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sIthe right, were but little understood.L'ugstreet was posted on*the right, Hill in Che centre, and Ewell* on the left. It,was deemed advisable to make an effort to tnrn the enemy’sJeitiiaa k, and Longstreet was~chSrged .with that Important duty. *For this purpose McLaws’ and Hood’s divisions were put in' ’motion,-but th e-latte r ^leeoveredf-after~pro-jceeding some distance by a circuitous route, [that he could fco noifarther in that direction{without bringing his column within, view of the enemj, and thus disclosing the whole move*' ment. It became necessary, therefore, for him to retrace his steps, and to advance by another route.. In this way much time was lost beforo .the movement upon the enemy’s flmk could beexecuted,_and whiciunight have.been-avoidedby~a previous examination of-*the. around. McLaws’ proper,position was'lmnbe extreme rght, but in the hurry to makeihe aUack Hood was placed 4on the right/andrMcLawe next to him. Both orthesfc*excellent officers desired hat a ireconnoissance of the ground shouldrecede the assault, in * order to ‘apcerbiin,~I£ossible, whether ihe,ejemy occupied the high _ills in their front,1 .and in what force; but the decision ofGenenris JL.ee and Lonksireet was against^t, and the* assaulting column was ordered to moTeforwaxd. _. rltls-afacrnot 'genereny^kuqwn, and whichIt may not be impropeiJtotate‘fh this connection, that in all _ his Jamous flank movements Gen. Jackson was careful ’ to examine the ground and .to-learn:the exact pdsitioh of thb enemy,'and hence hie*biowa were a|ways.well aimcd'andTefrlble In effecL^Buch, ,too, is Gen.Lee’s practice; ibntThTthe present case it wasprobably supposed_Jhat an .immediate: attack before the enemy could get into position, would more than counterbalance the .disadvantages resulting from inexact knowledge of the ground.But four o’clock had arrived, .and the first gun from Henry’s battalion cf artillery an-.nounced that the assault had commenced onJheextreme right. * CabellVfeattallbn, of McLaws’ division, opened next, and in a few minutes the artillery fire became general along^our entire line. The splendid divisions of Hood and Mo* Lawi swept on to the charge in admirable style. An officer who was present said it was worth tea years of ordinary life to witness the manner In which McLaws’ division rushed, across the field and 'assaulted ihe\almosi impregnable position in frontl It was' soon discovered that the enemy was in 'strong fores upon ihe moun-tkln-spnrs on* the Tight, ^md'thaVltwas impss-slble to turn his position and :get' in his ;rear, without passlng^around the mou tains, which was impracticable ; but It was then too late to pause, and conward the column moved in the lace of a terrible fire of musketry and converging ^batteries. If • the position* could not be turned, the only alternative left.was to dislodge the. foe by hard - blows. These blows -were given freely { be waspushed, from thecwooded mountain, and his line bent back until if rested upon the nigh rocky hill or eminence. Indeed; his line ail tuong Longstreet’a front was* driven back with immense-tarn: battery, after battery waa silenced: or carried by storm, and a large number of fUgm taken and absnt t,SOO prisonerscaptured, chief y by McLaws’division. It‘is cstlputtd tbit Wofford’s Georgia brigade alonp
Newspaper Details
Savannah Republican
Savannah, Georgia, US
Sun, Jul 19, 1863
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Jun 2023
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