Today in History:

1046 Series I Volume XXXVI-I Serial 67 - Wilderness-Cold Harbor Part I

Page 1046 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N.C. Chapter XLVIII.

and among them many who had fallen wounded between the lines and had lain there perishing for days. His demonstration then appearing on our right Anderson's corps was on the night of the 15th transferred to that flank, extending our line in that direction to the Po. Huger's and Haskell's battalions were here placed in position and Cabell's held in reserve.

On the morning of the 18th the enemy again attempted to carry the line still held by the Second Corps near the scene of the former conflict. This time,however, he met guns in position to receive him. His heavy was allowed to get within good range of our breast-works. There the guns under Colonel Carter (Hardaway's battalion and Page's reorganized) opened upon him a murderous fire of spherical case and canister which at once arrested his advance, threw his columns into confusion, and forced him to retreat in disorder. Heavily as he suffered on this occasion, our loss was nothing, and this was accomplished against a force of 12,000 picked infantry, by twenty-nine pieces of artillery alone, but well handled. In the afternoon, General Ewell having determined to make a flank movement, Lieutenant-Colonel Braxton was directed to accompany him with six guns of select caliber. The roads, however, were found impracticable for artillery, and Colonel Braxton was ordered to return to his position on the line. Simultaneously with his attack on Ewell's front on this day the enemy assailed, but in a different manner, our line near the Court-House. Having gotten a number of guns into a position to enfilade part of our line, he at attempted under cover of their fire to advance his front batteries. Pegram's and Cutts' guns promptly opened in reply. A furious cannonade ensued for about an hour. By that time the enemy's batteries in front were silenced and all further attempt to advance there was abandoned. In this cannonade Major McGraw, second in command of Pegram's battalion, was severely wounded, as were several other officers. Richardson's battalion on this day occupied the line to the right of Cutts' guns, those of First Corps being still farther to the right. The enemy, apparently satisfied with his fruitless efforts near Spotsylvania Court-House, made there no further attempt, and being found on the 21st shifting his position and moving beyond our right, our army was also on that day put in motion in the same direction. The Second Corps (Ewell's), then our left, having no enemy remaining on its front, moved with its artillery early in the day, passing the other corps, to the Telegraph road south of the of the Po, and then by that road toward Hanover Junction. Later in the day the Third Corps (Hill's) marched, accompanied by a portion of its artillery, toward the same point on a road nearly parallel to and not the west of the Telegraph road; and in the afternoon the First Corps (Anderson's) took up the line of march toward an on the Telegraph road, attended by Huger's and Haskell's battalions, Cabell's battalion, with others from the Third Corps, having previously marched by other roads as little to the west, so as to avoid crowding.

By the afternoon of the 22nd our whole army reached the south bank of the North Anna River near Hanover Junction, the First Corps occupying localities in the center near the Telegraph road bridge, the Second extending on its right down the river, and the Third on its left up the stream. General Breckinridge's division, which had just arrived from the Valley with two battalions of artillery, remained in reserve at Hanover Junction.


Page 1046 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N.C. Chapter XLVIII.