The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-09-06

to answer ours, and, pressing on, we un-
earthed his infantry. There was light
rattle; then a roar of musketry. Milroy,
in the advance, had come square upon
rebels in masses. Our line of battle
was formed, Schurz having the right,
Schenck the left, Milroy the advance
center, and Steinwher the reserve CEN
ter. -aI ssazi@3 r'- -'i1
Just at this opening of the battle, l
saw, from the hill from which Schurz
was going into action, column bearing
down upon our right, and at first sup
posed them to be rebels. Unaccounta-
bly,, they carried high over their heads
sundry white flags, and appeared to
march stragglingly, andit was soon seen
they were unarmed.
They proved to be 634 prisoners, ta-
ken by jackson, when he appeared at
Manassas three days before, now releas-
ed ON parole. The enemy could not feed
them, and would themselves starve un-
less re-enforcements should push to them
with supplies.
Alittle after Milroy, Schurz became
engaged They drove the enemy mile
or more and rested from outright fa-
tigue. During this. time Schenck had
been engaged on the left, but not heavi-
ly. Tough old Heintzleman arrived at
this juncture from Centreville with his
whole corps. Schurz was withdrawn for
Kearney and Hooker to take his place.
Reno arrived soon after. from the same
direction. Stevens division of his
vr,nrohn1 20 fha 11c -
Schenck, and the attack was once more
along the whole line. ! should have sta
ted that some time before the cessation,
Milroy, after two hours of musketry in
tornadoes, was driven back, much cut
to pieces, and replaced by Steinwehr,
who was assisted by Schenck at his left.
Itwas now o'clock. Sigers corps
only had been engaged, and we had on
the whole gained ground-at the right
nearly mile. 1t was reasonable to sup
pose that with the assistance of Reno
and Heintzleman, and most of the day
before us, we should utterly demolish
the enemy. 1t has since appeared that
simultaneously with our re-inforcements.
he received larger ones. Longstreet's S
whole command, whose passage through
Thoroaghfare Gap Ricketts, had dispu-
ted the day before, had now Joined Jack
son and Ewell, whom we had been fight
ing hitherto. Longstreet would natu-
rally join jackson at his right; it was
upon our left, and occasionally upon our
center, that we were most severely press
ed the remainder of the day.
Up to this time Sigel had command of
the field. He had made the dispositions
| of the fight, and. cond ucted it successful
ly six hours. Pope arrived from Cen
treville about noon and assumed com
mand, but wisely and generously defer
red to Sigel the rest of the day, as being
best acquainted with the position.
At 2 o'clock the fghtwas raging along
the whole line terrifcally-musketry
like Gaines Mill and artillery like Nal
vern Hill. There was not ten minutes
cessation at any time for the next three
hours. We advanced not step; we re-
tired not step. The enginery of war,
men, guns and "villainous saltpetre, y
seemed equal, each side to the other.
d % At clock Schenck was ordered back
from the left, and the artillery of that
/ wing fell back to the next eminence FL
During the three hours, scarcely a
regiment of the three corps ON the field
that had not been into the thickest.
Promptly and skillfully, as command
would become exhausted, it would be re-
placed by another, but only for brief
rest, then to up and at it These splen.
did passages of lines" as such move
ments are technically called, seem to me
feature that ought not to pass uncom.
mended Gaines Mill would have been
a victory had such movements been
made promptly and orderly.
The withdrawal of the left was not a
giving up of the battle. Troops were
rushed to the right, and a redoubled on
set made there. Again the enemy was
forced back. His left was swept upor
his center; we took him "endways," il
flank. While the infantry fought those
our artillery, eleven batteries in line
played stunningly, each gun pointed
well to the left, that no unlucky shell
might harm friend.
, We could move the rebels no furthe
than their center Musketry in rolls, il
crashes, sounded out of the spot ofwood
where our advance was stayed how ten
aciously the enemy held their ground
, cannot hope to adequately express HOY
Schurz fought-ask an eyewitness of tn
conduct of his men,-led by the orato
fighter. ~ it'
1t was clock. The enemy not onl
: held his center, but advanced upon GU
: left. 1t was carried.
} Opportunely, McDowelrs corps ar
S peared coming to our relief Two brig
: AIDES (Hatch's and Doubleday's) immG
J diately met the enemys advance upo
/ our left, and although suffering terribly
f stayed him until dark.
t The days work was ended. We hel
t more ground than in the morning, bu
: not so much as at noon.
e Waking in my fence-corner sleepin
f apartment at daylight Saturday morning
first walked to the summit of the hill t
ascertain the position of affairs Ever
e thing indicated renewal of the battl,
Q Already columns were marching in ev,
e ry direction, men at the left being brougf
It to the right, and rice rersG, bein
d brought from front to rear and from res
e to front, Generals with stats and bod
l. guards riding over the field, each, {
r, course, with purpose; but to a
|, eye witness seeming, with the otht
Q movements, like confusion worse col
| 4 Ir,-o-,- i