Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-07-18

only about thousand yards in advance G
the line Of battle, and the country coTere'
with forests, the Contrtlecatcs arriving freGi
and confident. formed their lines and E,asse
under the shelter 0f woods and burst npo'
US with great sudieTness and had not GU
regiments haur under arms, the rrouid ha"
swept Though our lirez and routed Us com
pletclv, S. it v-as, ho~c-r7. Gasey's d:@i
7ision held its liGc of battle ior more thar
three hours, and the execution done upcr
the eTeny- Ecas shaw1 b. the ruElrar. .of Re
hel dead left upon the field after the enemy
had had held possession ei that part cf it to1
upward If. twenty-iour hours. During tha
time, it is understood. all the means Of trana
port available III Richmord were employed II
carry away their dead and wounded. Tht
enemy advancing, as they frequently lid, n
masses, received the shot and shell oi cur NJ.
.tillcry Ike Veterans. closing up the gaps, ans
moving steadily On to the assault.
From my position in the front OF the second
line could sec all Of the movements Of ths
rnemy, but was not always able TO discover
his numbers, ~hich werc more or less con
ccsled by the trees, nor could l accuratel?
define the rc-anent7 Of orr regiments ans
batteries, -
dllrao!e state CT i!ist.b7 ;ziSh ca5e-'s
"a .H" o:s-ox. .2@1E,-rrs--.nd to The re
ports ri 'Brigadcr-Cenerals Naglee, Palmer
and Wessellf, whose activity had many
opportunities to witness. When applied tr
for them, sent rainiorcement9 10 sustain
Casey'5 line until the numbers were 50 much
reduced in the second line that no more could
be spared. [ then refused, though applied II
for further aid
l shall now proceed Ia describe the opera.
tons Of the Second line, which received my
uninterrupted supervision, composed princi'
pally oi
COUGHS DfviSi5N-SECof'D Lil7E.
rs the pressure on Casey's position became
greater, he applied to me for rcinforcements,
continued TO send them as long rs had
troops 10 spare, Col, McCartcr, with the 93d
Pennsylvania, Prck's brigade, engaged the
enemy on the lett, and maintained his ground
abo"e two hours, until Overwhelming num-
bers forced him to retire, which he did in
good order.
At about o'clocE ?. IN. / ordered the
j5th New York Co!, dc Trobriand, absent,
siclD, Ho'c i'll command Of Lieut.. Colonel
Thourot, to 'save the guns" meaning some
OF Casey's. The regiment moved up the
WILLIAMSBURG road at double-quick, conduct
ed by Gen. Naglcc: where it beat Off the enc
M on the point of scizing some guns, and
held its position more than an hour. At the
end Of that time, IT'S ammunition being ex-
haustrd. it fell back through the abattis, and
after receiving more cartridges, the regiment
again did good service. 1t lost in the battle
nearly 0nc-fnurth its numbers. killed and
wounded.
At little pas; two c'cloci: / ordered Ncill's
23d and Rippcv's Glst Pennsylvania regi-
mcnts TO move TO the support Of Casey's
right. Ncill attacked The enemy twice with
great gallan;rv. In ,hc first attack the encmr
were driven back. In the second attack, and
under the immediate command Of General
Couch, these two regiments assailed a vastly
superior force Of the enemy and fought with
extraordinary bravery though compelled at
last TO retire, they brought in 35 prisoners.
Both regiments; we're badly cut up. Colonel
Eippev, Of the 6lst. and his adjutant were
killed; tE- Lieutenant Colonel and Ma jor were
wounded and are missing. The casualties in
the Glst amount to 2G3, and are heavier than
in any other regiment in Couch's division.
After this attack the 23d tool; part in the
hard Fl yhtirg which closed the day near the
Seven Pines. The tlst withdrew in dctach-
lncnEs, soLne Of which cam. again into action
near ny headquarters.
Almost Immediately after ordering the G23d
and LIST 10 support the right, and as soon as
they could BIZ reached, l sen, the 1th .,lassa-
Col. Russell, aud the G2d New York,
C3i. k.I:er, to reinforce them. The over
powcring ad:ance Of the enemy obliged these
regiments 10 proceed 20 Fair Oaks. where
they fought Under The immediate orders Of
Generals Couch and AbeTcrnmbie- There
they Joined the lst United States Ckasserrs,
Col. Cochrane, pre"iousl:- ordered IL that
point, aid the 3Ist Pennsylvania. Col. vii
l;alns, On dutrothere whcn tha action ccm-
menccG.
The losscs III the Cd we're not so great as
in some of the other regiments. Its conduct
was good, and its colonel, Lafayette Riker.
whose signal bravery was remarked. met q
glorious death while attacking the enemy ct
the head OF his regiment.
The list United States Chasseurs Colonel
Cochrane. fought bravely- BY that regiment
an enemy's standard-bearcr wns shot down,
and the battle-tiags Of the 22d North Carolina
regiment captured.
FOR further particulars Of the conduct Of
the I'd New i York and the lst Unites States
Chasscurs, as we'll as for the account Of those
two excellent regiments the Ith Massachu-
sets. and 3lst Pennsylvania. Coils. Russell and
refer to the reports Of Generals
Couch and Abercrombic. Those regiments,
as we'll as Brady's battery, lst Pennsylvania
ARTILLERY, (Which is highly praised,) ~ere hid
from III: personal observation during most of
the action Tlley acted in concert with the
End Corps by the opportune arrival Of which
at Fair Uaks: in the afternoon. under the
brave Gen. +. '. Sumner, the Confederates
were brought 10 a sudden stand in that quar-
ter The were also present. in the action Of
the following day, near Fair Oaks, where,
under the same communicative victory which
had been hardly contested the day before was
full completed by our troops.
At tbc time when the enemy was concentrat-
ing troops from the right, left, and front, upon
the redoubt, and other works in front OF Ca
sey's headquarters, and near the Williams
burg road, the danger became imminent that
he would overcome the resistance there, and
advance down the road, and through the abat-
tis. In anticipation Of such an event; called
Floods and AlcCarthy's Batteries, Of Couch's
Division, to form in, and on the right and left
of the junction of the Williamsburg and the
Nine-Mile roads: placed infantry in all the
ritie-pits on the right and left, pushing some
up also to the abattis, and, collecting u large
number Of stragglers, posted them in the
FOODS on the left Scarcely had these dspo-
sitions been completed, when the enemy, di-
rectlv in front. driven By the attack of a por-
ton Of Kcarney's Division on their right, and
br our fire upon their front, moved Off to
JOIN the masses which were pressing upon my
right.
TO make head against the enemy approach
ing in that direction. it was found necessary
10 effect an almost perpendicular change Of
front Of the troops or the right Of the y j.
liau,sburg road, By the energetic assistance
of Generals Dctens and Naglcr, Colonel Ad-
ans, lst Long island, and Captains Waicn
and uuackcnbush. of the 36th New York,
twhosc efforts particularly noticed,) was