ARMY OPERATIONS. 



103 



On Saturday the 14th, the enemy appeared 

 to have fallen back a little, but to be still hold- 

 ing the Court House tenaciously. Gen. Meade's 

 line finally stretched nearly at right angles 

 across the Fredericksburg and Spottsylvania 

 road, with Gen. Hancock's corps on the right, 

 Gen. Burnside's 9th on the right centre, Gen. 

 Wright's 6th on the left centre, and Gen. War- 

 ren's 5th on the left. The position of the 

 enemy seemed to be a semicircular line of earth- 

 works with rifle-pits here and there, well estab- 

 lished on commanding heights, and the whole 

 Hanked right and left by dense woods. A part 

 of the works appeared to be sodded, showing 

 an old construction, and great activity was 

 manifest in strengthening the position. Gen. 

 Grant's forces soon commenced to throw up 

 military works, and both armies were diligently 

 at work with the spade. On the extreme left 

 there was considerable fighting. In the after- 

 noon Gen. Meade narrowly escaped capture or 

 injury, being in a house near which the enemy 

 made a sudden and unlooked-for charge. 



On this day Gen. Lee issued the following 

 address to his army : 



General Order So. 41. 



HEADQTTA.ETEP.S ARMY OF X> -.r.TiiEp.x VA.. May li 1564. 



1. The General Commanding takes great pleasure 

 in announcing to the army the series of successes 

 that, by the favor of God, have recently been achieved 

 by our arms. 



2. A part of the enemy's force threatening the 

 Valley of Virginia, has bee'n routed by Gen. Imboden 

 and driven back to the Potomac, with the loss of their 

 train and a number of prisoners. 



3. Another body of the enemy under Gen. Averill, 

 penetrated to the Virginia and" Tennessee Railroad, 

 at Dublin depot. A portion of his force has been dis- 

 persed by Gens. Morgan and W. E. Jones, who are 

 in pursuit of the remainder. 



4. The army of Gen. Banks sustained a severe de- 

 feat in Western Louisiana by the forces of Gen. Kirby 

 Smith, and retreated to Alexandria, losing several 

 thousand prisoners, thirty -five pieces of artillery, and 

 a large number of wagons. Some of the most formi- 

 dable gunboats that accompanied the expedition were 

 destroyed to save them from capture. 



5. The expedition of Gen. Steele into Western 

 Arkansas has ended in a complete disaster. North- 

 ern journals of the 10th inst. announce his surrender, 

 with an army of nine thousand men, to Gen. Price. 



6. The cavalry force sent by Gen. Grant to attack 

 Richmond has been repulsed, and retired toward the 

 Peninsula. Every demonstration of the enemy south 

 of James River has, up to this time, been successfully 

 repelled. 



7. The heroic valor of this army, with the blessing 

 of Almighty God, has thus far checked the principal 

 army of the enemy, and inflicted upon it heavy losses. 

 The eyes and hearts of your countrymen are turned 

 to you in confidence, and their prayers attend you in 

 your gallant struggle. Encouraged by the success 

 that has been vouchsafed to us, and stimulated by 

 fhe great interests that depend upon the issue, le't 

 every man resolve to endure all and brave all, until, 

 by the assistance of a just and merciful God, the 

 enemy shall be driven back and peace secured to our 

 country. Continue to emulate the valor of your 

 comrades who have fallen, and remember that it de- 

 pends upon you whether they shall have died in vain. 

 It is in your power, under' God, to defeat the last 

 great effort of the enemy, establish the independence 

 of your native land, and earn the lasting love and 

 gratitude of your countrymen, and the admiration of 

 mankind. R. E. LEE, General. 



The followmg despatches were sent by the 

 Secretary of War : 



WASHINGTON', May 13 2:30 p. M. 

 To Uajor- General John A. Dix, : 



A despatch from Lieut.-Gen. Grant has just been 

 received, dated near Spottsylvania Court House, May 

 12, 6:30 p. M. It is as follows : 



" The eighth day of battle closes leaving between 

 three and four thousand prisoners in our hands for 

 the day's work, including two general officers and 

 over tiiirty pieces of artiflery. The enemy are ob- 

 stinate, and seem to have found the last ditch. We 

 have lost no organization, not even a company, while 

 we have destroyed and captured one division (John- 

 son's), one brigade (Dobbs'), and one regiment en- 

 tire of the enemy." 



BDWDTM. STAXTOX, Secretary of War. 



WASHINGTON-, May 13 6:30 p. jj. 

 Major-General Dix : 



The following despatch from Mr. Dana has just 

 reached this department. 



EDWIX M. STAXTOX, Secretary of War. 



SPOTTSYLVAXIA COURT HOUSE, VA., May 13 S A, jc. 

 Hon E. M. Stanton, tSecretary of War : 



Lee abandoned his position during the night, 

 whether to occupy a new position in the vicinity or 

 to make a thorough retreat is not determined. 



One division of Wright's and another of Hancock's 

 are engaged in settling this question, and at half-past 

 7 A. M.^had come up on his rear guard. Though our 

 army is greatly fatigued from the enormous Efforts 

 of yesterday, the news of Lee's departure inspires 

 the* men with fresh energy. 



The whole force will soon be in motion ; but the 

 heavy rains of the last thirty-six hours render the 

 roads very difficult for wagons and artillery. 



The proportion of severely wounded is greater than 

 on either of the previous days' fighting. This wai 

 owing to the great use made of artillery. 



WASHINGTON', May 13 C:65 p. M. 

 Ifajor-General Dix, 3eie York; 



the Acting Surgeon General reports that of fiv* 

 hundred patients from the recent battle-field admitted 

 into the Harwood Hospital, not one will require any 

 surgical operation, and that, in his opinion, two- 

 thirds of the whole number of wounded will be fit for 

 service in thirty days. 



Reinforcements are going forward to the Army of 

 the Potomac. 



EDWIX M. STAXTOX, Secretary of War. 



WASHINGTON, May 159 A. M. 

 To Jfajor- General Dix : 



An official despatch from the battle field at Spott- 

 sylvania yesterday morning, at half-past 6, states 

 that during the p'receding night (Friday) a move- 

 ment was made by the 5th and 6th corps to our left, 

 and an attack was'to have been made at daylight, but 

 no sound of battle had been heard from that quarter. 

 This manoeuvre, it is said, if successful, would place 

 our forces in Lee's rear, and compel him to retreat 

 toward Lynchburg. 



Xo cannon nor any sound of battle was heard yes- 

 terday at Belle Plain'or Fredericksburg, which affords 

 ground for inference that Lee had retreated during 

 Friday night, and before the advance of the 5th ana 

 6th corps. 



Xothing later than half-past 6 A. M. of yesterday 

 has been received from the army bv the department. 

 All the wounded that had reached Belle Plain yester- 

 dav evening have arrived here. 



The surgical report from the headquarters of the 

 army states that the condition of the supplies is satis- 

 factory, and the wounded are doing well. The medi- 

 cal director at Belle Plain reports that every thing at 

 that point is satisfactory. The surgical" arrange- 

 ments have never been so complete as now. 



Gen. Sheridan's command had reached the left 

 bank of Turkey Island at 3 o'clock yesterday after- 



