Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-08
TnE RATTLE OF RICmu0ND.
The rirsi T'.ro Days Figh'.
Another Account.

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gainesville on Friday morning, tell back upoi
IFS stronger works in the direction OF the cen
ter. Gen. " Stonewall Jackson was be2nne
down upon them with invincible energy sup
ported in front by Gen a. z. Hills division
when Longstreet's division wGs ordered, aoou
four o'clock in the afternoon, down the nortt
bank of the Chiekahominy, to follow up the ad
vance of Hills division on the main batteries
Of the enemy at the mill beyond Gaines cross
roads. The division (Longstreets) halted by
/ the Chckahominy, and Gen. Pickett's brigade
was detached as an advance to support Gen
! Hills assault, the latter being then engaged il
a terrific fight in front of the works in view
Upon reaching the scene, Pickett's brigade was
ordered TO support a battery which was then
PLAYING upon the enemy, who were returning Q
hot fire upon Gen. Hills left The brigade was
then ordered to charge, which being accomplish
ed, resulted in the repulse of the enemy. An
Alabama and Mississippi regiment came up to
the support OF the brigade, when the latter
were ordered to fall the AlabamianS and Mis-
! sssppians then charged over them upon the
enemy and the brigade arose again and followed
The charge now became desperate, and never
were such hsrrassing difficulties encountered
and successfully overcome. Oar men found
themselves suddenly charging upon the enemy
/ in dense wood, forming portion Of an extern
4 siye swamp, which presented somewhat the ap-
! pearance Of the pit of theater, surrounded by
| a ditch five feet wide by five feet deep, while on
the opposite SIDE, the mud of the marsh was
! knee deep, over which arose the hill, upon
/ which the enemy's batteries were placed. At
! the foot Of the hill the enemy had erected &
| parterre of infantry works, and another at the
top, overlooking 1t, and also one on the edge OF
a Tavine On the left of tie brow of the hill. A
/ battery was stationed in the Taviue, while three
others, in two tiers, ribbed the front of the hill,
! the whole presenting a fire upon our forces
! which told with terrible effect.
But our troops rushed on, crossed the swamp,
! the field officers having dismounted from their
! horses, 1t being impossible to carry them on,
/ and charged upon the foremost batteries. In the
first essay, the brigade and its support were re-
pulsed in the second they paused and laid
! down. The 4th Texas and several North Caro-
/ lima regiments came up the rest Of Hills di-
| vision as pressing on, and LOngstTeet's was
/ rapidly approaching the scene Of conflict. The
| third charge was made, and the battery was
1 taken. The number engaged in this charge was
/ not more $500, while that of the enemy on the
| ground numbered about 10000, comprising Gen.
! PoTter's division. Our supports now came up,
and secured the possession Of the hill, capturing
many prisoners. The enemy's cavalry made an
attemptto retake the position, but were repulsed,
and fled precipitately y. AS our troops gained the
| left, about four hundred yards off, just com
| pleGng his irresistible storm on the enemy s
/ right flank, and aiding materially in securing
the position then il the possession of our forces.
| The general engagement, closing with this
! brilliant finale, brought into the field 40 600
! Confederates and 80, 600 FedeTals.
The enemy was pursued for some distance
out when they finally disappeared, 1t being now
eight o'clock at night, and our men, commanded
by their officers for their galtantry, and flushed
with victory, were content to stop upon the field
of their success and rest for the night. We re-
gret to learn that our locs was very severe. 1t
is estimated that in killed and wounded, Gen.
Picket's brigade lost from 40 to 30 per cent.
Such daring, such sacrifices, were never before
made upon the altar Of liberty.
Among the lost of Pickett's brigade, were Col.
Withors, OF the 18th Virginia, mortally wound
ed in the breast; Gen. Pickett was wounded in
the arm severely, but not dangerously Major
Wilson, Of the 3Sth Virginia, was wounded in
the leg and side; Capt. Spessard, of the 25.h
Virginia, disabled; Capt. Robertson, of the
same, in the breast, but not seriously; Captain
Nelson, also Of the 25th reported killed, but be-
leved TO be a mistake. The total loss Of the
2oth Virginia alone amounted to about sixty per
| cent of It's whole forces engaged.
We have been unable to gather the full par
/ ticuleTs Of our loss, or that of the enemy, eX-
| cept so fsT as we learn from our prisoners, who
/ represent their loss as very severe.
/ Two regiments, captured during the day, the
! Ilth Pennsylvania and the 4th New Jersey
about six hundred in all, together with their Of
icers, reached the city about ten O'clock Satur
day morning, and were quartered in the Libby
and GTeaneT's prisons.
Portions of several Federal brigades were algC
| captured on various parts of the field and among
them were large numbers Of field and company
officers. There arrived in the city at an early
hour on Saturday, BdgadieT- General John K
Reynolds of Illinois Brigsdier-General Ran
kin, of Pennsylvania, PHILADELPHIA } and Capt
G. Kngsbury, it,. aid to Gen. Reynolds. Ssv
eral colonies also arrived at the same time. Tn,
whole number Of prisoners taken in the fou
days lighting sums up, in round numbers, fv
thousand.
Twenty-three hundred and fifty privates an,
ninety-three officers, have already been brough
to Richmond.
Our generals. accompanied by staff and regi
mental officers, rode over the battlefield Of Fri
day, on Saturday afternoon, and estimated thc
number of Federas left dead on the field, at ont
thousand. A large number Of their wounded al
so fell into our hands. Their total loss in th'
! several engagements, is estimated at about Ten
| THOUSAND, in killed, wounded and prisoners
Our loss, all told, does not exceed twenty-five
hundred. The fighting on the Confederate sidt
exhibited a degree Of cOOlness and undaunteC
heroism which has never been exceled IN th'
/ history of nations. The work of our men wa;
rendered brilliant by the number, style and ir
resishbility of their bsyonet charges, which car
ried everything before them, and so completely
ecipsed the bayOnet charges" which McClel
Ian pictured up for the popular mind OF the Nortl
on the occasion of the battle of the '' Sever
Pines" that not even the shadow Of respecta
bic hand 10 hand resistance was offered them.
In our combined assault upon this last anC
| strongest series of works on the right wing G
the enemy, our forces increased to upwards 0
forty thousand men, while the enemy presented
a force of about fifty thousand strong, consist
inc Of the whole OF Gen. Fitz John Porter
corps darmee, division from Franklin's and
division Of McCslrs corps dGrmee. The enem.
was thas driven back upon his center, and hi
entire plans disconnected. He was busily forti
fying his position on the north on Saturday, il
order TO resist attack from the rear.
The plan Of attack in this days battle may b
summed up as follows; Gen. Jackson made hi
/ way around the entire rear of the enemy, an
pitched into their left driving, or rather "hud
? ding them sll up on their center, He the
: passed around their rear and came up on the
left. which Gen. A. P Hills corps was pursuin
Q down upon the right of their center, while Ger
! Lopgstreet and Gen. D. H. Hill were drivip
j back their front in the same direction 1t mus
be understood that the battle was fought b,
tween one portion of our forces and one-balf (
the enemy, the other half being on this (sOutL
+ side of the Chickahominy, where nc fighting
4 importance occurred at all.
Gen. Mcclellan, though Immediately nea
. and expected to command his forces in persol
+ did not appear on the field The prisoners take
by US manifested strong feeling in cons
=, auenee Of this circumstance, and stated that Il
2 entire army engaged was similarly influenced
i THE BATTLE ON SATURDAY ON THE sOUT
S SIDE OF THE CHICKAHoMlNY.
No fighting occurred on the north side Of tt
IS Chickahominy on Saturday. At an early hol
p Gen Magruder, whose forces threaten the frol
8 of the enemy's forces on the south side, SCI
d forward portion of Gen. Toombs' brigade,
st capture a battery on the Nine Nile road. O