Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-07-01
THE BATTLE AT RICHMOND.
Yesterdays Dispatches.

AN-N'-'i.N-AA 'NiS VI NildJ IOOh place
Thursday and Friday, but it is incomplete and
unsatisfactory.
NEW YORK, June 3O.-The following is the
digc, Of the Tribune's report of the two days
battle, which the correspondent states is nee
css arily imperfect:
Thursday noon the enemy made an attack
on Gen. Stoneman's forces, in the vicinity of
hanover Court House. Shortly they COM
menccd vigorous cannonading from the
works on the eminence opposite Mechanics
vile, also from two batteries, one above and
the other below. They were replied to by
Campbells Pennsylvania batteries, one on the
Mechanicsyille road and the other from be-
hind earthworks at the right of the grove.
About two in the afternoon, the enemys in
tantry and squadrons of cavalry crossed the
Cmckahominy in immense force, short dis
lance above the Virginia Central railroad.
making rapid advance toward McCalrs
division, entrenched on hillv woodland.
across Swampy ravine, about mile in this
rear Of Mechanicsville. The 1st Pennsyl-
vania rifles (Bucktails) and CampbelPs Penn
sylvania battery were on picket duty, all of
whom, except one company, fell back behind
the breastworks and rifle pits, where the line
OF battle was drawn up. Company X of the
Bucktails, on picket duty beyond the railroad,
were surrounded, and the last known of them
they were trying to cut their way through an
immensely superior force. Their fate is not
known, but it is presumed the greater portion
Of them are prisoners.
The enemy advanced down in the rear of
MechanicSYille, on a low, marshy ground to
where our forces were drawn up behind rifle
pits and earthworks, on an eminence on the
northerly side Of the ravine, when the conflict
became most terrible. The rebels, with most
determined courage, attempted to press for
ward over miry ground, but bullets and
grape fell among them like hail, until, in the
words Of an officer ''they lay like flies on a
bowl of sugar" and withdrew. The cannon
aiding was kept up on both sides until about
nine O'Clock in the evening, when the battle
ceased. Our forces were covered by earth
works, and suffered but slightly.
Late in the afternoon the enemy made a
charge with cavalry About one hundred of
them came rushing down, and attempted to
cross the rayine, when their horses became
mired. \ squadron Of our cavalry, seeing
the position in which the enemy were placed,
made charge down the hill, when the cav
airy men abandoned their horses and fed
The infantry fight was then renewed, and
continued until about seven A. NJ, when re-
treat was ordered, very much against the will
of the Pennsylvania boys, who begged to be
allowed to defend their position, which they
felt confident they could hold. The outer
forces began to fall back Porter's corps was
some distance below, near DIR. Gaines resi-
| dence.
| Of the fight next day he states The can
nonading WAS terrific, and the musketry can
/ only be understood by those who have heard
the crash Of immense trees in quick success
Sin ! npNyao7C Al
ground two hours, while our batteries were
shelling the woods over them. Finally,
towards night, the enemy attempted to break
the center of the line in front of DURYEA'S
Zouaves, and the musketry firing became
most terrific, lasting for twenty or thirty MN
uteS, after which there was lull. Shortly
atterward, an attempt was made to break
through the right, which was repulsed. Half
an hour later, an attempt was made on the
left, with the same result.
The battle had then been raging some four
hours without any apparent change or advan-
tage on either side. Reinforcements of artl-
lery and infantry then came steadily along
over the bridge, marching through heat and
dust over the hill to the field of battle. The
enemy then seemed to make their last des-
perate and determined effort and came near
forcing our men back into the low ground, be
tween the hill and the bridge, where they
could have been slaughtered by tens of thous-
ands before they could have crossed that long,
narrow bridge. Wagons, artillery, ambulan-
ces and men were hurrying toward the bridge
and panic was almost inevitable when a
strong guard was placed across the bridge.
At the time when the enemy had almost
reached the main hospital one half mile from
the river, Meagher's Irishmen came over the
| hill, strippedto bare arms andwe ordered to 90
to work. They gave yell and went to work.
and the result was that the enemy fell back to
| the woods, and thus matters stood up to IL
o'clock Saturday morning. The Count de Paris
states that the whole of Jackson's army was
there
Another correspondent speaking of the
battle of Friday says, twice all along the front
did the bloody and determined attack cling to
our lines OF battle, and our rifle pits and re-
doubts. Porter Numbered on them with so
cannon. Summers, HoOker's and Ayres' guns
reaped them with a very death harvest. Their
loss in killed and wounded was horrible. We
but debate now if our own dead, wounded
and missing equal those of the Seven Pines
or exceed theirs. In the meantime, notwith-
standing this disproporton of numbers, the
Union line is at every point about where it
was In the morning, and the heroes behind it
| are in heart
The same correspondent, dating Friday at
midnight, says, ten guns were taken from us
| by sudden flank attack, covered by the thick
smoke which hung around the pieces and
slowly dritted to the leeward. In the attack
ON our right the rebels had from 10000 to
10000 troops. This will explain the enor
nous fire under which our men were borne
down and swept away. Yesterday the Penn
| sylvania reserve drove Jackson's command
but to-day they were overpowered by the
same troops reinforced Sykes regulars
were called up, but proved unequal to the
task OF stopping them, and Slocum's command
had to be added.
Count de Paris testifes to the remarkably
| good conduct of all the regiments that sus
| tanned this unequal attack on Porter. They
| gave way, indeed, but not one of them ran.
Ihelr losses are enormous. The regular llth
infantry is about annihilated. Nearly every
officer is killed or wounded. The 18th suf-
tered severely. Major Roselle of the repu-
lars, kinsman to Gen. Mcclellan, is among
| the killed.
Col. Pratt, of a New York regiment is kill
ed, and Lieut. Coils. Black and Sweetser.
| Our loss in officers is very marked Indeed,
| the dsproportion in numbers was so extra.
ordinary, and the obstinacy of our troops SO
unyieldlng, that our losses were inevitably
large. The artillery in both Porter's and
Smiths divisions piled the rebels up in heaps.
| The fire was horribly effective.
The lIeralds report, dated the 9th states
that our killed, wounded, and missing that
day will reach twelve hundred. The object
| wne N brntr DOrtor'o aud ,4I,o.