The Nevada Democrat., 1862-07-05
Another Great Battle before RIchmOnd.

Another Great Battle before Richmond
The Associated Press have received East
ern dispatches giving some particulars Of
another grea, battle near Richmond. The
engagement took place on Thursday and
Friday, June 26tb and 9th. and was com
menced by the enemy making al attack on
the right wing of McCIelan's army
The following account Of the engagement
s from the New York Tribune OF June 3Olh:
On Thursday, about noon, the enemy made
an attack nm General Stoneman's forces in the
vicinity of Hanover Court House. probably for
the purpose of accomplishing IN outhanking
movement on the right and to engage our at
tcntiOn in that direction. Shortly aitcrward'
they commenced vigorous canonading from
an emincnce opposite Mechanicsvllie, ABOUT one
and half miles distant from two batteries
one above and the other below. They were re
plied 10 by Campbell's Pennsylvania batteries,
one on picket duty on the Mechanicsyille road,
the other behind earthwOrks, some distance to
tho ri0ht. About two thousand of the enemys
infantry and squadron of cavaliy crossed the
Chickahominy short distance above the Nir-
uinia Central road, making a rapid advance to-
ward McCall's division, who were lntrcnched
ON the hilly woodland, across a swampy ravine,
half a mile in the rear of MechanicsVlie'
The First Pennsylvania Rifles and Campoell
Battery were on picket duty, with the exception
of one company, which was surrouhoed ana
taken prisoners, fell back behind the breast
works. when a line Of battle was formed. The
enemy ADVANCED down in the rear of Mechanics
Vile, on low, marshy ground, while our forces
were in line on the northern side OF the ravine.
The conflict became terrible. The rebels, with
most determined courage, attempted 10 press
forward over the mry ground. but bullets and
prapeshot fell among them like hail, moving
them down by hundreds. This continued till
dark. when they withdrew. The cannOnading
wus kept up till nine o'clock, when the battle
ceased. Our forces, covered by earthworks,
suffered but slightly. Late in the afternoon the
enemy made a charge with cavalry. About one
hundred of them attempted to cross the raNihe.
Their horses became mired, and a squadron Of
our cavalry, seeing their position, made charge
down the hill when the cavalry men abandoned
their horses and fled. The infantry fight was
then renewed. According to the statement OF
my informant it continued until seven =. NJ,
when the retreat was ordered. The outer forces
then began to fall back. Duringt the day OF the
battle the correspondent says the cannOnading
and musketry were terrific. The enemy made
an attempt to break through our right, which
was rcpuised. Shortly afterwards another at
tempt was made on the left, with the same re-
suit. The battle had been raging for several
hours, without any apparent change or ad'
vantage to either side. ReinfOcements OF ar
tiery came steadily along the bridge to the held
of battle The enemy then seemed to make
last desperate effort, and came near forcing our
men back into the low ground between the hill
and bridge, where they could have been slaught-
cred by thousands before they could have cross
ed the bridge. Wagons, artillery, aInbulances
snd men were hurrying towards the bridge, and
and panic was almost inevitable, when strong
guard was placed on the bridge. At this time
the enemy had almost reached the main hos
pital, half mile from the river. Meagher's
Irishmen came over the hill, stripped to bare
arms and were ordered to go in. They gave
one yell and went to work. The result was
that the enemy fell back to the wood. Thus
matters stood up to eleven O'Clock. On Friday
morning an attack was made along the entire
of Hooker's, Kearney's and Summers divisions,
but without material result"
Another correspondent, speaking of Fridays
battle, says: "Twice along the front, did the
rebels attack our lines over rife pits and re-
doubts. Porter, with so cannon and a number
of Hooker and AyreS' guns, moved them down
with death harvest. Their loss in killed and
wounded is horrible" Under date of Friday,
the same correspondent says: "Ten guns were
taken from us by a sudden flank movement,
covered by the thick smoke that hung around.
A rebel Major belonging to Jackson's army,
who was captured, says that part Of Jackson's
forces arrived yesterday and the balance this
morning. He said that in the attack on our
right the rebels had sixty-eight thousand troops.
This will explain the enormous fire under
which our troops were borne down, especially
as some of our regiments were swept away.
At Fair Oaks, yesterday, the Pennsylvania Re.
serve drove the attacking regiments of jack
sons command. To-day they were Overpower-
ed by the same troops, reinforced by the re-
mainder of Jackson's army. A regiment Of
regulars called up, proved unequal to the task
of stopping them. The conduct of all the regi-
ments sustaining this unequal action was good;
they gave way, indeed, but not one of them ran.
There loss was enormous. The Eleventh Reg
gular Infantry was about annihiated. Nearly
every officer was killed or wounded. The
Fourteenth also suffered severely. Our loss in
officers is very marked-indeed, disproportion-
ate in numbers. So extraordinary was the OBJ.
stinacy of our troops, and so unyielding were
they, that our loss is inevitably large. The ar
tillery in Porter's and Smiths divisions piled
the rebel in heaps with terrible effect. Major
Russell of the regulars, and Colonel Pratt, Of
New York. were killed.