The Portland daily press., 1862-07-08

| mill. just beyond Is a hill, a new tavern on
| the top Of it. A half mile further on, or two
| miles from the Chickahominy in all is Cole
! Harbor Now having travelled thus far north
east, let us face to the right, and go southeast
| about three miles, along a road which will
bring us to Dispatch Station on the road lead
ing to York river. Here at Dispatch Station
we shall find an immense amount of supplies
for the army--for that portion which is on the
northeast side of the Chickahominy. This is
far enough in this direction. The distance to
the Chickahominy from the station is not
more than half mile. Between the railroad
bridge and New Bridge are four bridges which
McClellan's forces have constructed. BY these
we are to get west ofthat stream, if desirable.
BY daylight the enemy were on the move.
Through the night there had been an ominous
silence along the lines, but now the quick.
sharp crash of the rifle woke every sleeper. 1t
was plain to those who were in front. that the
enemy, having felt of our position. was about
| TO make fierce onslaught Dark masses of
men could be seen congregated in the space
| between the clump Of forest trees. Gen. Por-
| ter, who was in command, at once compre-
hended the intention to drive him into the
Chickahominy, or sweep him down toward
| West Point-the first rather than the iast-for
at an early hour division of the enemy APP
peared, making its way along the road running
east from Mechanicsvile TO outflank him.
He was in dangerous position for he was
| above New Bridge, which was partially i'm the
hands of the rebels. If they should push a
body across it he would be surrounded To
avoid that, and to be in position to connect
himself with Mcclellan on the south side. he
4 fell back to Gaines hill The falling back is
represented to have been conducted admirably.
He took new position along the White
House road, east of ii, his right resting on Cole
harbor and his left on the Chickahominy
| General Porter's force consisted of three d.
visions, Morell's, McCall's, and Sykes, and
Cooks cavalry brigade.
The line of battle was about two miles long.
| 1t extended over meadow near the Chicka-
hominy, through a piece of woods, up to
Gaines hill, down ravine up another hill,
| out to Cole Harbor. The positions of the nat
| teries may have been somewhat different from
what is now given, but this is only an attempt
to give general idea-an outine-which the
| imagination of the reader must fill I'M. The
| force thus disposed amounted to about twenty
eight thousan men, confronted by fifty or
sixty thousan' OF the enemy
Notwithstanding the enemy was on the move
| at daybreak no fighting was done till past
noon, when the rebel artillery opened on the
centre, as rather short range the shot and shell
falling in the woods, in rear of Martindale's
command. They fired ten or fifteen minutes
| before any response was made.
Before the infantry became engaged. in fact
| before the eneiny's artillery debouched from
the woods, a battery on Gaines hill, turned its
| pieces, firing across New Bridge, at General
Smiths division, fronting the rebel batteries
near Lewis house. 1t was strange diversion
About two o'clock the enemy's infantry slowly
and cautiously advanced. The artillery was
in full play, about sixty pieces under Porter.
and almost eighty from the rebel ranks. One
who has never heard light artillery fight, can
| have but little conception of the continuous
| roll OF thunder and storm. When the musket-
ry joins in, it is like the falling of great walls, or
| forests, or the everlasting roar upon the beach
where the heavy breakers roll landward over a
| stormy sea.
The enemy advanced in column directly up-
on the centre, to break the line at Martindale's
| brigade. The batteries, right and left. and In
the centre, opened upon them. Imagine the
picture-dark masses of men, in solid rank,
advancing like waves Of the ocean, rolling on.
| cleft continually by the passing shot which
leave CORY streaks behind. The solid shot cut
| them like unseen thunderbolts Crane and
canister pick out scores, and rank after rank
reel before the musketry. But such a scene is
| not one-sided. The advance is covered by
| their batteries, and tornado sweeps over our
centre-leaden rain and iron hail sfrewinc the
ground with dead and wounded In vain this
attempt to break the line. The rebels were
repulsed.
The rebels retired, but only to receive REIN
Bridge to make desperate attempt TO to cleave
| our LEFT from its base, and separate the en-
| tire command from the Chicahominy Gen.
Mcclellan. understanding the movement. sent
over from the other side Gen. Slocum's, Gen.
Meaghers, and Gen. French's brigades
The enemy made no secret of his intention.
He formed his columns deliberately upon the
hill near Gaines house. Our artiilcrists saw
them, and opened. Nothing daunted. they
came down the hill six or eight ranks deep
| They made directly for Butterfield's and
Meaghers brigades. They were received with
terrible volleys, and they gave terrible fire in
return. Both sides stood firm: both were
plowed through and through; both dsdained
TO waver. But the odds were too great against
u.s. With rush and yell they fell upon the
batteries upon our right and centre. shooting
the horses. Our infantry could not take them
away, and scene of confusion followed which
almost became panic Nothing but the dis
cpline Of the soldiers, and the heroic efforts of
the officers, saved a disgraceful rout
Gen. Porter saw that it was no use to at
tempt TO rally the men, and gave the order to
retreat across the Chicahominy, whittier the
supplies and stores had been sent.
Ii was night. The rebels had suffered too
severely to keep up the rush The temporary
fright was allayed, and a second line of battle
taken about half mile in the rear
Our loss IN guns up to this time foots up as
i'iio"s- hciiI Daticry, tnrce pieces, Weeds
two; Edwards, two; Weeden's three; Aliens
four; Eaton's four,
THE RETREAT
The passage across the Chicahominy was
admirably conducted Early on Saturday
morning the troops began 10 move across
The rebels were completely fooled. They sup
posed there would be another fight and sent
over across New Bridge large body on Sat
urday morning, large body 10 annihilate Por-
ter. At ten O'Clock Porter was over the west
side looking upon them, with his battery on
Irents Hill. Ii was regretted that we were
Obliged TO leave several hundred wounded in
the hospitals, who could not be removed with
out exposing the entire army. Having secured
the position on the west side, the bridges were
destroyed.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
There was yet .huch to be done to save the
army. 1t was in a bad position. All night
long, Saturday night, the trains moved away
in the direction of James river At Fair Oaks
Station large amount of commisary stores
were destroyed, and here it was found necessa-
ry to leave several hundred wounded in the
hands of the enemy.
The enemy finding he had been foolcd-that
Porter was on the south side, that there was
nothing at the White House. began to repair
the bridges across the Chicahominy. which had
been blown up. Both parties were active
Alter our transportation had got away SUM
ner, Reyes, Franklin and Heintzleman with
drew slowly and in order. taking a new line
fronting the Chicahominy. About daylight
the rebels discovered what was going on, and