whereof Ewell's (late the right), on its change of front, held the left, next the Rapidan; A. P. Hill coming into line on the right; while Longstreet (recently returned from his East Tennessee campaign) was posted near Charlottesville, two marches off, but was rapidly brought up, and came into action the second day. The ground was as unfavorable for us as could be; yet Grant, being unexpectedly assailed for he had confidently expected to get through unmolested -had no choice but to fight: neither Burnside nor our trains being yet fairly over the river; so that any attempt to evade Lee's unlooked-for blow would have compromised, not merely the campaign, but the army. Hardly a shot had been fired on the first day of our movement; the Rebel pickets retreating precipitately before our imposing advance, to speed the great news to their leaders. Gen. Warren, with his corps, forming our

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infantry advance, rested for the night at the Old Wilderness tavern,' five miles from the ford, where Grant and Meade crossed and made their headquarters next morning; Gen. Sedgwick's corps was between them and the ford; Gen. Hancock, with his corps, halted at or near Chancellorsville, in the rear of Warren. Our cavalry, under Sheridan and his lieutenants, Wilson and Gregg, covered the front and flanks of the infantry.

Warren had orders to move, supported by Sedgwick, early next morning," to Parker's store, five miles S. W. of his camping-ground; following the road leading to Orange Court House: Hancock was to press southward, at considerable distance on his left, making for Shady Grove church; while Sheridan's cavalry swept still farther south-west, making a reconnoissance in force. But these movements were met in their inception by an unlooked-for advance of the Rebel

and this proved the more successful maneuver. It was evident that the Rebels, in their perfect knowledge of the country, and in the facility of moving their forces from left to right and back again in the rear of their defenses and fighting line, thus thoroughly screened from observation on our part, possessed advantages fully counterbalancing their deficiency in numbers.

On our left, Gen. Hancock had moved out, at 5 a. M., and had pushed forward, fighting, crowding back Hill and taking many prisoners, nearly two miles, across the Brock road, on his way to Parker's store. Here he was stopped by the arrival of Longstreet; who, after a brief lull, charged in turn, throwing our front into confusion, and requiring the presence of part of Burnside's men to restore and steady it; when Longstreet in turn was pressed back, falling severely wounded-it was said by a fire from his own men. Again a desperate attack by the enemy bore back the front of the 2d corps to its intrenched line and abatis along the Brock road; near which, but farther to the right, Gen. James S. Wadsworth, gallantly struggling to stem the adverse tide, was shot through the head and mortally wounded; as Gen. Alex. Hays had been the day before.

But, another lull now occurring, our front was straightened and strengthened; Gen. Burnside's corps having been thrown in between Hancock and Warren, so as to give our line the full strength of our infantry. Hardly had this been done when the now united corps of Hill and Longstreet fell furiously upon our left and left center, pushing them back, and,

sion of Burnside's corps, drove it back and rushed through the gap. Hancock promptly sent Col. Carroll, with the 3d brigade of his 2d division, to strike the advancing foe in flank, which was admirably done: the enemy being driven back with heavy loss, and our troops regaining their former position.

Thus ended the battle on our left; but, the enemy, massing swiftly and heavily on our right, after our Generals supposed the day's fighting over,struck again, under Gordon, just before dark, at that flank; surprising and routing Truman Seymour's and then Shaler's brigade, taking nearly 4,000 prisoners, including Seymour himself. For a moment, it seemed that our army, or at least its right wing, was exposed to rout; but Gen. Sedgwick exerted himself to restore his lines, and succeeded: the enemy making off with most of their prisoners in triumph. In fact, this charge had been made at so late an hour that no farther success than was achieved could wisely have been aimed at. Our army rested, after the second day's bloody struggle, substantially on the ground held by it at the beginning.

Early next morning, some guns (which had just been posted on our right) opened; but there was no reply; then our skirmishers advanced, but were met by skirmishers only; and it was soon evident that Lee had intrenched his whole front, and was willing to receive an attack behind his works, but not inclined to advance again and make one. And, as fighting in this labyrinth was nowise Grant's choice, but Lee's wholly, and as the latter did not invite a persistence in it, Grant resolved to resume

his march; and accordingly put his columns in motion southward, aiming to clear the Wilderness and concentrate his army on the high, open ground around Spottsylvania C. H. The only serious conflict this day was an indecisive one near Todd's store, between four brigades of our cavalry and a like force of J. E. B. Stuart's, with a loss about 250 on either side. As Stuart attacked, and failed to achieve any advantage, Sheridan claimed the result as a triumph.

Our losses in this terrible struggle in the Wilderness were nearly 20,000 men, of whom some 6,000 were taken prisoners. Our loss in officers was heavy. The country's salvation claimed no nobler sacrifice than that of Gen. James S. Wadsworth, of New York. Born to affluence and social distinction, already past the age of military service, he had volunteered in 1861, under the impulse of a sense of duty alone. As an aid of Gen. McDowell, he was conspicuously useful at Bull Run; accustomed to every luxury, he had courted, ever since, the hardships and perils of the field; made the Republican candidate for Governor in 1862 by an overwhelming majority, he could not have failed to be elected, could those have voted who, like himself, were absent from the State at the call of their country; and, though he peremptorily declined, his fellow citizens, had he lived, would have insisted on electing him Governor in 1864. Thousands of the unnamed and unknown have evinced as fervid and pure a patriotism, but no one surrendered more for his country's sake, or gave his life more joyfully for her deliverance, than did James S. Wadsworth.

Among our wounded in this contest were Gens. Hancock (slightly), Getty, Gregg, Owen, Bartlett, Webb, and Carroll.

Of the Rebel killed, the most conspicuous were Maj.-Gen. Sam. Jones and Brig.-Gen. Albert G. Jenkins. Among their wounded were Gens. Longstreet (disabled for months), Stafford (mortally), Pickett, Pegram, and Hunter. Doubtless, their aggregate losses were much less than ours, especially in prisoners; but they were nevertheless severe, as they were estimated by themselves at 8,000.

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Warren, starting at 9 P. M. of the 7th, preceded by cavalry, emerged from the Wilderness at Alsop's farm, where the Brock road crosses the little river Po; but he had been detained by the obstruction of his roads by the enemy, and by the cavalry fight in his front, so that Longstreet's corps had arrived before him, and taken post across the little river Ny, with his guns planted on the ridge beyond, to sweep our columns as they advanced. After a mutual cannonade, Robinson's overmatched division was advanced to the assault, but repulsed; Robinson being severely wounded. Later in the day, when part of the 6th corps had come up, the assault was renewed, Griffin's division taking part; when the enemy were driven back, with a loss of 1,500. Ours was judged to be less.

Miles's brigade of Hancock's corps was attacked this day at Corbyn's bridge, but beat off its assailants. Wilson, with our advance cavalry, penetrated to Spottsylvania Court House; but, being unsupported, was compelled to retire.