Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-13
upon my breast, and my lips were in contact
with another pair.
THE BATTLE OF WEST POINT.

Correspondence Of the New York Herald |
BRICK House PoINT, near West Point, Va,
May with nv eyes full OF burnt powder and
| my ears filed with the ringing OF musketry and
| the screeching Of bombshells, 1 sit down to en-
| deavOr to give you account Of fight that has
| ragged here since ten o'clock this morning, and
which 10 still continuing, although | just now
| heard the cry that the Rebels were retreating
The first OF this division of the grand army Of
| the Potomac arrived here YESTERDAY afternoon
| under command Of General Franklin and by dark
| most OF the troops were landed on a beautiful
| plain, which Is surrounded on three sides by
| dense woods and on the fourth by the river on
| tie south side Of the Pamunkey river. and about
/ balf q mile southwark from West Point The
| reason why we landed here 10 obyious Had we
landed on the other side OF the river-wes Point
| where IL was at first intended we should land
we shouid then have haf considerable stream
| OF water between US and the rebels, and would
have bad considerable trouble to reach them as
all the bridges have been DESTROYED Our oun-
boats have taken undisputed pos session Of the
point, the rebels having disappeared at the ap-
| Pearance Of our forces, and the American flag OF
our Union now floats from one Of the most prom
| ineut buildings In the village.
Immediately on tae landing Of our forces from
| the transports, pckets were thrown ont TO the
edges OF the surrounding wood and our tents were
pitched on the banks Of the river, and up TO that
l tim7 rot one OF the chivalric sons Of the South
| nad made his appearance. About dusk, part of
l the division Of Gen Sedgwick under command
| OF Gen. Dana, arrived In trans port. from York
town, % ana remained In the center Of the river,
A
| trip up the rivers Pamunkey and Matapony to
/ cipture portion Of the rebel MOSQUITO feet
which were brought into use for carving our
men from the transports to the shore as the river
feet Of water ~
During the night some Of the Rebel picket,
/ maze asorue on one OF OUT advanced yidettes
/ and shot him through the heart. The news soon
spread through the camp, and by daylight this
| morning the plain, which takes In about a thou
| sand acres OF ground running southwest from the
York river, presented scene such as have never
l before witnessed. Here the men ssocd for some
| ume, ready 70 march at q moments notice; but
,a 70 Ioe appeafeo, ana the men were permitted TO
return 70 their camps for the purpose Of getting
| their breakfast, and, perhaps some sIeen a
strong picket, composed Of tee New York Thirty
| second, Ninety 9Th and Nine,ysfxth PennsvI
vania troops, were left at the edges of The woods
| 70 EeeP sharp lookout for the emmy, who were
1 lines. " ~
About this time one Of cur guuboats d,,covered
| ateginent or two of the enemy on the west side
i OF the river, who dispersed ia great confusion
SI ltI having received some half dozen Of our
neavy shells In their midst. This was commu-
/ nlcated to Gen Slocum, who Immediately made
i strenuous Efforts to get the brigade Of Gen Dana
on snore, tnat we nigh. be able TO give the enc
/ my warm reception should he make bis appear
4 ance Sen Dana was indefatigable in his laboTs
10 get the troops off the transports and through
MS sXernon most Of the men and horses were OF
the Ooals DY nine O'Clock, and preparations were
being made TO breakfast the men OF this brigade
when the order was given for the 10th 3Ist and
ga New York, and the 95;h and s6th Pennsylva-
MIA regiments to advance into the woods and
drive Oh some Of the rebel scouts who were firing
occasional shots at our pickets, and were SUP.
posed pose. TO be strongly supported by force con-
This suppOs!tion proved correct, for no sooner
had our men made an advance into the woods
ihan they Were received with vouey Of musketry
from the Rebels who were hidden In tae denss
underground. Our men pressed on and gave them
volley, after which the enemy retreated further
INTO INTO the woods with the s9d New York close at
their Feels; but they were too swiffooted for our
boYs-being more protected-and they soon left
the 32d struggling In the mud.
w bile this scene had been going on on the right
II center, another was transpiring on the center
where the 95th Pennsylvania regiment had en-
tered the woods. In few moments after tbev
entered they found themselves In dense swamp,
1 ted from each other.
One OF the companies managed to ge, TO the
L other side and were climbing the bank on the
| oPPTsl.e q, siae when they deserted party OF
/ Ine party In ambush. "Friends," ," was the
answer. "What are youi'' was the next inter.
r9ga,lon; g "a company Of the eth Pennsylva-
L MIA" No sooner was this answer returned than
Il tne party, whom the captain had mistaken for
1 some Of his own regiment, opened terrible d,e
upon our men, who returned the a re and then
i returned to our reserves. In this affair Captain
BATHS, OF Company b, was shot through the
l shoulder, but not dangerously wounded, and one
| or two P,ivates were killed and carried of the
field by their friends, who, before they quit the
/ ground, revenged the fall OF their brave COM
vo.leys.
| But now the action became more general
throug ghout the lines, and from every quarter of
l the woods came the sharp crack of mus kerry
Inc night had now been going on for three
l hours here without intefmission, and number
OF men were killed and wounded. At this juno
| tu,e our men were withdrawn from the wood
where they Were evidently getting the worst Of
1t, and the I'd U. s. Artillery, under Capt Arnold,
was ordered into position on the right and Can't
Porters lst Massac husetts battery took up posi-.
non on the left, and In q few minutes the Shell
were nying through the air at the rate of about
ten minute. This soon compelled the rebels to
make move more on our left, where the shells
new less tht K than upon the ground they were
then occupying. But there evidently is no rest
ior the wicked, Tor no sooner had the rebels
moved ther forces upon our left, than our gun
boats, which up to that time lad been unable TO
have hand In the affair, opened their batteries
on The Zoe with so much effect that, when com.
menceo 70 write they had completely driven the
enemy ought Of sight and hearing.
Assoon al the guns Of Capt. Porter commenced
70 nre among them, accompanied by those from
the river, the Rebels undertook to move one of
their batteries which they had got into position
The New Jersey regiments received orders TO
charge upon the battery, and at It they went with
cheers taat made the very forests ring; but the
heoels were again too neet-footed Before the
Jersey boys got through the woods, the enemy
had got out Of sig ht In the woods
Everybody has done well, and the troops have
acted nobly. They have been under arms all day
tnus iar and Standing In the broiling sun without
anything whatever to eat, except that which they
may nave had IN their haversacks. have yet 10
near word OF complaint from any qu.rter
The gun boats are still throwing shell into
tne woods, 10 keep the enemy from erecting bat.
teres- The Rebel army now In front of us 4 ba va
Just learned, is under the command OF Gen
Robert Lee.
SPANISH designs on HAYTI-A F;ekt az