The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-05
MCLELLAN'S OPERATIONS.
CONTINUED FROM THIRD PAGE
on the advancing line and aiL u came en H seemed a.
ymothiag could aCpI

SOUNDS.
the scene at this time awfully magnificent. The
faint smoke the musketry IRE arose lightly all along
the Just that the heads Of the could be seen
through it, sudden gusts Of intense white smoke burst
up from the mouth OF all around bullets shred
ded the air, and whstled swiftly by or struck into
trees, fences, boxes, wagons, with their Pc
culiar "chuck" into men and far up in the
air shells burst into sudden flame like shattered
stars, and passed away little clouds OF white yapor
while others filed the air with snri scream and hur
ried on to burst far in the Every second OF time
had its especial tone and every inch space packed
with death
now IT STOOD THE RIGHT
II seemed that the enemy's advance checked for
he was fairly stopped in the swampy ground the
Nine Mile road but he had gained much TO give it
up easily, and he tried again and again hne gave
way. The First Long Island broke; but twoof Jamc-
sens regiments-the Fifty seventh and Sixty third
Pennsyyania-would have more than retrieved it.
Colonel Campbell of the Fifty seventh, was down;
but Colonel Hayes of the Sixty third by his
ample and desperate sndsavor, kept the in their
places, and inspired all around him with noble emua-
ton; yet the fire fearful; the regiments
melt. At this point it that the brave Devens
csivsd his wound Hardly remained mounted,
for every horse was shot, and the regiments were
thinned-thnned terribly; bat feso braue mon stood
tAers for their country and kept their places
BiRSEYp
Birney's brigade Of Kearneys division when Birney
advanced had been ordered advance by the railroad
in fun time have reached this point Of our hardest
hight Had he reached IT, has fresh troops poured after
a. hard fight already made must hare turned tide and
the Enemy ccl2 haue been routed then But he did not
reach It, He halted Pattersons brigade ordered in
Brney's left, went through the swampy woods and al
most impossible thicket and pushed on STILL while
Brney, with fair, dry road and the fight not mills
away, halted and sat down.
OUR MEN ORDERED BAcK-THEY KEEP IN GOOD ORDER
II not certain that men would not still have held
che point but now they ordered to fall back and
Tell back ralying and forming they went, that
they gave ground and kept their order. The fight in
that part Of the field the Williamsburg road for that
day ended few hundred yards further on. For hour
after hour the enemy, with continued accession OF
fresh troops, had pushed on and now, after he had
pushed mle, sill fighting him step by step,
and in good order His impulse spent, and he stop
ped He occupied camps that night with troops that
bad not been in action.
COUCH CUT OFT.
When the enemy finally forced our position on ths
Nine lie road the greater part OF COUGHS division fell
back in the direction Of the Williamsburg road but the
General himself, with q smaller body, being nearer
60 Fair Oak station, fell back the railroad and
was thus cut of from the army. As soon as this was
Ascertaned he prepared make the best of it, He e.
ahmed his position carefully sent men to beat up all
the roads and especially along the New Bridge road to
zee Sumner might not BE- The force with Couch
was found to consist Of four regiments-he First New
York Chasseurs, Colonel Cschrans; the Sixty second
New York anderson zouaves), Colonel Riksr; the
Seventh Massachusetts, Colonel Russell, and the Thirty
arst Pennsylvania Colonel williams, and Brady's bat.
OF pi0ces IN uosition in laroa oman
Aed In angle between the railroad and road that
runs from the Fair Oak station northrard towards
New Bridge On the west was dense wood,
rom which the enemy might emerge 1t any mo-
ment, and on the south was the railroas and .
fringe Of wood through which they could
for nank attack Whether he had any for rsreat
the General did not yet know he formed two lines
bate-one toward the railroad with section of Bradys
battery, supported by the Massachusetts, Seventh =
another towards the to the west with the other
section Of the battery supported by the Anderson
Zouaves, with the Thirty frs. Pennsylvania the First
Chasseurs formed close in the edge d the WOOD undsr
OF a ra fence.
sEDGwIcx's DIVISION COMING.
Lieut.. Edwards, who had ridden down the New Bridge
road back with word that sedgwick division was
only two mics away. Couch knew that he could hold
his ground till they came, he saved the mis-
fortune Of defeat. They hurried and up at
half past five O'Clock, General Sumner with them. No
change made in Couchs dispositions, in the
strength with which either line held
The First Minnesota Colonel sully, formed the
right OF the Chasssurs and Ricketts, battery Of Napo
Icons TO the left Of the Thirty Ali tho rest the
division was formed on the line towards the railroad
IN THE RRsxrs l.oin iDvAsSE
Shortly After six O'Clock the enemy I'D
vancsd through the wood on the west, In
what force cannot be said with certainty Prisoners
report it at eight thousand AS We caught two bri-
gadiers the numbers are perhaps not ovsrstatsd.
BATTERIES oPxS EFFECT.
As soon the line or the snemy's advance was |
known, Ricketts, battery opened and threw grape and
canister INTO the wood with great effect Brady was |
mot idle either. One wounded OF North Carolina
regiment from the Geld the next day says that
he fell at the rst Ere and that his regiment only
dozen yards beyond the spot where he fell, until 1t
broke n could MOI be rallied. But the line kept till
IL in the edge Of the wood and within PAGES Of
where the Thirty first Psms yvana the First Chasssurs
and the First Minnesota lay their faces between the
rebels and the battery The rebels could them
and they 70 the edge Of the wood they delivered
ode volsy ss tbs Anderson zeuaves IN the Geld farther
out :. liz --Ssh.
pRAm or COLONEL RIKn.
That vsllsy killed Colonel Riker. and the zouavss
broke and Yet they only twenty yards, when
they rallied and went right up 70 the edge Of the
wood and opened their IRE.
uP GUARDS AND AT m.
NO sooner ha1 the rebels, BY that vollsy, smptisd
their guns than the three regiments that had been lying
down arose their feet an. poured vosy in At almost
distance 1t al. That uoly settled that fsh. Through
tEood in front Of that line the rebels lay dead
I endsd In heaps. Brgadier General A. G. Davis was
icand dead there, ana Brigadisr General Pettgrew,
wounded fand his horse killed, was there taken
prisoner. when the rebel line advanced she WOOD
Germans Brigade from the linz Of battle the rail.
road was .hrovn forward on the right flank Of the rebel
line turn IT, but when the muskstry broke that line
and tbs fell into oonfus'on che brigade pressed
forward, and - cut a and drove Ia . large number
Of prisoners.
u01 rRsY DAY's uGBs.
SO closed the battle for that day and General Couch