MORE FIGHTING AT SPOTTSYLVANIA C. H.

573

and Griffin's divisions were detached | recently drawn from the defenses of from Warren and sent to the aid of Washington, by whom he was galHancock, who still held fast to the lantly repulsed and driven off, though captured work, but could not go be- not without serious loss on our side. yond it; while Lee made five succes- The reckless fighting of the artillesive and desperate assaults on him, rists-mainly veterans in service, but with intent to hurl him back; the new to the field-excited general admen fighting hand-to-hand, with their miration, but cost blood. The 2d respective flags often planted on op- and 5th corps hurrying to their aid, posite sides of the same breast work. Ewell's men were run off and scatThese assaults were all repelled with tered in the woods, on our left, where frightful carnage; but Hancock was several hundreds of them were hunted unable to advance, as he had expect up and taken prisoners. Somewhat ed to do, and ultimately got off but delayed by this sally, our army, mov20 of the captured guns. Rain set in ing by the left, resumed, next night," again at noon; but the fighting con- its march to Richmond. tinued till near midnight, when it was terminated by Lee's desisting and leaving Hancock in possession of his hard-won prize; but that was the extent of our advantage, which had cost us several thousand men, and the enemy almost as many. Lee fortified and held a line immediately in front of IIancock; so that the ene my's general position proved as invulnerable as ever.

Here ensued several days of maneuvering, marching and countermarching, in quest of a weak point in the enemy's defenses; but none was found: an assault being delivered on the 18th, by Gibbon's and Barlow's divisions, supported by Birney's and Tyler's, nearly in front of the work they had so gallantly carried on the 12th; but they were stopped by formidable abatis, and repulsed, losing heavily.

Gen. Meade reports his losses up to this time at 39,791; to which something must be added for the losses of Burnside's corps before it was formally incorporated with the Army of the Potomac. If we assume that half these fell in the Wilderness, our losses around Spottsylvania C. H. were scarcely less than 20,000 men. The Rebels, holding a ridge, generally fighting on the defensive and behind breast works, had suffered considerably less, but still quite heavily. Among their officers killed were Gens. Daniels, Perrin, and J. M. Jones.

In the Wilderness, our army had cut loose from its original base north of the Rapidan. It had since established a new one at Fredericksburg, to which its wounded were sent, and where they were met by officers, nurses, and other employés of the Next afternoon, observing or sus- Sanitary and Christian Associations, pecting that our army was gradually with the amplest and most thoughtmoving to the left, with intent to flank ful provision for the mitigation and pass him, Lee threw forward Ew- of their sufferings. As it moved ell against our weakened right, held down toward Richmond, new bases by Tyler's division of foot artillerists were established at Port Royal and

20 May 20-21.

then at White House; so that, while | gallop, and our assault was repulsed; there was doubtless much suffering Sheridan crossing the Chickahominy from privation as well as from at Meadow bridge, beating off atwounds, it was always within a short tacks both front and rear, burning the distance of posts to which abundant railroad bridge, and moving to Haxsupplies were forwarded from Wash- all's;" where he rested three days, ington and from the great commer- and then, moving by White House cial cities, under the efficient direc- and Hanover C. II., rejoined the tion of Gen. Rufus Ingalls, its chief Army of the Potomac. Quartermaster.

BUTLER MENACES PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND.

575

28

pushed forward to possess and secure | prehension by Gillmore's withdrawthe peninsula between the James and al. When, therefore, the first resothe Appomattox, known as Bermuda lute effort was made" to cut the railHundreds. Next day, Gen. Smith road, some portion either of the North moved out toward the railroad from or South Carolina forces had already Richmond to Petersburg, but failed arrived; and, when it was renewed," to strike it. On the 7th, Gen. Smith, the enemy had been materially with his own and part of Gillmore's strengthened. Still, the advantage corps, struck the railroad near Port of numbers was clearly on our side; Walthall junction, and commenced and the enemy was forced to uncover destroying it; having to fight D. H. the railroad, which was destroyed for Hill, but with advantage to our side; some distance; our troops pressing while Col. West's cavalry, having southward to Swift creek, three miles forded the Chickahominy, arrived from Petersburg. But now, deceived opposite City Point. After breaking by fresh, joyful, but hardly truthful, up the railroad for some distance, Washington advices, Butler turned Gen. Butler, misled by advices from his face northward, to participate in Washington that Gen. Lee was beat- the expected speedy capture of Richen and in full retreat on Richmond mond; pushing his lines gradually up -which would have brought him to Proctor's creek, whence the enemy down suddenly in overwhelming force withdrew" to an intrenched line beon this army-drew back within his hind it, which Gen. Gillmore flanked, intrenchments, which he was engaged and which was to have been assaultin strengthening for the apprehended cd; but our troops had been so disemergency. The fact that his two persed that the requisite force was corps commanders did not cordially not at hand; so the attack was decooperate, while Gillmore did not ferred till next morning." execute his orders so promptly and vigorously as he deemed fit, somewhat increased the inevitable perplexities of the commander's critical position. Had Butler been directed to move on Petersburg, he could hardly have failed to capture that city-there being no considerable Rebel force then in lower Virginiaand might have been enabled to hold it; separating, for a time, the Rebel capital and Lee's army from the South proper. But, the first astounding news of his movement up the James summoned Beauregard by telegraph from Charleston, with all the forces that could be scraped from that region—now relieved of all ap

at once

But Beauregard-whom Butler supposed still at or below Petersburg, unable to get up-was on hand, with a formidable force, and intent on making himself disagreeable. A dense fog shrouded every thing, when, before daylight, our sleeping soldiers on the front were startled by a grand crash of artillery and musketry. Our forces had been so disposed that there was over a mile of open country between our right and the James, merely picketed by 150 cavalry; and Beauregard, having made careful observations before dark, attempted at once to assault in front, to turn this flank, and to strike heavily our left with a divi"May 13. 30 May 16.

sion under Gen. Whiting, which he had left on the Petersburg side of the gap in the railroad.

The attempt to turn our right was at first a decided success. Heckman's brigade, here posted, was surprised and overwhelmed. The enemy gained the rear of this flank, and was carrying all before him, when he met the 112th New York--one of three Gillmore regiments which Butler had fortunately sent to Smith as a support to his long, thin line. Joined on the instant by the 9th Maine, this regiment held the road junction which the enemy were pressing on to seize, and stubbornly refused to move. The Rebel commander, disconcerted by this unexpected resistance, and reluctant to advance in the fog to unknown and incalculable perils, desisted and withdrew.

The front of Smith's line, held by the divisions of Brooks and Weitzel, was impetuously assailed; but Smith, having found a quantity of telegraph wire lying idle, had resolved to make a precautionary use of it, by directing his men to stretch it tightly along their front, winding it occasionally around a tree or stump, at a height of two or three feet from the ground. The assaulting enemy, rushing blindly upon this in their charge, pitched headlong over it, and were shot or bayoneted ere they could regain their feet. Their attack in front was thus repulsed-the assailants recoiling with loss.

Whiting, who was to have struck Gillmore on our left, failed, for some reason, to do so; hence, Gillmore stood in idle expectancy, until Smith drew back, when he did likewise. We had lost in this collision about 4,000 men; the Rebels at least 3,000. Beauregard cautiously followed up, and erected a line of works across the peninsula in front of ours; so that Gen. Butler wrote to Gen. Grant that he was "bottled up:" a remark that the Lieutenant-General, rather inconsiderately, adopts in his report of the campaign. So long as our navy and transports held undisputed possession of the rivers, enabling Butler to launch his troops in any direction but directly northward, the remark had but little pertinence or force; as the unobstructed and ready withdrawal," soon afterward, of Smith's corps to rëenforce the Army of the Potomac, sufficiently proves. When that detachment was required, Butler was on the point of striking that determined blow at Petersburg which should have been his first, and, but for misinformation as to Lee's discomfiture, probably would have been successful.

There was further fighting along Gen. Butler's front, on the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st, with considerable loss on each side; but without decisive results. Gen. Terry's line was forced back on the 20th, but rëestablished next day. And Gen. Kautz, who had been sent on a cavalry raid to cut the railroads leading southward and westward from Petersburg, acting with caution, achieved but a moderate success; cutting the Danville road at Coalfield, Powhattan, and Chula, but failing to destroy the iron bridge at 31 May 30-31.

Beauregard thereupon renewed his effort to turn our right; sending a large force, and directing it to make a farther detour; which was done, and Smith thereby compelled to fall back.

TO THE NORTH ANNA.

Matoax, which was strongly guard- | front, on Griffin's division, made at 5 ed. He did a little harm also to the P. M. by Wilcox's and Heth's divisions Lynchburg and Weldon road; mak- (six brigades) of Hill's corps, but ing his way circuitously but safely promptly and effectually repulsed thence" to City Point. Meantime, with loss to the enemy; who thereour fleet had had a difficult and dan- upon sent Brown, with three brigades, gerous task in fishing the James for to turn our right. This maneuver torpedoes; by one of which, the small was well executed; the blow falling gunboat Com. Jones had been utterly on Cutler's division while getting destroyed," and 50 of its crew killed into position, crushing in his left, and or wounded. The gunboats Shosho- throwing the whole into confusion. nee and Brewster were likewise de- Pressing swiftly to their right, the

stroyed by explosions, but not of tor-charging column struck the right of