Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-06-18
THE BATTLE BEFORE RICHMOND.
BY WILKINSON THB WRITING EDITOR or THE
NEW YORK TRIBUNE

the Tribune, sends the Iri5uHc two bre
accounts of the two days battle on the
Chickahominy. Whether they are preju
diced ones, we can't yet say. They are
the first bold and graphic accounts yet
published, and we make copious extracts
from them. On the list he writes The
storm of last night was the most furio us
fall OF rain and explosion of lightning
ever saw. Not regiment, not compa,
ny, scarcely an officer was exempt from its
chilling and exhausting effects. The reb-
els seized upon 1t as an element of militia
ry advantage, and, having fully prepared
themselves, fell suddenly on our pickets,
scattered !hem inwards, and held Casey s
regiment in actuJl battle while their pots
and kettles were yet on the fires, and
many Of the men were drying their wet
clothes | cannot tell how the small
earthwork and the rifle pit at the from.
were so quickly taken out Of our possess
sion. The number and the quality of the
guns in the lori | am ignorant Of. But
pits fort and guns, whether siege or field,
changed owners suddenly.
Now face the first truth in the history
of the Union Disgrace at the Seven Pines
ard | shall not dodge it. The impor.
tant place Of danger, the front, was com,
mItted TO a General whose division was
composed of raw troops marched down
Fourteenth street in Washington, in the
last week of February, l3 600 slrong-and
has been so neglected and so allowed to
90 undisciplined, that 1000 of them
could not by any possibility have been
gathered together this morning diyi-
sion so left to itself to luck, and the devil,
that it has lost, literally lost 700 men and
upward since it left Wlliamsburg-a divi,
sion whose commander has lorg been
conspicuous rs searching, miles ahead Of
his marching columns, for comfortable
quarters. Upon this division, out of place
IN the front, the shock Of battle fell-and
knocked it into disorder ana ruin faster
than conceived it possible for Anglo
Saxon troops to be moved by any power
less shan Gods thunderbolts
A SPECIMEN or STRONG, But, WE TRUST, HIGH
LY CoIoRED WRITING.
Wilkinson then goes on 10 describe tue
advance of Peck's brigade, with which he
was, ard says The current of struggling
and skulking hcd fully set in, and was
sweeping in a great shameful flow down
the Williamsburg road. 1t was the most
astonishing of spectacles. Great, healthy,
vinorous men, who had volunteered to
fight the battles of Freedom, walking rap
idly back from the first touch OF the foe,
with boxes full Of cartridges and muskets
in their hands, sound in wind and limb,
but, thank God looking mean as sheep
thieves when they encountered the stare
of brave men, and Stimulating lameneSs
and every form Of sickness when cavaliers,
not combatants by profession, dI mned
them in their fury for towards, and ems
deavored 10 breast them backward with
their horses into the hght-great hulklng
poltroons, falling into every possible va
riety of limp out Of rapid, strong walking
depressing with pleasure either shoulder
with terrible wounds quickly gathering
into their bosoms mutilated arms wholly
untoLched with bullets; going through
the whole disgusting pantomime OF sick-
ness of the stomach in reply TO fierce
Questions as so where they were golng,and
why the devil they were not fighting;
with false speech and falser looks assert>
ing every conceivable acute attack of dis
ablng disease as justification for going
to the rear, and letting the cause they
had sworn to defend &c to the devil
1t was amaz ng. 1t was a new reveIa'
ton But moments reflection, and a
sharp observation of the numbers on the
caps Of the streaming cowards, explained
the phenomenon, as it appeared 10 civ
iliau. The brass figures 100, l0l, lO3, 1874,
told of enlistments as late as January and
February, and conclusivey proved the
greenness ard inexperience Of troops who
had been taught nothing save how to
march and to camp, and who deteriorated
daily under the command of general who
had neither youth, enthusiasm pride or
combativeness. Down the road they
came-over the fields on either side of the
road they struggled fast-through the
safer woods they skulked away,and sought
the rear. Most were muddy, showing
that they had lain down to avoid the shell
and shot very many were without arms
and accoutrements.
The crowd grew thicker. The Provost
Guard formed across the road to stem its
dastardly flow. Before three o'clock, Gen.
Keyes found that Caseys entire division
was gone He sent to Heintzelman for
instant help. The brave Pennsylvania
was already on his way to the place where
he was wanted. lie came on the ground
about a quarter after three, and gathering
as rapidly as be could all the elem9nts of
the situation in the strange woods and
unknown swamps, took command, and
infused his indomitabe spirit into the
failing fght. He sent back for Kearney,
and Jameson, and Birnry, and Berry-he
who so timely brought salvation upon his
bayonet points to us at Williamsburg -
While they were coming up went ahead
once more to see the 55th 60 into the
fight,
TheT movement in response 10 the Or
der Forward !" was not impulsivo from
front to rear. 1t hitched, in sections, like
the drawing out of the joints of field
glass. Omen Of evil In thirty minutes
red-capped and red ,trousered men, most.
ly without their muskets, were under
the fire of the scorn and jeerug of.
the New York cd "A fire moro calling
and insupportable, as it seemed 10 me,
than any that ever spouted from muskets.
"Mounsheer the muss is the other way !"I
"Hello, Holsters we are Union men we