Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-07-04


those who have heard the crash Of i'm
mense trees in quick succession. Dur
yeas Zouaves were lying upon the
ground two hours, while our batteries
were Smelling the woods over them.
Finally, toward night, the enemy at.
tempted to break the center line in from.
of Duryea's Zouayes, and the musketry
firing became most terrific, lasting twenty
or thirty minutes, after which there was
a lull. Shortly afterward an attempt
was made to break through our right,
which was repulsed. Half an hour
later another attempt was on the left with
the same result.
The battle had then been raging for
some four hours without any apparent
change or advantage on either side. Re-
Inducements of artillery and infantry
then came steadily along over the bridge
marching through dust and heat over the
hill! to the field of battle. The enemy
then seemed to make their last desperate
and determined effort, and came near
! forcing our men back to the low ground
between the hill and bridge, where they
could have been slaughtered by tens of
thousands, before they could have cross
! ed that long narrow bridge.
! Wagons, artillery ambulances aud men
were hurrying toward the bridge 4
panic was almost inevitable, when a
strong guard was placed across the
/ bridge AT the time when the enemy
/ had almost reached the main hospital,
one bali mile from the river, Meagher's
! Brigade of Irishmen came over the hill
stripped to bare arms, and ordered to 20
to work. They gave yell and went to
work, and the result was the enemy fell
back to the woods, and thus the matter
stood up to II o'clock Sunday morning.
! At dark an attack was made along the
| front of the entire line, aud renewed at
2 A. NJ. in front Of Gems. Hooker's,
Kearncy and Summers divisions without
material result.
Another correspondent, speaking of
the battle Of Friday, says that twice all
along the front did the bloody and deter
mined attack cling 20 our lines Of battle
and our rifle pits and redoubt'. Pori,r
Numbered OF them with so cannoa.
Summers, Hooker's and Ayres reaped
them with a very death harvest.
Their loss in killed and wounded vas
horrible. We but debate noE it our own
dead, wounded and missing equal those
of the Seven Pines or exceed theirs.
In the meantime, Notwithstanding tie
Idisproportion Of numbers. the Union liue
at every point is about where it was in
the morning, and the heroes behind ii
are in good heart.
The same correspondent under date
Of Friday, midnight, says ten guns were
taken from US by sudlen flank attack,
covered by the thick smoke, which hang
around the pieces and slowly driitsd to
leewald a rebel major was taken prs
oner by Count de Paris. He states that
the whole OF Jackson army vas here
and in the attack on our right. The
rebels had from 10000 to $4,000 troops
This will explain the enormous Are un-
der which our men were borne down.
Yesterday the Pennsylvania reserve
drove Jackson's command, but to-day
they were overponered by the same
troops reinforced. Sykes regulars were
called up, bu; proved unequal to the task
of stopping them, and SIocum's com
mand had to be added Count de Para
testified 10 the remarkable good conduc:
of all the regiments that sustained the
unequal attack on Porter; they gave
way indeed but not one of them ran.
Their losses are enormous. The re.u-
lar llth infantry are about annihiIa,ed,
Nearly every officer is killed or wound
ed. The 18th suffered severely.
Major Rosselle of the regulars, a
kinsman of Mcclellan, was killed. Col.
Pratt of a New York Regiment "as
killed, and Lieut.. Coils. Black aud Sweitz-
err.
Our loss in officers is very marked.
Indeed, the disproporton in numbers was
so extraordinary, aad the obstinacy Of
our troops so unyielding, that our losses
were inevitably large.