with lee in virginia-第74章

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Hooker　the　year　before。　All　day　long　tho　division　of　Ewell

supported　the　attack　of　the　army　corps　of　Sedgwick　and　Hancock。

Along　a　front　of　six　miles；　in　the　midst　of　the　thick　forest；　the

battle　raged　the　whole　of　the　day。　　The　Confederates；　in　spite　of

the　utmost　efforts　of　the　Northerners；　although　reinforced　in　the

afternoon　by　the　army　corps　of　General　Burnside；　held　their

position；　and　when　night　put　an　end　to　the　conflict　the　invaders

had　not　gained　a　foot　of　ground。



As　soon　as　the　first　gleam　of　light　appeared　in　the　morning　the

battle　recommenced。　　The　Federal　generals；　Sedgwick；　Warren；

and　Hancock；　with　Burnside　in　reserve；　fell　upon　Hill　and　Ewell。　

Both　sides　had　thrown　up　earthworks　and　felled　trees　as　a

protection　during　the　night。　　At　first　the　Confederates　gained　the

advantage；　but　a　portion　of　Burnside's　corps　was　brought　up　and

restored　the　battle；　while　on　the　left　flank　of　the　Federals　Hancock

had　attacked　with　such　vigor　that　the　Confederates　opposed　to　him

were　driven　back。



At　the　crisis　of　the　battle；　Longstreet；　who　had　marched　all　night；

appeared　upon　the　ground；　drove　back　Hancock's　men；　and　was　on

the　point　of　aiding　the　Confederates　in　a　decisive　attack　upon　the

enemy；　when；　riding　rapidly　forward　into　the　wood　to　reconnoiter；

he　was；　like　Jackson；　struck　down　by　the　fire　of　his　own　men。　　He

was　carried　to　the　rear　desperately；　and　it　was　feared　for　a　time

morally　wounded；　and　his　loss　paralyzed　the　movement　which　lie

had　prepared。　　Nevertheless　during　the　whole　day　the　fight　went　on

with　varying　success；　sometimes　one　side　obtaining　a　slight

advantage；　the　other　then　regaining　the　ground　they　had　lost。



Just　as　evening　was　closing　in　a　Georgia　brigade；　with　two　other

regiments；　made　a　detour；　and　fell　furiously　upon　two　brigades　of

the　enemy；　and　drove　them　back　in　headlong　rout　for　a　mile　and　a

half；　capturing　their　two　generals　and　many　prisoners。　　The

artillery；　as　on　the　previous　day；　had　been　little　used　on　either　side；

the　work　being　done　at　short　range　with　the　rifle；　the　loss　being

much　heavier　among　the　thick　masses　of　the　Northerners　than　in

the　thinner　lines　of　the　Confederates。　　Grant　had　failed　in　his

efforts　to　turn　Lee's　right　and　to　accomplish　his　direct　advance；　he

therefore　changed　his　base　and　moved　his　army　round　toward

Spotsylvania。



Lee　soon　perceived　his　object；　and　succeeded　in　carrying　his　army

to　Spotsylvania　before　the　Federals　reached　it。



On　the　afternoon　of　Monday；　the　9th；　there　was　heavy　fighting　and

on　the　10th　another　pitched　battle　took　place。　This　time　the　ground

was　more　open；　and　the　artillery　was　employed　with　terrible　effect

on　both　sides。　　It　ended；　however；　as　the　previous　battles　had　done；

by　the　Confederates　holding　their　ground。



Upon　the　next　day　there　was　but　little　fighting。　　In　the　night　the

Federals　moved　quietly　though　the　wood；　and　at　daybreak　four

divisions　fell　upon　Johnston's　division　of　Ewell's　corps；　took　them

completely　by　surprise；　and　captured　the　greater　part　of　them。



But　Lee's　veterans　soon　recovered　from　their　surprise　and

maintained　their　position　until　noon。　　Then　the　whole　Federal　army

advanced；　and　the　battle　raged　till　nightfall　terminated　the

struggle；　leaving　Lee　in　possession　of　the　whole　line　lie　had　held；

with　the　exception　of　the　ground　lost　in　the　morning。



For　the　next　six　days　the　armies　faced　each　other；　worn　out　by

incessant　fighting；　and　prevented　from　moving　by　the　heavy　rain

which　fell　incessantly。　　They　were　now　able　to　reckon　up　the

losses。　　The　Federals　found　that　they　had　lost；　in　killed；　wounded；

or　missing；　nearly　30；000　men；　while　Lee's　army　was　diminished

by　about　12；000。



While　these　mighty　battles　had　been　raging　the　Federal　cavalry

under　Sheridan　had　advanced　rapidly　forward；　and；　after　several

skirmishes　with　Stuart's　cavalry；　penetrated　within　the　outer

intrenchments　round　Richmond。　　Here　Stuart　with　two　regiments

of　cavalry　charged　them　and　drove　them　back；　but　the　gallant

Confederate　officer　received　a　wound　that　before　night　proved

fatal。　　His　loss　was　a　terrible　blow　to　the　Confederacy；　although　his

successor　in　the　command　of　the　cavalry；　General　Wade　Hampton；

was　also　an　officer　of　the　highest　merit。



In　the　meantime　General　Butler；　who　had　at　Fort　Monroe　under　his

command　two　corps　of　infantry；　4；000　cavalry；　and　a　fleet　of

gunboats　and　transports；　was　threat　cuing　Richmond　from　the　east。　

Shipping　his　men　on　board　the　transports　he　steamed　up　the　James

River；　under　convoy　of　the　fleet；　and　landed　on　a　neck　of　land

known　as　Bermuda　Hundred。　　To　oppose　him　all　the　troops　from

North　Carolina　had　been　brought　up；　the　whole　force　amounting　to

19；000　men；　under　the　command　of　General　Beauregard。　　Butler；

after　various　futile　movements；　was　driven　back　again　to　his

intrenched　camp　at　Bermuda　Hundred；　where　he　was　virtually

besieged　by　Beauregard　with　10；000　men；　the　rest　of　that　general's

force　being　sent　up　to　reinforce　Lee。



In　western　Virginia；　Breckenridge；　with　3；500　men；　was　called

upon　to　hold　in　check　Sigel；　with　15；000　men。　Advancing　to

Staunton；　Breckenridge　was　joined　by　the　pupils　of　the　military

college　at　Lexington；　250　in　number；　lads　of　from　14　to　17　years　of

age。　　He　came　upon　Sigel　on　the　line　of　march；　and　attacked　him　at

once。　　The　Federal　general　placed　a　battery　in　a　wood　and　opened

fire　with　grape。　　The　commander　of　the　Lexington　boys　ordered

them　to　charge；　and；　gallantly　rushing　in　through　the　heavy　fire；

they　charged　in　among　the　guns；　killed　the　artillerymen；　drove

back　the　infantry　supports；　and　bayoneted　their　colonel。　　The

Federals　now　retired　down　the　valley　to　Strasburg；　and

Breckenridge　was　able　to　send　a　portion　of　his　force　to　aid　Lee　in

his　great　struggle。



After　his　six　days'　pause　in　front　of　Lee's　position　at　Spotsylvania；

Grant　abandoned　his　plan　of　forcing　his　way　through　Lee's　army　to

Richmond；　and　endeavored　to　outflank　it；　but　Lee　again　divined

his　object；　and　moved　round　and　still　faced　him。　　After　various

movements　the　armies　again　stood　face　to　face　upon　the　old

battle…grounds　on　the　Chickahominy。　　On　the　3d　of　June　the　battle

commenced　at　half…past　four　in　the　morning。　　Hancock　at　first

gained　an　advantage；　but　Hill's　division　dashed　down　upon　him

and　drove　him　back　with　great　slaughter；　while　no　advantage　was

gained　by　them　in　other　parts　of　the　field。　The　Federal　loss　on　this

day　was　13；000；　and　the　troops　were　so　dispirited　that　they　refused

to　renew　the　battle　in　the　afternoon。



Grant　then　determined　to　alter　his　plan　altogether；　and　sending

imperative　orders　to　Butler　to　obtain　possession　of　Petersburg；

embarked　Smith's　corps　in　transports；　and　moved　with　the　rest　of

his　army　to　join　that　general　there。　Smith's　corps　entered　the　James

River；　landed；　and　marched　against　Petersburg。　　Beauregard　had　at

Petersburg　only　two　infantry　and　two　cavalry　regiments　under

General　Wise；　while　a　single　brigade　fronted　Butler　at　Bermuda

Hundred。　　With　this　handful　of　men　he　was　called　upon　to　defend

Petersburg　and　to　keep　Butler　bottled　up　in　Bermuda　Hundred

until　help　could　reach　him　from　Lee。　　He　telegraphed　to　Richmond

for　all　the　assistance　that　could　be　sent　to　him；　and　was　reinforced

by　a　brigade；　which　arrived　just　in　time；　for　Smith　had　already

captured　a　portion　of　the　intrenchments；　but　was　now　driven　out。



The　next　day　Beauregard　was　attacked　both　by　Smith's　and

Hancock's　corps；　which　had　now　arrived。　　With　8；000　men　he　kept

at　bay　the　assaults　of　two　whole　army　corps；　having　in　the

meantime　sent　orders　to　Gracie；　the　officer　in　command　of　the

brigade　before　Butler；　to　leave　a　few　sentries　there　to　deceive　that

general；　and　to　march　with　the　rest　of　his　force　to　his　aid。　　It

arrived　at　a　critical　moment。　　Overwhelmed　by　vastly　superior

numbers；　many　of　the　Confederates　had　left　their　posts；　and

Breckenridge　was　in　vain　trying　to　rally　them　when