The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-14

men. we ceased firing, and gaZed anxiously
through the smoke to make sure, when the
rascally rebels flouted their own detested ban
ner in our faces and gave us terrific voley
at distance of 80 yards. 1t was then we lost
most Of our men. Our brave 1t. Col Heath
was shot dead. Capt. Stevens, 1t. Lemont,
and 1t. Atwood, were badly wounded. Col
jackson received a flesh wound in the arm at
the beginning ofthe fight, and at once left the
field. Our Adit was knocked off his horse by
spent ball at about the same time, and made
hors du combat. Our Major was sick. and
thus in few minutes we were minus a single
staff or field officer, notwithstanding which we
maintained our ground, losing itand gaining it
three times until night closed upon the field of
courage, when amid terrific shower of grape
and canister, we retired in tolerable order. In
the early part Of the action, our color Serg't
was wounded, and the colors, by some unex-
planned means got detached from the regiment
and were carried to the rear, which caused
some few of our men, in the absence of any
commander, to follow them supposing the reg
iment was going out of the fire to reform. With
Woodbury's bridge, and reached our camp at
9 O'Clock P. NJ, having checked the advance
of the enemy and secured a safe retreat for the
fatigued legions of Porter and Mccall with
their immense baggage trains. Many of our
wounded fell into the enemies hands, as in the
hurry they were unavoidably left behind.
At p. NJ, the next Saturday morning
we were again under arms, and at daylight our
thinned columns were again in motion. No
rest for the weary now. On this day four
companies were commanded by I'd Lieuten-
ants. We were again under fire, supporting
battery in front of our old camp. Here we
lay all day and until - at night, exposed to
the rebel shells without chance to retaliate
Such fighting is trying to the nerves. At II
(midnight) we commenced the march towards
James River, silently and rapidly. Resting
few hours at Savage's station, we continued on
all day Sunday in the advance, and that night
were advanced as a picket force, with a good
prospect of a night attack. for the enemy were
pushing us close. No rest for the weary yet
The night was qniet, however. Monday we
marched back to our division, which constitut-
ed the centre rear guard, Heintzelman being
on our right and Kearney on our left. We
wanted "a hours time to get our trains to the
guDboats, and We We're therefore compelled to
hold our positions. About noon the enemy at
tackled us with great fury on our right, grad
ually extending TO the centre and left wing
OF the centre l can only speak. Our artillery
al,
us nothing to do but to dodge the enemy's
shells. Before nightfall we had sienced the
enemys batteries in front, and driven him back
to the swamp; but just as we were congratu-
lating ourselves on our victory-boom! came
a shell from the direction where Kearney's
force had been all day. For time we thought
our chance Of a Richmond prison good, but
the brave Kearney rallied his men, and drove
the enemy back SO that we were enabled to
escape from our perilous position, and resume
our march thither. Tuesday, having beaten
the enemy at all points, and accomplished our
object we marched to Mason's farm, situated
on high bluff, in easy shelling distance of the
gunboats. From thence, in the afternoon, we
marched down upon the table land, or broad
plateau, which extends to the river, and turn
ing into the woods commenced digging rifle
pits. No rest for the weary yet In the mean
time Kearney was giving the enemy terrible
drubbing in the vicinity of Mason's Hill Ear
ly Wednesday morning we were ordered to
leave our temporary defences, and fall back to
point nearer the river and six miles lower
down, which we did, performing the last half
of the march through drenching rain, with
the mud ankle deep. There, upon broad
plain overlooking the river, our wearied col
umns found few hours rest, undsturbed by
the roar of cannon--i e., if lying on the damp
ground in shelter tents, with wet blankets and
the rain all the while pouring down in torrents,
can be termed rest. All night long troops
on a federal force of $4,000 men, within cir
conference of 6 miles, and in position to de-
fly the enemy, who in far greater strength was
close at our heels.
McClellan's strategy was successful A
change OF front mot retreat, as the fright
ened correspondents of the n. Y. Tribune per-
sist in calling it)-a movement requiring the
incest calculation even in the presence of an
inferior enemy-was effected in manner that
must stamp our chief as the leading military
mind of the age. Our base is impregnable,
and We can recuperate at our leisure, We
have suffered terribly, but / think not so Sc
verely as the skedaddling writers for the lead
ing New York and Philadelphia papers have
announced.
But if we have suffered much the enemy
have suffered more. At Gaines Hill our loss
es were probably equal, bat at White Oak
swamp, on Monday, the enemy must have lost
five TO one. 1t was here that our artillery did
the work. and although we run fearful risk,
as its capture would have entailed our destruc-
ton, the result shows our glorious Chief knows
rhen and ho,c to dare successfully. But to
return to the regiment. Thursday morning
the rebels had the presumption to fire into our
camp, but they were terribly punished for their
temerity, and were sent skedadding in great
confusion some five miles back. This work
was done by Col. CAROLS brigade, just ar
rived from the Shenandoah valley, and which
was part of Shields Division. The men of
this brigade speak in terms of highest praise