THE GREAT BATTLES IN VIRGINIA.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 23, 23 July 1864, Page 4

THE GREAT BATTLES IN VIRGINIA.

(Erom tlie corvespondent of tlie Times.) On "Wednesday, the 4th May, General Meade passed the Rapidan without opposition. On Thursday the Army of the Potomac was assailed hy G-eneral Lee in great force, the ohject being to crush the ackancing columns before they were in position, or within supporting distance of each othei 4 . The shock was so severe and the issue so doubtful, that the reserves under Burnside had to be ordered up. They arrived in time, and saved the fortune of the day. The number of killed and wounded on the Federal side amounted, according to Federal authority, to upwards of SOOO. Gne peculiarity of the encounter was toat no artillery was brought into play. The ground, near and in advance of the former battle-ffeld of Chancellorsville, where Hooker lost the day, and his reputation along with it, wasbo thickly wooded that dannon corld not be used on either side, and the conflict was hand to hand with the bayonet or the rifle. How stubborn it must have been is evident from the number of tbe kilied and wounded, which, if at all balanced on the Confederate side, would not fall short of 16,000. The battle, like that of the subsequent day, was fought ia a place called the ""Wildernoss." Both sides claim the victory, General Lee on behalf of the Confederates, and Mf. Stanton on behalf of the Eederals, for General Grant himself either sent no despatch or it~has been suppressed. As hitherto General Lee has never been either fefees^^erate a victors, or to claim one if "fielLa&isSiieved it ; and as the same cannot be saic^bf Mr. Stanton, the probability is that the advantage rested withN the Confederates. The fighting Vas renewed on Friday, apiay&reak. The battle raged for fburl^enlites, with scarcely an interval of rest, 7 sMf in the thickly wooded stubbly, and thorny region stretching from ChanceUorsville f to Mine Sun. The carnage is described to have been, more awful than in. any previous battle during the war, and ip have been attended with a loss of 12,000 men to the Federals and as many to the Confederates. General Lee, in an address to his army which found it way to the possession of General Butler, and was by Mm forwarded to Mr. Stanton, claims the victory on this, the second, encounter, and thanks a mexcifal God that every advance on Grant's part had been gallantly and successfully repulsed. ,H appears, from General Lee's admission, that GenOxal Longstreet, who is almost as much beloved^and confided in try the* Southern, army as General Stonewall Jackson used to be—was severely wounded, and General Jenkins killed. On theTederalsideGeneTaTWadsworth, formerl y the iniKtery commandant of W^Wngton, and competitor with Mr. Horatio S%mour,iA^heantimra of 1862, for the Governorship of the State of 2few York, "was shot in the f^rjefaead while leading his division, aad instantiane-

oiislyjslain j and; Q-ensral ' Wehb, son of tue United States Minister in 'Brazil, was seriou&ly injured, :