The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-07-10
The Fight Before Richmond.
The Terrific Battles of Thurs
day and Friday.
Correspondence N. Y. Times

| Correspondence N. u. TlInes-
CAMP BEFORE RICHMOND,
Saturday, June %, 1862.
The array of the Potomac has ne longer need
TO complain of inactivity, for the comparative
ouiet of The past Raonth has given place to three
days of as desperate, determinsd and bloody
work as the fercest clamer for active move
ments could desire. Though the eonteAt is not
yet decided, the result thus far, in its bearings
on the general plan Of operations is all that
could be desired. We have no great victory
to reroEt, no long list of trophies TO record,
and the movement of an army may present the
indications of reverse, but to those who have
been familiar with the position of things here.
and the plan of operations they necessitated,
matters are assuming a new and more hope
full aspect, for an apparent retreat has really
brought us practically nearer to Ricbnond than
we have been at any time before. military
maneuver, among the most difficult Of any when
performed in face of an enemy, has been sue
cessfully accomplished, and, with forces concen-
trated upon a new base we are prepared to OPP
crate more efficiently than ever against an en-
envy divided and weakened in the wild pursuit
of an imaginary success. He has been tempt
ed to his ruin and if l mistake not the signs
of the times, his joy will be turned into mourn
ing, and that ere many days. 1t is vain to be
temperate, and / may see#a over-h9pefql in the
midst of apparent disaster, but the campaign
here at last assumes shapes and consistency to
me and Mcclellan appears more completely the
master of his position than at any time be-
! fore.
| It was soon apparent, after Fair Oaks, that
! the rebel attack upon our left wing had iAdu-
ced change of programme, and what the new
pIan has been think to-day is showing. Up
to that time our left wing was the weak point,
and Go that the chief efforts of the enemy were
directed, but with the withdrawal of our main
body to the south side of the Chickahominy,
the right wing, with its exposed line of COM
muuication between the river and Whitehouse
has been the point inviting attack, and though
the rebels have apparently been chiefly concern
ed with efforts against our left wing, there
have got been wanting signs and evidence
that then zeal purpose was directed against the
RIGHT. whose exposed situation must have been
Stuarts cavalry across our rear.
During the advance Of our pickets in front Of
Hooker's position on Wednesday, the Ecbels
showed signs Of lack of inclination or ability
TO oppose any very decided opposition to our
advance, and the new ground was gained with
far legs effort than could be expected. Instead
of seeking TO drive ns from our new position,
n
n,e rebels turned in another direction, and
crossing in large force at Meadow Bridge one
Of the upper bridges on the Ohickah onliny, near
Mechanicsville, fell upon our troops in thsA
vicinity in overwhelming force, in an effort 10
pass around our right wing and sever our line
of communication with the Pamunky. little
! thinking that was precisely what we wished
them to undertake, if disposed 10 attack us at
all.
The troops remaining on that side Of the
4 Chickah ominy were the corps of Gen Porter,
consisting of Gen. Morell's division, and the
regulars under Sykes, and the division of Nc
Cali, with which the army has been recently
reinforced, consisting in al! Of some 5000
men, force entirely inadequate to defend the
country between the Chickahominy and the
Pamunky against snch force as the enersy
might bring against them, but one as large as
could wisely be spared from the main body of
the army. .
In the advance here was the division of Gen,
Mccall which has been posted within about
three miles Of Meadow Bridge. Two miles to
his rear, in the vicinity of DIR. Gaines house
was the main body Of Gen. Porters troops
consisting of the brigadss of Morell, Martindal
and Butter6eld, Sykes regulars the 14th q. s.
infantry, LIST U. S. cavalry, Cd y, S. artillery,
Sd u. s. artillery, 4th y. S. Infantry, 18th U.
S, jnfantry,6th Q. S. infantry, 9Th u S. cavalry,
I'd U. S. infantry 18th u s: infantry, and the
Sd u. S. infantry.
e During last week, the enemy opposite this
e position on the other side of the Chickahominy,
n have been very quiet, but it has been apparent
to those skilled ia warfare, that the quietness
/. has been the repose of the tiger preparing fer
e his spring. Secretly and silently the enemy
e had thrown bridge across the swamp short
distance below Mechanicsyille, nearly opposite