The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-16 00:00:00

General Heinteelman's corps, the feeble brigades
of Casey's division, averaging less than 2,000 men,
being completely broken up, many if not most of
the officers killed, wounded, or missing, and the
privates scattered through the woods or along the
road. Bravely and well did General Casey do his
duty, pressing on to the extreme front and cheering
on his men regardless of the storm of fire and hail
I that raged about him, cutting down his offieers on
all sides but strangely escaping his own person.
Bravely and well did most of his officers stand by
him until one after another they were borne from
the field dead or wounded. Colonel Bailey, Chief
of Artillery, was shot early in the afternoons the
ball striking him in the head and calming his death
after a short period of insensibility. Major Van
Vauitenberg, the Second in command of the Ist
New York Artillery, was killed, Adjutant William
Ramsay wounded, while every battery but one lost
its quota of men, and some of them lost nearly all
their horses. Batee!s battery of Napoleon guns-
-12-pound brass pieces—which was to tlnd stuck fast in the
thus deprived of locomotion a
ae front,
mud, was left behind in the retirement of our
troops, but not until General Naglee had taken it
upon himself to see that several of the pieces were
spiked. In addition to this one three-inch Parrot
gun of battery H was disabled by a shot and fell
into the hands of the enemy. The Pennsylvania
Reserve Battery, of Couch's Division, also lost one
of their guns—these eight pieces of ordnance con-
stituting our entire loss, so far as I could learn.
We can better afford to spare the pieces than we
can afford to have the rebels profit by their gain.
They show every indication of being much in want
of artillery, and the need is evidently stimulating
their efforts to profit by the chances of war to
possess themselves of our guns. Meantime General
Sumner bad succeeded in bringing his troops across
the Chickahominy, ana was HaValleing 011 the. right
ito maintain our position there, where less ground
had been lost. After several days of labour, Gen.
Sumner had thrown two bridges across the creek
between Bottom's Bridge and New Bridge, where
local reports held it to be impossible to find any
foundation for piles to support the superstructure.
One of these bridges was some two miles above Bot-
tom's Bridge, the other a mile further up the stream.
The lower of these was carried away during the
heavy storm of Friday night, and General Sumner
was obliged to depend upon a single shaky structure
for the passage of his troops, who nearly all, how-
ever, succeeded in crossing that night, the head of
the column reaching the Nine-mile road, along
which the rebels were pressing our troops, at about
7 o'clock, holding the enemy in check for the night,
and preventing them from following up in that
direction the advantage they had gained during the
day. Flushed with their seeming victory of Satur-
day, the rebels awoke with confidence on Sunday to
follow up their movements, sure of driving us this
time to the Chickahominy and beyond ; but they
had made the unfortunate mistake of estimating the
strength of our reserves by the 'weakness of our
advance. Most bitterly did they pay for their mis-
take. Pressing eagerly forward with confidence of
victory, they were met by the trained troops of
Heintzelman and Sumner, whose unyielding columns
checked their fierce assault, turning the tide of
battle everywhere against them, and forcing them
at the point of the bayonet on towards Richmond.
The rebels presented a strong front to the gleaming
bayonets of our men, not 100 yards distant. As the
Second advanced on the double quick, cheering and
shouting, the rebels held back their fire until our
men were hardly 100 feet from their line, when they
fired a murderous volley into the ranks of the Second.
It proved too low, and few were killed or wounded.
Immediately after the rebels fired this volley they
broke ranks and fled through the wood. A few of
their bravest remained to resist our passage, but
they were soon mowed down by the steel front of
the gallant Second Excelsior. It was now their
turn to break and run, and their losses of the Sab-
bath left them little cause for rejoicing over the
trifling gain of Saturday. Terribly did the rebels
suffer on this, as well as on the previous day, from
the well-directed fire of our artillery, piling the
ground with the slain. Terrible also to them were
the frequent charges of our solid column, pressing
' them back, step by step, to the last point of endur-
ance 'when they broke and ran, ingloriously leaving
behind them many of their men and officers,
as well as privates, prisoners in our hands, The
number of these it is not possible to ascertain,
several days necessarily elapsing after every en.
gagement before a full inventory can be taken.
Even of our loss it was impossible to form any cor-
rect idea at the time I left the field of battle. The
only source of information was the wounded, who
gave suck particulars in regard to their respective
regiments as they could, as they were borne by 1
from all parts of the field. To the oft-repeated
question, ' Well, how did your regiment stand it ?'
I got uniform answers, ' Oh, sir, our regiment was
all cut to pieces—cut to pieces, sir ; nothing left of
it; I, of course, was able to rely little on such
stories from my disabled informants, knowing the
tendency, not only among soldiers, but equally
among people in civilised life, to magnify their
own misfortune into a measure of the public cala-
mity. They took no account of their nimble-footed
comrades, who had disappeared without damage to
life or limb. It is impossible, so soon after the
affair, to give even a rough estimate of the loss in
an engagement spread over so great a space of coun-
try, and in the confusion which always ensues after
a battle. That the loss is very severe, and parti-
cularly so in the matter of officers, there is no man-
ner of doubt. The difficulty of rightly estimating
our loss is also enhanced by the fact that many of
those falling were unavoidably left on the ground
subsequently occupied by the enemy in his first
successful attack. The number of these we cannot
learn until regimental rolls are compared. It is
sincerely to be regretted, in view of the tales we
have of the barbarous treatment of our wounded by
the rebels, when once they fall into their hands,
that necessity should have compelled any to be left
upon the field, to receive 'the tender mercies of the
wicked.' That the rebel loss was greater by far
than our own I do not doubt. Besides our
superiority in artillery, our small-arms were much
more effective, having all the superiority in
fatal power which the Minie ball has over the
round rifle ball. The wounds inflicted by the
enemy were mainly by the latter. Had the
leaden hail in which our men were obliged to
stand so long been composed of conical instead of
round shot, many more Rachels would be mourn-
ing over the lest, and many more homes draped in
funeral weeds. Your correspondent feels particu-
larly grateful to the blockade,being morally certain
that had the ball which lodged so harmlessly in his
legging been a Minie he would have been obliged
always hereafter to write standing en one foot—a
Food figure of speech for Juvenal, but one which
he would rather be excused from practically em-
bodying,
leg
h As it is, the alight abrasion left upon his by
leathert ae nd ball, after forcing two thicknesses of
of a reward to ontoe of cloth, is sufficiently suggestive
military
apelhdeis moderate ambition for
t • Besides the guns General
Casey lost all his cam
as to render their cluoir bgaet'tlh-
i sin tents
such being
r
pitched upon the
proximity to the rebels
loss in-
evitablethe slight • • slightest yielding of his
The generals in his division
troops. The
in case of
must also have
fortunately, were of no
stores
lost their effects,
emblaigcgh
a,
gfeorotrun
great value, the officers, as well
as the knapsacks of the soldiers, having been some
days to theocithuearrts.eidrine of the •
a Chicks-
hominy, before ordered
hominy, with the waggons
P So
and everything riot absolutely indiepQngskhl '
the loss was slight, except in the disappearance of
papers of considerable value, which were left in the
tents. At about 12 o'clock General M'Clellan rode
up to the front, accompanied by his Staff and body-
guard, and met General Heintzelman seated at the
foot of a tree. -Little Mac democratically seated
himself at the side of Ileintzelmen, on the ground,
when his Staff grouped themselves, resting on
stumps of trees and logs, There was the Prince
de Juinville, the Count de Paris, and the Due de
Chartres, forming a select group of three, convers-
ing quite animatedly in French, and the other
members of M'Clellan's Staff joining
in with a
little English. ' They fight on Sunday always,' said
the Due de Chartres, alluding to the rebels. Gen.
M'Clellan had been seated probably half an hour

conversing with General Heintzelman, when
General Hooker rode up from the extreme ad-
vanced line gained that morning, and, as he was
dismounting from his horse, General M'Clellan rose
from his seat and, advancing, shook him warmly
by the hand, and congratulated him and his noble
division in terms of the highest praise. A long con-
versation took place between them. It was plainly
seen no further advance was to be made that day,
as no troops were ordered up to the front. At a
little after one o'clock General M'Ciellan mounted
his horse and rode along the lines of his troops, back
and forth, until all the soldiers had had an oppor-
tunity of seeing him. Napoleon never was re-
ceived by his enthusiastic troops with greater ma-
nifestations of delight than• was M'Clellan by his
army, showing that he possessed the confidence as
well as the hearts of his men. They feel that they
must ever be victorious under his guidance. The
rebels during the fight had their sharpshooters
posted in trees to pick off our officers—a fact disco-
vered in the early part of the action. In company
with General Sickles, Col. Graham, Col. Hall, and
Lieut. Graham, I rode out on the battle-field on
Sunday afternoon at four o'clock. The scene wit-
nessed here baffles all description. Caissons, with
horses shot dead in their traces, ambulances, wag-
gons, &c., filled the road in front of Casey's camp.
There were about 200 of our wounded still lying
where they fell on Satuiday. Some of them spoke
kindly of the rebels, saying they treated them very
well. Dead rebels, as well as our own men, were
lying in every part of the field and wocd. I counted
57 dead rebels in front of a small piece of wood not
40 feet square. One wounded rebel was lying on
the ground, unable to move. He was shot in both
legs. On each side of him lay some dead rebels.
As we passed by he begged us for God's sake to
take the dead men away from him. The stench
was intolerable. We lost 19 guns in the fight of
Saturday. Not one of tnem nab bee. ~o,rered
The rebels ran a train down near Fair Oak Station,
find carried away our commissary stores, guns, &c.
to Richmond. The rebels destroyed what they
could not conveniently carry away, including the
new tents of Casey's and Couch's divisions. Our
loss in the two days' engagement, in killed and
wounded, will amount to about 3,000. A great
number are missing, who will probably return,
having strayed away. Four separate charges
with the bayonet were made yesterday. In
one instance the enemy were driven a
mile, during which 173 rebels were killed
by the bayonet alone. Lieut. Washington, aide
to Gen. Joe Johnston, was taken prisoner. The
enemy's dead left on the field amounted to 1,200."
The department of Virginia had been extended,
so as to include that part of Virginia south of the
Rappahannock and east of the railroad from Fre-
dericksburg to Richmond, Petersburgh, and Wel-
don. General M'Clellan had been put in command
of it, and would control affairs at Fortress Monroe,
General Dix, from Baltimore, would superintend
affaris at Fortress. General Wood would replace
General Dix at Baltimore.

From Corinth we have the following despatches :
" To THE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY OF

WAR.

" Halleck's Headquarters, Department of the
Mississippi Camp near Corinth, June 1.
" The following despatch has been received from
General Pope by Major-General Halleck :
" It gives us pleasure to report the brilliant suc-
cess of the expedition sent out on the 28th instant,
under Colonel Elliott. With the 2d lowa Cavalry,
after forced marches, day and night, through a
very difficult country, and obstructed by the enemy,
he finally succeeded in reaching the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad at Boonesville at two o'clock a.m. on
the 30th. He destroyed the track in many places
both South and North of the town, blew up one
culvert, destroyed the switches and track, burnt up
the depot and locomotives, and a train of 22 cars
loaded with supplies of every kind, destroyed
10,000 stand of arms, three pieces of artillery, and
a great quantity of clothing and ammunition, and
paroled 2,000 prisoners, whom_he could not keep
with his cavalry. The enemy had heard of his
movements) and had a train of box cars and flat
cars, with flying artillery and 5,000 infantry, run-
ning up and down the road to prevent him from
reaching it. The whole road was lined with pickets
for several days. Col. Elliott's command subsisted
upon meat alone, such as they could find in the
country. For daring and despatch this expedition
has been distinguished in the highest degree,
and entitles Colonel Elliott and his command
to high distinction. Its results will be embar-
rassing to the enemy, and contribute greatly
to their loss and demoralisation. He reports the
roads full of small parties of the retreating enemy,
scattering in all directions.
JOHN POPE, Major-General.
" ' H. W. Halleck, Major-General Commanding.'
64 To M. C. MEIGS, QBA.E.TERMASTER-GENERAL.
" Corinth, Saturday, May 31.
" ' If Beauregard has been at Richmond, others
have forged his signature, as I have received let-
ters from him about the exchange of prisoners nearly
every day for the last fortnight.
" The evacuation of Corinth commenced on
Wednesday, and was completed on Thursday night,
but in great haste, as an immense amount of pro.
perty was destroyed and abandoned.

`No troops have gone from here to Richmond
unless within the last two days.
" H. W. HALLECK, Major-Gen. Commanding."
A letter dated Corinth, May 31, reports that on
the previous morning the Federal reserve divisions
were brought up, and the entire front moved for-
ward. During the day the woods were shelled, the
responses being feeble. The Mayor surrendered the
town of Corinth to Gen. Nelson. There were no
inhabitants remaining except women, children, and
old men, the rebels succeeding in carrying away
absolutely everything except a few provisions,
which, with the warehouses and railroad depot, were
burnt before we arrived. They took every invalid
from the hospital, and every letter from the poet-
office. They did not leave a single gun, and had
been moving away troops more than six days, and
stores for two weeks.

On the 30th a brigade of Federal troops entered
Front Royal and drove the Confederates out of it,
took possession of a railway train, and captured 150
men. On the following day a reconnoissance was
made along the Manchester road, and a slight
engagement took place with the Confederates. The
latter were reported to have lost some prisoners,
a gun made at Liverpool in 1861, and several
waggons.

On the 25th ult. General Fremont left Franklin
with a strong column, and by forced marches
crossed the Shenandoah Mountains. On the Ist
inst. he overtook General Jackson five miles from
Strasburgh, but was unable to force an engagement.
On the 2d General Fremont occupied Strasburgh
without opposition. On the 2d General M'Dowell
left Strasburgh in pursuit of the enemy, who en-
deavoured to make a stand in three strong positions,
with artillery, but were driven rapidly and with
loss from each. Jackson's rear guard passed through
Woodstock in the afternoon, the head of his column
having reached it at sunrise. The road and woods
were strewn with arms, stores, and clothing, A
large number of prisoners were taken.

On the 31st areconnoissance in force was made
from Fortress Monroe to Winton, North Carolina.
The result was not reported.
The steamer Patras, of London, captured off
Charleston bar, had arrived at New York. Her
cargo consisted of powder, rifles, coffee, and other
goods. The steamer Nassau had been captured off
Charleston, and the Cambria, from Liverpool and
Nassau, off Wilmington, North Carolina,
From Nassau we have advices io the 23d ult., at
which date the following vessels were in port:—The
Thomas L. Wragg, for Charleston ; the William
Seabrook, from Charleston ; and the Santa, from a
Southern port,
with cotton. The steamers Kate,
Cecil, and Nell1
y, had sailed for Charleston.
The Ment-)n Appeal of the 27th ult. states, that
on the 26th the Federal
gunboats engaged the bat-
teriesVicksbug, and after an exchange of
shots retired. The same paper states that the Mayor
of New Orleans was confined in Fort Jackson, and
several members of the •
C'ty Council had been
arrested. The Provost-Marshal performed the func-
tions of mayor and police judge of New Orleans.
The kielesburg Citizen states that on the 11th