSITION.


Along the rear of the line of infantry we
had large number of field batteries
planted. These were protected by earth
works that had been thrown up during the
previous evening and night. Our front
line of battle was formed in rifle pits and
behind breastworks Of timber and brush,
hastily thrown up, but affording 0 some
shelter to the men. The second or reserve
line, Lay upon the open, field, and was in
tended to advance to the breastwOrks
when the first line should become ex-
hausted. The line was formed upon either
side of the plank road leading to Orange
Court House, and close up to the woods.
We had a section of Dimmick's famous
battery planted directly in this road on d
line with our reserves, which. swept the
road to prevent the enemy advancing down
it. But the enemy had also brought
around quantity of field artillery, with
(Which they opened upon Capt. Dimmick
with great earnestness. The, duel fought
between these batteries was hard one.
The Save Dimlnick fell during Its pro-
gress, and many Of his gunners were car
ried to the rear, no longer useful as war
riors.