The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-21
Correspondence of the Press. |
Letter from the Field of Conflict.
Urn MAINE VoLs.. CAMP NEA

| hARRlsoN LANDING, July otn, lo0Z
Mr.. Editor:
! l will try to give your readers an accurate
account of the scenes passed through by this
regiment and the division to which it belongs
The position of Smiths Division was at
Goding's Farm, its right resting on the Chick
ohaminy, and its left connecting with Sedg-
wick. Davidson's Brigade was in the font,
which was covered by small-rife pits, beyond
which was a ravine, then hill, upon which
our pickets were in speaking distance of the
enemy. All the afternoon of Thursday, the
26th, we heard heavy cannonading in the di-
| rection of Mechanicsville, and, as it grew dark
could see the quick flashes of the guns, and
later, in the increased quiet, the low, surging
sound of distant musketry. No one who has
never experienced it, can realize the anxiety
| felt in listening to battle you cannot engage
in. We knew Mccall was at them, that Por-
| ter was at them; but with what result? At
| length courier came dashing along with the
| glad intelligence that we had whipped the reb-
els, commanded by Lee in person. Wild cheers
broke forth; our bands formed for the first
time since Williamsburg That night re-
| doubt was raised on our picket line, and skirt
| of woods, unfortunately, cut down, unwilling
our camps to the guns of the enemy. At dawn
| the firing opened more fiercely, but in diff
ferent direction. Could the enemy have driv-
en- us? We saw fires and heard heavy explo-
sions from Porters camp. Soon regiment af-
| ter regiment appeared on the flats, across the
| Chickahominy above us, and on the estate of
| the traitor Gaines, and our glasses soon recog-
nized the dirty gray.
Then our brigade was ordered to form on
the picket line, and the enemy soon opened
with twenty guns. We lay fat and could see
the gallant Ayres bring the division artillery
into position and spritedly reply. Then up
came Connecticut battery of heavy guns,
and after an hours firing the rebel batteries
were silenced. In the intervals of our own
| deafening fire, we could hear the cannonading
| going on with unidentified fury on our right,
and still the heavy gray columns poured in
| from Mechanicsville The other division of
our corps led by little Slocum, had gone to
| Porter's assistance. We were relieved by
| Brooks Vermont Brigade, and towards night
were ordered to follow Slocum. As our line
was forming, the enemy, seeing a movement of
troops, opened suddenly with thirty cannon
directly upon us. The men came up CALAMITY
| into line, but the New York 10th MAX We
ber's German Turners). that was defiling be-
fore us, broke in confusion. When our line
had been formed, the men kept them back with
the butts Of their guns, but they swept by in
to the wood beyond. The scene was terrific:
the air seemed filed with bursting shells.
Our men were falling, our tents were ripped
in pieces behind us. was covered with dirt,
thrown by round shot striking by me; and
when my eyes, which were closed, were opened
| saw two shells burst in the closed ranks of
the n. Y. 10th, piling the men in heaps.
could not repress thrill of exutation, to
see our line as steady as if on parade. The
cannonade was but the prelude to an infantry
attack. Brooks and Hancock were on the
picket line. We were ordered to the front to
support Wheeler's Battery. Passing along l
saw in wide ditch long string of woody
heads four regimental niggers), burrowing as
deep as possible into the mud. Late that night,
the firing ceased, the enemy drew off his baf-
fed forces, and the fightof Golding's was over
All night we worked, strengthening the re-
doubt in front; but Saturday morning it was
discovered that the enemy, by the defeat of
Porter, had been enabled to turn our flank. and
were in position to our right and rear. Our
guns were removed to the left; our baggage
train had already gone. The 18th was sent
with axes to the woods on the left, to make
obsfrucfions that world rrotaot o,,r ,atra,+
AT noon the wood was down, and soon after
the rebels opened their fire from two drec-
tons. Our deserted camps were riddled. the
scene Of the night before was repeated. Our
brigade this time had the front, and after an
hours fight, our old antagonists of Lees Mills
and Observation-Disclosures Georgia Brigade
were repulsed with great slaughter, losing many
prisoners. l saw Col. Lamar of Yacht Wan
derer notorietv, borne by, MORALLY wounded
Gen. Smith was in the hottest Of the fire. Civ
ing his orders in his usual unruffled manner,
and personally supervising our artillery. The
rebels sent over flag of truce for permission
to bury their dead, and Capt, Ayres, going out
to meet them, discovered that they had sixty
pieces of cannon already in position and ranged,
All upon tne sTldu sti1p OF WOODS Where our
division lay closely packed. BY ruse, he
kept the flag of truce out till night, the rebel
cannoniers waiting all the while anxiously at
their guns. We were then safe for little long
er, and lay down to rest but the stencil of de-
caying horses and men lit was former battle
ground) prevented sleep.
The feelings of those few who knew that
certain humiliation awaited us with the morn
ing dawn, can better be imegined than de-
scribed. Two O'Clock came; will our orders
never come? Three o'clock-the growing day
becomes overcast Just as the light begins to
steal among the trees, an aid dashed up, and
away we 90, breathless and still, thus cover
ing on that march the retreat of the whole ar
my. So ended the second day at Goldngs
To be Continued.
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