The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-06-02
OPENING OF THE FIGHT.
SUCCESSFUL ATTACH Oh TIE tEU.
ER.L FORCES.
TIE ENEMY DRIVEN BACK AM
tNAELE TO RECOVER .
THEIR POSITION
Hf.Avg Lass ON ROTH SIDES
Inferesttng IHCtdenis on the Fieid-h,sou,.
Of the Battie- Heany Loss Of Offers
Arricoi Of The Wouaded
DC, DO, 90, Ar.

&c, 30, 90. 40
The terrific thunder storm Of last Friday
night Led inaD vic suppose that military orer.
atoms on Cur Lines would be fstarted for sev
erai days, and particularly with ,boss Who
were considered to ta perfectly au tnt with
| the tcpogra phIoa' raturs 81 the corutyy 81
which our noble army was 5tzuoIed vyl'h
| HVoiiiiia eIeam and swamp IN front the
Chickahominy 1t Was thought that au at
TACK waE imp ISL BILE. or at lsass i'm pr &c,
either from friend or foe, owing to the f. ,cd OF
rain which fell; but on SatuY iav 70 OF utug early
cur scouts reported lhet. during the previous
niant, The enemy d conveyed ye-y heavy
oto Sc OF mon acTCs5, or IL the swamp, al c
toat tpsic retr"at or tx.ricauoi waa almosI
| mater OF impossj0!!'ty Towards rin- a
III on saturday W. 00saiv II large bodies CT
troops OF LoI gstreats divisto moving 70.
| wards, and on the Williamsburg road, with
hands in fait b,ast, coiors nying. ard men
hilarious with delight, surprising, as proved
10 be the cas., that the ensmy Were to be at.
tackled In fo-Cs and compelled 10 retreat or
1 srrrende.
Essaly proceeding down the road indicated, ,
| we found It almost impossible to pass, own 2
| to the immense hedie CT water Iytng along
| the route, togs;hec with az unlimited supply
| OF mud. From hlasrudsr's farm, and several
! mics forward upon the turnpike, all seemsd
| to be an impossible swamp. How reg INT FL I
| after regiment traversod he ground seems
oven row almost problem. Yet, onward,
| onward passed Lor sstreet' s d ivision tow ards
the point Of attack; and although every thin z
seemed unusually quiet there was e. peculiar
stir and rum bIing In the woods aEo on The
road, (some six miles, ard In the woods fr ont.
ing Barriers plantstion,) which denoted the t
the enemy were unusually active and np tioi =
pa.sd our advance.
ks.peen and 10 a "A part of HIPS d.
vision were der'oy<d skirmishers On the
T. ght md ie': OF the road, which were toon
replaced ~ me arrival of Lorgstrest'. gste-
| rams. Between IL apd IL d. n tn g 2sth & cor
| Sia aud 81 M.ss:,sippi were dep,oyed as Skin
mishsrs fronting tAs woods, and began the
| advance without much oppoaltoa, but as
| they proceeded aIcng the turnpike, and In the
woods, The enemy, cor cealed behind q tercs
and In force, opened n furious Tife fire, which
| tor moment caused 3ur brave poys II wink
and s:agss~. Vat, recovering themselves in
an instar., they delivered murdaro volley
in reply, and With hearty cheers dashed
through tho woods after their discomf1tsd
md frightened foe, driving than heller skel.
ter before them, and making many bit" the
cold, wet, aud muddy ground. Observing
the n!reng'h OF the enemys line in front
our commander ordered mp The 4th Ncr.h
Caroiine, who, advancing in foice, broke
Though tn. ID Mississippi battalion, In
thair hurried progress, AMI Divided The
later corgs iI such Il manner thai, snb-
quently, their whole fore. could not be
again collected. Briilisn. in conce ption and
execution, the finely drilled eorth Carolt-
uians banked the eremy's dense line OF Skin.
mishers, and did such cad havoc By their
faLkIng fire that The my .rs c'pite tely fell
bsck apon ths'r uDfais,.@i II sstwcrs II ard
commencing too entrance to, the extensive
grounds of Esrzer's farm. Tais hrsastvork,
however, IS but one Of chain OF sirni ar
e7r .hwoTks which ths iav adsrs We srscted
ta's side OF the Ch'ckab ominy stream, and,
aaning parallel with It, are nearer 20 our
forces from the N. ". than N Z PARTICULAR.
y so to those Of ours stationed on the Mechau.
icsvills road
Having arrived ia open ground, our forces
commenced to howl In a tearfoI manner, ter
rifying the enemy with their indsscriba bI g
sounds. The 4.h North Carolina, regard
less OF Conseq usacss, shut their eYes to the
| chances, and attacked the work In gallant
| style. hetLg supported by other regiments to
| the right and left They game their otJsct,
bu. II Is said were unable to retain It. for tn q
! en- eny's large brass howitzsrs dealt destruc.
| ton among them, aud 1t is r.por ted they foil
| oack In admirable order, until ssh troors
could be brough: TO bear upon The hordes Of
Fennsylvaniaps, who, in Thousands we're
pouring vollies upon them. at about this
time, P. III, some other rcnforcements of
Longstreets corps arriving turned the tide Of
battle for time, but lot permanently -
Among Others st. Pau,'s (La bat.alion,
(thfee companief) appeared upon the scene.
and looking to where the fire was hottest,
dashed into the enemy In Frsn CHI style with
the bayoner, and with their watch word
"Buuer" upon their HTs, drove everything
before them "a attacking odds in every instance.
and not satisfying their yepgsaucs until
almost decim atsd.
Our artillery at this luncturs came into
play. and although the Maud ba IA I'd human
industry, patience, and psrssve rance, some
pieces Of the LynchburS 1--WE believe La.
th a m 81 Battery cot into position, at the en-.
trance to Bankers farm, and played su5h
avoc that the foe des srted their four large
brass howizsrs, unabls 70 reply. But as the
enemys whols brigade camp dents and alb
were yet s.andins--as Bankers honse, out
houses, &c, lay parallel to the road--and as
very large wood pile W. at right angles
with 1t, the ensmy, feiI forced, crowded their
nceastworks. and from all these poiu is kept
up such terrific fire thai cur men, appearing
from the wood and the road, were cut
down cs fast "a discovered. No.ktng dau ted
at The III meIse show and NUN bsrs Of the loe
notw outstanding cur artillery. from the ma
turs OF the roads and ground, was incapable
Of advancing, our infiusry appeared upon
taeir fl tnks, regiment afssr regiment, drove
Ght III from their hiding places. captured their
guns, tortift,atieps, ard entire camp, with
great supplies, and drove the foe two miles
beyond their cncampment of the morning.
The creates. end hotties. fire was about
p. NJ, when Latham's and Carter's batteries
got into action, su pported by the 4th and b
South Carolina, Is: Virginia, 18th Misstssippi,
ard other regimen Is. Havin: many velua.
eies In camp, and it beipg well provided with
test', provisions, (inolnding loo bills. OF whis-
keyD they made Il terrific eff,r. TO retrieve
'ne fortunes OF the day, and Gen. Casey, their
emma noer' moved up every available man
" support or cover his Il ing columns. Tents.
pfo'''ion'' guns, ambulac ces, wagons, spare
norses' and' In CT, everything stationed ON
the Williamsburg road, fell into our hand.
al" reg ,nsht aftsr regiment CT the enemy re-
sa'ec 20 the Chickahominy faster than ever
w'tne'ssd before by old eamrsixusrs. leaving
large numbers Of killed end wounded 70 IN.
fortunes OF war. Beaten and driven In sf..
grace from their camp and sasthwork- ,ha
Williamsburg road, the enemy made a bold