The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-07-07
THE SECOND DAY.

The Potomac army is seeing active SER
vice enough now TO make up for the mas
terly inactivity of months past. At every
call to duty in the field, and face to face
contending with the enes~--~7ost nobly do
the men raj 80 day an
other battA allant
Union tro Dry to
be added brilliant teg-- -eI " ednes-
day and 1pqsSday. Each new Days fight
only shows more strikingly the stern and
patriotic stuff our soldiers are made Of;
that they are gradually fulfilling the bright
est anticipatious entertained of them, and
that they must be invincibe against any
force the enemy can send against US. call to-
days battle a victory, for SO it is set down
by those claiming to understand the purpose
of the movement. 1t is possible we got
more than we barganed for and there is
ground for the detractors of General Nc
Clellan whom the depths OF their hatred
of him, would, doubtless, many of them,
rather see our army lose battle han that
he should win it TO allege defeat as the
result of the days struggle. Giving up
ground that we had held, aud burning
commissarg and ammunition stores while
fleeing from pursuing enemy, looks like
defeat. But it was not defeat it was part
and parcel of a strategic plan. We gave up
ground that IL was deemed ineXpedient with
the force at command, to hold any longer.
Our retrograding column fell back to a
specified point, made stand lhere-fought
10 hold the point as they had been told to
do-fought firmly, braveiy, furiously, as it
was known they would-heid the position
against superior numbers, aud hold it
now. The enemy fought desperately. 1t
was evident they appreciated the impor-
lance of the contest But their desperate
valor and keen appreciation OF the value OF
victory were not sufficient match for the
steady, untlnching GOODNESS and courage OF
our men. Their fighting was the wild lash
ings of the tiger whose power of fury is
nearly expended. Our fighting was the
slow, determined, crushing hug of the ana
conda upon the victim whiting within its
folds
Our loss in toe days fighting Is estimated
at twelve hundred-kIIeG, wounded and
missing; that Of The enemy is much greater.
There is no trusting estimates now, how
ever. Of to-day's contest, no definite result
can be given. Should all the floating ru-
mors be credited, whole regiments would be
recorded as no more, and entire brigades be
swept out of being. 1t is certain that to-
days battle has been one of the fercest
fought in front of the rebel capital. Many
officers lie cold in clay tonight having he
rcically fallen at the head of their COM
mands. Soldiers unambitious of shoulder
straps and chevrons, have reaped the richest
reward of toe smbtuous patriot-death in
defence OF their country.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE DAYS wobK.
Shortly after the close of Thursdays
fight came an order from Gen. Mcclellan to
General FItz John Porter, directing the
withdrawal of his corps to a position two
miles this side OF Gaines Mill, the ground
we now occupy. At O'Clock a. NJ. the
NOV ng back of the corps, who had been
sleeping on their arms all night, began.
General Mccall, in accordance with Instruc-
TONS, opened with his artillery upoa the
enemy. The latter thought this the rene wal
of the preceding days fight, aud returned
vigorous response from their guns. Shot
and shell flew IN antagonistic directions
with dangerous IIVeliness. Gradually Gen.
McCalrs troops withdrew, which the enemy
naturally mistaking for a victory on their
side, caused them TO follow on i'll not haste.
Of course our rear column yielded the
ground slo WY, the more to make Ghe enemy
believe that they were being beaten. Mean
time, Gen. Syk es' division led the retrealing
column, followed by Gen. Morels division.
Along the advance there were but little in
dicatIons of a retreat. The men moved
slowly, and all, ignorant of this back ward
movement, were anxious to know the cause
of it.
"We are not beaten, are WEI" asked
4th Michigan boy.
"Faith, mol Don't niver b'lave you are
whipt till you are whipt yourself" respond
ed gallant son of TIpperary, and tghting
" mlmber" of the 9th Massachusetts. - An /
sure we are afher only drawing the ribels |
on"
BURNING CoMNIssARY STORES AND AMMUN1-
do not know whether it happened from
an unaccountable blunder, and l nave not
yet found any one able or willing to explain
it, but soon huge column of smoke arose
from near7ihe late headquarters of General
Sykes, and on the ground occupied by the
Second brigade of Gen. MorelPs division.
At the former place large quantity of
commissary stores were set on fire, and at
the latter place commissary stores and am
muuition. The rolling up of the huge
smoky wreaths increased no doubt the be-
lief of the enemy that our retreat was ne
cessitous one; it certainly added to the ca
gerness of their pursuit. | should here
state hat General Mcclellan had previously
ordered the removal of all tents and COM
missary aud quartermaster's stores across
the Chickahominy. This order was given
on Thursday, before the first attack on the
enemy by General Mccall, and shows the
object to have been a concentration of all
0ur troops on the other side of the river, in
accordance with the programme alluded to
above.
THE BEIDGE AT GAINES MILLS.
Hardly had the chapel tent bearers cross
I'd the bridge at Gaines Mills when squad
Of axemen appeared and cut it down. The
bridge is about fifteen feet above the water.
The blows came down rapid and hard, and !
one side of it soon lay angular-wise IN the !
water. There was only one other way for {
he enemy to cross here, narrow footpath
eading over the dam adjacent. OF course
! could not move his artillery over this
n arrow viaduct, and the only thing he {
, Guild do was to plant bis pieces on the OPP l
,osite bank, and send his shells over IN GU /