244
GENERAL LEE IN THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN.
hours in salient and two combats on another partof the line; May 18th, one; May 19th, one. Itis no wonder that on these fields the Confederateordnance officers gathered more than 120,000pounds of lead, which was recast in bullets anddid work again before the campaign of 1804 wasclosed.
Lee , discovering that Grant had set out on the20tli of May on his flanking movement south-ward, immediately marched so as to throw hisarmy between the Federal forces and Richmond .He crossed the North Anna on the 21st. GeneralGrant arrived on the 23d. Lee would gladly havecompelled battle in his position there. He wasanxious now to strike a telling blow, as he was
ERIGUJIlllI-GUNEKAI. (5EOHGE II. STEUAltT, 0. S. A.
HiOM A J'HOTOGKAPn.
convinced that General Grant’s men were dis-pirited by the bloody repulses of their repeated at-tacks on our lines. Leo had drawn Pickett andBreckinridge to him. But in the midst of theoperations on the North Anna he succumbed tosickness, against which he had struggled for somedays. As he lay in his tent he would say, in hisimpatience, “We must strike them!” “We mustnever let them pass us again !” “ Wo must strikethem! ” He had reports brought to him con-stantly from the field. But Lee ill in his tent wasnot Lee at the front. He Avas much disappointedin not securing larger results from the attack whichprevented the junction of Hancock’s and Warren’scolumns after they had crossed the North Anna.
On May 20th Grant withdrew his army from itsrather critical position on the south side of theNorth Anna, and moved again to the east, down thePamuukey, which he crossed on the 28th, to findLee confronting him on the Totopotomoy. Granthad received reenforcements from Washington,and had drawn Smith’s corps from Butler in Ber-
muda Hundred. This corps reached him at ColdHarbor on June 1st. On the 30th the Confederateforces were in line of battle, with the loft at Atloe’sStation confronting the Federal army. GeneralLee was still sick, and occupied a house at nigh*for the first time during the campaign. As one ofhis trusted lieutenants has well said: “In fact,nothing but his own determined will kept him in thefield; and it was then rendered more evident thanover that he was the head and front, the very lit®and soul of his army.” Grant declined generalbattle and drew eastward; and after several lessercombats, with no serious results, the two armiesconfronted one another on the 3d of June at ColdHarbor. In these days Lee had drawn to himselfHoke’s division from Beauregard, and had been re-enforced by Finegan’s Florida brigade and Keitt S
The days from May 30th to June 2d were anx-ious ones for General Lee . For while GeneralGrant had easy and sai'o communication withPetersburg and Bermuda Hundred, and com-manded all the Federal troops north and south ofRichmond , ho commanded only the Army of North-ern Virginia and was compelled to communicate 1'iS“suggestions ” to General Beauregard through Gen-eral Bragg and tho War Department at Richmond *This marred greatly the unity, secrecy, and celer-ity of action so absolutely essential to success-That he considered this separation of commands,and the consequent circuitous mode of communi-cation with its uncertain results, a very gravematter is plain from tho telegrams which he sentat this time. General Beauregard had telegraphedfrom Chester (half-way between Richmond andPetersburg), on May 30th, 5 :15 l“. M., as follows’
“ War Department must determine when and windtroops to order from here. I send to General Bragginformation r obtain relative to movement of enemy ’ 8troops in front.”
This called forth the following telegrams : J)
“Atehe’s, V/i P. M., :10th May, 1804-“Genekal (1. T. linAuitECAito, Hancock's House:
“ If yon cannot determine what troops you can spare-the Department cannot. Tho result of your delay"'"be, disaster. Butler’s troops will be with Grant to-morrow. It. It. Bun.”
“ Atlke’s, Hi r. m., :10th May, ISO 4 -“ HIS JCxcklluncy .Ieei'ehson Davis, Kiohmond:
“ General Beauregard says the Department mast de-termine what troops to send from him. Ho gives it 11necessary information. Tho result of this delay wid l ,cdisaster. Butler’s troops (Smith's Corps) will bo withGrant, to-morrow. Hoke's division ni least should 1”with mo by light to-morrow. K. 11. BEK.’
iNDOhSEMENT.
“OrnHATon: Read last sentenoo ‘by light to-m 1 ”"row.’” “C. H. V.,
“A. A. «•’
The battle of tho 3d of Juno was a general a s "sault by Grant along a front, nearly six miles 1,1length, and a complete and bloody repulse at ; lpoints, except, at one woak salient on Brock" 1 "ridge’s line, which tho hra,vo assailants oceupi"
£ The, first dispatch is from the original in possession of General T. I-\ Rodonbough. The dispatch to .loiters 0 "Davis is from the original in possession of the Massachusetts Commandery of the Loyal Begion.—KnlTOBS-