The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

STATE PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

525

They knew the ground thoroughly, and their movements
could be made unseen, while the dense woods nlade cavalry and artillery almost useless. Lee's first effort was to
break through our lines between our centre under Warren and our left under Hancock, but by great exertions
this was prevented, and night came without any substantial result. With the morning of Friday, General
Grant assumed the offensive, and the tide of battle ebbed
and flowed throughout the day. On our left, Hancock's
successes in the morning were lost again by noon, but a
heavy attack of the rebels upon him in the aft-ernoon was
successfully repulsed. On our right no material advantage of position was gained during the day; but the death
of General Wadsworth, who fell at the head of his men,
was a heavy loss to us, and by a furious assault, just
before night, the rebels succeeded in breaking our lines,
capturing General Thomas Seymour, and many of his
men. The lines were, however, speedily re-established.
The result was on the whole favorable to General Grant,
as the rebels had failed to thoroughly break his lines or
disable him for the forward movement which, on Saturday night, after a day of skirmishing without any general
engagement, he undertook, aiming at Spottsylvania CourtHouse. The rebels, however, becoming aware of his
movement, moved 'likewise, and, having the shorter line,
gained the position first, and held it against our attack
during the hours of Sunday, our lines being formed about
two miles and a half north of Spottsylvania. Monday was
a day of skirmishing, sadly marked for us, however, by
the death of General Sedgwick, who was in command of
the Sixth Corps. Night found the two armies facing each
other, each behind temporary breastworks, each watchful,
each determined.
The news of the movement of the army was not made
public until Friday morning. The vital importance of
its results was everywhere felt. All eyes were at once
intent upon those bloody fields, all ears eager for information of what was going on there; and the prayers of the
whole people of the North went up to God, earnest, fer