May 9, 1863, The New York Herald
OUR DESPATCHES.
THE CORRESPONDENCE OF MR. GALEN H. OSBORNE.
BANKS’ FORD ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK, May 7, 1863.
SALEM HEIGHTS.
The battle of Salem Heights, fought on Sunday evening, was one of the most sanguinary contests of the war. The forces of General Sedgwick were marching to join General Hooker’s column at Chancellorsville, when they came upon the reinforcements which Longstreet had collected, and, after an engagement almost without a parallel in severity during the rebellion, were compelled to withdraw.
THE ADVANCE
In the advance from the heights of Fredericksburg the division of General Brooks led the way, with Newton’s column upon the right, and that of General Howe upon the left. Skirmishers from the Sixty-first Pennsylvania, Forty-third New York, Eighty-second Pennsylvania and Seventh Massachusetts were thrown out in front and on both flanks, and the march for the first two miles was unopposed by the retiring foe, toward whom our resolutely advancing troops occasionally directed a volley of their musketry. At this distance, however, the rebel General Early rallied his men, and posted a battery of flying artillery in such a position as for a time to annoy us, but nevertheless inflicting slight damage. An order to charge upon the battery was obeyed with the greatest alacrity, but before our infantry, who went up on the double quick, could reach it, the rebels limbered up and hurried away.
LONGSTREET INTRENCHED – THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
At four o’clock in the afternoon the corps had reached a point four miles from the city, on the turnpike towards Chancellorsville. Here they emerged from a wood which extended some distance from either side of the road into an open field of, I should judge, three hundred acres in extent. Beyond us was a belt of timbered land, commencing at the foot of a gentle slope, and covering its side and summit. In the midst of the grove, on the left of the road as we advanced, stood a little edifice known as the Salem Tabernacle. Two or three smaller buildings also showed themselves through the trees a little further beyond. Midway between the church and our entrance to the open field was a plantation mansion of moderate pretensions, and nearer to the wooded heights beyond us stood another dwelling. These constitute the hamlet of Salem Heights. Across the field, and running diagonally with the road upon which we were advancing, was a ravine.
THE FIRST SHOT.
As our troops emerged from the woods and entered this open space word was sent back from the skirmishers that the rebels had a battery in position on the heights opposite the church; and almost simultaneously a shell from one of the rebel guns exploded in the road, killing a mounted orderly and his horse, and seriously wounding Captain Reed, Assistant Adjutant General on the staff of General Brooke.
CHARGE OF THE NEW JERSEY BRIGADE.
The regiments of Colonel Pinrose’s New Jersey brigade, together with the Sixteenth and One Hundred and Twenty-first New York, from Bartlett’s brigade, immediately pressed forward and charged into the woods on the right, while the brigade of General Russel made a similar movement on the left. A battery of artillery, under Captain Williston, was also hurried forward, and began to play with most excellent effect upon the intrenched enemy. They were driven through the woods to the summit beyond. But our ranks were fearfully thinned by the deadly musketry of the enemy; and exhausted by their previous fighting, their subsequent march and their hurried charge, they were obliged to fall back. They found the enemy beyond the woods still stronger intrenched and prepared, by the arrival of reinforcements, when they had met while on the retreat, to dispute our further advance. As our troops withdrew from the charge the rebels pursued them. Again our artillery, which had been brought still nearer, and was now posted beyond the ravine on the right of the road, dealt death and destruction among the foe, and they withdrew to the cover of the trees.
BRAVERY OF OUR TROOPS.
Nothing could exceed the coolness and intrepid bravery with which our gallant soldiers of Brooks’ division charged upon the enemy. They were flushed with their glorious success of the forenoon, and seemed determined to risk every chance in order to dislodge the rebels. But the latter, having regained their first line, shoved forward their reinforcements and held the edge of the woods despite every effort on the part of our brave men. Regiment after regiment was pressed forward to the assault; but they fell like grass before the mower’s scythe. The fire was terrific, and for a time it appeared as if certain destruction awaited the entire corps. One company of the Sixteenth New York took up that field forty men. Twenty-seven were left dead and wounded after one charge, and of the thirteen who were so fortunate as to escape unarmed there was not one whose garments were not torn by the whistling bullets.
COLONEL PINROSE AND THE FIFTEENTH NEW JERSEY.
Colonel Brown, of the Third New Jersey Volunteers, commanding the New Jersey brigade, was wounded in the early part of the action at Fredericksburg, and the command devolved upon Col. S. L. Buck, of the Second regiment. The latter was seriously injured, his shoulder being dislocated by his horse falling into the rifle pit, and Col. Wm. H. Pinrose, of the Fifteenth New Jersey, then took command. He led the brigade into the woods on the right, and, with his regiment narrowly escaped destruction. The enemy were formed in three lines of battle, and had nearly succeeded in flanking him, when, discovering their movements he wheeled his command and brought them out as if on parade; he then marched them to their knapsacks, which had been thrown off before the charge, and each soldier “took up his bundle” in the face of the enemy musketry with the coolness and sang froid of a veteran. Considering that this regiment is one of the new levy, the conduct of its men has been the subject of the greatest admiration since the fight. Colonel Pinrose himself is an experienced soldier, having acquired a military education at West Point.
THE TWO YEARS MEN IN THE FIGHT.
The brigades of Generals Russel and Bartlett also did splendidly. In the latter were two New York regiments – the Sixteenth and Twenty-seventh – whose term of service expires in the course of the coming week. They nevertheless went into the action with unusual ardor, and came away longing for a better opportunity to inflict a just punishment upon the […..]. The Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania, of Russell’s brigade, was fearfully cut up. Three brothers – the Colonel, the Major and one of the lieutenants – fell in the attack, the first killed, the others severely wounded.
The rise of ground beyond the ravine afforded a fine position for artillery and tolerable cover for infantry, and made our location a strong one of defence. Accordingly our troops were not withdrawn, but waited, in the vain hope that the enemy might come out from behind his intrenchments and meet us in fair fight in open field.
THE BATTLE ENDED.
At dark the battle ended. It had raged furiously for over three hours. The rattle of the rebel musketry was continuous, like the clatter one hears when a railway train rushes through a rocky tunnel. Our dead lay in winrows on the field. In the edge of the woods, on our right the rebels had lighted fires in order to guide their musketry, and many of our wounded must have perished in the flames which were thus communicated to the dry undergrowth, and which burned over a large portion of the timbered land.
NIGHT ON THE FIELD.
Being assured of the strong position of the enemy and of the arrival of a large body of reinforcements from their rear, our troops were placed in the best possible position for defence – General Newton holding the right, General Brooks the centre, and General Howe the extreme left. General Newton’s division occupied a position near the road, while the headquarters of General Sedgwick were in the road, in front of the house. This disposition of our force effected, the tired troops threw themselves upon the ground, and, with only the sky above them, sought sleep and rest upon the battle field.
MONDAY’S OPERATIONS.
They were early up the next morning, and before ten o’clock on Monday forenoon the enemy were pressing in force upon our left flank, succeeding in forcing it back, and cutting off all communication with the city of Fredericksburg; thus gaining all the hills we had taken the previous day. Notwithstanding this pressure upon General Howe, he succeeded in capturing a battle flag and four hundred prisoners while they were getting through.
A RETREAT INEVITABLE.
Thus threatened on both flanks, as well as in the front, our communication with the city cut off, and certain destruction seemingly looking us in the face, our position was one of great peril. Only one door of retreat had been left open to us, and that was at Banks’ Ford. The intention of the enemy was to annihilate or capture the entire Sixth army corps. Their plans were well laid, and they were nearly repaid with success. The indomitable energy of General Sedgwick and his division and brigade commanders, and the obstinate bravery of their troops, alone prevented this calamity.
OUR POSITION.
Closely followed by the enemy the corps moved towards Banks’ Ford, which they reached shortly before six P. M. The division of General Newton, with the light division of Colonel Burnham, occupied the right, resting on the bank of the river but a short distance above the ford. General Brooks held the centre, while General Howe resisted the enemy’s approach on the left. The forces were arrayed in the form of a semi-circle.
A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST BROOKS REPULSED.
A little after six o’clock the enemy moved out against our centre, but were repulsed with very heavy losses by a concentrated artillery fire. They next essayed a movement against our left centre with great force. Regiments followed each other undauntedly up to our lines; but when within close range were slaughtered like worms before the fire of our batteries. They fell back in disorder, relinquishing this attack.
FEINTS.
An occasional shot from the rebel artillery opposed to our left and brisk skirmishing at the same point clearly indicated that both the above attacks were feints, and that their real attack would be upon General Howe’s extreme left, which realed upon or near the river. But to insure the deception they next commenced an attack upon our right, where two regiments of the light division, under Colonel Burnham, and three regiments of Colonel Shaler’s brigade were stationed. This was repulsed, and our troops held their position.
A FRINGE OF FIRE AROUND US.
All these attacks followed each other in quick succession, so that one hardly ended before another began. For a while the entire corps was encircled by a cordon of fire. Then the real attack commenced on our extreme left. General Howe’s troops behaved admirably. They held their ground against fearful odds, determined not to yield an inch.
WHEATON’S BRIGADE.
General Wheaton’s brigade, of Newton’s division, was in this emergency despatched from the right to the left, and rendered great assistance in repelling the enemy. The Sixty-second New York, and the Ninety-eighth, Ninety-third and One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania, all of General Wheaton’s command, were actively engaged, and suffered heavily. The artillery of General Howe was employed with rapid and fearful effect upon the rebels, and for more than an hour the unequal contest was maintained. General Wheaton is unreserved in his commendations of Lieutenant E. H. Morris, of the Sixty-second New York, who with Lieutenant Stewart, commanded forty-five men deployed as skirmishers in front of the right of the brigade. By his skill and judgment the advance of the enemy’s masses was delayed, and time given to move off the brigade, the rest of the corps having already been withdrawn. Had a less discreet officer been in his position the whole brigade would undoubtedly have been captured. As it was, the lieutenants were both made prisoners.
SUCCESS.
The movement was attended with unusual peril. The light division suffered considerably at this time, the enemy getting in the rear of their pickets and bagging several entire companies, man by man. But owing mainly to the skill of General Newton, to whom was confided the selection of points for defence and the general supervision of the movement, it was attended with greater success than the most sanguine had dared to look for. Howe, on the left, persistently held his position, while the other lines were withdrawn and safely concentrated on the hills near the ford. Darkness having come on, and the firing having ceased, he was enabled to fall back unmolested. At two o’clock on the following morning (Tuesday) the corps was crossing the river, and at six othey were safely over.
THE REBELS SHELLING OUR CAMP.
All day at intervals the rebels threw shells in the direction of our wagon trains, but no one was injured. Since Tuesday afternoon we have heard nothing from the foe.
FEELING OF THE TROOPS.
On Tuesday night a heavy rain storm set in. It still continues with seemingly unabated violence. The troops are very uncomfortable after their fatigues, and are not in the best of spirits over their late engagements. Brave men, dear fellows, they have no cause to be ashamed of their deeds. They punished the rebels as they have rarely been punished before, and their own decimated ranks tell how manfully they stood up to their work.
THE CASUALTIES IN NEWTON’S AND BROOKS’DIVISIONS.
I give you a list herewith of the casualties among the officers of the first (Brooks) and third (Newton) divisions, together with the numerical loss of enlisted men in each regiment. The casualties in the second division (Howe) I have not been able to ascertain, as that column is now lying at Kelly’s Ford, some miles above us, and is at present beyond my reach.