Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-07-17

THE BATTLES OF THE PrN1SsUI.
! The Final and Bloody Contest Of
Tuesday.
We give an account from The Ne
York Times. Of this desperate an
bloody struggle, in which the rebel
admit they we're defeated:
i At 8 o'clock on Tuesday mornin,
our forces. having been concentrated a
this point, the line Of battle was formed
General Franklin holding the right
resting on the James river, and Genera
Porter the extreme left--General
Keyes and HeintEelman occupying th,
center. General Summers corps wa
held IN reserve. At 9 O'Clock the reb
els opened the battle with heavy fire
of artillery, TO which we responded
from numerous batteries which had
been placed along the hill-sides in CON-
msnding positions. The day was a
beautiful one, clear and eloudless, un-
less from the smoke Of the incessant
artillery FIRE; the position a fine one;
an open country, with rolling ground
fringed by thick woods; the James riv-
er in sight, and on its waters, cleared
for action. two gunboats. the Jacob Bell
and Galena, kindly auxiliaries, whose
10o-pounders poured awful missiles Of
death into the woods above the river,
by whose sides rebel reinforcements
were coming. in heavy numbers. The
FIRE of the artillery on the hills was
kept up during the day. the rebels get
ting decidedly the worst Of il They,
beyond disparagement, fought nobly.-
We could see several Of their batteries
pushed out beyond the woods. and al
most near the commands Of their Off
GERS. Their infantry marched up in
solid columns by brigades Of ten to the
support Of the batteries and would press
forward in the face of CALLING fires to-
ward our artillery, determined to make
trophies Of our guns. Maintaining their
close columns, they pushed forward to
receive our shot and shell, and then
drawing nearer, to be moved down
with grape and canister. Facing this
as long as they could, they would at
length wheel around and march back
again in good order, leaving the ground
covered with their fallen. Again and
again, with new regiments, this was
repeated, and again and again shot and
shell, grape and canister gave them
awful punishment. 1t was too much to
be borne. and at last they no longer
marched back in columns, but ran hur-
rying for lie from the terrible ministers
Of Death ths------4-'--'-'------ p
At three O'Clock in the afternoon, the
enemy opensd a fierce musketry fire
upon Couch, which quickly extended
along the line, including Kearney and
Porter in its FIRE. For three hours the
battle ragged 6ercely, the sound Of mus
kerry and artillery deafening the ear
Up to o'clock it was an equal game
if anything, we were getting the worst
of it. At six o'clock in the evening,
Gen. Porter sent word by an Aid, who
drove hastily, dust-covered and we'll
nigh exhausted, to Gen. Sumner, who,
as Senior General, was in command,
saying that he must have REINFORCE
ments or lose the day. Gen. Sumner
Immediately directed that two Of Rich
ardson's Brigades--Genersl CaldwelPs
and General Meagher's--be sent to his
assistance. Gen. Heintzleman at the
same time sent two Of Hooker's--Gen.
Sickles' Excelsior Brigade, and Gen.
Patterson's New Jersey Brigade
These new men, fighting with a courage
and determination OF which the annals
Of war cannot furnish superior, drove
the enemy until dark. and decided the
fate Of the battle OF Malvern Hills and
The army Of the Potomac. Night !
coming Oh, we held the hard fought and
Ihickly strewn field. having in every
engagement during the progress Of the
toward James river beaten
and held in check a powerful and su-
perior enemy, at Aliens Farm, Savage's
Station, Nelson's Farm and Malvern
Hills--a series of battles scarcely pa
-alleled in history. The rebels were so
thoroughly beaten that they could no
onger persue with the rapidIty Of vigor
which had characterized their move
nents, since our movement for change
# nosifion WAS inauOurated