Second and Fourth Divisions of the Fifth Corps commenced the attack on the centre. The rest of the Fifth Corps and the two divisions of the Second then advanced and fought with great tenacity for several hours, driving the enemy to his rifle-pits, but failing to capture them. Gibbons's gallant Second Division, and especially Carroll's Brigade, suffered severely in repeated charges. General Rice, of the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Fifth Corps, was at this time killed. The check of our centre threw the remaining division, Barlow's (First), of the Second Corps, on our right, in extreme peril, and orders were given to withdraw it to this side the river. The enemy, however, had already attacked it in great force, and turned it. He pounced so suddenly and fiercely upon the division as to force it back from the flanking position it held, and produce a momentary confusion. This was soon checked, and the division, though pressed by superior numbers, fought its way slowly backward, and, still fighting, retreated across the river and joined the Second Corps, against the right of which the enemy continued to exert his strength until after nightfall, when he was repulsed. Towards evening, a most energetic and gallant assault was made by the whole line. Across the open fields, through reaches of wood, through depths of swamp and mire, the dark lines of our battalions struggled forward against a fearful fire poured down upon them from works that only our artillery could reach effectively. The divisions of the Fifth Corps, subjected to an enfilading volley of great guns from right and left, suffered greatly. The terrible work set for these men, under such a fire, was not accomplished, when darkness closed around the struggling hosts with the repulse of the enemy on the right of the Second Corps. Upton's First Brigade of Wright's First Division of the Sixth Corps, with Russell's Third Brigade of the Third Division, moving steadily forward amid a raking and murderous fire, without firing a shot, scaled the enemy's works in gallant style, and captured more than one thousand of the very men who had stampeded the rigades of Shaler and Seymour on Friday night in the Wilderness, nd sending a scattering volley after a host of flying rebels. Twelve guns also came into our possession. But Upton, finding himself far in dvance of the army, was compelled to fall back with his prisoners rom his daring assault. As always before, night closed on a hardought but indecisive field. Our losses were perhaps more severe than ose of any previous day. The Sixth Corps alone, in the battles up o that night, had lost over five thousand killed and wounded. The ollowing bulletin was issued upon the reception of the news of these vents in Washington: To Major-General DIX: "WASHINGTON, May 11-11.30 A. M. 'Dispatches from General Grant, dated at eight o'clock this morning, have just ached this Department. He says: "We have now ended the sixth day of very heavy fighting. The result to this ne is much in our favor. Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy. think the loss of the enemy must be greater. We have taken over five thousand isoners in battle, while he has taken from us but few except stragglers. I propose fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.' The Government is sparing no pains to support him. “EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War." Wednesday, May 11th, was a day of no extended operations, and was spent mostly in skirmishing and changing positions on both sides. The enemy shifted his lines to the left, and corresponding movements were made on the Federal side. It had been determined to assault on Thursday morning, and the Second Corps being selected to make the attempt, it was, during the night, which was very stormy, moved from the right to the left of the Sixth, between that and Burnside, so that on Thursday morning the corps were disposed as follows: the Fifth Corps on the right, the Sixth Corps next, the Second Corps next, and Burnside, as before, on the extreme left. It was in front of Hancock's new position that the vital section of the enemy lay-a strong salient angle of earthworks, ditched in front, defended by cannon at every point, and held by Johnson's Division of Ewell's Corps, Ewell's whole corps adjoining. * On Thursday, the 12th, Hancock's Corps occupying a position exposed to the enemy's guns, moved at dawn cautiously up to the enemy's lines amidst a dense fog. Barlow's Division-Niell's Brigade leading -formed in column by battalions, took the advance, while Birney, Mott, and Gibbon, in two lines of battle, supported the attack. The storming column advanced silently, and without firing a shot, up to the angles of the breast works, over which it rushed, taking the forces within in flank, surrounding them, capturing nearly the entire division of Johnson, three thousand men, with its commander, and also a brigade or two of other troops, Brigadier-General George H. Stuart in command. Over forty pieces of artillery were also captured. The point of the lines thus carried was at Ewell's right and A. P. Hill's left, and the captured division was a part of Stonewall Jackson's famous old corps. It was an exceedingly important point, Hancock being thus inserted like a wedge between the enemy's centre and right. The charge of the Second Corps was followed by a heavy cannonade all along the line, to which the enemy replied with great vigor. Five furious charges were made by the enemy to retake that position. Ewell's Corps, driven from it in the morning, came down first en masse, and were repulsed. Hill moved down from the right, joined Ewell, and threw his divisions into the struggle. General Wright moved up from the right, supporting Hancock to meet the surge. Anderson came on from the extreme left of the enemy's line. Warren sent in troops from the left of ours. The lines of both armies, thus contracted, met in a continual death-grapple in and to the right of the angle taken in the morning. The enemy's columns dashed with unflinching determination against our lines, retiring each time with great loss. At Winfield Scott Hancock was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in 1824, and graduated at West Point in 1844. He was brevetted first lieutenant for gallant conduct in the Mexican war, subsequently saw much service in the West, and at the breaking out of the rebellion held the position of quartermaster. He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers in September, 1861, commanded a brigade in the Peninsular campaign, and was highly commended for his conduct at the battle of Williamsburg, May 5th, 1862. After the battle of Antietam, he assumed command of a division in the Second Corps, and dis tinguished himself at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. At the last-named battle he held command of the Second Corps, and was severely wounded. He participated in the campaign of 1864 against Richmond, and organized the assault which led to the cater part of of Johnson's division, May 12th. In the the year he resigned the command of the Second Corps to General Humphreys, and was assigned to the First Corps, then reorganizing. At the close of the war he commanded in the Shenandoah Valley. He is now major-general of volunteers, and has charge of the Middle Department. |