The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-07-08

One of the most istasvtipg sccouuts Va
have seen of shs dsspssste Alhe st Fair Oaks,
near Richmond, isgivep jusl private letter
from an artilleryuian attached to what il
known as the aNApoleon;gu battery" 10 Ca.
sey's division, and which was ip the front
line Of the first days battle before Richmond.
After describing the opening Of the fight he
says:
The pickets soon began firing rapidly and
oame running in, while the infantry, posted
behind fence to support them, blazed away
into the woods. The artillery on our right
opened Hre aud mingled their thunder with
the sharp roll of musketry. Soon our Ma
poleon guns (thres Of which were posted in an
unfinished redoubt, and three on the left near
rife PITY opened with case shot, which went
whizzing through the air over the heads oi
our own men, right into the midst of the en-
emy, and there exploded, scattering death
through their ranks. On the left, the rebels
were seen coming through the woods to flank
US, and wheeling Of our guns 80 as 10 bear
upon them, We poured case shot among them
with uuexampled rapidly and with terrible
effect.
The destruction was horrible. Our spheri-
cal case shot are awful missiles, each Of them
consisting Of u clottei mss Of seventy six
musket balls, tn charge OF powder in the
center, that is fired by fuse the same as q
shell. The missile first acts as solid shot,
plowing its way through masses Of men, and
then exploding, hurls forward shower Of
musket balls that NOW down the foe in heaps.
Our battery threw twenty-four Of these min.
ute. and as we had the exact range of every
part of the field, every shot told with frightful
effect. But the enemy were not at all daunt-
ell. They marched steadily on, and hailed a
perfect tempest Of balls upon US. Why We,
as well as our horses were not every one shot
down will forever remain a mystery to me-
We did not mind tho leaden hail, however
but kept pouring our case shot into the den
masses of the foe, who came in prodigious and
overw helming force. And they fought splen-
didly, too. Our shot tore their ranks wide
open, and shattered them asunder in in.n
ner that was frigbtful to witness; but they
closed up again at ouce, and came on as
steadily as English veterans.
When they got within four hundred yards
we closed our case shot and opened on them
with canister, and such destruction l never
elsewhere witnessed. At each discharge gaps
were made 10 their ranks-indeed, whole
companies went down before that murderous
fire; but they closed up with an order and
discipline that was awe inspiring They seem
ed to be animated with the courage Of des-
pair blended with the hope Of speedy victo
ry if they could by an overwhelming rush
drive us from our position.
1t was awful TO See their ranks torn and
shattered by every discharge of canister that
We poured into their faces, and while their
deal and dying lay in piles, they closed up,
and still kept advancing right in the face Of
that lire. AT one time three lines, one be-
hind another, were steadily advancing, and
three Of their flags were brought in range Of
our guns shotted with canister.
"Fre| shouted the gunner, aud down
went those three flags, aud a gap was opened
through those three lnss as il thunderbolt
had torn through them, aud the dead lay in
swaths But they at once closed up and came
steadily on. never halting or wavering, right
through the woods, over tho fence, thr ough
the field, right up 10 our guns, and sweeping
everything before them, captured every piece.
When we delivered our last fire they were
within fit en- or twenty PAGES o. us, and as all
our horses hal been killed or wounded, We
could not carry off gun. Ou, whole divis
loo was cut to pieces. with what loss do moi
know. We fell tack TO second line of en-.
trrnchme nls, aud there held the enemy in
check ill reiniorceinents arrived, and then We
kept our position till night put an end to the
BATTLE