Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-06-20
The RebsI onsst-anI- Awfnl scena.

An extract from private letter to a gen
tleman in this city, from his nephew, mem
Der of Battery A, New York Artillery II
Casey's Division. better known as the ''Napo-
leon gun Battery in the front line Of the first
days battle before Richmond. says.
Oar spherical case shot are awful
missiles, each of them consisting Of 4 eIetted
mass Of seventy-six musket balls, with charge
Of powder in the center. that is fred by a fuse
the same as shell. The missile FIRST acts as
"a solid shot, plowing It's way through masses
Of men, and, then exploding, huFls forward a
shower Of musket balls, that mow down the
foe in heaps. Our battery threw twenty5four
! of these minute, and as we had the exact
range of every part of the field, every shot
told with fightful effect. But the enemy
we're not at all daunted
! They marched steadily on. and hailed a per
! feet tempest of balls upon us Why we, as
well as our horses, were not every one shot
down, viii forever remain a mystery to me :
We did not mind the leaden bail, however, but
kept pouring our case-slot into the dense
masses of the foe, who came on in predictions
and overwhelming force. And they fought
splendidly too. Oar shot tore their ranks wide
that vas frightful to witness; but they closed
up again, and came on as steadily as English
veterans. -t.. ......s.....- l-...-
When they got within four hundred yards
ne closed our case-shet aud opened on them
with canister, and such destruction l never
elsewhere witnessed. At each discharge great
gaps were made in their ranks-indeed whole
companies went down before that Ipurderous
fire; but they closed up with an order and dis
cipline that was awe-inspiring They seemed
TO be animated with the courage Of despair
blended with the hope OF speedy victory If
they could by an overwhelming rush drive US
from our position. aua 81 -lii-
It was awful to see their ranks torn and
shattered by every discharge Of canister that
we poured right into their faces, and while
their dead and dying lay in piles, closed up
and still kept advancing right in the face oil
the fire. At one time three liBes, one behind
another, were steadily advancing, and three of
their flags were brought in range of one OF
our guns, shotted with canister
Fire" shouted the gunner, aud down went
those three fags,and gap was opened through
those three lines as if u tllunderbolt had torn
through them, and the dead lay in swatbs.--
But they at once closed up and came steadily
Oh, never halting oz wavering, right through
the woods, over the fence, through the field,
right up to our guns, and sweeping everything
before them, captured every piece.
When we delivered our last fire, they were
within fifteen or twenty PAGES of US, and as all
our horses had been killed or wounded we
could not carry offa gun. Our whole division
was cut to pieces, with what loss I do not
know. We fell back to second line of in
trenchments and there held the eBeny in
check ill re-inforcemcnts arrived and then
we kept our position till night put an end to
the battle. -..-,r'f
This morning the fight was renewed, and
We have driven the enemy back, regained pos
session of our camp, and it is reported, with
what degree of truth I cannot say, that our
battery has been re-capturel, The rebels
stripped our camp thoroughly.