Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-30
THE ENGAGEMENT.

from various sources the most important par
ticularS =
THE ENGAGEMENT.
Wednesday, June 25th, was signalized by
another glorious struggle between the rebels
| and the Union troops, in which the latter were
twice victorious. About six thousand of our
men on that day encountered two divisions
of the rebel army Il short distance beyond
Fair Oaks, and drove them back Il mile. BY
a remarkable blunder we relinquished all the
ground gained as soon as we had obtained pos
session Of it, and then, when the error was
sitted and understood, our gallant lads went
at it again, and corrected the mistake. Upon
our retirement the enemy had once more
swept i'll over the field like a recurring tide
wave, and for second time we drove him
back step by step over all the ground Origi-
nally won, and maintained our position there
at night. But little artillery was employed,
and the casualties, therefore, not so numerous
as might be supposed from the duration of the
fight. As the artillery that was used was
mostly ours, the enemy'S loss is doubtless con-
siderably heavier than our own Ours will
perhaps reach the neighborhood of eighty
killed and less than two hundred wounded.
THE TROOPS ENGAGED.
Two brigades of Hooker's division-Grov-
though some other brigades were slightly en-
gagged before the day was over. Sickles'
brigade is composed OF the five Excelsior
regiments"-th the 10th, list, I'D, I'D, and
nth New Y ork. This gallant body of men
has lost so heavily in previous battles and by
illness that it mustered for Wednesdays fight
only fourteen hundred men. Growers brig
ade is composed of the lst Massachusetts,
Col. COwdin; the I'd New Hampshire, Col.
Gilman MarSton; the 10Th Pennsylvania,
temporarily commanded by Lieut.. Col Wells
of the LIST Massachusetts; the 18th Massa-
chusetts, Col. VIM. Basdell; and the 10th
Massachusetts, Col. Wyman. This brigade
mustered about four thousand men for duty.
Sickles' line was formed across the Williams
burg road, his left stretching three hundred
yards to the left. Growers line joined on to
Sickles' lett, and was formed OF the LIST Mas
sachusetts on the right and the 18th Massa-
chusetts ON the left. His other regiments
were at hand, ready for use anywhere. Both
brigades advanced in line OF battle, with skir-
mishers out in front.
THE ENEMY DRIVEN.
Both brigades moved forward about AM,
-Grover's little ahead, meeting and driving
i'll the first line Of the enemy's pickets. These
again formed on the picket reserve some dis
lance in the rear, and disputed the ground
tenaciously, as they kept up rapid and accu-
rate fire which CALLED our line seriously till
they we've fairly driven back in route by Gro
ver's steady advance. The enemy's main
body, composed in great part by North Caro-
lima troops, then advanced, and the battle was
fairly opened. Their fire was very severe
and wounded men began to find their way to
the rear-Some on stretchers, others leaning
on the shoulders of comrade, and others
again, with brave pride, determined to help
themselves and Ego it alone" Our headquar-
tiers were established in the open field near to
Fair Oaks, and there General HeintZleman,
taught the doubtful battle where to rage"
The two houses at that point were used as hos
pitfalls, and numbers of the wounded were laid
on the ground in the oak grove. Sickes'
brigade and kearny's line had i'll the mean
time come up and drove the enemy rapidly
before them. The fire was now raging along
the whole line, but every man CALAMITY held
his position, and not a straggler was to be
seen.
A RETREAT AND AN ADVANCE.
Everything was going on handsomely right
and lett, when, at half past eleven A. NJ, the
order came to withdraw gradually to the ORR
ginal line. This unexpected order was reluct-
anty obeyed, and we retired in good order
TO the edge OF the wood nearest to camp
Gen. Mcclellan and staff rode upon the field
at about one p. NJ, and was received with en-
thusiasm. The troops were amazed at the Or
der to retreat, but he soon saw how affairs
Stood and ordered very shortly after that the
same advance should be again made. The
order was received with joy on every hand.
All was again activity and spirit, and every
one prepared to do the thing over again as
bravely as if they had never beel. compelled
to relnquish the once almost gotten prize.
Once more they went forward in the same or.
der in which they had already done so well.
Grover, ON the left, got in first again and rat
tied away; but the resistance there was not so
tenacious as it had been, and he pushed
through, still finding however, enough resist
ance to keep up the interest The battle
continued to increase in warmth till two
o'clock, when Gen. j. n. Palmers Qate
DeVens) brigade, Of COUGHS division, was or
dered up to support Sickles The vigilant
and ever ready commander Of the fourth corps
had put Couch's division under arms when the
firing first became warm on the left, and they
had awaited their chance till now. They went
up the road handsomely, the Massachusetts
tenth, commanded by Lieut.. Col. Decker in
advance, followed by the Rhode Island sec
ond, Col. Frank Wheaton; the New York
thirty-sixth, Col. Innes, and the Massachusetts
seventh, Col Russell. The artillery was also
ordered forward to their assistance, and after
much hard fighting the enemy were driven
FROM their position with considerable slaugh-
ter.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT.
oil -ar for han il1ct ,al