Year: 1863

successful,-the enemy were driven bael
t nearly half mile, and our tired men one,
: more slept on their arms. That nights worl
was ended.


t Now come to Sunday. It was perfectly
t evident, from the position of affairs on Satur


day night that there must be change Of ou
| lines, which would throw the enemy out o
our rear and into our front again. 1t will bt
seen by what sltillful generalship the enemy


was fought and checked on 'front.' and flank
and rear, while this was being done
General Reynolds 1st Army Corps arrived
at United States Ford on Saturday afternoon
t 1t was Immediately put into position on oul
right, which was Withdrawn from the plank
road to the Ely's Ford Turnpike. This line
was Immediately formed by Generals -Rey-


mold S and Meade--the latter's position, on the


left, having been relieved by General How


ards llth Corps, which, Notwithstanding its


disorganized condition, was so far reorganized


during the night as to be fit for duty again


this morning. They were assigned the posi-


ton on the left where it was probable there


would be little or no fighting, and were pro


tected by the strong works built the day be-


fore by General Meade's corps Our new line


now assumed the shape of triangle, prolong-


ed at the apex, the right Of the line being


somewhat longer than the left. As the por-


ton OF the line on the right was new, time


was necessary to fortily and intrench it, and


the work was carried on vigorously by the


9th and lst Army Corps.


1t was very evident at daylight this morn
ing that the day would bring forth a terrific


battle. We knew that the enemy had been


reinforcing his line all night, at the expense,
undoubtedly, OF the strength Of his force on
our left. His intention was, evidently, to
fight for the possession of the plank road, which
it was perfectly apparent he must have, as
that portion Of it which we then held, was
subject to the enemy's assault in front and on
both sides.


But the possession of this road was not OBJ
tained by the enemy save at our own time,
at his severest cost, and after one of the most
desperate, tenacious and bloody conflicts. for
its short duration, of the whole war At 5
clock A. NJ the rebels could be plainly seen
up the plank road, about a mile and a half
from the Chancellor House. which General
Hooker still retained as his headquarters,
though shell had gone through it the even
ing before, and another had cut down a tree
directly in front oft


Our line Of battle was formed with General
Berry's gallant division on the right, General
Birney next on the left, General WhippIe and
General Williams supporting. At 81 A. N
the advance became engaged in the ravine,
just beyond the ridge where Captain Best's
guns had made their terrific onslaught the
night before. and where they still frowned
upon the enemy and threatened his destruc-
ton.


The rattle of musketry soon became a long
continued crash, and in a few moments, as
battalion after battalion became engaged, the
roar surpassed all conception and indicated
that the fight would be one of the most terri
bic nature. General Berrys division, which
had checked the enemy's advance the night
before, engaged him again, and if it were pos
sible for them to add more laurels to their
fame, then they did it thrice over again. The
enemy advanced his infantry in overwhelm-
ing numbers, and seemed determined to crush
our forces But the brave men OF Sickles and
SIocum, who fought their columns with des-
perate gallantry, held the rebels in check, and
inflicted dreadful slaughter among them. Gen.
French's division was sent in on the right
flank of our line at abea! A NJ, and in a
short time a horde of ragged, streaming rebels
running down the road indicated that that
portion of the enemy's line had been crushed.
At 8 o'clock A. n. General French sent his
compliments to Gen. Hooker, with the infor-
nation that he had closed the enemy and was
driving him before him.


Sickles maintained the attack upon his line
with great endurance. The enemy seemed
determined to crush him with the immensity !
of his forces, and, as subsequently shown from
the statement of prisoners five whole diVis-
ions of the rebel army were precipitated upon
this portion of the line for from these five
divisions we took, during the day, an aggre-
gate of over two thousand prisoners.


The exploits of our gallant troops in those
dark, tangled, gloomy woods may never be
brought to light; but they would fill hun
dred volumes 1t was a deliberate, desperate
hand to hand conflict, and the carnage was
perfectly frightful. Cool officers say that the
dead and wounded of the enemy covered the
ground in heaps, and that the rebels seemed
utterly regardless of their lives and literally
threw themselves upon the muzzles Of our
guns Many desperate charges were made
during the fight, particularly by Berry's di-
vision. Motifs brigade made fifteen distinct
charges, and captured seUe,s stands of colors,
the 9TH New Jersey, Colonel Francine, alone
capturing four stands of colors and five hun
dred prisoners.


General Couch's ID Army Corps, though |
only in part present, did excellent work. It |
was General French who charged and drove
the enemy on the flank, and it was the in |
domitable Hancock who gallanty went to the
relief of the hard pressed Sickles.


The engagement lasted, without the slight |
est intermission, from 81 A. M.to 8:45 An,
when there was a temporary cessation on our !
part occasioned by getting out Of ammunition.