The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-13

y
the enemy appeared on the hill opposite, and
above them waved the Star Spangled Banner
The moment the head OF the column advanced
far enough TO show one or two companies, the
Parrot gun of the Howitzer Battery opened
on them, throwing a shell right into their
midst. Their ranks broke in confusion, and
tho column, or as much of it as we could see,
retreated behind two small farm houses
From their position a fire was opened on us,
which was replied TO by our battery, which
commanded the route of their approach. Our
firing was excellent, and the shells scattered
in all directions when they burst. They
couId hardly approach the guns which they
vvara firing for the shells which came from
oDr battery. Within our encampment fell
perfect hail storm of canister shot. bullets
and balls. Remarkable to say, not one of our
men was killed inside OF our encampment.-
Several horses were slain by the shells and
bullets.
Finding that bombardment would not an
suer. the enemy, about II o'clock, tried TO
carry the position by assault, but met terri
bla renulse at the hands of the infantry as he
triad IN scale the breastworks. The men dis
raoarded sometimes the defences erected for
them and, Ieaping on the embankment stood
and fired at the Yankees, cutting them down
nc thew cameup One company of the New
York seventh Regiment, under Capt. Ward
ron or winthrop, attempted TO take the re-
donbt on the left The marsh they crossed
rras strewu with their bodies Iher
Cap+ain a fine looking man, reache
tho fence. aud, Ieapng on log, waved his
sword. CRYING, " Come on, boys; one charge
and the day is ours" The words were his
last for a Carolina rifle ended his life the next
moment. and his men fed in terror back. AT
the redoubt on the right a company OF about
3oo New York Zouayes charged one OF our
gnns but could not stand the fire OF the m
fantrv. and retreated precipitaoly
Dnring these charges the main body OF the
a,a,nv on the hill, were attem pting 10 con-
can+rate for 4 general assault, but the smell
from the Howitzer Battery prevented them
AZ one regiment would give up the eHort,
another would be marched to the position,
but with no better success, for shell would.
scatter them like chaf. The men did not
seem able TO stand fire at all
About one o'clock their guns were slieneed,
aud \ few moments after their infantry re-
treated precipitately down the road to HamP-
ton.
our Cavalry. numbering three companies,
went in pursuit, and harassed them down to
tho edge of Hampton. As they retreated
many of the wounded fell along the road ana
died and the whole road TO Hampton was
strevrn with haversacks, OvercoAts, canteens'
nuslets &c. which the men had thrown OF
in their retreat.
After the battle, l visited the position they
held. The houses behind which they had been
hid had been burnt by our troops. Around
the ward were the dead bodies of the men who
had baan killed by our cannon, mangled IN the
most frightful manner by the shells. Ahe
uniforms on the bodies We're very dlherent'
and MANY of them are like those of the Nlr-
ginia soIdiary. 4 little farther on we came
to the noiut 10 which they had carried some
of their wounded who had since died. The
CAV looking uniforms of the New Y ork Zou-
aves contrasted greatly with the palea, fixed
faoas of their dead owners. Going 10
the swamp through which they attempted
to pass to assault our lines, presented
another bloody scene. Bodies dotted the biac K
morass from one end to the other. sa"
one bovish elicate-lOoking fellow lying on
the mud, with a bullet hole through his breast
His hand was pressed on the wound from
which his life blood had poured ana
the other was clenched in the grass that
grew near him. Lying on the grouhu WAS
Testament which had fallen from his poe ket'
dabbled with blood. On opening the cover L
found the printed inscription, . Presented TO
the Defenders of their Country, by the New
York Bible Society" An U. 5. flag was also
stamped on the title page.
Among the hayersacks picked up along he
route were many letters from the Northern
States, asking if they liked the Southern
farms, and if the Sou thern barbarians had
been whipped out yet.
The force of the enemy brought against us
was 4 O00 according to the statement of the
six prisoners we took. Ours was 100. Their
loss in killed and wounded must be nearly 200
Our loss is one killed and three wounded. The
fatal case was that of a North Carolinian who
| volunteered to fire one of the houses behi nd
which they were stationed. He started from
the breastwork to accomplish it, but was shot
| in the head. He died this morning at the hos
| pital. The wounded are Harry Shook, o
| Richmond, of Browns Battery, shot in the
wrist; John Werth, of Richmond, of the
same Battery, shot in the leg, and Lieut. Hud
nail, of the same battery, shot in the foot
| None of the wounds are serious.