. Four years of fighting : a volume of personal observation with the army and navy, from the first battle of Bull Run to the fall of Richmond . so at length they replied. The air was calm, and the reverberation rolled far over theforest. There was constant skirmishing through the Grant rode along the lines, inspected the position, andissued orders for a general advance at five oclock; but Leetook the initiative, and through the afternoon the battle ragedwith exceeding fierceness. There was nothing at Spottsylvania worthy of contention, —no mountain-pass or deep-running river;
. Four years of fighting : a volume of personal observation with the army and navy, from the first battle of Bull Run to the fall of Richmond . so at length they replied. The air was calm, and the reverberation rolled far over theforest. There was constant skirmishing through the Grant rode along the lines, inspected the position, andissued orders for a general advance at five oclock; but Leetook the initiative, and through the afternoon the battle ragedwith exceeding fierceness. There was nothing at Spottsylvania worthy of contention, —no mountain-pass or deep-running river; but General Grantbeing on his way to Richmond, his adversary, like Apollyonassaulting Christian, had come out to meet him on that had the advantage of position and was able to concentratehis forces. It was about one oclock when Longstreet began topress Hancock. There was a hot engagement for an hour,principally by Birneys division ; but failing to move Birney, anattempt was made to pry open still wider the joint between theSecond and Fifth Corps. The relative positions of the two armies will be seen from thefollowing spottstovmia: The battle was fought in the forest, — in the marshes along 324 FOUR YEARS OF FIGHTING. [May, the Ny, — in ravines, — in pine-thickets densely shaded withthe dark evergreens that shut out the rays of the noondaysun, — in open fields, where Rebel batteries had full sweep andplay — with shell, and grape, and canister — from intrenchedpositions on the hills. During a lull in the strife I visited the hospitals. Suddenlythe battle recommenced in greater fury. The wounded beganto come in at a fearful rate. The battle was drawing were streaming past the hospitals. There were signs ofdisaster. Are they driving us ? was the eager inquiry of thewounded. While the storm was at its height, a stalwart soldier who hadjust risen from the amputating-table, where his left arm, tornto shreds by a cannon-shot, had been seve
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectunitedstateshistoryc
