greatly fatigued from the enormous efforts of yesterday, the news of Lee's departure inspires the men with fresh energy. The whole force will soon be in motion, but the heavy rains of the last thirty-six hours render the roads very difficult for wagons and artillery. The proportion of severely wounded is greater than on either of the previous days' fighting. This was owing to the great use made of artillery. "C. A. DANA." Meanwhile, on May 9th, a picket body of cavalry, under the immediate command of General Sheridan,* chief of cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, had left the front on an expedition to the rear of Lee's army, the main object of which was to cut off the rebel communications and supplies. Moving rapidly south along the Negro Foot road towards Childsburg, he crossed the North Anna River at the fords and suddenly pounced upon the Beaver Dam Station of the Vir ginia Central Railroad, where a rebel provost-guard, having charge of nearly four hundred Union prisoners, was captured. The latter were promptly released. Thence moving towards Richmond, he sent a detachment to Ashland Station, on the Fredericksburg Railroad, where the track, station-house, and considerable rolling stock were destroyed. On the 11th the command, again concentrated, had reached a point within six miles of Richmond, where the rebel cavalry under General Stuart was encountered, and, after a sharp fight, defeated, with the loss of several guns, Stuart himself being mortally wounded. On the suc ceeding morning a detachment penetrated to the second line of defences of Richmond, but not being in sufficient force to make a dash at the city, rejoined the main body, which was moving towards Meadow Bridge, on the Chickahominy. The rebels, aware by this time of the intentions of Sheridan, were moving rapidly in superior force to surround and cut him off, and upon reaching the river the Union cavalry found Meadow James River, and in the flanking movement by which Lee was driven out of Petersburg and event ually destroyed, he held the chief command, de feating the rebels with severe loss at the battle of Five Forks. At the conclusion of the war he went to Texas as commander of the military division of the Gulf. He is a major-general of the regular ariny. + James E. B. Stnart was born in Patrick Coun ty, Virginia, about 1832, and graduated at West Point in 1834. He served in a cavalry regiment un til the outbreak of the rebellion, when he resigned his commission and entered the rebel army, in which, in September, 1561, he was commissioned a Philip Henry Sheridan was born in Perry County, Ohio, in 1831, and graduated at West Point in 1853. He saw considerable service in the West, and after the outbreak of the rebellion was commissioned a captain in the Thirteenth United States Infantry. For nearly a year he acted as chief quartermaster in the Trans-Mississippi Department, and in May, 1862, was appointed colonel of the Second Michigan Cavalry. In June he was put in command of a cavalry brigade, and for a brilliant victory over the rebel General Chalmers, at Booneville, Mississippi, July 1st, he was promoted, on General Grant's recommendation, to be a brigadier-general of volunteers. During the invasion of Kentucky by Bragg, in 1862, he was as- brigadier-general. In the ensuing winter he or signed to the command of a division in Buell's ganized the rebel cavalry forces in Virginia, and army, and subsequently fought at Perrysville and during the Peninsular campaign distinguished him Murfreesboro', earning by his valor in the latter self by a raid in McClellan's rear, which was the ongagement his promotion to be major-general of precursor of that general's change of base to the volunteers. He participated in the campaign of James River, and of the seven days' fighting which 1963 against Chattanooga, and again distinguished accompanied the movement. He commanded the himself at Chickamauga and the succeeding battle cavalry during the succeeding invasion of Maryon Missionary Ridge. In the spring of 1864 he land, and a few weeks after the battle of Antietam was summoned eastward to assume command of again rode around the Union lines, bringing off a the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, in which considerable amount of spoils. In the Chancel capacity he led several daring expeditions against lorsville campaign and Lee's second invasion of the enemy's communications. In August he took the North, his cavalry was active, and, after the charge of the military division of the Shenandoah, battle of Gettysburg, effectually covered the rebel gained the brilliant victories of September 19th and retreat. He was mortally wounded in an encoun 21st over Early, and on October 19th won the hard-ter with the Union cavalry at Yellow Tavern, near fought battle of Cedar Creek, changing by his op- Richmond, on the 11th, and died a few hours later. portune arrival a Union defeat into a signal vic- He then held the rank of lieutenant-general tory. In March, 1865, he moved his cavalry to the Bridge destroyed and the Fredericksburg Railroad bridge, which crosses the Chickahominy near this place, commanded by defensive works. To add to Sheridan's embarrassment, another rebel force now came up in his rear, cutting off his retreat and seriously ieopardizing the command. Hemmed in between two fires, with a difficult river to cross, and a vigilant and confident enemy surrounding his tired troopers, Sheridan acted with consummate coolness and judgment. The railroad bridge being under the circumstances impracticable, he immediately commenced to reconstruct Meadow Bridge, though exposed the while to a severe fire, to which his own artillery effectually replied, and obliged to repel the enemy in his rear by frequent counter-attacks. At length, he bridge was completed, and preparations were made to pass his mmunition train across. But as this operation, under the hot fire of the enemy, would be attended with no little risk, he gathered his nen up for a final charge, and, putting himself at their head, sabre in and, drove the rebels in confusion to the shelter of the neighboring roods, their flight being accelerated by several well-aimed shots from he Union artillery. The trains were now quickly passed across the iver, and the rebel force on the farther bank was driven through Techanicsville to Cold Harbor, with the loss of many prisoners. Sherian encamped that night at Gaines's Mill, the old battle-ground of une 27th, 1862, and on the 14th reached General Butler's headarters, near City Point, on the James River. He then opened comunications with Yorktown, and thence with Washington. CHAPTER LI trograde Movement of the Enemy.-Bad Condition of the Roads.-Union Movement to the Left.-Relative Position of Armies.-Re-enforcements.-Irruption on the Rear Repulsed.-Grant Crossing the North Anna.-Impregnable Position of the Enemy. -North Anna Recrossed, and Movement to the Left continued. FRIDAY, the 13th, continued stormy, but the skirmishers were early shed out, only to discover that the enemy had fallen back to a new sition, made necessary by the loss of the angle occupied by Hancock. e roads were in such a condition that rapidity of movement was out the question, and the day was occupied mostly in burying the dead. neral Meade issued a congratulatory order to the troops. Towards ht, new dispositions were determined on. The enemy's right being emed the only practicable point of attack, our lines were to be ce more shifted down to the left, in the endeavor to flank. The th and Sixth Corps were selected this time, for an attempt resemng that of the Second and Ninth. The position of Thursday, the h, as already indicated, ran thus, from right to left: Warren, right, Hancock, Burnside. About nine o'clock, on Friday night, two right corps were put in motion, and marched all night to their v position. The difficulties of the march through the ankle-deep 1 knee-deep mud, and amid the furious storm, made the movement the woods. Reconnoissances in the afternoon discovered that the main body of the enemy had fallen back some distance. Preparations were at once made for a further advance, but in view of the exertions of the last few days, a brief respite for rest was allowed. The following passage, written by an eye-witness, gives a graphic description of the scene at head-quarters at this moment: "The lieutenant-general here, at the foot of a tree, one leg of his trowsers slipped above his boots, his hands limp, his coat in confusion, his sword equipments sprawling on the ground; not even the weight of sleep erasing that persistent expression of the lip which held a constant promise of some thing to be done. And there, at the foot of another tree, is General Meade a military hat, with the rim turned down about his ears, tapping a scabbard with his fingers, and gazing abstractedly into the depths of the earth through eye-glasses that should become historic. General Humphreys, chief of staff a spectacled, iron-gray, middle. aged officer, of a pleasant smile and manner, who wears his trowsers below, after the manner of leggins, and is in all things independent and serene, paces yonder to and fro. That rather thick-set officer, with closely-trimmed whiskers, and the kindest of eyes, who never be trays a harsh impatience to any comer, is Adjutant-General Williams. General Hunt, chief of artillery, a hearty-faced, frank-handed man, whose black hair and whiskers have the least touch of time, lounges at the foot of another tree, holding lazy converse with one or two members of his staff. General Ingalls, chief quartermaster of the army, than whom no more imperturbable, efficient, or courteous presence is here, plays idly and smilingly with a riding-whip, tossing a telling word or two hither and thither. Staff officers and orderlies and horses thickly strew the grove." Amid these reposing men drops an occasional shell from the enemy, and as the day draws to a close there are signs of renewed activity. At dusk an order was issued for the whole army to move towards Spottsylvania Court-House, vid Todd's Tavern. The Fifth Corps marched in advance, the Sixth Corps next, Hancock and Burnside following. The Sixth Corps marched on the Chancellorsville road, reaching Piney Branch Church towards the latter part of Sunday forenoon, the 8th. A part of our troops stretched across and occupied Fredericksburg, the Twenty-second New York Cavalry entering that city at eight o'clock on Saturday evening. A dépôt for our wounded was established there, and a basis for supplies arranged. Hancock's and Burnside's Corps pressed on, on Saturday night, resuming the chase again at daylight on Sunday morning, and camping at noon twenty miles away southerly from the Old Wilderness battle-field. The Fifth Corps, remaining till dark on the battle-ground, marched all Saturday night, though exhausted by the events of the four days and nights preceding, taking the Brock road past Todd's Tavern, towards Spottsylvania. Meanwhile the enemy's cavalry was on the alert, and Stuart reported to Lee that Grant had resumed his flank movement, and that under cover of the thick woods he was throwing force forward in the direction of Spottsylvania Court-House, on the direct road to Rich mond. Orders were immediately issued for Anderson's Corps (late Longstreet's) to march at eleven o'clock at night for that place, and preparations were immediately made to put the whole army in motion for the same destination on the following day. The distance from the battle-field, which is near the western boundary of Spottsylvania County, to the Court-House, is fifteen miles. Warren's Corps left the Wilderness Tavern with Bartlett's Brigade in the advance as skirmishers. These pushed forward with confidence, but incautiously advaneing, when near Spottsylvania Court-House, beyond the main body, were assailed by a heavy fire and driven back with severe loss. General Robinson fell, wounded in the leg. A line of battle was then formed, with Griffin on the right, Robinson on the left, and on his left Crawford's and Wadsworth's (now Cutler's) Divisions. The troops in the rear were brought up, and a portion of the Sixth Corps formed on the right. Meantime, Ewell's Corps had joined Longstreet's (now Anderson's) at Spottsylvania Court-House, where Lee had succeeded n throwing his army in advance of Grant's movement to the same lace. Hill's Corps had not yet arrived, but was hourly expected. These events of the 7th were officially given to the public as fol WS "WASHINGTON, Monday, May 9—4. P. M. "A bearer of dispatches from General Meade's head-quarters has just reached here. › states that Lee's army commenced falling back on the night of Friday. Our army nmenced the pursuit on Saturday. The rebels were in full retreat for Richmond by direct road. Hancock passed through Spottsylvania Court-House at daylight yesday. Our head-quarters at noon yesterday were twenty miles south of the battled. We occupy Fredericksburg. The Twenty-second New York Cavalry occupied t place at eight o'clock last night. The dépôt for our wounded is established at dericksburg. "EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War." Sunday night, the 8th, found the Union army intrenched, facing the in Sedgwick was born in Connectient, ville campaign, he stormed and captured Marye's out to the advanced line of breast works occupied by his men. A constant hum of bullets about this place caused the soldiers in the works to dodge and duck their heads. The general smiled at them goodnaturedly. He had a winning smile. Finally, one bullet hummed so near a soldier that he dropped down upon his face. General Sedgwick touched him with his foot in humorous disdain. "Pooh, pooh, inan! Who ever heard of a soldier dodging a bullet? Why, they couldn't hit an elephant at that distance." There was a laugh at this, even though the straggling shot yet hummed unpleasantly around. The general was still smiling over the banter, when Colonel McMahon heard the buzz of a bullet culminate in what seemed an explosion close beside him. "That must have been an explosive bullet, general." No answer. But as the face of General Sedgwick slightly turned towards the officer at his side, a sad smile was upon it. Another moment, and the form of the general fell helplessly backward. It was caught by Colonel McMahon as it fell. A ball had entered the face, just below the left eye, pierced the brain, and passed out at the back of the head. He never spoke afterwards, though he breathed softly for a while. On Tuesday, our forces at dawn occupied a line stretching out a length of about six miles on the northern bank of the Po, and taking the general form of a crescent, the wings being thrown forward; the Second Corps held the right wing, and the Sixth the left. The preceding night, Hancock had succeeded in crossing the Po, and now held a line on the right, nearly parallel to the road from Shady Grove Church to the Court-House. Warren held the centre, being on the east side of the Po; and Wright, who had succeeded Sedgwick in the command of the Sixth Corps, the left, facing towards the Court-House. Farther out on the left was Burnside's Ninth Corps, which, unknown to himself, and fortunately unknown to the enemy, was disconnected from its supports, and in a very dangerous position. Arnold's, Rodger's, Sleeper's, and other batteries covered our right; Meade's, Martin's, and others our left centre. In our front was a dense forest. The enemy still held Spottsylvania and the region north of the CourtIIouse. On the preceding day, his left rested on Glady Run, sweeping northward, and sheltered by strong works. His right curved in a similar direction, and rested on the Ny River; and his centre, a little thrown forward from the right centre and left centre, was posted on commanding ground. His position was well supported by breastworks, and along his centre was the forest and underbrush, lining a marsh partially drained by a run. In the morning the conflict opened by a terrific cannonade of our artillery against the advancing rebel lines; and for the first time in the campaign, this arm was brought into full and destructive use. Mott's Fourth Division of the Second Corps was then transferred to the left, and the advance continued at this point. Orders, however, had been given to attack the rebel centre. Accordingly, Gibbons's Second and Birney's Third Division of the Second Corps were drawn back from the other side of the Po, to connect with Warren. The |