The New York Herald Newspaper, May 7, 1863, Page 3

ty have bis, i may enable ews’ ‘from Hooker's Army to Tuesday Morning. Special Reports from the Battle. Field. e Terrible Conflicts of /Fri- day, Saturday and sun day. f rp Engagement on the Right on Mond? ,ny. te Battle ~ ith Sedg- wick’s Troops ¢ n the Loft. ghtful S’/aughter of the ¥ snemy. HE REBELS § ,TRONGLY REINFORCED. B: bel Killed and Wounded. 4 Rebel Generals Jackson, Hill and Ransom Wounded. — Captain. Weed, of Weed’s Battery, Killed. Tf HOOKER REINFORCED, &e., &o.,° &eo. Our couriers. from. Hooker's army bring the edetails of movements oa the Rappahannock down to Monday night as relates to the main “army, and to Tuesday morning at two o'clock in relation to to the detachment under General . Bedgwick. The news from. General Sedgwick’s detach- ment is ‘less encouraging at first glance, but the result of bis movement was a success. It would appear that, after the struggle of Sunday, General Lee detached a large bedy of his main army to go down and meet General Sedgwick. It is also known that General Longstreet ‘was rapidly getting into his rear at that time, Early Monday morning Jarge masses of rebels appeared on the heights to the east of Fred- ericksburg, which had been partialiy evacuated by our forces in order to strengthen Sedgwick’s column. Those remaining made but a brief sesistance and relinquished the position to the enemy, having first removed all their guns. Some fighting ovearred above Fredericks- ‘burg, the particulars of which havé not been received; but it is supposed to have been an effort to hold the rebels frou moving up to re* inforce the body engaged against Sedgwick. In this, however, we were unsuccessiul, It is generally understood that this force was ‘Longstreet’s column, just arrived from Suffolk. They interposed no, objections tu our holding the possession of the city of Fredericksburg, ewhich we still retain. On Monday General Sedgwick was hotly en- gaged throughout the entire day, the enemy pressing him at all points, aad cutting him up badly. His men were obliged to give way be- fore the overwhelming masses of the enemy constantly, and his discomfiture seemed certain | when the gallant Vermont Brigade made « no- ble charge, repuising the rebels in fine style and securing the safety of that portion of the army. The slaughter of the enemy in this action, which occurred in close proximity to Banke’ , is without parallel in the history of war- fare, considering the number of men engaged. | ‘Whole brigades” of the rebels were wiped out; but theif force was #0 many times greater than that at the command of General ' Sedgwick that it was impossible that he could extricate himself by recrossing tie river. ‘This hazardons expedient was attempted and successfully carried out between midnight and two o'clock op Tuesday morning.. The enemy held positions with their artilléry raking our bridges over whi¢h Sedgwick was obliged to sion in our ranks as the columns moved over, ond causing considerable loss of life Be , They also pressed hotly upon his rear and jar vesed him incessantly. But he succeeded ia getinig his force over as above stated in won- derful'y good order, and marched immediately in the direction of the United States ford, to | a the n)ain army ander Hooker. On Monday morning at daybreak the rebeis* obtained a pe*ition on the bills on the south bank of the Rappahannock, scarcely two eiles below the United States Ford, and commenced ‘ vigorous shelling Of our trains lying posted ‘on the north side of weziver, close to Friary ford, ~ Dold his position, and he therefore concluded to } move hin mep, necessarily creating some confn- | inj these shells an‘ pa Some of faretteety ‘bank the ver, killag vera of» tients, One poor fellow’ was "jtist ‘a «sh ing Sem ote i. @ shell exploded close by him, tearing off the, seiko sone pata bis bead, killing bim instantly. A panic was imminent among out teamsters, and» would have beet! general and ‘disastrous but for the stoppage of hostilities by the enemy. OUR DESPATCHES.. THE. CORRESPONDENCE OF T. M, COOK., Heanguanrans, Tauy pr us Porouse, Neag Us.TED Statks FORD, Moxpay Eventnc, May 4, 18 I write you in the midst of a lull in operations in tis / é Vicinity—perbaps the tut! that precedes a storm more vio. tent, if that be p ssible, than that which bas raged with | us for the past three days. General Hooker congratulated his afmy that they’ bad obtained a pdsition that would compel the enemy to come out of bis intrenchments and give us baste. The enemy has cote out of bis intrench. ‘ments, and has given us battle. From fifteén to twenty thousand Siain and mangled rebels attest the ferocity of that battle, ‘They*attackod: us first on Friday, thoneh| more as if feeling Uf us'than really 16 fight us. On Saturé day we pushed our lines a couple of miles beyoud where they had been origiually established, when an overwbelm-| ing’ Body of the enemy, under the rebel ‘General Hill, fell upon our right flank with a violence that we were unable to withstand” ‘The Rieveuth vorps, having the’ extreme right, broke in confusion under this attack and ed from the ficid in'a panie; nearly-effecting the total demoralization of thé entiré‘army. Bit forthe unsur- passed bravery and coolness of General Sickies, the his- tory of the Army of the Potomac would have terminated with this disaster. On Sanday mornmg, at daylight, they came upon our left flavk as we were changing front, aud a battle ensued that bas not beeu surpaased for obeti nate fighting and consummate bravery in the history of the rebellion, The horrors of! the struggie were in. teasified by the miseries inflicted upon the wounded, who were shelled and burned tm hospitals after their wounds had been dressed—many of whom who would otherwise have recovered thus finding a horrible death. Hundreds, ¢00, of the wounded of that desperate struggle, who were left-upon the field, were burned up by the cun- dagracion of the woods, caused by the incessant shelling. The movement of the grand Army of the Potomc across the Rappabannock, both above and below Frede- ricksburg, and the position secured by General Hooker— ‘on the attaiument of which ho congratulated his troops: aud defied the cnemy to assail him—bas been fully and @raphicaily described by several of the able correspond- ents of the Heap now with the army, who have found rtunity te anticipate me in writing their accounts. lam therefore reluctantly compelled to abandon the idea of giving. detailed narrative of the marching and counter- macehing of the particular columna to which I was especi ally attached, and will attempt to give your reade:s a clear and connected narrative of thé operations of the entire army since it gained its position at Chanceéllorsvilie. (CHANCELLORSVILLE * ig one of the many four corner settlémonta of Virginia that are dignified with a town namo, though having noth ing but the name to give them that character. Like most similar settlements, it derives ite name from tho } principal landed proprietor ia its immediate vicinity. It is situated at the intersection of the Frederickeburg and Orange (oart House plank road—the principal line of communication between Fredericksburg and Gordons- ville—and what is known as the Wilderness roal—an old turnpike leading from Fredericksburg to the village of Wiiderness. There is also a road leading from this poist, starting off In a northeasterly diroction, to Banks’ Ford, and directly north to the United States Ford—five miles distant—and, by branches from both the Wilderness and ‘Banks’ Ford road, two additional routes to the United ‘States Ford. The place itself, as above intimated, amounts simply to pothimg. At thetime of our occupation of it it con- tained but 9 single building—that a large brick house, which Gen. Hooker took possession of for his headquarters. This house, which stands immediately at the conffuence of the system of Toads above montione, is upo. an éle vated, cleared and cultivated plain, about a mi’e square, somewhat extended and broken in shipe on its south. Westerly corner, at. which point alone it is joined, through ® varrow Leck, with other caltivated fields. THR COUNTAY ApoUT, ‘tu all directions, excoptitig on the southwest corner, the polut is entirely surroffided by heivy timber. On) Ube east, south and southwest the land falls off into the bed of Seott’s creek, which surrounds the plain on those sides. On all sites, after lerving the immediate vicinity of Chaneetlorsvilie, the land is roogh and broken, cut up with nemerous deep and crooked ravines, having varioas directions, though on the cast uniformly leading ina northeasterly course to the Rappahannock river. The timber that covers these hills and ravines is filled with tangled masses of underbrush, thus com: pleting @ ut ensemble of the most undesirable character of ground for military operations. ADVANTAGES OF TLE POSITION. By the possession of this point General Hooker obta!ned signal advantages over the rebels. His operations vncer Gerieral Sedgwick, on the left, had interrupted, vo a great extent, the enemy's communicaticn with Bowling Green aud Richmond, either by tarnpike or railroad. This left thom only the plaok road leading through Chancellors. ville and Orange Court House to Gordonsville, and thence ‘by rail to Richmond, to move up their supplies upon, By getting possession of Chancellorsville General looker broke this line of commuuicatioa, throw- ing the rebels upou an indifferent system of wretchedly poor crossroads and byways by which to reach their bases of supplies. Holding this position, and at the same time commanding thoir routes on the east of Fredericks Durg, we therefore compeiled the enemy to the alternative of starving in bis intrenchments or coming out to attack us in the place of our choice, In the latter event Chanceilorsvilie was, of. all others, the most desirable position we could hive. Its elevation evabled its possessor to command the oountry on all sides, while no accessible point was left upon which the enemy could bring artillery to bear upon it. It could only be taken by direct assault; and from this species of atiack Geveral Hooker felt confident be had nothing to fear ‘THE PRDERAL APPROACH. Having described the roads centering at Chancellors vilie, the reader will have no diMeulty in comprebeuding ! tho roates by which General Hooker reached Chan | collorsvitie with bis immense army. Making a power. fut demonstration on the right of the enemy, he | called their attention in that direction, and then made a sudden cavalry dash at the fords above, gaining poses | sion of Kelly's Ford, above the confluence of the Rapidan, | throwing the Eleventh and Twelfth corps across at that Point, These troops moved with the wtniost rapid ty to Fly's and the Germania fords across the Rapidan, where they surprised and captured a body of workmen eng: in constructing a bridge for J, EB. B. Stuart, who was pre: paring for a raid into our lines; thence pushed on to Wil derness, whence a force Was detached to get porseseion of | the United States Ford, at which place the enemy were | furtifying. The preeipitaney of our advance took tho rebéls by surprise, causing them to retire ffom this posi thon without a struggle, leaving # number Of prisoners and some guns fn our ha: And yleliing ue Undisputed possession of this important crossing. corps pushed on by the direct Wiitéraces road, and took possession of Chancellorsyiile wiiboat oppositioy, The } the United States Ford, aod moved up to join the others ‘at Chancetlorsvitie by the direct roet 7 OPERATIONS ON FRIDAY DETORITION OF \ HR FOUtET There forces al] reached their ¢ostivation on Tharwiay, and were promptly thrown imio position to repel any | i | Attack that might be ma pm them, On the same evening the Second corps the United | one Ford, and moved promptly up the road, and on the | rottowing tmorping the Third, which had been aiding in 0 demonstration on the left, crossed by the sume route, |) Mhus by noon of Friday sbere were in position at and amout Chancelioraviile tbe whole of the Sevoud, Third, | Fifth, Eleventh aod Twelfth corps, ‘This was a most formidable army 10 contend against, aud, occupying tho commmnding position that bad benn selected for it, there eo chance that it could ever be repulsed. Tho Giapomitiod pf these forces om Friday evening I have se ee eee ek oe Up 0 thie time phere bad been no Sighting save snabt vmatog HD ek Peat We age of toe Meantime the remainder of the Eleventh and tweirth | Fifth corps was immediately thrown acroga the rivor at | Pon r ae Uaion Tames. fe IN,, FRIDAY. roy on 1 ag Evening, the First ry Den st: fie Waite. Cats mi yim: vain ws fords, The enemy had not deigned to show himself in any direction, and jt was a perplexing question where and how soon he would come upon us, RSCONNOITERING, In this delemma ‘the Commanding General despatch ed reconnoitering parties of cavairy, supported by suitable bodies of infuatry, on all the roads to scour the country round about, and ascertaib if the rebela were in force and position apy where in our vicinity, General Hooker him seif accompanied an advanced party down the main Fredericksburg road as far as Tabernacle Church, two miles beyond Chancellorsville, Strong lines of pickets! were alo thrown out in front of our liner, compietaly en- circling thé position, and every effort was made to guard, against a surprise. ‘THE FIRST FIGHT—APPROACH OF TR ENEMY)! About two o'clock on Friday afternoon, the enemy were @tecovered advancing in force down bth the eid turn- pike and the plank road, thus approaching our position nearly from the east. Although these two roids euter Chancollorsville at right angiea—one from the east direct and the other from the south—thoy join and maken single rond near Tabernacle Church. When the discovery was mae of the approach of the enemy, General Hooker immediately returned to his heatquarters at Chancellors ‘Ville and made his dispositions to meet'them. It was yet uncertain whether the attack would’ come from the cast’ or south, and it was therefuro necemmary to be im readiness at both points. With this purpose the Fifth corps, Major Geacral Meade, was formed on the from facing the cast, Sykcs’ division of regalars occupying a line-horth of the old turnpike road, and the other two divisions taking the lino of the Banks’ Ford road, en the left of Sykes: ‘The Second corps, Major General Couch, was held in reserve to sup- port the right wing of this line, and the Second division, Major General Berry, of thé Third corps, Major General Sickles, to support the left. On our south front two corpa—the Eleventh, Major Geveral Howard, and the Tweifth, Major General Slocum— were deployed, the latter in double lino of battle, with bar ange eric plthynshlngsnls arrancones dan nee steomer THE BATTLE BIRNEY = CEN. CS See, cE OF i a? CORPS CENTRES Wy, EN, WHIEFLG Po pee ge 1D QUARTERS yt" igo BATTERY § woons oo BEGES on their ght of the Twelfth. The. two remaining divisions of Sickles? corps—the First, Brigadier General Birney, and the Dhird, Brigadier General Whipple—were ordered up 48 supports for this line. THE AITACK. », Sykes’ division was formed in the open field, directly on the slope southeast of and searcely a quarter of a mile distant from Genera) Hooker's headquarters. Immedi ately bebind then, on the extreme elevation of the plain, Chree batteries of field artillery were planted, Gencral Sykes’ ekirmisters advanced down the feld and into the ae where tey waited the approach of the enomy. Soom, brisk cracking of rifles and muskets an- now @ robel proximity, and our skirmishers, in compl with orders, gradually fell back upon the main fine of battiv. j This mana@avre drew the encmy outside of the woot ries, «Bub the charge of the rebels was not a triding mat- ter, and as column upon colump of them, and line after Jie came dining out of the woods, it seemed as though thal one littie division statioved there to ehecs them would be Swallowed up. At was one of those #k)l'ul ma na@uyrestor which Gen. Le. is particularly djatiny uixhed— the hurling of au iamense. body pon a small force of Lis antagonist. Ibe rebel force, o8 it charged out of ibe woods, Was cv: tainly theoe times as large as that of Gen. By kes ; yet the latter showed no disposition to quail, but, | after giving 4 momoeut’s glance to satisfy their curiosity, every soldier brought his §misket (0 hig shoulder, and five thousand bullets v ere sent into the rebel line. Such sleadiness appalled them. They were unprepared for it, Their frout ra:k quailed before it, The sudden thin ning of their numbers amazed and (rightened them. They. disebarget their pieces recklessly and broke fa confurion. it there was no flight for them. ‘The heayy bodies behind them, to whom the front rank uy hid been ao bdlwark, protecting them from ro On SATURDAY. Shcwing the Rigbt of the Union Line, the Position at Morning and Evening, the Route of the Enemy to Our Right Plank and the Stampede of the Elev:nth Corps. ADVANCED WITH tm, coe. ae cas Zirh SOON Fe, e- rf FE s Fors PATTER Ay. es i Te bea a eae a yi Un ry =s Mi: Zi or TH Yi ag) ns Aa A ih, —< Na» =, EXTREME naire murderous volley of the Union regulars, wore steady and | determined. They absorbed the front rank in the second, | ana still moved forward—firm, unshaken, confideut. | Meantime oar men had reloaded their pieces, and sim»! taneously n volley was fred from both sides, and the: | from the brow above our artillery opened wiih cans(o* | and grape, throwing over the heads of ear ows meu | | dealing destruction and contusion to the enewy/ And © } ‘the loud cansen continued its work with Yt ray idiy | the order was given to our men to \*freat will’’—an or ier | that was copied by the enemy—and the cootMuous roar | of musketry that followed almost deadened the reports } Of the artillery, It was the first fight Of the great battle, | and for ne rly twenty minutes both parties stood Orm as ) though nothing should lead them to give the prestice of 9 firet meocons to the other. But, alt* ough ontnomboret had on advantage in the copper! of eo lery, we whi'e ovr infentey held the rehele i ey nade. gape lv their ranks, 4H they yelel ond #bow | Gavce, an! attemptet ubsrges any od binoir be | Fevk after reok of them bemg brome cop "orion, while there officer shouted! stormed, ane food, they fort t | tem to & pevrsient, determionl en 5 well, They fought a8 none bm | Sebo Bt wih mupketry aloe wontend agecee bun astillery and —v cske te | wae simply murder on the part of ther they uy aoe attempt to bold them to it, and ther fore pb appreciate the faet when venriy bait (6 | bad Deen placed hers de cambar end then ihe order > | given to retire ‘ yn KEeCteR, Aud then came our tore to shout. The rebels were re. treating. Our force was sadly thinned and broken, but thore were enough left to send up a showl alter the re | treating rebels that made the woods ring with the « ho, | | Ewen the wounded joined jn the glad cheer, mane ing 1DLO aM Upright Position wt tbromny vp io their excens of gininews ot the vietory. charge bad been right gH anny met and the host of the enemp finely topowed it rane Beecher fre rege gy, ig ca Ty of success 1b tbe ond Our men had stood like ye | ratie, and they bad o right to cheer, | Tm PoReorr.” | Bart y were not allowed to stand long and imbibe the | : frction of snccoss. Ther enemy were fying pr ws now the order, and the order was not reluet | a od. The rebels were Just dirappearing ia the | we ven Gor eolumn waa ordered forward. The ener ving gelbed the cover of the thick timber, ot tomp's Lo mye another stand, and as our men advance! | tecy 4 6d 2 O® them a murderous fire from vebiod trees | an tomy t hog fat tne victory was ours, whieh | gave inpiradion to Le tne, while the de’ented party were demoraliaed yy (helt repulse, and, though partial’y | | sheltrred, could net be made to stand firmly. At our fret | | volley they Ptarted again ip tholr fight. And thar fora | mile the purcait @riLbon, the enemy wheeling and Oring at every Convenient Hhelte,, @04 Kur men crowding bard alter (hem regardiew of their fraucic efforts to check an, | For over & mile We chew | them, through the first valley, oro bil, Acrome ®pecood ravine and well up anecond age, #hew & ReCOEe and mont formidable line of rebe's won dhcovered. Agaimet this freeh foree, aud at this Jotance (row apport, it was not deemed proper by Gen. Ayker to attempt to contend. The order was therefore | given to retire. o FLUNG 1408. As our brave yuna fneed about to retire, the fren masses of the G.omy ‘ytang to thele feet and proparea to pive Chase A® thay foe wp and try iwed their Wautalixing jis, Gem. Sy ker ordered bin mem to face sbout and fre, Tt cans ote eh williugly. The rebels knnw sothing repeating ing three tuner us Sen fred Hy ae Overwhelming Ov", CO”'y Ww Ince about and ore forg: beyond ther conception, ed WA WO + Vemnph & charn, aed the ser oan divinkom, shattered wed red ned buts ers, wes fesmmitted quietly to ret te ewrcun, se/ : TAY wee are—ccouiataly , Wweonte: ov bly ours. {nen da vem Deck @ mile, ug with greng from which they emerged close. after our retreating skirmishers, yelling aud shouting dike, @ tribe.of wild indians. The sight was both exciting and amusing at test, and all movement on our part wes momentarily suspended, while our bravo men graulied ‘their ouriopity ia ecrutinizing their gray-backed acd versa~ ter. They bad lost heavily. How many they bad lost Lcannot say; but hundreds can hardly express it. Ferbajs 4 thousand in killed, woonded and prisovers Would bo wearer the fact. Ag fOr Us, votwithstandiog the galling fre that was at first showered upon us, the fortitude with which our men stood against it, and the energy with which they retponded, com- pletely demoralized the enemy, rendering their aim wild and upste.dy. They were frightened from tho Orst, and their volleys flew harmlessly over our heads or went into the ground short of us. Oar tozal fist of casual- Lies will net exceed one hundred aud Atty men, SKIRAUSITING RLERWHENE. Ynmediate!y upon the termination of thin atfatr it be- cai ap rent that Lee was arranging grand reconnois, sance aicng our lines to ascertain cur weak point if we ha’! The Twelfth corps were drawn up in two tines battle’ facing the ‘south, their left resting én the ‘phitik road, as tndleated in the Above Gibzram, The enemy had erdesed the rood some Aistines beyond our Hines, and at a point where they were bogey from our view by an intervening eleva tion sing a body of troops in the woods in front of Ge at um, they suddenly came down pon bim itke ana ‘be. It wasa rapid and somewhat unexpected mover nt but the Twelfth corps were not startled. They the reBcle Fark, Soon alterwards the Bi enth, which was formed on the &% a battery on distant’ elevation and th ov some shells at our artitierymen at work in the forthwoet corner of the clearing, But, as the artillery of the Eleventti opened in reply, the rebels quickly withdrew the'r pieces, and desisted from further demonstrations for the day, [OPERATIONS ON SATURDAY. CHANGE OF POSITION. {7 During the night of Friday the position of our forces was very matérially changed. The Séeond corps was thrown down the Banks’ Ford road, holding the extreme left of cur tine, und, with @ portion of the Fifth, com- pleted the line on the east up to the plank road, apport od by the Second divieion of the Third corps, which was Seeond division, Gen. Geary’s, Of the Twelfth, held the left of our centre, ite loft resting on the plank road in front of the general hewwuarters, and extending along the entire front.of the feid. Gen. Williams’ division of the same corps was formed on the right of this line, {acing to the southwest, its extreme right resting in the edge of the woods facing the litle cleared Seid indicate! in the general roy) T send you, situated about two miles south of west from leadquartery, The Eleventh corpu was oricinally directed to take position on the right of | Gen, Wiliiame, Ns eemenatoalaamneaee | the Wilderness road as consistent with a proper strengthen” ing Of the position, Birney’s division of the Third corps @ reserve bo\l to the Eleventh and Twelfth; but General Bick les, discovering aM advantageous Opening ina cleared, field about 2 | arter of @ mile south of the plank fad, and & mile aid a bal west of general hoadjuarters, obtained permission to advance Birney to this place, whieb browlit him between the Kleventh and Twolfth corps. Ai this place he deployed off to the right arouad the fold, Ger erat \V ams, of the Twelfth, ocousymg the other vide of the opening. «This feid te showa in the diagram above. It \¢ @ small farm, half of which (the portion cect} ied by oT forces) is elevated to the generni level of the jand about Chaucellorsville, the back half failing off rather precipitously into the valley of Heott’s creck, and forming @ low piece of cul Uvated botom land. The farm buildings are situated about in the centre of the clearing, at the point where thefarm road descends the hill to cross the tow Dottom land. At the back of this low land a little stream tkirts along at the foot of the hills behind the farm, leading into Scott's creek, and thence down through the valley to the Rappahaunock. Scott's crock takes ite rise far back from tbis plage, avd flows down through a dee; and densely wooded ravine into the back of the cultivated land above described, and thea’ winds along at its farther side ina general easterly course. I refer the reader to the diagram for a more definite idea of thix locality, as the place wilh become conspicuons tm the course of this narrative. Im the general disposition of the forces for Saturday | both Berry's aud Whipple's divisions of the Third corps were beld in reserve, though Berdan's Sharpahooters were detached from the lattor's division for special duty with Birn y, RELXVORCHARYTS, During the night of Friday the Beat corps, Major ral Sedgwick, arrived on the field frum whe deft, Dekaron were esigned Wo @ position op the extreme right, thor bringing our jives down ip that direction nearly to the Bappahan nok siver. MOVEMENTS OF THE RNEMY, Under cover of the darkness of Friday night the enemy commonerd moving Lirgs m\sses of troops around the front of our Lines to get position on our right, with « view of flanking us there, Subsequent developments have proven that ths evtire grand diyiaon of D. H. Jul made this movement around the front of our laos durimg that night. At ijdnight the seouts and advanced pickers from both the Third and Twelfth corps vbeervod the movement and communicrted it to their respcetive com manders, but at that timo it was impracticable to do anything to prevent it. At the fret dawu of moruiog ummense wagon trains were distinctly eeen moving over the road indicated as the route of the rebel movement, which rums aloug the suinmit of the bille back of the Jittle farm cecupied by Birney and Williams. This was evidently @ bind on the part of theesemy to wl us to believe they wery evacuating and running to Gord uaville, eme of the corps comm inders were coal dent that this was the case, but Geo ral Mooker very shrewdly guersed the real meaying of the dem metration He, however, direc ed General Sickles to plant a battery ata polut by the farrabonse in bis @ closure, which eof manded a view of the moving train, ond shell jt This wat quickly done by Clark's Sew Jersey battery, and the {rain wos thrown into disorder and gompelled ty move ba Rey ADVANCES. When the train was stopped Gen. Sickles conceivet tho idea of obtaining possess longof the road over which it bid been moving, and thas prevent any further operations the enemy in that direction, With this purpose in view be ordered Birney to advance and take possession of the hill on the south side of the ravine ruoning out back from the farm, and opporite to the beights over which the rond ceoapled by the rebels ran. The Berdan Sharprheters were placed in the advance of. ths movement, sup by the Twentieth Jovtinoa regiment, There deployed as skirmishers, advenced wcress the farm, and thon op the bill throagh 9 densely tangled mass of underbrosb, vkirmishing with the enemy every step, who were fowd to we in cousiderable force on the slope om well ae on the rummit As soon am the skirmishers had cromed the feld the tain column wos oftered to advance, U eners! Birney placing bimaelf at their betd. Before cromeing the little | froam spoken of before, it became necemary ty throw « | bridge serons {t, io cane artillery should be reeded oo | the betybis. ‘This work way so raphily done by the ap pers and miners of Gronam's brigade aa to couse bat « few minuter delay, and before the enemy could propare for them the whole force was on the top of the Hill The sumenit was found (0 be covered with & bushy second growth of timber that wae extremely diffentt of pas } mage, and rendered obeetvation eritirely | the question, The force wal” Tahie to be am busrated at every moment im thin tangled thicke: ‘There was, it is troe, «little winding country rot leat } ing Uhroogh the brush, bot noubing more, and that rearce | ly wide enough for an om cart to pane (brongh. Hl the | covmmn was poshed forward, coamtently eiirmahing with | and driving back the enemy, antl AF lat they came upow a ryrtom of rifle pits, io whieh the evemy made a depo rate stand, | At (his point. tuo, the enemy were strengm. | od by a fel battery, planted at some point back, whieh | our forces eould Ot then @iscover, and from which they | eomtinned (0 throw yotley after volley of shells info the woods, though, fortumnely, Wurting Bo one, Stilt the shelling Was excetsively annoying, sod & Wittery wee | ordered up to raply to 11. Captain Renly's battery, Fourth | Unies Staten artillery, wee quickly lo position three ) quarters of @ mite out othe Nitle read Over the bil!, and entered into & brisk duc! with the rebel artillery, thovgh neither party was able to eee the other, Untortanstely, when thie battery charged op (be bill there wee po time allowed it to procare « sapply of atmunitivs, [t coud, therefore, work bo. a rbort time, aod io twenty minutes was obliged to retire (© Teplenith te calmetes. During | the short time it wae engaged 15 Of ite Wen wore more | or re wounded } } son en Al (him jonetore General Pirney ordered a» v barge open the rebel ride pile, which were qalelily cleared, about « Duntred of thew aa failing ‘nic ir handg an he alin “S| met the shock Ormly, and with half a dozen volleys sent | Hight of the Twelfth, becime engaged. But here it | wos om pleket sciratiig Pooogt the rebels | resting on the diveet road tothe United States Ford. The | was ordered to (take ‘position om the plank road ag ted | a | 3 Sa eee — advaneing, the y's artillery doing but eS damac® ous. But even this was dovtined to be quickly ended. Colonel Kerdan bid worked his little sharpebooter brighde © oge Up to the battery under cover of the bushes, whem, Ascur taining Its exact position, he disposed h's little fore to capture tt. Mviding them quietly into three parties, He moved a party forward to either side of the battory, ap! then charged it from in front with the third party, himself leading them. The battery was supported by tho ‘Twenty eighth Georgia regiment, ail of whom that were to be seen, about two hundred and seventy in wember, vbrow down their arms at tho ret challenge to surrendor, and were marched tf the rear as prisoners, In the excitement of securing 80 considerable a hody of privoners, the bat. tery was for the moment toast sight of, an opportunity which the rebel gunners improved to Cy, taking every- thing with them but a single caiston. A RRIKT FOUNDRY. /We tnt now reached the extreme brow of thy hill, arid had driven the rebels back fally a mile, We bad obtained , © Commanding position, overlooking the opposite range, * which the rebel road ran. At this polat there was | ete an Opening io the timber and a large frame | j Duliding, recently erected by the rebels for a | fountery, which it wae evidont they had recently casting shot an’ ehell, manufacturing gun carriages, limbers and cate , and doing other handy | Jobs iu that Ine essential to wartare, It was a good point | gained, and one that ought to have been held. Put it was by no means a plewwaut position at that particular | Ume. The woods covering the face of the opposite | bills wore led with rebel sharpshooters, who lost no opportunity of picking offany one who chanced to show himself. Berdan posted a portion of his famocs command | about the foundry and behind the trees in that vicinity, and commenced doelling at long range—a practice In Which, if the rebels did not aufler more than we, their loss was very iumaterial, A, VORTHER ADVANCH, DO Another party of our sharpshootera, together with the , Twentieth Indiana, moved forward, still pressing on far thor away from our main jing, They ekirimished along | up the easterly slope of the bili we bad gained until the road crossed the ravine aud cntered the road that had been weed by the quemy ttle white farm house full half a mile from the foundry, This was tho ligsis that it was desirable to reach at that time, aud Gereral Birney | ordered Colonel Haymag to advance his brigado—tho Third—to that position, | A battery was also ordered up to take position atthe foundry and shell the opposite woods, General Sickles, at this time, waa present om the bill, directing operations generally, and while standing by the foundry in conversation with Gea, Birooy had very narrow cucape. fhe two genermla, with a squad of thelr reepoctive staf, were standing out apon the brow of the bill jn plain sight of the revels, when one of their sharpehooters marked them and fred with a target rife. ‘The bail ybigzed through betweon the two gonerals, nar rowly escapiug Gep, Sickles, as indicated by the renaibje pul of wind it produced ja passing. MCKLES GOKS TOO FAsT. lug the progress of the movements that! have at- tompted to describe above, Gen. Sickles Lad kept Gen. Hacker constant!y acquaiated with his porition aud ad- vances, The latier frequently, during the aftervoop, sont up word that Sicklee was going too fast avd ven- turing too far; be should move slower, General Sickles had apphed for support for bis movements, but had not succeeded ja getting any, even from bis own corps, uotil the eleventh hour, when permingion was accorded him to advance Genera) Whipple to Lirney's support. Application had been made to have Gencral Berry also moved up, but General Hooker replied that the enemy ‘were masring a strong force in front of the headquarters, aud he needed Berry in that vicinity in care of an attack. But when it wes reporied at headquarters Chat Dirney hod really gained the heights and was in porsession of so dentable a situation, Geveral Hooker immediately con- sented to his ordering all the support he devired, THR MAIS LIKE ADVANCES. The Eleyenth corps, lying in (he rear of Birney 's right, Was thereupom directed to advance and jow ite left fleuk Birney’s right, aod the Tweltth corps wae a'so ordered; up on the eft. General Whipple, who had arrived oo the ground with bis division, was directed to charge simultaneously with the others, mov- jog up the ravine. Ggo. Wiliams’ division of the Twelfth corps, in moving up, would come direatiy onto the’ hilt from which Birney bad beea so much anaoyed by abarp- shooters, There appeared wo be pe greater obptacie ia Vielg way than this, and the columngwas deployed at the crowing of Seott's creek and moved inte the woods, taking proper precautions in keeplug a good line of shir mihors iD advance, They lad not advanced a hundred yards into the woods wheu their skiemisbers bocame en- gaged with thone of the ouemy, the latter, however, gra- ually falling back. The main line pressed hard on after the skinmiabers, keeping always within close supporting dis- tauce, alshough the uatura of the country was the most impracticable that coulg be selected for the advauce of m column tn line of battle, But still they went forward, ond bad advanced about half way up the bill, when they came face to face with the rebels drawn up in two liaem of great etrength. Ab engagement eusued at ouce, our meu charging bollly on the rebel lines. Then com- menood the frat real action of the day, The ehemy held their ground obstinately, replying to volley with volley, temting the growed with perfect despe As usual, wherever we came © com with them they outsumbered us greatly; yut the brave men who attecked them sever sopped ty connider (he heavy odds (hat existed againat them. apitly they loadet and quick!y fret their pieces, taking care always that thelr alm wax nut wild, but of. ¢, Under thetr sure aim the euemy quailed, and fioally the frat hoe ° way ond fell back apoo the second, Ocr men gave a shout of triumph and pressed Ob Avew, determine’ to carry the belghte. But the evemy wore an determined t) hokt them, aud with a pow- ertol live of [rest Lroops their adva: tages were greatly io- creased. Our meu, borne down with heat and fatigue, be- #80 1 BOW ovitenees Of faltering, which was promptly observed by their commander, and (be columa was or- doced to fait back, Ib was manifestly an imponsibiiity for them to carry the positive in (uat condition by « direct ack, and 10 hold the men under fre after they were pen Jed ut their inaby tom cupleh (be tas would ouly prove disastrous. [Ry ordering them bance a4 the and p roth toet | Bret cation of discouragement, Gooeral Williams dis | piayed 0048 goveraiship and saved his Sue divineon, | Urioging them off in the mont perfect good order. It ie | Probable that, bad Whipple been & little more prompt im advacewmg bis colama upon Willams’ right, both divi seus would Dave acovmplished the task assigned them. But for some onexpleined reason Whipple's diviewe aia | bot get fairly io motion before Williams was betly eo caged, and he enemy ware enabled to throw all their avaliable force in that yvieigity directly in hus front, and T allerwards, when Williams bad retired and Whipple ad } \auced, the same powerful gvabination of force net him aed drove bum Vack | 10H ATAMPROR OF THR KURT ROL | Bot the climax of the diwaster was not yet reached, The Kieveuth corpa bad been ordered advance on the | right of Pireey, 004d woved forward take the posta aenigned Wo them on Birvey’s Gaok. Ove brigade sycoesa | Od io getting op the hill, aad reported, by Ie commander | (whone pame | have unfortuuately lott), to Generale | Picken and Burney, The rest & the gorpe met the euemy in for pout two-thirds of the distesce up. Here they bad ® ehort cugegemont, in which i doen not appear thet they bad even oo large «© funce ' to coutend against an (hat which Williaa, with bie ain gle dives, bat fought so bravely. Headed by their com moder, the gallant Howard, the German corps charged boldly ep 10 the rebe! lines. Bere they were met, as the repels always tnpet (bet for, with shouts f deGance and det sion, @ determined (rowt aud s beary Tire of rowsketry. The Gorman regiments returned the are for s short tune with apicit, manifentiog » diapertion to Oght valiantly But at the time shee a!l encouragement the men wen needed that could be given, hen some ofheer f the divi sion (ome ak tenet, a6 | atm iniormed) ell back 10 tne rear, leas tog hie mon to hight sicoe, Al Whe tame time Gewersi l'pereee, commanding the First division, was unborset aad bedly wounded in bis foot by @ musket ball Thur, losing 44 & Critital moment (the jnepiritiog inte ence of the immediate presence (ber commanders, the men began to falter, theo to /a!) beck, ond Goality broke ip 6 Complete rout, Genera! Howard boldly tarew himeeif into the breach sod siempted to rally (be obese © aheo } rally (hem ja (be fece f tbe enemy, catastrophe was promptly communiented Wo Gea. Siekien, who thes bed s memest given him Ww prepare tor the fhort be jeatanty apprebended bie cotuma met euler, The high land of the ttle farm that formed the base of bn geretinns wae parked fall of artillery and eavairy pearly a the ale, the Vhird wie 1 ag i Mg) that lite Oty sere ma © b threw @ a6 wyibing short fo qmnglety