February 3, 1863, The New York Herald
Our Suffolk Correspondence.
ON THE BATTLE FIELD,
TWELVE MILES FROM SUFFOLK, Jan. 30 – 9 P.M.
If I remember aright, my last letter written from this field of battle left our forces about to execute a flank movement on the enemy’s left.
After consideration General Corcoran determined not to execute this flank movement, for the following reasons: – If we pressed right on, the distance to the point we desired to reach is only four and a half miles, while, if we moved our column around on the enemy’s left flank, we would have to go between six and seven miles to reach the same locality. The enemy, we knew, was slowly retreating, and our main object was to overtake him and provoke another general engagement. We knew that if we went the long route to the left we would be sure to get on his flank, while at the same time he might have moved back far enough to secure a safe and speedy retreat. In this state of affairs General Corcoran determined to push straight on, and by the shortest route that would lead him to the enemy’s rear or front. We did push on. The infantry deployed through the woods, and the cavalry occupied the road. Behind the latter was a portion of our heavy field artillery, ready for immediate service. In this manner we moved forward, the enemy all the while throwing in, especially on the road and in the woods adjacent to it, a heavy shower of canister, and occasionally solid shot and shell. But still our men faltered not. They pressed right forward, cheered by the timely and pertinent remarks of General Corcoran, and the untiring efforts and encouraging endeavors of Colonel Spear, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania cavalry. As we advanced through the woods the enemy thought to drive us back by increasing the rapidity of their artillery fire; but this did not work to our disadvantage. And what rendered the forward movement still more peculiar (but not at all unusual under like circumstances in military movements), several sections of our batteries kept up a fire in the rear, from a sort of eminence behind the woods, the shells from these sections pouring over the heads of our men, and on toward their mission of death in the conscripted ranks of the rebel forces. Thus our advancing troops could not always distinguish when they heard the whiz of a shell whether it was coming toward them or going the other way. Certain it is the majority were indifferent to either contingency, their only anxiety seeming to be not to run against a bullet.
As we advanced and the infantry emerged into an open space, the rebels limbered up their guns and retreated, always keeping a couple in good position so as to give us an infernal dose of canister provided we should attempt a charge. Owing to the peculiarity in the formation of the ground, we did not immediately make a charge on the reserve batteries; otherwise we would. Besides, General Corcoran was desirous of saving human life, preferring to let the chance slip for the capture of a few guns rather than gain credit and the guns at an unnecessary sacrifice of the limbs and lives of his fellow citizens and soldiers.
After driving the rebels from their second standpoint we pushed them hard, followed them up closely and sharply, until they took up another position about a mile and a half this side of Carrsville. Here a splendid artillery fight ensued. Our artillery was well and faithfully served, and did good execution. The rebel artillery was also handled well. In fact, from the commencement of this engagement, or battle, as our officers call it, the rebels fought with great obstinacy, and at times only yielded to our overwhelming force.
At the third standpoint the enemy’s front was well protected by a stream of considerable depth and width. This was about two o’clock. The fight here was principally an artillery one. After nearly an hour’s engagement we again forced them to retreat. Just at this time we charged upon and across the bridge over this stream, taking some prisoners, but on crossing found that the enemy’s infantry had retreated and gone on two miles, and that his rear was protected by cavalry and field artillery of heavy calibre.
We followed him up – a kind of straggling firing being all the time carried on – to Carrsville, and to a point one mile and a half beyond that place.
At this time we took more prisoners, from whom we learned that the rebels were being reinforced from Weldon and Petersburg.
General Corcoran was desirous not only of driving them directly across the Blackwater, but also of crossing that river and attacking their post at Franklin. But information having been received that the rebels were really receiving heavy reinforcements, besides making their way as rapidly as possible across the Blackwater, General Corcoran received orders to return, and reached this, the old battle field, about nine o’clock to night.
The enemy unquestionably has received a severe whipping and sustained much loss, and will not, probably, venture across the Blackwater again unless he is some ten or fifteen thousand strong, with a proportionate amount of artillery and cavalry.
While following up the enemy we came upon a house that had been used by the rebels as a hospital. Into this house General Corcoran went, with several members of his staff. They went all through the house. It was not a very large one. The floors were found to be actually slippery in pools of blood. The place looked like a slaughter house. The people who lived there said that no less than forty wounded had been brought in, and that four of the wounded had died, including a field officer of high rank.
If this is the record of one house, and that a small one, what must have been the record of others? For the rebels, during the course of their retreat, used many houses as hospitals. The people along the road told us that the “Confeds” had some thirty wagons – ambulances, I suppose – conveying away their dead and wounded, and that these wagons had been coming and going ever since a short time after the commencement of the engagement.
On the return of our forces to this place we picked up and carefully buried all the dead of the enemy.
Our forces will rest here a little while, and then return to Suffolk.