The Portland daily press., 1862-07-01

CAMP IN THE RESERVE,
Headquarters Naglee's Brigade,
June IS, 1862.
LIEUTENANT:-Beforea attending to the oc-
currences of the 31st of May. it would proba-
bly, add to better understanding of the sub
ject, to refer to the advance of my Brigade on
the oath, 25th and 26th--a week previous.
Having crossed the Railroad Bridge and ex-
amined the Chickahominy from the Railroad
to Bottoms Bridge, on the 2Oth-and made
reconnaissance from the chimney" near Bot
toms Bridge to within two miles Of the James
River, on the Quaker Road, on the 23d Gen.
Mcclellan ordered a reconnaissance of the
Road and country by the Williamsburg Road,
as far as the Seven Pines to be made, on Satur-
day the oath, with instructions, If possible, to
advance to the s'Sevcn Pines," or the Forks of
the direct road to Richmond, and the road
turning to the right into the road leading from
aNew Bridge" to Richmond, and to sshold that
point IL practieable.n Under these instruc-
tions, with the addition Of two Batteries of
Col. Bailey'sN. Y. 1st Artillery, and Col.
Gregg's Cavalry, we pushed the reconnaissance,
not without considerable opposition to the
tSeven Pines" on the day referred to; one
mile and half beyond the Pines on the follow
ng day; to line at right angles with the
Railroad from Richmond to West Point, inter-
secting 1t midway between the fifth and sixth
mile posts on the following day, and on the
day after, the 9th, extended it across TO the o
mile road where 1t is intcrsected by the road
TO Garnett's house, and thence by this road
bearing to the left, our picket lines extended
to the Chickahominy. This line from the river
across the Railroad to the Williamsburg road
was about three miles long, and was picketed
at first by the first Brigade, afterwards by
Casey's Division,-but placed more directly
under the charge and protection of the Regi-
ments of First Brigade, which we're encamped
along its entire extent for that purpose. The
picket line proposed to be kept up, and the
supports to the same from the left of the above
picket line on the Williamsburg road to the
White Oak Swamp, being especially entrusted
to Gen. Couch
This was the line of our advance on Satur-
day the 31st of May at II NJ, when two shells
thrown into our camps first announced the
hostile intentions of the enemy. No alarm
was felt by any one, for it was seldom that
twenty-four hours passedthat we did not ex-
change similar salutations.
Soon thereafter it was reported that an at
tack was impending-the usual orders were is
sued, and within half an hour the troops moved
to positions that were assigned to them by Gen.
Casey, being at this time, on the nine mile
road, near breast-work fronting the old tavern,
then under construction, and judging from the
discharges of musketry, which were becoming
frequent, that something serious was intended,
hastened in the direction indicated by the
fire, and soon arrived upon the ground, on the
Williamsburg Road, about three-quarters of a
mile in front of the Seven Pines, when found
Gen. Casey, who had placed the Tooth N. Y,
Col. Brown, on the left of that Road behind a
field of large timber, that had been cut down;
on the right Of the same road was placed Capt
Spratt's N. Y. Battery of four pieces; on the
right of these were three companies of the 11th
Maine, Col. Plaisted, and on the right OF the
1lth Maine were eight companies of the l04th,
Pa, Col. Davis; companies ofthe 18th Maine
were on picket duty, but being driven in
formed with the Seth N. Y, 1t Col Jandan,
at his encampment, in line of battle, parallel
with and about 800 yards in rear of the picket
line, 200 yards to the left of the Railroad, Col
Dodgeis SD Pa, supporting the picket line on
the extreme right, formed at his encampment,
on the mile road, 3-4 of a mile in rear of the
large Garnet field. The remaining companies
of the 104th Pa, and 11th Maine, were on
picket duty along the large field in the direc-
ton of the Chickahominy.
Soon after my arrival upon the ground, about
1 P. NJ, the fire then being quite frequent, and
from the direction ofthe main Richmond stage
road, Gen. Casey gave an order to the Tooth
10th and 11th to charge, when as reported by
Col. Davis, "The regiments sprung forward
steward the enemy with tremendous YELL In
sour way was high worm fence, which cut
sour former line of battle, but the boys sprang
"over it, with the same enclosure with the en-
"emy, when we formed and resumed the fight
"The battle now ragged with great fury and the
sfiring was much hotter than before. Spratt's
"Battery during this time had kept up live
"ly Il 'e in the same direction. At about 3 p.
"M.the enemy being largely reinforced, press
"ed us in front and flank, and seeing that we