Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-07-18
GEN'L AEIE.5 5 REPORT or FIJI
EATTLE OF FAII? CIGS.
HEADarARTsEs fourth Coass5,
June 18th, 1862.

! !. 3TTy T. n ~ ia I'D -, i-cr
] - D : 80 "a q So. IS
dEADaVA"IEFs FOURTH Coas:77.4ss Z
June 18th. 1862. ~
briSaa1!cT General :, WILLIAMS.
| ddt. General Army Of tcc .7c.c7-sc !:
Sir-The following is pr,rrno-tt Of tbe.on-
erations of the Fourth Corns /, the bs.tla ii
the 3lst MAY and lst OF June:
| Tho Fourth Corps. beinr IN ;tho oG-.,cr
crossed the Chickahou,inr NJ Ro,+or,,, prya,.a
tho p3d of NAV, and encamnoJ 49, ,,;lgslba-
rond Two da-s later fssa;-.a1 o-'lo-: - :,
advance IN thc WilIi,msbi -osJ o.i -: - i.
nm and fortifv the nearest sI-oIG nosi,;,1 r.,
fork of roads called tho SUI, p!,o-sssTb. :.
camp I selected, and which wac tho ne-f Il. :
onnrnved bv Mai General ,TcClall.,, ~;
across the WILLIAMSBURG ro,d bn.,,es, Eo,.
toms Bridce and Seven pines and !. distant
about n mile from the latter conoc5 that
comn 70 bc fortified ;rith r;0o-,;,. and b-o,s.-
.rorks crtcn,l;nc IN the leff ,hont M sno :4.or,,.
and tcrmina,inc in crotcbct - tho raat
similar Zyorl;s. about three bnndrad rnrJ.
f,rtbor. !, odr.,cc worc c;on,e,ruotoI -, -
r;ch+ e;.to,d;n., tG'.,.o,j tbo piah,s,.-.a
W. D.. 80 o;lr,.J
Hs,-ine, hcc,, cyco-o,i H. -, ,7or1, 49,
b,iJ 4.. L.
I tbro,. - 45.f :, IA -:
-,irs of Caser;s Division and n e-tahIisb
nv r;,l.ot Enc con oncidor,bi- in. od,.onoa ,,,J
r,r r. ,bc r;gbt
/ IT. H., [lo.,r:L.l ,Lo,.. H.
IL -, IL, 80. - -, ~. ~
w. 60. IL ~ ~, ~ n1".
,t..I..I. 49,
E.a,o;no,;or: .,.i,,, I'm .4,
- ,''ar ar1a.o7 -, ,ha nc,h oS -, :.
60. So D:..:.; ~. W.
oa,aJ h.l 80 ,nJ ~ bo,,s
49, ;hS,a -. fs,,-.he ~ ,,,;ia ha.-onG ~ y
So so,' D.. ~, - =; so. ~.
ei' ..,'a W.. i' ",'.i "
hlc anu 70 t't"'''''' ''"'i' h'i' ''"i ~ LIZ
&c .al:..,-- en .ires ~...,.o;.: ,,;.!,
~ ;~hIo.;, I'n sr 49, VIII -"ss
y" w. INV ~ -. W n". ga" %
".tu "'.e' i'iS -
isioi' d. 'he 9e, eH i"eH' "N0 '''oi's 'Ns iins-
lnlie roau. noth Dl.'sl9l's ST 70 "oIh WIN
.iie 'e" en'Ie''Cuii's LOUIS ~ nan" 70 SLASH lhe
forests ana 70 olg lie" rile-pltS- Cassy cree
TED small pentanGular redonht, and placed
within 1t SIX pieces ol artillery.
1he country Is mostly WOODED, ana greatly
!ntersected with marshes. The G,ine- Nhle
Road, branching 10 the right from the Seven
PlneS, s!autS Forward, anu al the distance Of
mile crosses the railroad at tar Oaks. a
mile beyond 1t reaches an open field, where
the enemy was seen in line OF battle on the
29th and 3Dth days Of May.
Casey's pickets were only about l,00o Yards
IN advance OF his line OF battle, and decided,
after 4 personal inspection with him, that they
could go no further, as they were stopped b.
the cnclny in force. on the opposite side oil au
SntltO
pickcts on the railroad tritlc, and they had
been extended by Gen. Naglee TO the open
ielu Where The enemy was Seen II line vi
battle, and thence 10 the right bank OF the
Cnckalolhy. Alter a thorough examination
OF my whole position discovered That, Oh
the ooth OF May, tue enemy were, III greater
OF less iorce' ctoSeu upon the Whoie ciFctHi-
terence OF semi-clrcIe Described from E1y
headquarters near oe'eh rine:'' win rauiHa
oi wv ''iiies-
a considerable space acoa' lhe ioTf, CT INC
.o"t ~ - ms ore-'' eo''' 80
Sipunu' anu 'neie "lS cS cie.st spIce i. s1r''
u.s''tLG ,i':I ~ pa ,"ns - ,I 20, euouos a. ..'
S""upa.' VIZ ."o op
.ooi." r., i;1aoT 80,
,ont;nu,d III OH n curve TO the T;,hr and renr,
and ,rrC,ss ,i,. nin,-,niie rood -
When the battle commenced, Cascy's di~i-.
Son was in front of the atattis, Naelce's S br:-
gade on the right. having two regiments be-
r,ud the railroad. palmer's brigade en- the
left, snd VESSELS brigade in the centre
Couchs division was on tho right and .ef:
Of the Williamsburg road near the FORKS and
alon;: The ninc-mlic roud, pecI,'s brigade
was or tie left, Devcns; brigade i. the cen
A ~ - ~
two regiments and Brady; battery across
the railroad near Fair Oaks. thus forming two
lines of battle,
Col. Gregg, nth the 9Th Pennsylvania
ca-airy, was in the action, but owini- 70 the
nature Of the ground could not be much cn-
ployed. 4 part OF the Sth Illinois cavalry
was with me as an escort. Lieut.. Granger
acted as my aid. and several private soldiers
of that regiment followed me throughout the
dar.
Through all the night Of the 30th Of Nav
there wa, raging storm, the like Of which
cannot remember. Torrents OF rain drenchcd
tue earth. The thunderbol,s rolled and fell
without intermission, and the heavens flashed
with a perpetual blaze Of lightning. From
their beds of mud and the pcltines of this
storm. the Fourth Corps rose to tighi. the bat
tie Of the 5lst of Nav, lSG2.
At about 10 O'Clock, a. NJ, it was announced
to me that an aide-dc-camp of Ma;o--Cienrral
! = Johnston $ had h.cn canturrd
hv our nickets on tho cd-c the tield referred
r. above bevond Fair oaks Station. While
sncakinr with the younc gentleman. 1t the
moment Of sending him awa-. couple Of
sbots fired in front of Coser,s bealouartcrs
,,od,,cod :, h;,, ,.or,- a,,dcnt ero.;on
was nrrncred because. having seen the enc
nv N force on the right. where the aid. was
cantured. | supposed his Chief must be there
Furthermore. the country was more open in
that direction. and the road in front Of Caser's
position was bad for artillery, | concluded,
therefore in snite ofthe 7hots. that If attacked
that d,v tba ,ttacl. would conoe from tho
rirbt