Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-13
Mortester Daily Spy.
The Battle at West Point.
From the New York Herald.
BRICK House Pom
Near West Point, Va, Nav Z. 1862.


Near West Point, Va, May Z, 1862.
With my eyes full of burnt powder, and
my ears filled with the ringing of musketry
and the screeching of bomb shells, | endeavor
to give you an account of fight that has
ragged here since ten o'clock this morning, and
which is still in progress. The first division
of the grand army of the Potomac arrived
here yesterday afternoon, under command of
Gen. Franklin, and by dark most of the troops
were landed on beautiful plain, which is sur
rounded on three sides by dense woods and on
the fourth by the river, on the south side of
the Pamunkey river, and about half a mile
southwark from West Point. During the
night some of the rebel pickets made sorte
ON one of our advanced videttes and shot him
through the heart. The news soon spread
through the camp, and by daylight this morn
ing the plain, which takes in about thousand
acres of ground running southwest from the
1Ork river, presented scene such as l have
never before witnessed. Long lines of men ex-
tended from left to right across the center of the
field, and squads of skirmishers stood mark
ing, in dim outline their forms against the
heavy woods and underbrush, which presents
an unbroken front to us on every side except
that bounded by the river. Here the men
stood for some time, ready to march at a mo-
ment'S notice; but no foe appeared and the
for the purpose of getting their breakfast, and,
perhaps, some sleep. A strong picket com
posed of the New York thirty second, ninety
fifth and ninety-sixth Pennsylvania troops,
were left at the edges of the woods to keep
sharp lookout for the enemy, who were now
believed to be near u.s.
One of our gunbOats here discovered a reg
iment or two Of the enemy on the west side of
the river, who dispersed in great confusion af-
ter having received some half dozen of our
heavy shells in their midst. They were pur-
sued by the New York Sd, and after one or
two volleys, escaped. They soon after
returned with greatly increased force, and the
action became general all along the line. l
took my stand on the right, and calmly await
ed the coming events. The sharp reports
came nearer and nearer, and at length ball
lodged in a tree at my side. | was about to
move from my dangerous quarters, when my
attention was attracted to that portion of the
woods where the 3lst and 32d New York state
militia had entered. Four men were carrying
the body of a man, Capt. Young, of the 32d
regiment, who was shot in the throat and died
instantly. The fight had now been going on
for three hours here without intermission, and
number Of men were killed and wounded.
AT this juncture our men were withdrawn
from the wood, where they were evidently
getting the worst of it, and the I'd United
States artillery, under Capt. Arnold, was or
dered into position on the right, and Captain
Porter's first Massachusetts battery took up
position upon the left, and in a few minutes
the shells were flying through the air at the
rate of about ten a minute. This soon COM
PEELED the rebels to make a move more on our
left, where the shells flew less thick than upon
the ground they were then occupying.
But there evidently is no rest for the wick
ed; for no sooner had the rebels moved their
forces upon our left, than our gunboats which
up to that time had been unable to have a
hand in the affair, opened their batteries upon
the foe with so much effect that, when l COM
menced to write, they had completely driven
the enemy out of sight and hearing l am
inclined to think that this move upon our left
was an expensive one to the rebels, who, will
have learned that near our gunboats is not
one of the safest places that can be found.
As soon as the guns Of Captain Porter COM
menced to fire among them, accompanied by
those from the river, the rebels undertook to
move one of their batteries which they had
got into position. The New Jersey regiment
received orders to charge upon this battery,
and at it they went, with cheers that made the
very forests ring; but the rebels were again
too feet-footed. Before the Jersey boys got
through the woods, the enemy had made tall
traNennS, ana got out OF sight IN the woods.
Everybody has done well, and the troops have
acted nobly They have been under arms all
day thus far, and standing in the broiling sun
without anything whatever to eat, except that
which they may have had in their haversacks.
The artillery has now ceased firing, and /
bear nothing except the occasional discharge
of a musket; it seems to be far off towards
Williamsburg. L think we have got in their
rear, and, if we have, we intend hating them
for a few hours until Gen. Mcclellan can
come up to carry them back to their deserted
quarters at Yorktown. AT the close of the ac-
ton in the afternoon the fifth Maine regiment
won encomiums from all the staff for their
bravery in heading an advance into the woods
upon the left. The gunboats are still throw
ing shell into the woods, to keep the enemy
from erecting batteries. We expect to have
an attack or make an advance tonight. We
have no fear of the result. The rebel army
now in front of us, have just learned, is UNI
der the command of Gen. Robert Lee. Gen.
Franklin has just sent a dispatch to Gen. Nc
Clellan announcing the battle of to-day. You
have, no doubt, received it by telegraph long
ere this reaches you.