From General Lee's army.
[from our Own Correspondent.]Spotsylvania C. H., May 13, 1864.
It is not my purpose to go much into the detail of the battle--first, because the letter, if captured between this place and Richmond; might give the foe desirable information in regard to the strength and position of our forces; and second, because it is almost impossible to prepare any account of a battle that will give satisfaction to subordinate officers, and if one makes the attempt and fails, as he certainly will, he is almost sure to have his motives impugned and become involved in a controversy in the newspapers.
The battle was fought on the north side of Spotsylvania Court-House, on undating ground, diversified by fields, pine thickets, and patches of woods. Our line is crescent shaped, or perhaps it would be more correct to say that it is nearly in the form of a horse shoe, and extends around the Court-House or village on the North and Northwestern side, so as to cover all the approaches from those quarters. Slight entrenchments had been thrown up along our entire front, extending from near the Shady Grove (of Catharpen road continued) on the West, around to and beyond the Fredericksburg road on the Northeast side of the village. At one point on the right is an eminence a few hundred yards in advance of the general direction of our line, and in order to prevent the enemy from getting possession of it for his artillery, a sharp angle was projected so as to include the hill within our entrenchments. The result shows that this was an unfortunate piece of engineering. Past the foot of the hill on the North side sweeps a ravine which presents a cover line to the hill, the two approaching each other line circles that touch but do not cut each other. The enemy availed himself of this ravine in his assault upon the angle, which was the weakest point in our lines, being considerably in advance of the general line and beyond the reach of support from the forces operating on the right and left.
Information was received night before last that Grant was retiring in the direction of Fredericksburg and Germanna ford; a report to this effect was noised abroad through the army, though subsequent events show that it was without the least foundation. Through a mistake, which I cannot trace to its source, but which grew out of this mischievous report, the artillery which had been posted on the bill in the angle alluded to above, was withdrawn during the night. This left Maj Gen. Johnson, of Ewell's corps, whose division, heretofore considered one of the best in the army, occupied this part of the line, without any artillery support. He communicated this fact to his corps commander at midnight, with the additional intelligence that the enemy was massing a heavy force in his immediate front for the purpose, as he believed, of assaulting him next (yesterday) morning These guns or others were sent back, and were just moving into the angle at 4 o'clock yesterday morning, when the force which Johnson reported to be massing in his front, made a vigorous assault upon his position and carried it.
The assaulting force had been assembled in the ravine at the foot of the hill, was very strong, and advanced, one report says, in column of regiments. It had rained the evening before, and considerable fog prevailed, under cover of which the attack was made. One or two guns were got into position and fired, but the horses attacked to the other pieces were shot down before they could be unlimbered and most of the cannoneers captured.--Jones's Virginia brigade, whose commander was killed at the Wilderness while trying his men, was the first to break; the old Stone wall and other brigades belonging to the division, becoming involved, soon followed its example, and the last seen of Gen. Johnson, the hero of Alleghany, he was standing almost alone, with a musket in his band, contesting the ground single handed with the multitudinous foe. The brigades composing the division are the stonewall brigade, Gen James M Walker, and Jones's brigade, both of this State, Stuart's brigade of Virginians and North Carolinian, and Stafford's brigade of Louisianian.--Jones and Stafford fell at the Wilderness Walker was wounded yesterday; Stuart, and Johnson, the commander of the division, were taken prisoners, and the Colonel commanding Jones's brigade is reported killed, with many other officers the guns left on the field, but which neither party has been able to move on account of the fire of the other — some eighteen or twenty--are said to belong to Catshaw's and Page's battalions. A thousand or twelve hundred prisoners were lost at the same time.
This occurred at a very early hour in the morning, If Jones's brigade had not given away it is possible, though not probable, that Johnson would have been able to maintain his ground. He is one of the best officers in the army, and the sublimes spectacle he presented when battling alone with the enemy, though deserted by his command, should excite our admiration, rather than provoke criticism. But it should not be imagined that the enemy gained the hill without opposition, sudden and vigorous as his assault was. He was received with volley after volley, and the ground was covered with his stain; but he had massed such a heavy force upon a single exposed point, some distance in advance of the general line, and incapable of being instaneously supported, that it was found impossible to repulse him. It is but just to add, too, that the enemy's charge was as spirited as it was successful, and reflects no little credit upon his troops. He was aware of the weakness of the point from its comparative relation, having effected a temporary lodgment in the angle two days before, as detailed in my letter of yesterday, and it would have been a wonder if he had not been successful with the preparation he had made.
The Confederates suffered severely as tony retreated across the intervening space to our second line, or rather to the line which subtends the angle, and which may be considered the base of the triangle covering the hill. Even this line is somewhat in advance of the direction of the general line. But the broken division did not stop here; they continued their retreat far to the rear. Fortunately the gallant Gordon, commanding Early's division, was in reserve and swept to the rescue in a manner that excited the admiration of every beholder, including Gen Lee. The enemy swarmed over the hill and rushed against the lines to the right and left, but Rodes, and Gordon, and Wilcox were there to meet them.
The battle was soon fully joined, and for nine hours it roared and hissed and dashed over the bloody angle and along the bristling entrenchments like an angry sea beating and chafing against a rock bound coast. The artillery fire was the most sustained and continuous I have ever heard for so long a time, averaging thirty shot to the minute, or 1,830 to the hour, for six hours. The rattle of musketry was not less furious and incessant. At 10 o'clock, when the din and uproar were at the highest, an angry storm cloud swept over the field, and thus to the thunders of battle was added "the dread artillery of the skies" It was now manifest that Grant's real assault, as Gen Lee had believed, would be launched against our right wing, and to that point the opposing forces gravitated from all parts of the field, just as when a cloud discharged with electricity forms in the heavens, all the lesser clouds and racks drift to it, and are swallowed up in the swelling, angry mass.
Grant strove hard to hold us to other parts of the field, and prevent this concentration of force, and for that purpose he engaged Anderson on our left, and Early, who had been sent to the extreme right. He made three separate assaults against the former, but was repulsed each time with frightful loss by Fields's division, formerly Hood's. Early, at the head of Hill's corps, buried him back, as a mad bull would an incautious mastiff caught upon his horns, as often as he advanced upon him.
But it was against Ewell, who held the right of the original line, that Grant expended his greatest efforts and made his most desperate assaults.--Having gained a foothold in the angle or centre of Ewell's position, he brought up line after line and buried it with tremendous violence, at one time against Rodes, at another against Gordon, and then against both. Wilcox was brought up and placed on Gordon's left, and Wofford and Humphreys, of Kershaws's division, and Jenkins's brigade, of Fields's, Anderson's corps, were sent to the assistance of Rodes. Additional batteries were sent in the same direction. Heth went to the right, and all of Anderson's old division but Wright followed him. And thus the whirling, remorseless maelstrom drew everything into its angry vortex. The enemy exhibited a courage and resolution worthy of a better cause; Grant seemed to have breathed into his troops somewhat of his own spirit and indomitable energy. But if the Federals fought well, the Confederates fought better — From early dawn until far in the afternoon, with steady hands and unblanched cheeks, they faced the leaden hall that was rained upon them without intermission. At some points the two armies fought on opposite sides of the entrenchments, the distance between them not being more than the length of their muskets. Again and again would Grant marshal his men for the court, and right valiantly did they respond; but as often as they're turned to the assault so often were they repulsed, as if they had rushed against a wall of iron. At no point of the line, and at no time during the long and terrible and exhausting conflict, did the heroic children of the south faiter or waver for one moment. Each man know that he was fighting the battle for the possession of Richmond — the battle, indeed, for the independence of the Confederate States--and the thought of yielding to the foe never once entered his mind.
During one of the assaults Gordon inflicted very heavy loss upon the enemy by moving around and striking the assaulting column in flank. The enemy was thrown into great confusion, and retired rapidly to the mar, leaving many dead and wounded on the ground.
The most important movement against the enemy's flank, however, was executed by Mahone's and Lane's brigades on the extreme right, under the direction of Gen Early. The was intended to operate, not against the flank of the assaulting column, but against the flank of the Federal army, and thus afford relief to our centre and left wing, both of which were hard pressed — The two brigades were placed under command of Mahone, who passed around to the Fredericksburg road, and was about to engage to the enemy, when he met the latter coming out probably to take us in flank. An engagement earned immediately, and resulted in the defeat of the enemy, who retired back to the main army, where considerable commotion was produced by the fresh danger with which it was threatened. A division operating against our left, supposed to being to Burnside's corps, was withdrawn and double-quicked across the field to check Mahone. Just before it reached the scene of action, it came within full view of Pogue's and Pegram's guns and not more than twelve hundred yards distant. Twelve pieces were brought to bear upon it in less time then it requires to describe this brilliant episode in the battle. The enemy stood their ground for a moment, then staggered back, and finally broke in the wildest disorder.--What with Mahone's fire to beat and the artillery ploughing great gaps in flank, their loss was terrible. A shell exploded just as it attack the ground right in their midst, and buried one man into the air several feet above the heads of his flying comrades. This movement afforded instantaneous relief to our left, and from this time the assaults of the enemy grew mote and more feeble, along the whole line, and finally they ceased altogether at 2 P. M.
Our men were anxious to follow up the enemy when he was repulsed, but Gen Lee's plan was to act on the defensive, and not to strike until the right time came. The Federal army far exceeded his in numbers, they had entrenched themselves as his had done, and common sense, as well as military science, would teach the propriety of patiently awaiting rather than rashly making the attack. The result has shown the wisdom of the policy adopted. Grant has already well high exhausted himself, whilst Lee's army remains almost intact, ready to assume the offensive or to continue to on the defensive, as occasion may require.
Our loss in the rank and file is remarkably small, the men being well protected by the entrenchments. The casualties, however, has been unusually heavy among field officers, who were unprotected, and had to move frequently from one point to another, under the terrible infantry and artillery fire of the enemy, which swept every part of the field in rear of our entrenchments. The ground is torn and ploughed up by the direct and cross fire of the Federal guns as if it had been prepared be the farmer for the reception of spring seed.--Three assistant surgeons were killed in the discharge of their duty on the field; and Captain Owen, of Texas, who carried the news to Gen Lee at Chancellorsville that Sedgwick was moving on his rear from Fredericksburg, was severely wounded early in the morning whilst on his way to the Richmond Howitzers to hold prayers. Including the battle of the Wilderness, we have lost the following general officers:
Killed: Brig Gens Stafford of Louisiana, Jones of Virginia, Jenkins and Perrin of South Carolina, and Daniel of North Carolina.
Wounded: Lieut Gen. Longstreet of Alabama, and Brig Gens Hays of Louisiana, Benning of Ga, McGowan of S. C., Romseur and Johnson of N. C., and James M Walker, (Stonewall Brigade,) H H Walker, and Pegram, of Va.
Captured: Maj Gen Edward Johnson of Ga, and Brig Gen. Geo H Stewart of Md.
Gen Lee made more than one narrow escape, his clothing being covered with mud thrown upon him by bursting shells. He will persist in staying near the point of greatest danger. The whole country, with one voice, should protest against such rash exposure of a life in which we are all so deeply interested, and upon the preservation of which so much depends. Col Taylor, his Adjutant General, had his horse shot. General Ramseur's wound is slight. Many valuable field officers were killed and wounded, but their names will appear in the lists of casualties in their several commands. I omitted to mention above that Major Hamilton, Commissary of Grege's Texan brigade, and Capt Barksdale, Quartermaster of the 18th Mississippi regiment, were killed at the Wilderness. They believed the hour of supreme trial had come, and that the final battle for our independence was about to be fought, and feeling that every man who could a musket should be in the field, they procured arms, though against positive orders, went into the fight, and fell with their feet to the foe, battling manfully for the right.
The two armies, led by the most renowned chieftains on the Western Continent, if not in the world, have now been wrestling with each other for the mastery for eight long days. Thank God! the smaller combatant thus far has been marvelously successful, and has suffered comparatively, little loss except in officers; whilst the larger, being the wrong doer, has been punished beyond all precedent in this war. His dead and many of his wounded still remain on the ground, being too near our entrenchments to be moved, and they tell their own melancholy tale. If half that prisoners report of their losses in battle, and from desertion, struggling, and demoralization be true, then the enemy's casualties are indeed frightful. The loss in prisoners here has been about equal, say 1,500 on each side. This gives us the advantage by 8,000, including those taken at the battle of the Wilderness. Of the prisoners captured here, two or three hundred were taken by Mahone, and four colors and one guidon, when he moved on the flank of the enemy.
Last night we rectified our lines near the angle which has given so much trouble, retiring it somewhat and inciting it where it should have been run originally. The enemy still retains possession of the angle, but has not been able to remove the guns left by Cutshaw and Page nor have we, the sharpshooters on either side preventing it. We brought away from the Wilderness 12,000 captured rifles and muskets.
Both armies have rested from the strife to-day. The dead have to be buried, the wounded have to be cared for, shattered regiments and brigades have to be reorganized, and fresh plans to be devised — This requires time, and the men require rest — There can be no doubt that Grant's troops were well supplied with liquor before they entered the battle, many of the prisoners, including more than one Colonel, were in a state of intoxication when taken. It rained last night and again to day.
May 14th.
There has been a good deal of shelling and picket firing to-day and at one time a renewal of the strife seemed to be imminent. The New York Herald urges the recall of Grant and his army to the north side of the Rappahannock. Will be go? We hear that the movement upon Richmond from City Point and he Peninsula has failed to accomplish its purpose; that being true what can Grant hope to gain by pressing further in this direction? It is said he started with 92,000 muskets; if he can muster 50,000 of these now, he is more fortunate than prisoners, both officers and men, represent him to be.
It has been raining at intervals all day.
