The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-05-09
Baltimore. MAY

LHS iVitUwlnE ID HON the AmGfleAuaA
account of the battle at williamsburg
The battle before Williamsburg on Mon
day was most warmly contested engage
ment; owing to the roughness of the
country and bad condition of the roads
but small portion Of our troops could be
brought into action. Gen. Sickles' ex-
celsior bHigadeand Gen. Hooker's division
bore the brunt of the battle and fought
most yaliantly throughout, though great.
ly overpowered by numbers and the sup
error position and earthworks of the enc
my. The approaches to their ear,hworks
we're series Of ravines and swamps while
rain fell in torrents throughout the day !;
the men had also been lying on their arms
all the previous night in wood and were
soaked with the rain and chilled with the
cold. The battle nged from early in the
morning until 3 clock in the afternoon,
when Gen. Mcclellan arrived with fresh
troops and relieved the division Of Gen.
Hooker, who were nearly PROSTATE with
fatigue and exposure, whilst the Sd ex-
celsior regiment Of Sieklcs' brigade had
its ranks terribly thinned by the batteries
of the enemy. They are represented as
having fought with such bravery that not
less than 200 of them are killed and
wounded. After the arrival of General
Mcclellan the enemy were fercely charged
by Haneeek's brigade, and were driven
within their works before night fall with
heavy loss. Nearly 700 of their dcad were
left on the field with many wounded,
though most OF the latter were carried in
To williamsburg, Our loss was less than
900 killed and abeu. zoo weanIed
Night having come on We occupied the
battle field, the enemy having been driven
within his works and our forces laid on
their arms prepared to storm the works in
the morning On Tuesday morning Gen.
Mcclellan sent out scouts Ehile preparing
to move on the enemy's works, who soon
reported that he had again taken fight
during the night; the works of the enemy
aud the City Of Williamsburg we're then
taken. Fort Magruder was . most ex-
tenslve work, capable Of prolonged de-
tense, but the enemy had abandoned it
early in the night retreating in the great
est alarm and confusion as described by
few negroes who were found in the town
A large number of wagons, munitions and
considerable store Of provisions were
found 10 the town, and the road was
strewn for many miles with arms and ac-
coutrements. A number of deserters also
made their escape and came within our
lines, who stated they had received intel
llgence that large numbers of Federal
troops were landing on York river above
Williamsburg to flank them.
The ed New Hampshire regiment had
l6 killed. l6 wounded and 90 missing.
I'd Michigan regiment, Col Poe COM
manding, killed l; in Co. c, Corporal
Grin Mickey wounded, Jas. Aiken, Chas.
Bonham, Chas. Wazer, Sergeant John
Shanahan; Co. F, p III. Gallup, j. w.
keown, Geo. Cameron; Co. II, Corporal
Willard Eddy; Go. I, James Dejella,
Henry Hearlud, Hugh Mills, Corporal
w. A. Wallace: Go. X, Thos. Lemon.
Total--l4 wounded. I'd Lieut.. r d.
Johnson, Co. A. slightly wounded; Cor
porsl w. kearie, slightly wounded; John
Rasch, private, severely wounded; lst
Sergeant b. H. Daniels, Sergeant II. H.
Vans, severely; Go. b, private VIM. L.
Mather, severely; private Lyman Heath.
slightly; Thos- Oakley. slightly; James
Dadmon, slightly; LIST Sergeant b f..
Lee, MORALLY; private Joel Carven, Sc
verely; S. B. Glidden, slightly; H. Covert
andFSVm. II. Custo, do; John B. Farm
ham, do; Wm. Jay, severely; J. X. p.
McClary, slightly.