Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-02

seats in the nc| hall prepared tor theni' ai,h
that when they adjourn on that day they an-
io,1rn to meet in said hall. Agreed to.
On motion Of Mr.. IIor.r, 81 Georgia, the
House went into secret session on roniIni'-
nicatiGn from the Senate.
S-1i<.-- ----.---
THE PENiNSILd CAMPAIGN.
GENERAL MAGHUDER'S OFFICIAL REPORT.
lIEApa RS DEP'T OF THE PEsrssrLa,}
LEES FARM May 1862.
Cen 6. Cooper, Adjt. and lnsp. Gen c. 5. A..
tirsEx.L-Deemlng il oi vital Importance to
hold Yorktown, on York river, nnd Mulberry
island, on James river, and to keep the enc
nv in check BY an intervening line, until :l:e
authorities might take such steps as should he
deemed necessary IL meet serious advance
of the enemy III thn Peninsula, felt compelled
to di;ros5 mG forces in such manner n &c
accomplish these objects with the least risk
possible, under the circumstances, 81 great
hazard which surrounded tho little army /
commanded.
hnd prepared, a. lly. real linf Of 'ieIahce.
positions in advance, at Harwood>s and
loung's Mills.
, Both TANKS Of this line were defended by
boggy and difficult streams and swamps. In
ndiiLion. the left flank was defended 10y eihh-
crate iGrtifcatlons st Snip Point, connected by
n broken line Of rcdoubts, crossing Lie heads
Of the VARIOUS ravincs enptynIg INTO LORE
river, and Wormley's Creek, and termIna-
ting at Fort Grafton, nearly in front OF York
town.
Tn. right flank was defended r the iort,-
fcations ct the mouth of Warwick river, and
,J~ir nd
extending from ths Warwick t. Janes
river.
Intervening reiwsr" the IVA Mills Was 4
wooded country ahnui tT" miles in aE-
tent.
This wooded lin5 forming the centre, need
ed the defence of infantry ii a sufficient force
to prevent any attempt or the part OF the
enemy to break through it.
In M ari:ilnn this advanced linc. with It's
flank defeDces, might have beer held By
twenty thousand troops.
Tith twenty-five thousand, d"nt he'le7e
il could have been hi1ken by any lorte the
enemy could haze brought against 1t,
Its two hanks were protected by the "Er-
gina" and tia works or one side, and the
fortiGcationE at yorktown and Gloucester
Point CT Tic ether.
Finding my forces too weak to attempt the
defence OF this line, was compelled to pre-
pare to receive the enemy or second line,
on Warwick river.
This line was incomplete in is prcpara-
tons owing TO the fact tnet a thousand Negro
iaborcy., y:lat | Gaul engaged II Terrifying,
we're taken from me, and discharged ~ snpe-
ricr orders, ii December last, and delay OF
nine weeks consequently occurred before
couli r.,-nrganizs the laborers for ILe EMF
reers.
Hecping, then. only small bodies u troops
1t Harnuod's and IouRg's Mills, and at Ship
Point, distributed Iuy rruiaiDing forces
slons the Warwick line, embracing a front
from Yorktown to Minors farm of twa7r
miles, aud from the latter place to MuibeEr:
Island Point Of one ALL q half miles.
WAS compelled TO plS1s III Gloucester
Point Yorktown and Mulberry Island, txed
earris.ns, ainountiae tn Nix Thousand men
Ipy whole force being eleven thousGn';
III 000j nc that it will he seen thai the bal-
ancc of the linz. embracing 4 length ii thrlrrn
miles, vas defended bY anGnt I've th"usaHd
men
Alter 1-c Tscu1n9issEcra i'll greet force
from Fortress ,,,onros and Newport NaE",
the suemy, on the sd Of April, ad'spced, ana
took possession of HaTwGad's :liils.
He advanced in Two heavy coiunns--o12
along the old York road, and the other along
the II ar:gick ro&i, ard, on the SIN April,
appeared simultaneously Along ii.c whole front
Of our line, from Minors farm to Iori.lo!Yn,
haze no accurate dsta upon'which 10 base
an ayac, ST ateInent of BIZ. force, but, from
I n6
that hsa before NE the eneIny's Army of
the Potomac, under thu command Of General
Mcclellan, with the exception Of thetwo corps
d'Arnee ofHanks and Mc D well respectively,
forming AZ aggregate Duraber Of carrhinly pot
less than one hundred thousand men. s;ucc as
certaued to have been one hundred and
twenty thousand m-H.
ca every portion Of ny lines re attacked
ny with furious can1onuding ard musketry,
which was responded 10 with erect ~ fir
batteries and troops Of the iir".
HIS skirmishera ToTS ni:;n Will thrown Tor
ward on Thu; All the iHAccreding day, and en-
nrgcticcI! tel. nnr whole line, but were eve
r3-rh.rc 7cpulseu ny the steadiness OF our
troops.
Thus. with i've thousand msu eZciusWc oi
ths garrsons, "" stepped and held IN check
over Que hunrirea thousand Of the enemy
E"erY PREPARATION WAS made in anticipation
of another attack hy the enemy-the men
slept i'll the trenches and under arip: but, to
my utter surprise he permitted DAY after day
TO elapsc, without an assault.
in few days the object OF his :ic;"! LAS
apparent.
in ever direction in front OF our li3eS,
tn. ough the intervening woods and along
the open fields, carthwoIks began 10 ap-
par.
Through the energetic actor .: the goYrrn-
ment, renforcemen:s began To- pour IN, and
each hour the army of the Peninsula grew
stronger and st7ongsruntil NJ! anxiety Passed
iroru MY mint, u. to- IT, Tasni IT All attack
upon rs.
The enemy skiTmishera pressing ds
closely in front of Yorktown, Brig. GER
Early ordered 4 sortie to be- made from the
redo;,ht.. fsr the purpose Of dislodgine irlIn
from pa!mrntnry's peach orchard.
This vas effected in the most gallant ,1s;:-
ner by the I'd Florida Col. Ward ana I'd
Mississippi Battalion, 1t. Col. Taylor: I'll un-
der the command Of Col. Ward.
The Quick and reckless charge Of oil: men.
by throwing the enemy into hastJ fight,
enabled u to effect. wthnii. JOSS, I'll enterprise
OF grsat hazard against superior force, sup
ported ~ artillery, when The least waTIring
4! ar*:titinn on our part. would haze been
attended 7ith great loss
The Warwick line, upon which sc rested:
may i. briefly described SIS follows: War
wick River rises very near York River, and
si;ntlt mile and half to the right Of York
tom
Yer:t7r-n and Redouhta Noa. 4 and j. uni
iEi b long curtains and fanka,i hv rilr-pt9,
firm the left OF the line, until, si tl's '"In-
:nencement of'tbe military road, il reaches
Wnrwicl, river: nsrs, sluggish and hoggy
stream, twenty al; Thirty yards wide and
running through dense wood, j!:nscd by
awamps-
Alonp thc Tirfr aIs fire ia-rc-nns It