The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-12
The Battle Near Wllliamsbrrgh.

The correspondent Of the Tribune gives the
following graphic account Of the batte on our
left, near Willia,nsburgh, on Monday she 9Th
inst, where Gen. Ileintzleman was in command
of the Union troops:
Between and o'clock Hooker gave, through
the down-pourng rain, the order 10 drive in the
enemy's pockets. The battle began.
The enemy were E0l IN great force. Oul ut
most numbers were 5000. Ali of these were
exhausted with Twelve miles march through
the most atroclous mGd-roads that can disgrace
the barbdrsln even OF IL Slave Srate-wIth a
twenty -l0ur hours rain from which they had
10 shelteI-wlth il want OF food for which uil
clal negligence cannot justly be imputed. But
they went 10 Work with characteristic Northern
resolutentSs, and sent the rebel pickels in dying
But reln!o.cenents from Nilllaulsburgh began
TO cone III Immedlatciy--tle oldest and best
troops 10 the r4hel army-most Of them of the
Bull run and Manassas experience. A. 9, the
enemy grew thicker and laore aggressive
Hookers s second and third brigades went in
and We're soon followed by Emory \ cavalry aud
Benson 5 battery. The light now became fur-
GUS. The great prepondcranco OF tho rebels,
with their carefully cultivated contempt of the
Northern men, lmpeed them upon our Iegi.
henLs with audaclty and the characteristic rage
Of their civilization. The sieaduess and pluCk
Oh the Northerners were what was expected of
disciplined American troops. Our musketry
ire was terrible. Rapid. in time, and with de-
ll0erate aim az the breast, ii moved the enemy
in great swaths. The oldest Mexican war SOL
dlers on the field noted It's rapid and solid char
acter, and said that they had never seen it
equaled. 1t, however, began to exhaust the
cartridge boxes. Soon the equilibrium Of the
hight was lost, and the result, to ieintzlernan 8
experienced eye, when he arrived on the field at
IL IL o'clock, wore a doubtful look. lie in
stantly sent to Kearney Tor reintorcements-
then hurried an orderly to Gen. Sumner to rep
resent the instant necessity of his reinforcing
him with more troops, Or by diversion to DO
made BY an attack on his part on the enemy =
center. 10 kearney, in his rear, full eight
miles OFT, he sent staff officer after staff officer
to hurry him to extraordinary efforts TO come
up. For whole hour at time, he was left
entirely alone on the field Ills impotence, like
Napoieon's for the head of Grouchys column
ut Waterloo, was so Intense, that IN FIVE min
utes after the return OF his messengers, he re-
peatedly sent them back with new entreatles to
Kearney TO move quickly, to save the unequal
tight. They did hot come, Tor the rain had Ut
terly ruined the swamp road. The danger grew
fast, and brgan to eliminate at IL O'Clock
when the enemy made determined charge with
the bayonet ON Hookers left with column OF
0OOO fresh troops just up from Wllllalnsburgh.
Ihey, OF course. pushed our few and exhausted
men back, and captured Six Of our field pieces,
three OF which they succeeded In finally carry
ing OH. The nature Of the ground was such
covered with thick woods and brush-shas we
could not use our artillery with full effect but
Its lire compelled the shouting captors to aban-
don three OF their prizes. Fac loss of these
guns was purely the result OF the killing oil
their officers, and cannoniers, and drivers, and
horses, IN numbers sufficient to dlsorganIze the
sections, and more especially of the exhaustion
OF the supply OF ammunition by the supporting
infantry regiments behind them. Here now
commenced the development of the crisis OF the
fight Volleys OF ball cartridges cannot loup
be resisted by the bravest Of the brave, holding
Ia their grasp only empty gun barrels. Pressed
harder and closer ny the new troops that John.
ston had got up from Willamsburgh, tho 7tt
and 9Th New Jersey gave ground, and so IN tell
into disorder. II was not strange, for, thvil
cartridge boxes empty, the men clt themselyeI
20 be unarmed. Captain Chauncey Mex eeve,
threw himself in their way and endeavored t,
rally them, without effect lis resolu "a wal
promptly taken. lie took u squadrv. of Col
Averlls % Pennsylvania cavalry, deployec
them IN the woods On each side of the road
and ordered them to fire upon the straggler
ana force them back into the light until the 70
intorcements should come up. The order wal
obeyed. The inen-who had Lot shown an,