Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1862-07-26

HEADQUARTERs SrEvESs' DIVISION
JAMES ISLAND, S. g., June II, 1862.
You will recollect that p my previous despatch
es from this point predicted stubborn resistance
on the part Of the enemy and stern, hard lighting
on our own before further progress towards
Charleston could be effected; but did not think
20 cruel and SO useless sacrifice as that Inflicted
upon our army yesterday morning would be per-
mitel by the Gedera in command
The Tower Battery at SecessiOnyille to which
Ialluded in my last letter. had for some days
thrown its shells in unpleasant proximity to our
camps, and q Reconnaissance in force" was order,
Cd, with view, il possible, to gain possession oil
the work, shorten our line of pckets, secure sale
ty to our camps, and complete a second step IN
our advance across tho island, Three slender
brgades consisting Of not more than six thousand
men, were thrown forward at daylight. They
were repulsed, after gallant and heroic fight OF
four hours duration. They came back to camp
with companies and regiments irightIuly decmat
Cd. In my best Judgment over UnB hundred anu
fifty Of our men were killed. nearly five hundred
lie wounded in our hospitals, and there is besides
along list Of missing, whose fate is yet cOnlectur.
al Of these many are known to have been killed
on,v;Sbt wbe scores Of others were wounded and
jaft snon the fatal iield to the tender merces Of
tho @ snsmv~to mar, ~ lonCnisb in southern ialls, to die
in rebel hospitals, and to receive cofiness burl'
VI from rebel hands.
The forces Of General Stevens were formed in
perfect quiet at bis outer pckets at half past two
o'clock yesterday morning The men fell prompt
10 into lIne having been al that hour Rrst appris
"a T oi tbe moyement thew were to undertake. 'rbe
morninc wos cool and the entire sky was overcast
With hIeck beovv clouds. 40 that in the darkness
tho tsst nf msiniainng silence and avoiding con-
srs;on was ona ot mn liftle difficulty We moved
AZ half ma, iour : M accident occurring to inter.
runt onr nrocrpss Colonel Foptons Brigade
copsistinr of the Eighth Michigan Volunteers,
rndor I;eutenont CIoIonel Graves. tho Seventh
Connecticut under Lieutenant Colonel Hawley
and ,ha Tweoty eiahth Massachusetts,, under
I;sutsnant Colonel lioore--was in the advance
Colonel Teasure's brigade comprising the Sey
epty ninth uicblandeIs under Lieutenant Colone
Morrison; the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, un
der Major Ieckey, and the Forty sixth New York
(olonel Rosa--was in support together with
R,ckwells Connecticut Battery, Captain Sears
oompany of Volunteer Engineers, and Captain
sargeant's company Of Massachusetts cavalry, A
stOrmiur party, consisting Of Two companies ofth,
Eighth MicbiSan, led by Lieutenant Lyons, Aid
IA Camn 10 General Stevens, with q negro guide
VIVA in tbe extreme advance.
Cur route Law over an extensive cotton field, O.
ratber succession of cotton fields, separated fror
each other by hedges and bitches. The grnun
Was broken by the ridges peculiar to the plants
uneyen, biIowy surface. marching as We were upo
the double Quick" was excessively fatiguing; ye
wa moved forwani vary apjdly, Although on
lima was formed within rife shot Of the enemy
nicksts 40 ouletly were the troops uonoeuyre
tbat thev we're icuorant oft and rebel lieute,
ant md four nrivates were surprised and capturet
Grdsra hal beep given to move forward by til
aank rsciment following regiment. In no ever
woro va to iie hut IN press on and forward inf
lima bv regiments Wbtutbe enemy should open Q
ma we were 10 use the bayopet on him, and Ell
daavor il nossjble to gain possession Of the wor
Thsss orders were faithfully executed. ReacI
inc tbo onen eeld about mile from the rebel fu
tiSeations. Fentou's brigade was directed again
the ripht. and Leasure's ueainst the left Of Il
wort These two bnqades now pushed forwal
with great rapidly, the regiments keeping with
Suppertinr distante Of each other, and the Mcl
uap rregimsnt keeping Gloss to the storming part
When within about four hundred yards Of Il
fort, a terrific Gre of crane and canister was ope
cd on our columns from the work, and from tt
woods abaltis and rife pits on our right. Fo
heavy puus on the epemys parapet sent their mi
derous charges through the files Of our brave me
..,,.l ha,taro. of 1,hoso oxietanea ,vo hod