The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-07-03
Another Battle Before Richmond.

tails was surrounded and Captured. Retreat Of
our right wing. Over lbs, geo men engaged
All civilians ordered away FROM the White
House. The following is the account;
"a severe and most determined battle was
fought on the right wing Thursday and Friday,
which is claimed by some of our officers as
successful stragetic movement, into which the
enemy had been unwittingly drawn, and which
will Soon result in the capture of Richmond
and the entire rebel army. The attack was
made by the enemy IN immense force, who
crossed the Chickahominy near the railroad
above Meshanicsvie, on Thursday afternoon,
and fought desperately but were unable to drive
our men single rod, though they were ten to
-Four one. The only force engaged that day was
McCaIl's Division-the battle lasting fkom two
till nine P. M, when the division was ordered
back
General Mcclellan was IN the field, express
ing himself satisfied with the result.
ADDITIONAL.
| Thursday about noon the enemy made an at
tack upon Gen. Stoneman's forces, in the vicin-
Iity of Hanover Court House, probably for the
purpose of accomplishing an outfanking move
ment ON the right and to engage our attention
4 in that direction. Shortly afterwards they COM
menced vigorous cannonading from their works
on an eminence opposite Mechanicsville, about
one and a half miles Distant also from two bat
teries--one above and the other below. They
were replied to by Campbelps Pennsylvania
batteries, oR picket duty, on the Mechanicsyille
road and another from behind earthworks at the
right of grove.
i About D. m. the enemy's infantry and
souadrons of cavalry crossed the Chickahominy
lin immense force, short distance above the
| Va. Central Railroad, making rapid advance
toward Gen. McCall's division, who were in
trenched on a hilly woodland across swampy
ravine, about mile in the rear OF Mechanics
Vile The first Pennsylvania Rifles (Bucktails)
and Campbell's Pennsylvania battery were on
picket duty, all of whom, except one company,
fell back behind the breastworks and rife pits,
where line of battle was drawn up. Co. X, OF
the Bucktails, who were on picket beyond the
railroad, were surrounded by the enemy, and
the last that was known of them they were try.
ing TO cut their way through. 1t is presumed
the greater portion We're taken prisoners.
The enemy advanced down at the rear OF
Mechanicsville, on low marshy ground, to where
our forces were drawn up behind rife pits and
earthworks on an eminence on the north side
of tho ravine, when the conflict became most
terrible. The rebels, with the most determined
courage, attempted to press forward over the
miry ground but the bullets and grapeehot fell
among them like hail, literally moving them
down. This continued till dark, when they with
drew. The cannonading was kept up on both
sides until about 9 o clock p m,whea the battle
/ ceased.
Our forces were covered by earthworks, and
suffered but slightly.
Late in the p NJ. the enemy made charge
with cavalry About hundred Of them came
rushing down and attempted to cross the ravine
where the horses became mired. A squadron
of our cavalry, seeing their position, made q
charge down the HILL when the cavalry men
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) contin
: ued until about 7 A. NJ, when retreat was or
dered, very much against the will Of the Penn
sylvania boys, who begged to be allowed tc
hold their position The outer forces theE be
gan to fall back. Porter's corps were some
distance below DR.. Gaines residence.
Of next days batte,a correspondent says the
cannonading and musketry was terrific. Dur
yee's gallant Zouaves were lying upon the
ground for two hours, while our batteries were
Smelling the woods over them. Finally toward
night the enemy attempted to break the centre
line in front of Duryee's Zouaves. The musket
firing BECAME terrific, lasting 20 OR 80 minutes
Shortly ;aflerward an attempt was made to break
! thr rough the right which was repulsed, and hal
I an hour later another attempt was made on the
left, with the same result.
The battle had then been raging for sope
hours, without any apparent change or advan-
/ tage on either side. Reinforcements OF artill.
! cry and infantry then came steadily along
to the field Of battle. The enemy then seemed
to make their last desperate. determined effort,
0 and came, forcing our men back into the low
! ground between the hill and the bridge, where
they could have been slaughtered by tens Of
thousands before they could have crossed that
long, narrow bridge. Wagons artillery ambu
lances and men were hurrying toward the
bridge, and panic was almost Inevitable
when a strong guard was placed across tbs
:, bridge.
At the time when the enemy had almost
t reached the main hospital, half mile from the
river, Thomas Francis Meaghers Irishme1
came over the hill, stripped to the bare arms
and were ordered to "go in" They gave vel
aud went to work, and the result was that thu
enemy fell back to the woods and thus matters
stood up to / o'clock yesterday Sunday morn
ing.
: At dark an attack was made along the from
of the entire line, and was renewed at two a. m.
. in front of Generals Hooker, Kearney and Sum
\ ner, without any material result.
Another correspondent says of Fridays bat
tie: Twice all along TIE front did the rebels at
: tack our lines, our rifle pits and redoubts.-
er's and Ayre's guns moved them with deatt
harvest. Their loss in killed and wounded wa:
horrible.
Under date of Friday midnight. the same
t CORES pendent says: Ten guns were taken from
us by sudden flank attack, covered by the
thick smoke which hung arouBd. Count de
Paris captured a rebel Major, who belonged tc
Jsckson's army. He said he had been in the
valley of the Shenandoah all winter, and came
here yesterday with part of Jac41son's army
The rest OF it arrived this morning The whole
Of it was here. He said that IN the attack on
h our right the rebels had from $4,000 to 80 ,00O
4 troops. This will explain the enormous fire
under which our men were borne down and
swept away, precisely as some of the regiments
. were swept away at Fair Oaks.
v Yesterday the Pennsylvania Reserve drove
the attacking regiments of Jackson S command
To-day they were overpowered by the same
troops reinforced Sykes Regulars, called up
: proved unequal to the task of stopping them
and Slooum's command had to be added t.
. them.
The Count De Paris testifes to the remarka
0 bly, good conduct of all the regiments that sus
: tanned this unequal attack on Porter. They
r gave way indeed, but not one of them ran
/ Their losses are enormous. The Regular It'll
Infantry is about annihilated Nearly every
officer in it is killed or wounded. The 18th sui
. fcred also severely. Major Roselle,of the Reg
/ ulars, a kinsman of Gen. Mcclellan, is killed
Col Pratt, of a New York Regiment, is alse
killed, and Lieut. Coils. Black and Sweitzer.-
Oar loss in, officers is very marked indeed.
The disproportion in numbers was so extra.
ordinary and the obstlnacy of our troops so I'M.
yielding, that our losses were inevitably large
!. The artillery in both Porter's and Smiths divi
sions piled the rebels in heaps. The fire was
terribly effective.
Further Particulars of the Battle of the
NEW YORK, June %.
A letter to the Herald gives detailed account
of the fight on the 25kh, before Richmond It
says
"wednesday, June 2Jth. was signalized by a
glorious struggle between the Union troops and
the rebels, in which the former were twice victo-
rious About 6 900 of our men that day ennnnn