William W. Bennett, A narrative of the great revival which prevailed in the Southern armies during the late Civil War

At the same time that this bloody work was going on in Virginia the like scenes were enacted in Georgia. Here the movement was towards Richmond, there towards Atlanta. General Sherman made a determined effort to flank Gen. Johnston by a movement on Resaca; but the sagacious Confederate silently moved the mass of his army, and the Federals found more work on hand than they were able to do.

To aid Grant in his movement from the line of the Rappahannock a heavy Federal force was concentrated on James river between Richmond and Petersburg, which was held in check by Gen. Beauregard, who had come up from Charleston, S. C.

Gen. Banks was at the head of a large Federal army in Louisiana, but he was almost as unfortunate there as lie had been in the Valley of Virginia earlier in the war.

The battles between Lee and Grant in the Wilderness and at Spottsylvania Courthouse, between the 4th and 13th of May, were the fiercest ever seen on this continent. The battle of the 12th was the most terrible of all. The Federals began the attack before daybreak, and overwhelmed and captured a large portion of Gen. Edward Johnson's division. But this gain only aroused the Confederates to greater efforts. Nine hours the battle raged. The fire of the artillery was an unbroken roar; and, to add to the awful scene, a thunder-storm burst over the field and flashed its lightnings through the sulphurous clouds that hung over the combatants. At some points along the lines the men fought each other at musket-length across the breastworks. The Federals in line, from six to ten deep, would come boldly up to our works only to be swept down by the iron hail poured into their very breasts. From daybreak until two o'clock this work of death went on. The limit of endurance had been reached. The Federals, exhausted and shattered, withdrew beyond the reach of Confederate bullets. It is said that many prisoners taken, both officers