engaged than any or all of them could form at the time, and I think it will appear that after the first encounter, the Federals obtained little more protection from their intrenchments than the Confederates; that each side showed equal valor, and that when these troops wandering blindly through the Wilderness stumbled upon each other, the result of each encounter was precisely what should be expected from the relative strength and positions of the combatants. At about 8.20 the Federals had driven back the first Confederate line 700 yards, to the position it had held the night before. It was a grave blunder on Hooker's part to send these three or four brigades into the heart of Stuart's corps. Behind their defences they had been well placed to resist Stuart's attack and to cut up his line with their fire in front while Meade and Reynolds should come down upon his flank and rear; but these brigades were now left without support. 2d Confederate line comes up 8.15-8.45 A.M. At about 8.20 A.M. when Colston came up with the second Confederate line they were brought to a halt. On Stuart's left, Nicholls's brigade moved❜ slowly on. In the centre, Colston sent Warren's brigade to McGowan's support, but instead of pushing to the right as directed, many of the men took refuge in the rear of the log works, and fired over the heads of McGowan's, Lane's, s and Pender's' men, of whom several were killed and wounded. Paxton's' brigade was then brought from the north of the Turnpike behind the log works, where he found a large number of men, "of whom," he says, "fear had taken almost absolute possession. Paxton trying in vain to persuade them to go forward, was killed, and Funk succeeded him and moved on. Jones's brigade came up on Paxton's right.' Rodes then arrived with the third line and, north of the Turnpike, drove back the single line of the Federals. On account of the dense forest [he says], the undulating character of the ground, and the want of an ade3d Confed-quate staff, it was not in my power, during the subsequent movements, to give a great deal of personal attention to the actions of any of my command, except Rodes's and Ramseur's brigades. erate line comes up 8.20-8.45 A.M. He directed each brigade commander to push forward until the enemy was encountered, and engage him vigorously, moving over friend and foe alike, if in the way. Advancing steadily with no material stoppage, except that occasioned by the tangled undergrowth, they soon came under a heavy fire from Best's artillery. O'Neal, commanding Rodes's old brigade, was wounded; and Rodes in person led one of its regiments forward through the troops in front. In the right again passage of lines in this wilderness, the organidriven back zation of the Confederate left was broken. 8.20-8.45 North of the Turnpike, Iverson3 and Nicholls moved on, and drove back Carroll and Federal A.M. Albright. Along the Turnpike, Colonels Hall and Christie with two swarms of Confederates from O'Neal's and other brigades came upon Mott's and Ross's men, who were posted behind intrenchments; but who, having nearly expended their ammunition, and finding their position turned, fired a few volleys and withdrew to the Chancellor House. Hall and Christie halted and 1 39 R., 1028. 2 Ib., 943. 3 Ib., 986. ▲ Ib., 943, 944. fired on Best's batteries on the hill and on their supports. South of the Turnpike, Williams kept up a desperate struggle1 almost without cessation until about 8.30 A.M. His regiments had nearly exhausted Federal left yields slightly 8.30-845 A.M. their ammunition. Ruger was ordered to withdraw. Funk's assault was checked in part by the bayonet. Graham had been ordered up3 from behind the graveyard near Fairview to Ruger's support. On reaching the edge of the woods, he deployed his brigade in single line and came up behind Ruger. Paxton's men were forced to fall back to the log works on the right of those occupied by the fugitives of the first line; and Jones's brigade was driven from the log works on Paxton's right. 6 When Ramseur in Stuart's third line came to the log works, he ordered the troops there to move forward. Not a man could be moved. With Stuart's permission Ramseur ran over them and charged the Federal line. This brought him on the front and right flank of Ruger and Graham. Ruger gradually withdrew. One of the regiments on Graham's right flank broke and ran. Meanwhile, Doles" should have advanced on Ramseur's right; but in marching through the dense wood, lost his connection. Some of the brigade moved off to Hazel Grove and joined Archer, while others under Doles himself passed around Graham's left and moved on toward the plateau of Fairview. At about 8 A.M., Geary's division was in the trenches exposed to a terribly raking and enfilading fire from the artillery at Hazel Grove while attacks were made in front and flank by Lee's infantry. Thus hemmed in and in danger of being cut off, Geary was ordered to retire to the Chancellor House. Geary falls back 8.158.45 A.M. When Doles came up, he pierced the right of Ross's and Bowman's line on Geary's right, took the left of it in the rear, and captured a large number of prisoners. Candy 4 with Geary's right brigade had withdrawn, but Greene's, which was just moving back, was taken in flank and rear. Doles pushed on, protected by the crest of the hill, south of Best's batteries. Moving by the flank he passed up a ravine behind the graveyard at Fairview and came out near the Chancellor House in the midst of the Federal Army. At 8.45 A.M., the opposing armies confronted each other on nearly the same general line as at 7.45, but Stuart's three lines had now melted into one; Situation his left flank was much stronger than before; 8.45 A.M. the troops sent out by Hooker to stop his advance might perhaps be outflanked, and Hooker's line facing west, rolled up and routed. But Stuart had launched his men blindly into the wilderness with only one brigade in reserve; and a few hundred yards to his left, Meade and Reynolds were waiting with 33,000 men to fall upon his flank and rear and swallow him up. His enemy could not have put him in a more helpless position; far worse than that of Howard the day before, for now all Stuart's corps was absolutely in Hooker's power. I 1 39 R., 730. ▲ Ib., 734. |