Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-07-05
THE GREAT BATTLE OF WHITE
OAK SWAMP.
The Events of Monday and Tuesday.

OF tuesday, July LIST. the fighting on that day
having lasted from five in the morning till
nine at night, when the enemy were driven at
every point, and our harrassed and weary ar
my were relieved from their peril We gath
er from various letters further interesting par
ticulars Of the events Of that day and the day
| preceding:
OPENING OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
Between midnight and dawn of Monday
morning, our troops, under Heintzeman
Sumner, Franklin, Sedgewick Richardson
and hearney, fell back from Sayage's Station,
where the sanguinary battle of Sunday after
noon was fought, across White Oak Swamp.
the enemy following hard upon them. Gen.
heihtzelman, by seniority, had charge of the
column: Gen. Keyes had taken possession of
tile road leading from White Oak Swami to
the river, and Smith was placed on 1t in his
rear, so as to prevent any movement on the
right flank, at the same time holding the road
to Long Bridge. Next on the left was Sum-
ner's corps, of Richardson's and Sedgwick's
divisions. Connecting with Sumner on the
lett Gas you face RichmondJ was Heintzel-
| mans two divisions of fire proven heroes
| hcarney and Hooker. Slocum and Mccall
were held IN reserve. Though but little time
was given for preparation, yet our line though
| fully three miles long, was reformed so as to
prevent the enemy from passing either of our
tanks by any Of the four roads by which he
advanced. The fight opened with artillery
about O'Clock. The firing was not very Sc
we're at first, and seemed divided about equal
ly between Sedgwick and the wagon trains.
| About O'Clock an advance in large force
was made against Sedgwick's and Richard
| sons fronts, and the action became hot and
| bloody The al
two positions, right and left Slocums divis-
ion was called to the assistance of the right,
and the action on this part Of the wing, though
lasting from - until nearly 6 o'clock, was
| nnaly successful III every respect, the enemy
being etfectually repulsed with enormous
loss.
THE GUNBOATs ENTER THE LIST.
But Heintzeman with his heavy columns
had by far the severest part of the fight. He
was soreiy pressed in the afternoon and the
engagement here continued with great severi-
ty until nearly dark. He fell back about half
a mile for better position, so that the lines
during the latter part of the action presented
the shape OF Il curve from left to right Fresh
troops and superior numbers seemed bearing
the tide OF battle against us at five o'clock,
and the tate of the army hung tremblinglv in
the sunset, when new advocate came to our
ANAASA' 1 lS SuLpOdlS OdlGUd, AGOOSIOOk ana
Jacob Bell opened from Turkey Island Bend,
in the James river, with shot and shell from
their immense ritied guns The previous roar
OF field artillery seemed as faint as the rattle
OF muSketry IN comparison with these mon
Sters OF ordnance, that literally shook the wa
ter and strained the air. The shells seemed
to be supplied with eight second fuses, and
considerable time elapsed between the shock
OF the report and the subsequent explosion of
he shells. They fired about three times
minute, frequently broadside at a time,
and the immense hull of the Galena careened
as she delivered her complement of iron and
flame. The first few shots went WIDE but the
| man In the Galena's tOpmast lookout signaled
the proper elevation to the guns, and soon
they threw among the Serried rebels on the hill
their ponderous obligations, that cut down
whole ranks, spreading confusion, desoation
and dismay The fire went on with the same
| effects making music to the ears of our tired
men, and CONSERVATION among the exultant
and blood-thirsty traitors. They,-already
confident of concluding their work and
| driving us into the James river-began to reel
and grow uneasy. Their fire perceptibly
slackened; their ranks seemed slow to close
up when the naval thunder tore them apart;
disatiection and disappointment had already
seized upon them, and every deep tocsin
from the Galena added its impetus to the pre-
vailing dread, when
HEINrzLEMAN CHARGED
The whole corps of the famous warrior,
confident that a recovery of the fortunes of
the time could be made, prepared to give
| another great effort to retrieve the fortunes Of
the day and the cause of the country Wa
terloo did not know such a charge of horse
and foot, while our batteries uponthe hill-tops
tar and near played necessarily upon the foe.
Signals were given to the Galena to cease
firing when this advance was determined upon,
the Galena having already hauled off. This
was done by consecutiyely placed signal Off
GERS all the way from the point of battle to the
banks of the James river. When the thun-
der lulled and the great ship rested after her
labors, Heintzleman made a little appeal to
his generals, telling them that in the dash
about to be made their confidence and cour-
age might not only save the army, but do
something towards avenging the great number
OF loyal men who had fallen in the several
fatal encounters. The soldiers, poor heroic
Jaded fellows, responded with a spirit that
must have come from hungry hearts, and soon
| the grand corps of Heintzleman was in line.
with the quaint, gray figure of its commander
galloping down its columns. The enemy an
| hclpated some such dash, for they directed
their fire upon this part Of the line, if posi-
| plS, HioIc COucentrdteuly imam ever. Then
Heintzleman passed down the order, and like
the surging of sea long embosomed in
plain the column moved, slowly, certainly.
vigorously belching fire and bail at every step:
but never halting until they came so close to
the rebels that they might have hallooed the
names OF each, man to man, across the little
interval The latter came up bravely to the
offered combat; but there was destructive
ness III our fire and yehemence in our tread
that they could not withstand. The fiery
brigade of Meagher edged up CALAMITY on the
right, using the mus1et right soldierly, and
Gen. Sickles Excelsior brigade, already fear
fully cut up, went into the action like a bat
TALON of fresh veterans. The brigade of
Hooker was ably led by that distinguished
officer, and Gen. Kearney seemed ubiquitous,
as he screamed his orders here and there. al
ways urging his men on to the foe The brig
AIDE OF Gen. Grover, including some Massa-
chusetts regiments, behaved finely here but
the whole corps was unit and Heintzleman
was Its genius. Pushing steadily ahead, DEFY
ing all efforts of the enemy to break or turn
his line, the corps had at last the satisfaction
OF seeing the enemy break and fly in confu-
sion to the swamp, totally disprited and re-
pulsed. We took in the engagement over two
thousand prisoners, but as our object had
been gained in covering our advance to James
river, 1t was not deemed Of sufficient mpor-
lance in view of the risk to be encountered in
holding possession of them through the night.
THE LOSSES AT WHITE OAK SWAMP.
The battle of White Oak Swami was
scarcely second to that of Gaines Hill in