New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-10
FHg BATTLE Kglg WILLIAMSBURG BBViSBD,
UeiatzstInan the nanhaI Ecy Of thc Fight
Hooker's Division and It's Supports, the
Avengers Of Bull Run.
THE GREAT WILLIAMSBURG RUN
Cmreuondsnc. Of TheN N. v. Tribune

hOrse has been stolen, WhCte tOr-OotS "'0 W
feet Of O distant thief, az who is near paf"!" "'
from sleeping on the brick floor of aeelim "i'"o',
blanket or overeoat Doth strapped 10 Tue 'a''ie
the horsel, into three or more edfonM paris CIV"
Efficient for describing an exiepded i'nc u '''','
will he the spo,opy and the justification fof 'oe
resosr account of the principal part OF the decisive
eet;on Of Williamsburg sent by he yesterday TO the
,.aaers of THE TRIBusE. To do justice, and TO
write bistory, will now. on the day after the hgnt
.y thu, IN Hookers Division and on the left Of the
Union line, and under the lighting Heinbelmans .
seneralsbip was fought the battle which has at last
avenged Bull Run--whieh has smiten the Rebellion
IN Virginia with deep encouragement and great
fear-and has opened to the troops OF the North
psthwsy liz need be- 10 the Guf of Mexico and to a
yeconstructou OF the Union.
The second line of Rebel defenses above York.
ssyn consisted of thirteen formidable earth forts,
within sure artillery touch of each Other. One Of
them, Fort Magruder, was of great strength. Mot
of these furs were in front Of Hein,zelman, snd on
his left. With tie exception of Emorys cavalry
and of BeusoD's Battery, the command OF He'ntzei'
man iormed-bear with the REPETITION, for the sake
Of the cleSmess Of statenent-ihe extreme lett.
There was 10 infantry whatever beyond him. Full
two-;hiIds OF the Southern army engaged III thls
Important action, were therefore niasSed against
Heint2eln.aD.
Between and 8 o'clock Hooker gave through the
lOwn-pourng rain the order 10 drive in the enemy
piesels. The battle began.
The enemy were not IN great force. Our utmost
numbers were 5000. All Oi these were exhausted
with twelve e-miles' march through the mOst afro
oous mudroads that disgrace The barbarian even
Of "A Slave Stste--Wh twenty-fOur hours rio from
winch ihey had 10 shelter-with want Of food for
WEIGH oficial negligence cannot justly te imputed.
But they 10 work with chaI eiistic NOrtfern
yesVluteDess, aud sent the Reb.l Iickets IN lying.
BT ret tDiorCements from Williamsburg began 10
come in in mediate ly-tbe oldest ard test troops ln
the Rebel army-fnOst OF them Of the Boil Run ajd
Manassas experience. a, g. the enemy grew thicker
Rnd more ~ gressive. Hooker's second and turi
brigades Went in, and were soon followed Oy Em-
ory's cavalry and Benson battery. TIE fight nov
became furious. The great preponderance Of
tle Rebels with their carefully cultivated con-
tempt Of the courage of Northern men, I'M
PEELED them upon our regiments with audscity
and the characteristic rage OF their civilization Tie
Veadiness aud pluck of The Norihemeis were what
was expected Of disciplined American troors Oar
musk try fire was terrible. Rapid, in lime, and
with deliberate aim at the breast, it moved the
enemy in great sN 8ihs. The oldest Mexican sol
der on tie field noted ts rapid and solid cb }sacter,
and said that they had never seen il equslled. H.,
however, began 90 exhaust the cartridge b0xes
Coon the equilibrium of the fight wac lost, and the
- 10 Heutzelmans experienced eye, when he
resnn,,- he field at l2l wore doubtful look.
arrived on - 20 kearney for re-eIforcemeuts-
be i9ftsn.iy se ,Jo,lv % Cen Sumner to represent
then blurred ..;tr an oas Of N, re-enoring BIN with
Che nsan. nr 10 Jiyerlion 10 be made 9y an at-
NOR " 1srt on the enemy center. ~
a. ia Tear. iun .ish. -~'-- - .,.,, o,,...
s,s, s,t officer 10 hurry him 10 extraordinary Efforts
70 come NJ. For whole bour az time, he was
EiC eutilely alone he field. his impallence' Ike
Eapoleon's for the lead Of Gronclys column 1T
Waterloo, was so intenee, mat IN hye rhnies m'er
the return Of bis messengers, be lerealeoiy cent
them back with new entreaties 20 kearDey 1" move
0njekly, 10 save The unequal fight, They dld pot
come, ior the rein he'd utterly ruined tie swamp
road TIE danger grew fast and began to oalml-
nate at l., O'Clock, when The enemy mace deter
mmed charge with the bsyonet on Rockers len
Ui,h a column of 6O0O fresh troors just NJ from
WILLIAMSBURG. They, Of couIse pushed our lew
and Exhausted men ba k, and eapIuieo slX OF onr
fed.pieces three of which they succeeded IN hnehy
carving Off The nature Of the ground was sueh-
covered with thick WOODS ana o5uS9L1nat II we
could not use our artillery with full effect !
but its FIRE compelled the shouting captors TO
abandon three OF their prizes. The loss 0f ihese
guns Was purely the result OF the kl inR oi then
officers and cannOGlers and drivers anu hOrses ia
numbers sufficient 20 cisOrgarize tie sectlone, and
more especially Of the exhaustion Of the supply Of
ammunition by the supporting infantry regiments
behind them. Here now commenced the develop
nen of the crisis Of the fight N0lleys Of bali car
tidges cannot long be resisted by the braycst Of the
brave holding N their sfafp only empty gun-barie!s
Pressed Dal der and closer bv the new troOTs that
Jshns,on had got mp from Williamsburg, tic 'th and
6h New Jersey gave ground, aud soon fell luio
esorder. 1t was not strange-for, their caitiidee-
boxes empty, the felt themselves 10 lie uuarmed
CAPTAIN Chsuncey MoKeever threw himself 40 q err
wsy and endeavored TO reilly them, without effect.
Hls resolution was promptly taken. lie took q squat-
ron Of Col. Averil s Sd Pennsylvania Cavalry dc
pOyed in The woocs on each sfe 81 The rod0 AID
ord red them fire upon the strsggers nd force them
back into the fight ultl the IeeAfOrceInenta should
come up. The order WIS obeyed. The men-gho
had net shown any symptoms OF panic, nor were Al
Rtv danger OF q stau pede-IetuIned 10 their WORK.
But without cartridges It seemed useless, sud Soon
stragglug into the woods AGAIN commenced. Henlt
yelman having no aid within miles Of him, t0ok ia
escon of I'd pennsy IvaDiGns, commanded Oy Capt.
j. {. White, and persuaded them 10 return 70 then
ranks and resume their ground. IL WA heroIc o!
ANY portion of the 5000 exhausted and now subatn-
italy uLarIed men 10 face 25OJO comparatively
fresh troops, pouring IA upon tuem with heree ana
steady increase. But & Massachusetts regiment
lGod tless that Slate, and God bless her people J
greatly assisted the devotion 10y fixing bayOnets ON
their empty musket barrels and standing sill for The
coming avalanche IL was low that Death
pessed fastest through ranks. Olcen fell tbi kly
aDd men went TO earth IN besps. Ten minutes more
would have ruined us-fOr deni-gods could not have
sustained such an Inequality 5000 10 % COO. Ton
minutes would have saved the Rebellion and
raused the recognition Of the revolted Sa,es; ten
minutes mOie would have crushed military reputa-
tioa ana driven political party ont Of poNef-and
As administrators perhaps cut Of life. Bat now
Brgadisr berry Of the stout State OF Maiue-wsding
through the mud and rain az such speed thai he
actually overlook and passed tlree other bIigades,
came IN right. Heintzelman shouted With gratitude.
lie ran to the nearest band and ordered II TO meet
the coming regiments with Yankee Doodle, "
and to give them marching tiiGe into the fed
with the star-spangled Banner. a wild "hurrah 4"
went np IRON the army, and with yell that wos
of ksifru n