Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-26
A Terrible Scene at the Battle of Fai,
Oaks.

A private letter from a member of the bat
terry of the New York Artillery, in Casey's
Division, gives the following graphic account
of the memorable attack on that fatal Satur
day:
About II O'Clock (on Saturday, May 81
the enemy sent couple of six pound balls
over into our camp, and Immediately com.
menced the attack 10y driving in our pickets
Our division was quickly formed in line of
battle a strong force was sent to support the
pickets aud a rided battery of four guns was
ordered up to the right and opened fire. We
were all ready for anything that might come,
but not :or a moment did We dream that we
had on our hands one OF the most fercely
fought battles that has taken place during
the rebellion. The pickets soon began to fire
rapidly end came running in; while the infan
try posted behind fence to support them
bIazed away into the woods. The artillery
on our right opened fire aud mingled their
thunder with the sharp roll of the musketry
Soon our Napoleon guns (threc of which were
posted in al unfinished redoubt, aud three on
the lett ear rifle pit) opened with case
shot which went whlZzjng through the air, over
the heads of our own men, right into The midst
Of the enemy, and there exploding scattered
death through their ranks On the left, the
rebels were seen coming through the woods TO
flank Us, aud wheeling three OF our guns 80 as
to bear upon them, we poured ease shot
amCng them with uGexampled rapidlty aud
terrible effect
The destruction vas horrible Our sphc
rical ease shot are awful missiles, each of
them consisting of clotted mass of seventy
six muSkct baiIS, with charge of powder III
the centre, that is fired 10y fuSe TIE saae as
ID she'll. The missile first acts as u solid shot
pIoughing its way through masses Of men, and
then exploding hurlS forward shower of
mu>kct balls, that NOW down the foe IN heaps
Our battery threw twenty four of these
minute, aud as We had the exact range Of
every part of the field, every shot told with
frlghtfnl effect. But the euemy were not at
all dauuled
They marched steadily on, and hailed a
perfect tempest of balls npon us Why We,
as well as our horses were not every one shot
down viii forever remain mystery TO me- -
We did not mind the ieaden hail, however, but
kept pouring our case-sho. into the dense
masses OF the foe, who came on in prodigions
and overwhelming force. And they fought
Spendidy, too Our shot tore their ranks
I" IuC bpCT, dUu SIldjltIbl lUtH! dSlNutE III u
manner that was frighttul to witness but they
closed mp again at obce, and came on as stead
lily as Eugllsh veterans.
When they got within four hundred yards.
we closed onr case shot aud opened on them
canister, aud such derlrueti0n never else
where witnessed At each discharge great
CUPS were made in their ranks-inG}eed whole
CO panies wens down before tha5 narder0us
fire; bat they closed up with an order and dis
ciphne that was awe-lnsprIng Fhev seemed
to be animated with the courage Of despair
blended with the hope of speedy victory if
they could by an overwhelming ruSh drive Us
from our position.
1t was awful to see their ranks torn and
shattered hy every discharge of canister that
we poured right into their faces, and Will"
their dead an dying lay in piles, close np and
still kept advancing right in the face Of that
fire. At enc time three lines, one behind
another, were steadily advancing, ard three of
their flags were brought in range of ore of our
guns shotted with canister
"Fire," shouted the gunner, and down
went those three flags, and gap was opened
through those three lines if a thuEderHoIt
had torn through them, and the dead lag an
stcaths But they at once closed up and
came steadily on never haltng or wavering,
right through the woods, over the fence,
through the field, right up to our guns, and
sweeping everything before them captured
every piece.
When we delivered our last FIRE, they were
within fifteen or twenty peces Of us, and as
all orr horses had been killed or wounded, we
could not carry off gun Our whole division
was cnt to pieces, with what | do not know.
We fell back 70 a second line of iutrenchments,
aud there held the enemy in check till rein.
forcements arrived, aud then we kept our posi-
tion till night put an end to the battle