New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-06-05

disease as justification for going 10 the rear, and
letting the cause they had to csfend 60 to tho
devil. il was amazing. II was new revelationI
But moments reflection, ard sharp observation
Of the numb the caps Of the streaming towards,
explained the phenomenon, as il appeared to
civilian. The brass figures 100. l0l, 103 10i, told
Of enlistments a. late January and February, and
conclusivey proved the greenness and inexperience
Of troops who had been taught nothing save how to
march and to camp. and who deerora.ed daily under
the command of General who had neither youth,
enthusiasm, pride, or combaligeness. To these, the
sight OF falling comrades, and the shrickng Of the
wounded, and the groaning of the dying, instead Of
being the food Of Q ferco fury, served Only
to open the veins of manhood, and let all
courage out. Down the road they came
over the fields on either side of the road
they struggled fast-through the eater woods they
skulked away, and sought the rear. Most were
muddy showing that they had lain down to avoid
the shell and sbot-very many were without arms
land acconterments. The crowd grew thicker. Tho
Provost Guard formed across the road to stem It's
dastardly flow. Before o'clock, Gen. Reyes found
that Caseys entifc division was gone! He sent to
Hsinzeman for instant help. The brave Pennsyl'
vsnan was already on lis way to the place where
he was wanted. He came on the ground about
quarter after g. and gathering rapidly as be could
all the elements of the situation in the strange woods
and unknown swamps, took command, and Infused
bis ipdomitable spirit into the failing fight. He sent
back for Kearney, aud Jameson, and Brney, and
Bery-he who 90 timely brought salvation upon bis
bayonet points to us at Williamsburg While they
were coming up, went ahead once more to see the
55th 20 into fire. Their movement in response TO the
order I" Forward was not impulsve from front to
rear. 1t htched in sections, like the drawing out Of
the joints Of field glass. Omen Of evil! In thirty
minutes red-capped and red-trousered men, mostly
without their muskets, were under the fire Of the
scorn and the jeering of the New York 62d-a IRE
more CALLING and insupportabe, as it seemed to me,
than any that ever spouted from muskets. Noun.
sheer, the muss is the other wayp "Hello lob
sters we are Union men; We amt Rebels. What
are you running at us forw "The cd is good
shelter; fall in behindv' Not wrathful reply was
made. The bursting of the Rebel shells over head,
the screaming of their solid loog shot, and the cutting
off Of the tree-tops, made the place and the tune
totally unsued for repartee Discussion The cd
opened it's laughing ranks, and the gorycolored, but
unboody, passed through aud passed on.
About 4 o clock, Couch and Peck came from the
left and passed through the line of fire and went at
right angles over to the railroad, to repel q move.
ment in Q similar direction made by the Rebels away
beyond the scene of Caseys disappearance. The
conflict they sustained in the woods bloody and
unequal. Peck's horse was shot through the neck,
shot again in the flank, and soon had both bis hind
legs cut of by cannon ball. Re.epforceuents were
called for, and Heintzelman intercepted regiment
nd ri od 10 fha
road. He subsequently ordered Birney's Brigade
to march right mp the track and save the fight.
The brigade did not get into action, and Birneyis
under arrest. Mcclellan before this, at his head
quarters, twelve miles off, reused by the cannonade
and by the Telegraph, got out Of his sick bed and
put portion of Summers Corps into motion up che
railroad. Kearney, too, bad come up the Williams.
burg road, and Jameson had gone eagerly forward
into the hell Of she'll and shot and smoke, did
Berry at the head Of bis Michigan men. A ball tore
off his hat, and his manly fight was fought bare.
headed The line Of battle at this time was nearly
a mile wide, and almost wholly in the woods. The
enemy, in overwhelming numbers, had forced
lis back at least mile, and were pilng up troops on
our right toward the railroad. The firing at this
point at about o'clock was q marvel to me. 1t ID
or thrice during the day, but that is not my jadg'
ment. compare this to nothing but the roar OF
Niagara. 1t had no spaces--no cracks. 1t was
solid, continuous, deafenng. Over it the incessant
bursting of shells and screaming Of solid conca shot
ribbed the racket with great seams Of noise, which
compelled men touching each other in opposite sad.
dies to shout when they talked. The struggling set
in brisky from before this fire. Superhuman efforts,
headed bv IIeintzelman, aud aided by his Surgeon,
Mhan, and Colonel Adams and others, stopped .
full regiment for awhile, and rallied them around
their coors but could not long bold them against the
storm of whistliDg bullets and case-shoi. The
crowd rolled off the field, carrying away some who
meant to stay. To my dying day shall have
in my ears the wang shrek Of private Of the lst
Long Island shot dead beside my horse with per-
cussion musket-ball, whose explosion within ito
wound / distinctly heard, and which must have
overwhelmed him morally more than it did physic.
ally. Not running, nor terried-Only unwilling 70
say-this crowd struggled partly in the road mostly
in the woods, back, back to the line Of the rifle
pits Couch had made a week ago. On the way
Iooker's Brigade was met, and met with the d ur
rahs of applause due to brave men.
Darkness left Sedgwick on tue railroad, master OK
tho ground occupied in the afternoon by the Rebel
forces and from which he had gaantly driven them.
Our extreme right is now beyond the advance Of
Yesterday. We are probably behind the morning
position of our center three-quaters Of mile and
full mile behind mornings position on the lett.
The loss of property and material is awful. embrace
ing eight guns and the contents Of at least four
camps. The loss in killed, wounded, and missing 10