Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-05
THE BATTLES NEAR RICHMOND.
The KILLED and Wounded.

We continue from letters from the field the
account of the great battle and victory of Sat
urday and Sunday last:-
PREPARATION FOR SUNDAYS BATTLE.
BATTLE FIELD, Monday, June 2,-The reb-
ell army still occupied the camps of Caseys
and COUGHS divisions on Sunday morning,
with strong picket force guarding the road
facing Sneads house and the wheat field
where our earthworks were thrown up, ex-
tending from our extreme left to the railroad.
near Fair Oak station. The distance from
the point where our earthworks were located
to the edge of the wood could not have been
more than four hundred yards This position
the rebels held until the day dawned on Sun
day morning. To our right, on the other side
Of the railroad the divisions of Gems. Rich
ardsDn and Sedgwick were found in a semi
circle, with their left resting on Gen. Hooker's
right, at the railroad, and their left thanking
| the enemy. Gen. Heintzelman was on the
| ground at the front as soon as day dawncd,
| accompanied by two aids. Gen. Hooker met
| him, and the two generals sat down at the foot
| OF tree behind our breaStworks, arranging a
| plan for the days proceedings. Gems. Jane
| son, keycs, and SiCkles, arrived at the front
soon after, and the fight of Saturday was
talked over as one of no particular advantage
to the enemy. Their loss in killed in Satn1-
days fight exceeded Ours tW0 to one, and of
their number wounded it is impossible to form
an estimate. Several of their men brought in
as prisoners gave their loss in killed and
wounded upward Of three thousand. They
made desperate attack, tits true, and gained
| considerable ground, besides a large number
Of guns, camps, equipage, &C., as trophies,
~hich they Immediately sent to Richmoad.
THE ATTACK.
| 1t was about quarter of seven when Gen.
7 Heintzelman ordered Gen. Hooker to attack
the rebels in his front, and drive them from
the woods. The Excelsior brigade marched
out from their camp in the woods to the Will
liamsburgh road, the New Jersey fifth and
sixth following The Excelsior brigade filed
in the wheat-tield in front of our earthworks,
to the right of the road, while. the two regi-
ments OF New Jersey troops took position to
the left. As the second regiment, Excelsior
brigade, was forming in position to the front
Of the wood, the rebels opened a rapid and
heavy fire upon it, killing two or three pri-
Yates, and wounding about SIX The fire of
the enemy Immediately became simultaneous
along their entire line. The New Jersey
| troops fought splenddly, loading and firing
without tiinching from their position. Gen.
| Sickles' regiments did great execution, adj
yancing at every fire upon the rebels masked
| by the wood. However, it was plainly to be
seen the enemy had every advantage, and ii
lCas 1eSolred to clear tile moods at the point of
the Jayoaet Gen. Sickles rode along the
front Of his men, in the midst Of an iron hail
which the rebels poured in, and gave orders
for the second regiment, Col. G. b. Hail. to
charge bayonets. No sooner was the order
giventhan bayonets. Col. Hall gal
lantly led the charge. Not man shiried or
struggled from the ranks. The rebels pre-
scented a strong front to the cleaning bayo-
nets Of our men, not a hundred yards distant.
As the Second advanced on the double quick,