The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-07-07

ton OF q means OI transit Tor MS cannon.
The latter piece of work was prosecuted
with come difficulty, as the Ninth Massa-
chusetts regiment blazed eway ct them
from their muskets with destructive effect.
Our cannon. too, were not back ward in re-
spending to the rebel grape and canister.
ADVANCE To OUR FINAL PrsITIoN.
From this point our retreatlng column
started on in the same order as heretofore,
but soon branching off into divergent
roads General McCaPs division, aud the
troops under Gen. Sykes, went by way of
Cold Arbor, while Gen. Morrilrs men and
the batteries took diagonal road leading
to Kidd's mill. Soon the designated place
for halting was reached. During the latter
part of the march there was less disturb
auce from rebel cannon and muskets, al
though they kept within respectable dis
lance, till our men passed into the woods
skirting the corn fields aud fallow land ex-
tending back from the ravine through
which runs the creek and pond furnishing
the water power to DR.. Gaines Mill. Be-
yond these woods the rebels did not show
themselves fur some time afterwards. 1t
was about ten o'clock when, what after
wards proved to be, the field of the days
contest was reached. 1t will be seen from
this that over x hours were consumed in
the backward march from the scene of the
preceding days contest-a distance alto
gether of less than six miles, The time
occupied shows the judcous slowness Of
our retreat.
THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
The fed of battle is large one Like
Virginia land of similar area in this vicinI-
ty, it is made up diversely of level mead
undufatinU grin 6nIdc fhick
with underbrush and clear of it, marshes,
and ravines. There are also three large
farm houses, each in sight of the other, each
on a shaded hill, and each got up in the in
evitable Virginia style af huge outdoor
chlmneys at either end These were first
used as headquarters by Generals Porter,
Mccall, and Morell, but afterwards convert
ed into hospitals. The open county, lon
gitudinal in shape, is envtlOptd with woods,
This open space is nearly Two miles long.
and a little over n mile in width. Two
thirds are high, rolling land, and the re-
mander bottom lana and marsh. enclose
a diagram, from " hich very Ineligible
idea of the ground may be % aimed, aud
the position of the opposing forces during
the most of the night. IL will be seen,
however, from what ensues, that our troops
and those of the rebels exchanged positions
two or three times during the day, accurd-
ing as the tide wavercd for or against the
contending belligerents.
APPEARANCE BEFORE THE FIGHT.
By IL A. NJ. each division, brigade, regi-
ment, and gun was in its place. Some ere
in the broad, open 6eli, and some under
cover of the woods aud hillsides. The
whole presented an animated spectacle the
glorious Stars and Stripes floating in every
direction bright bowItzers and bayonets
glisIening in the sunlight; batteries in
readiness for action /; cavalry companies ca
ger for dashiDg charges Generals and their
staffS in full uniform, on their caparisoned
horses, unmndful of the dangerous targets
for the euemy's rifles their snowy uniforms
and equine decorations made them; and
regiments of infantry with their arms
stacked TO be grasped and used at mo-
ment's notice. II was intensely hot. If
men suffered then, what must they nave
suffered when the contest for life and VIC
tory Waxed hot and hotter, short time af-
forwards, and when to the discounts of
heat were added those of dust and smoke.
THE ENEMY oPEN-oUR OPENING RESPONSE
1t was known that if the enemy contin-
ued their pursuit it must be from The direc-
ton of Gaines Mill. Accordingly, line of
pickets was formed in the wood 10 our rear.
Everything remained tranquil for over an
hour The arbor tents, two days before va
Gated by General Butterheid's briga lie, were
filled with soldiers smoking, talking and
catching forty winks of sleep, compensa-
ton for their early morning rising. Every
shade bad its reclining cOterie of soldiers,
also laying in a comfort of stock and rest.
An occasional crack Of musketry in the
woods told of the enemy being still near
Pretty soon they became more frequent. At
length there came volley aud The roar of
ARTILLERY. Both proceeded from the enemy.
They had opened fire upon us. Three shells
in quick succession, came whzzlug through
the trees in front of the house, used as Gen
eral Morrels headquarters.
The first artillery firing came from the
woods west of Genera! MorreIs headquar-
tiers. This was quickly followed by can
nonading from the roads on the right. We
blazed away in return. This thing was kept
up for some time, with no apparent effect
on either side. 1t was a sort of a mutual
feeling on each side-not that feeling that
makes us wondrous kind; but from that feel
ing which woundrous wisdom is attempt
ed to be eliminated. Il was evident the
enemy was gatherei in strong force in tho-e
woods, and were determined to hold them.
Boldly and steadily, like veterans of the
battle field, our men pushed up TO these
woods and fred into them. Volley after
voley vas fired, and yet no seeming i'm
PRESTON was made and no yielding of the
enemy. Our firing brought down tie rebels,
it is true, by scores; the shelter Of the trees
was even no protection for them; but as
fast as one fell another f led the vacancy.
And so it was on our side. Our boys grad
ually went up to the woods and then into
them. For nearly an hour an incessant
firing was kept up at these two points. AT
length our men withdrew, in hopes to draw
tie enemy out. The withdrawal took place
as if compulsory, on account Of the vigor
of the enemy's firing. In these woods were
sounded the knel nf many a departed soul,
EGINN1NG OF THE GENERAL ENGAGEMENT.
Between three aud four o'clock the gene.
raj engagement began. The taking no note
Of time, except from the loss, is ordinarily
true. There is no taking note of time, how
ever, in the excitement of battle | was
1auar al aqtoulShed as when I looked at