Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-01
THE GREAT BATTLE AT MECHANICS.
WILLIE,
DESPERATE FIGHTING.


BATTLE FIELD, SUNDAY, June ga severe
and most determined battle was fought on the
right wing OF the Army Of the Potomac On Thurs
day and Friday, the 26th and 81 b inst which Is
claimed by some Of our officers a q successful
urwittingly been drawn. and which will soon
result In the capture OF Richmond a. well Is the
entire army
The attack was made by the enemy in immense
force, who crossed the Chicahominy river, near
the railroad, above MechanicsVille, on Thursday
afternoon, and fought desperately, but were I'M
able TO drive our men back single rod from their
position, notwithstanding that we had to contend,
In an unequal combat, with nearly or quite ten to
one.
The only forces engaged on that day was Me,
Calls division, which was located on the oppo-
site side Of a swamPy rayine, about mile and
The battle lasted from aboute until D. m .,
when the enemy drew ob, renewing the attack at
the break of dav. and after several hours of hard
fall back
Gen. Mcclellan wason the field during the
afternoon and up to late hour at night, directing
the movements, and expressed himself well salts
fed with result.
On Friday morning commenced what 10 called
the strategic movement which, 1t 10 hoped
will be successful, although at one time IL nearly
proved fatal to considerable portion or the
army.
The following are the facts Of the two-da
battles;
On Thursday, about noon, the enemy made IN
u. n.
ity OF Hanover Court House, probably for the
purpose OF accomplishing an out ianking move
ment on the right, and to engage our attention in
that direction. Soon afterwards they commenced
on an eminence opposite Mechanicsville, about
one and half miles distant; also from two bat
teries, one above and the other below
They Were replied to by Campbeil's Pennsyl
vania batteries on picket duty-oae on the Me
chanicsville road, and another from behind
eartnworks at the right ola grove.
ABOUT z p. m. the enemy's Infantry and SQUAD
rons OF cavalry crossed the Ch!ckahominy In i'm.
mense force, a short distance above the Virginia
Central Railroad, making a rapid adsanc.
through lowlands and forest, toward General
McCalIs division, who were entrenched on
nltiY woodland across a swampy ravine, about
mile in the rear OF Mechanicsviile,
The First Pennsylvania Rifles (BucktaJls, and
CanpoeiPs pennsylvania battery were on picket
DUTY, an OF whom, except one COMPANY, fell
oack behind the breastworks and rihe-nits
where line OF battle was drawn us Comnsny1
OF the Bucktails, who We're on nicIe or 49,
beyond me railroad, were surrounded by the
they were trying to cut their Syav tbronoh az
Immensely superior foecs. Their fate I. moi
Known, but It's prutamed that the greater NJ nv
T Th Si enemy menu w sT,s taken prisoners;
cman.ca''l.e, on low, mars Nv ground IN wbeTe
iofces Were drawn up behind rife pits and
ea,tnWorks, on an eminence on the northerlv
side OF the ravine, when the conflict became
49, SIiLoIo' iue reoeLs, with the most dete..
mined courage, attempted tn press forward over
mlry ground, bit the bullets and grapesbot fell
among them like hail, until, In the words OF an
ONO omceI they Lay Ike aie. on bowl OF sugar.
kept up on both sides until about d n, wben
the battle ceased. Our forces were covered bv
earthworks and suffered but slightIy.
Late In the afternoon the enemy made charge
Win cavalry. About one hundred of them came
rushing down and attem pied to cross the rsyine
wnen the horses became mired. A SQUADRON Of
our cavalry, seeing the position In which the
ee9 1H Were placed, made charge down the
and fed 'Ns4' Aoi'.s
me infantry light was then renewed, and, &C.
COluing 10 the statement of my informant Sur
geon humphrey OF the Pennsylvania Bucktaii
res iment, continued until about a m , when
retreat was ordered, very much against the will
OF the pennsylvania boys, who begged to be al
lowed to defend their position, which they felt
confident they could continue to hold
The outer forces began to fall back. porter,s
corps was some distance below, near what is well
known here az DR.. Gaines residence.
Az the break OF day turned out from nv com.
Portable bed (tte ground) after the fight OF the
day before, for the right wing, where there lad
been an incescant cannonading for some time.
Inc nrst that attracted nv attention was the
i1 Ilne OF baggage and forage wagons, ex-
tending about four miles. Next came ca yalcade
OF ambulance wagons, extending as far as the eve
could reach, ard on the next eminence the view
was changed.
under IRE, but can report hairbreadth escapss and
personal adventures, with The finale that uour
regiment Is all cut up, and only about two hun.
GREG ana nifty OF us left" Next came along the
SICK soldiers on foot, and lastly negro gging
one foot after the other, apparently much flight
ened, and soldier by his side, demning him for
not moving faster.
moment after Va descended the hill IN q
ravine known as Gaines Mills and halted for an
artillery battery which was hurriedly Crossing
toe bridge and az the last OF the train passed over
an order was given to destroy It. At this mo-
ment depleted regiment came over the emf
nence, and seeing the work Of destruction going
on, cried out, "stop, stop, the enemy are close
upon Vi, some OF them al the same time glanc.
ing backward.
Your correspondent had started out brea hast
less Ter Mechanicsville, but suddenly became
Impressed with the idea that he had some bu,J
ness In an opposite direction. Returning about
miles, ne came into an open space Of rolling land
about enc and three quarters miles in length. ex-
tending TO w oodbury's Bridge, across the Chick
ahominy, and about one and half miles in
, perhaps one third Of which 10 bottom
lana, next to the Chickahominy, and the remain.
der high rolling land skirted with woods
PREVIOUS 10 reaching the open space, skirmish.
ers Were being thrown out, and their actions
would lead one inclined TO tImidity to susnect
that the enemy had crept up uncomfortably near
Passing to the open space we saw an Immense
force, some Drawn up In line Of battle and Others
m1a5cning and countermarching. These consisted
OF Pofter's corps and McCall's Pennsylvania BOYS.
who had yielded az ainst their will
Two hours afterward the enemy came feeling
their way through the woods, and finally gen.
erai battle ensued. The cannonading was terrific.
and the musketry can only be understood by those
who have heard the crash Of immense trees in
quick succession.
duryea's gallant Zouaves We're living 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 DURYEA'S Zouayes
and the musAei'y faring became most terrific
lasting some twe1Iy or thirty minutes; afte2
which. there w2s lull. Shortly afterward an
attempt was made to break through the right.
which was repulsed, and half an hour later an
other attempt was made on the left with the same
result. The battle had then been raging for some
four hours without any apparent change or ad-
vantage on either side.
ReinfOrcements Of artillery and infantry then
came steadily along over the bridge, marchiny
through the heat and dust over the hill to the field
of oaule The enemy then seemed to make their
last desperate, determined effort and came near
forcing our men back into the low ground be-
tween the hill and the bridge, where they could
have been slaughtered by tens of thousand before
they could have crossed that long narrow bridge
Wagons, artillery, ambulances, aud men were
hurrying toward the bridge, and a panic was al
most Inevitable, when strong guard was minced