Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-07-09
The Stapoafe.+
WAR MATTERS.
WAX VI Al L ch''
From the Richmond D'sra'cn'l
The Battle of the 18th OF June'

CAMP IN THE WooDs, June 70, 1907
To the Editors Of the Dtspdtch:
Us LITTLE remarkable that in all the accounts
or tho heavy skirnish that occurred on Wednesday
last on the williamsburg road, where the oa'tie Vi
,Seven Pines" occurred on the "lSt OF may no
mention has been made of the norle nriGaue eUtIi-
manded by Brisater General Robert hanSou, IL;
of North Carolina. have no i .:.;,o ~ ana, Of
that the press is disposed to 50 lnlusICc ~ "y ~
tho brare mer who are so sclfsScTihcingy deVounS
them selves and their all to their country or 10 I'
the cold shoulder of silence to their deeds OF Vaor
and trust you will permit the world TO kno" d
norton of the history of. that batte-for 1t was Il
bsttle-that is yet unwritten-
Gen. Wright began the fght and was aideu 'oy
Gen Malone, and the troops they had in the hela
behaved calamity; and it must be understood,
therefore that what write is not to detracI III Tie
least from their just fame; but Gen. ransom was
in it Also and though the Yankees have iouhi 1t OUT
10 their sorrow, our own people at nome nave YET
10 be informed of it. On Tuesday Gen. Ransom
commenced moving from Petersburg, ana ms orig
ade being one of the largest in the st"vce, IL was
not until near daylight Wednesday morl ng that II
reached Richmond. The 25th regime 1T, under com,
nand of Col Rutledge was the last to arrive, and
they did not march out of Richmond till after break
fast Wednesday morning They were just ahead
of the General and staff, who followed on as soon
as the General could call by Gen. Hugers head
quarters and report and receive orders. Barely had
Gen. Ransom reached the ground where two oil his
regiments (he 9th and S5th) were encamped, when
he heard firing in 'front.' and SpurrlnS forward iounu
that three of his regiments-the 18th, Col HILL
the 18TH Col Ramseur the 18th, Col RutledSe-
were with the two brigades previously mentioned,
engaging the enemy in desperate fight They had
reached the ground fatgued and jaded, but like
heroic men they sailed IN " and fought like vete-
rams The 4Sth had no less than five regiments
opposed to it. and had to stand cross fire, but they
bore like heroes and finally drove the whole
brigade of Yankee scoundreis from the field. The
loSsin this reg ment heavy, and several ohcsrs
were among the killed The 10th was on the eX-
IRENE left and though more fortunate than the 4oth
IN the losses it sustained, pressed on the foe and
poured heavy and continuous fires upon him, tl'l
they finally drove him back. The 18th did not
stop marching from the time they left Richmond
till they stopped Immediately in front OF the line OF
battle to throw off their knapsacks and commence
firing. They went in with perfect vim AMI be-
hayed gallantly throughout the day. Their loss
was not very heavy, and the majority of the
wounded are but slightly so. The fight contin-
ued through the day and part of the night, and IN
the afternoon the oath, Col Clarke, 26th Col. Vance,
and S5th, Col. Ransom, were ordered down. Gen.
Ransom oeng on the field directed their move
ments in person. Through the whole afternoon the
lnuSkctry was terrific and the Minnie balls came
whistng by US constantly, while now and then
shell would explode within a hundred yards and
less of the position occupied by the General. The
Yankees had their SharpShooters up in trees to pick
off officers, and the ScoundrciS plainly seen IN
the of their lines, and they fired constantly,
but aimed badly Our men were much more eX-
posed than the Yankees, but the dead they left on
the field shows very plainly that our men, though
lever in number, cooler and more fatal shots.
Our forces, notwithstanding they opposed by
an overwhelming force, did not yield inch, but
held their ground through the day aid through the
srght also, the General and staff sleeping IN the
open air upon the field.
The three regiments last named oath, 35lh and
26h were ordered into the front lines about sunset,
and soon as it became DARK the HesSians in large
force attacked them, shouting and yelling like In
dians; but many Of them will never yell again and
tie whole of them ttricc driven back flor thcY
repeated tue experiment,) and dared not make
third attempt. These latter demonstrations were
made against the 18th, Col VANCE and the 35th
Col Ransom. They threw shell and grape how
ever repeatedly during the night and grape shot
was found the next morning within few feet Of
where the General and his staff had slept during the
night. About daybreak, on Thursday morning the
enemy opened fire again, and this time all alon; the
line of the two regiments named above and the
9th, Col. Clark. But they could not stand the
return our men gave them, having learned too much
the day before about their EXPERIENCES in the use Of
IRE arms and the untiinChng manner in which they
stood up to their work, and therefore retired
large number Of prisoners were taken, and the
Yankee scouHdreS not only left their dead but their
wounded also upon the field and even committed
the dastardly act of firing on our men in the after
noon uhlte they mere giving them 1catcr 1t is an
indisputable fact that the Adunnt of the 4Sth was
stopping down to give water 10 of their wounded
men, when the blackhearted vandas fired on him,
and forced him to leave his canteen but the wound
ed man, more honorable than his comrades, sent it
to him afterwards by another wounded one who was
brought of, he himself refusing to be taken awav
saying he knew he had to die ami as his own friends
would not move him, he was not willing to trouble
us, and would lay there and die
This brigade General and all, has been in con-
slant duty ever since its arrival, sleeping in he
open air. and having skirlnishes two or three times
day and night, all the time The last occurred
late this afternoon, when the Yankees took out
leaving their dead scattered over the whole field not
hao1ng buried single man, from the first day to
this time The woods in advance is dense mass
OF smoke, and there is douot they have burned
everything and put out for the other side of or.
dan. RIP VAN WINKLE.