The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-07-05
THE WAR.
Great Battle before Richmond
Three Days Hard Fighting.


ing.
A company of Bocktails was surrounde,
and captured. Our right wing retreated.-
Over l25. 900 men were engaged. ..
All civilians have been ordered away from
the White House. ar. .s,ssl nal.
A severe and most determined battle wa
fought on the right wing on Thursday an,
Friday. which is claimed by some of our Of
ficers as successful strategy movement, IN
to which the enemy had unwittingly beer
drawn and which viii soon result in the cap
ture Of Richmond and the entire rebe
army.
The attack was made by the enemy If
immense numbers who crossed the Chicka
hominy near the rail road above Mechanics
vile Thursday afternoon. They fought des
peratelv, but were unable to drive our men
a single rod tho the enemy were ten to one
The only forces engaged that day was Nc
Calls division the battle lasted from two
until nine in the afternoon, when the divis.
was ordered back. ".- .is
Gen. Mcclellan was on the field and ex.
pressed himself satisfied with the result. -.
Thursday about noon. the enemy made
an attack upon Gen Stoneman's forces, in
the vicinity of Hanover Court House, pro
badly for the purpose of accomplishing an
out fanking movement on the right, and ia
engage our attention in that direction. -
Shortly afterwards they commenced vigor,
GUS cannonading from their works on an en-
inence opposite Mechanicsville, ab,ut one
and and half miles distant. Also, from
two batteries, one above and the other be-
low. They were r.plicd to by Campbelrs
Pennsylvania batteries on picket duty, one
on the Mechanicsville road and another from
behind earthworks, at the right ola grove.
About two o'clock, p. M, the enemy's in
fantrv and squadrons Of cavalry crossed the
Chickahominyin immense force, short
distance above the Virginia Central Rail-
road, paking rapid advance towards Gen.
McCalrs Division. who were entrenched on
a billy woodland across swampy ravine,
about a mile in the rear of Mechanicsville. -
The First Pennsylvania Rifles, the Buck
tails, and Campbelps Penn'a battery, were
on picket ,duty, all of whom, except one
company, fell back behind the breastworks
and rife pits, where a line Of battle was
drawn up. -sss 10 -.7-. f..-.-. 49,.
Company K, Of the Bucktails, who were
on picket duty, beyond the Railroad, were
by the enemy, and the last that
was known of them, they were trying to cut
their way through. It's presumed that the
greater portion were taken prisoners.
The enemy advanced down at the rear of
on a low marshy ground, to
where our forces were drawn up behind rife
pits and earthworks on an eminence on the
northern side Of the ravine, when the con-
flict became most terrible. The rebels with
mos, determined courage attempted to press
forward over the miry ground, but the bull
let's and grape shot tell among them like
hail, moving them down. This continued
till dark, when they Withdrew. The can,
nonading was kept up on both sides until
about 2 o'clock P. M, when the battle ceas-
ed. Our forces were covered by earth
works and suffered but slightly.
Below Dr. Gwine's residence late in the
afternoon the enemy made a charge with
cavalry. About one hundred Of them came
rushing down, and attempted to cross the
ravine. where their forces became mired -
A squadron of our cavalry seeing their posi-
ton rushed down the hill, when the caval-
rymen abandoned their horses and fled.-
The infantry fight was then renewed and
according to the statement of my informant
Surgeon HUMPHREY of the Pennsylvania
Bucktail regiment, continued until about z
n. when aretreat was ordered very much
against the will Of the Pennsylvania boys
Who begged to be allowed to hold their posi-
ion The outer 70 ces then began to fall
back. Porters corps were some distance
below. ne
or the next days battle correspondents
ay the cannonading and musketry was ter
ific. s''s" q 'af a'5 sd
Duryea's gallant Zouaves were lying upon
he ground for two hours while our batteries
we're Smelling the woods over them. Finally,
owards night, the enemy attempted to
freak the center line in front Of Duryea's
.ouavcs. The musketry firing became ter
ific, lasting twenty or thirty minutes.
hortly afterwards an attempt was made to
reak through the right, which was repul-
ed and half an hour later another attempt
II. made on the left with the same result.
withofle had been raging for some hours
on either siuaparent change or advantage
and infantry thcr'nforcenents Of artillery
the bridge to the field eteadiIy along the
The enemy then seemed TIA ~ b
desperate and determined effort, heir last
forcing our m,n b,ck into the low g'~ne
between the hills and the bridge, where they
could have been slaughtered by tens OF
thousands before they could have crossed
that long narrow bridge. Wagons, artillery
ambulances and men hurrying towards the
bridge, and panic was almost inevitable,
when strong guard was placed across the
bridge. Attic time when the enemy had
almost reached the main hospital, half
mile from the river, Thos Francis Meaghers
men came over the hill, striped to the bare
arms, and were ordered to go in. They