Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-09


two bridges across the creek between Bottom
Bridge and New Bridge, where local reports held
it to be impossible TO find any foundation for piles
to support the superstructures. One of these
bridges was some two miles above Bottom
Bridge, the other a mile further up the stream.
The lower of these was carried away during the
heavy storm of Friday night, and Gen. Sumner
was Obliged to depend upon a single shaky struc-
ture for the passage of his troops, who nearly all,
however, succeeded in crossing that night, the
head Of the column reaching the Nine-mile road,
along which the rebels were pressing our troops,
at about Z O'Clock, holding the enemy in check
for the night, preventing them from following up
in that direction the advantages they had gained
during the day.
THE FIGHT on SUNDAY.
Flushed with their seeming victory of Saturday
the rebels awOke with confidence on Sunday 70
follow up their movements, sure of driving US
this time to the Chickahominy and beyond. But
they had made the unfortunate mistake of esti-
mating the strength of our reserves by the weak
ness of our advance. Most bitterly did they paw
for their mistake Pressing eagerly forward with
confidence of victory, they were met by the
trained troops of Heintzelman and Sumner.
whose unyielding columns checked their fierce
assault, turning the tide of battle everywhere
against them, and forcing them, at the point of
the bayOnet, on toward Richmond 1t was their
turn now to break and run, and their losses on
the Sabbath left them little cause for rejoicing
over the trifiing gain of Saturday. Terribly did
the rebels suffer on this, as well as the previous
day, from the well-directed fire of our artillery.
piling the ground with the slain. Terrible also 10
them were the frequent charges Of our solid col
umns, pressing them back, step by step, to the
last point of endurance, when they broke and
ran, inglOriously leaving behind them many of
their men and officers, as well as pTiyates, prison.
ers in our hands. The number of these it is rot
yet possible to ascertain, several days necessarily
elapsing after every engagement before a full in
%ventory can be taken.
OUR Loss IN KILLED AND WOUNDED.
1t is impossible, so soon after the affair, to give
even a rough estimate of the loss in an engage
ment spread over so great a space of country, and
in the confusion which always ensueS after a bat
tie. That the loss is very severe, and particularly
so in the matter of officers, there is no matter of
doubt. The difficulty of rightly estimating our
loss is also enhanced by the fact that many of
those falling were unavOidably left upon the
ground subsequently occupied By the enemy in
his first successful attack. The number of these
we cannot learn until regimental rolls are com
pared. 1t is sincerely to be regretted, in view of
the tales we have of the barbarous treatment OF
our wounded by the rebels, when once they fall
into their hands, that necessity should have COM
PEELED any to be left upon the field, to receive
''the tender mercies of the wicked" That the
rebel loss was greater by far than our own | do
not doubt. Besides our superiority in artillery,
our small arms were much more effective, having
all the superiority in fatal power, which the MIME
ball has over the round rife ball.
THE CASUALTIES OF SATURDAY.
OF those who entered into close range of the
enemy's guns, scarcely one of the officers that
saw escaped without some mark of the enemy's
bullets on clothes or person, when no positive
wound was inflicted. Gen. Naglee was struck
four times by balls that pierced his clothes, in.
ficting slight bruises on his person. Lieut.. West
Aid de-Camp to Gen. Casey, who continued con.
stantly under fire while actively discharging bis
duties, had his clothes badly torn by a piece oil
shell. Lieut.. Foster, who was equally cool anC
energetic, | heard reported as wounded, but dis
credit the statement, which | should be sorry tC
believe true of so efficient an officer. Captain
Smith, Gen. Casey's Assistant Adiutant General
and Lieut.. Harrington Raymond, Abide Camp
were disabled by sickness-Lieut Raymond fret
ting upon his sick bed at the thought that h,
should be compelled to.inaction at a time his ser
vices were so much needed by his General.
Of the line officers not positively wounded
Col. c. H. Van Wyck, of the seth New Yorl
regiment, seems to have met with the most mar
row escape, being struck by a spent shell, which
doubled up his sword sheath and severely bruise,
his left knee. Had the shell been nearer its mi
tial velocity, the Colonel would have lost a PAL
of limbs of essential service to a man of his &C
tive habits; and had it exploded Congress woul
have been minus one of its working members.
General Casey's son-in-law, Colonel Hunt
received a ball through the feshy part of hi
thigh, inflicting a wound more painful than dan
gerous.