Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-04-25
Siege of Yorktown.

0hieS on THURSDAY. Encounter a0ih
the Enemy Yesterday Morning.
WASHINGTON, April Is. The follow
ing is from Gen. Mcclellan to-day:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY !
OF THE PoToMAc, April Is. J
About half an hour after midnight the
enemy attacked Gen. Smiths division
and attempted to carry his guns. Smith
repulsed them Handsomely, and took some
prisoners. Will forward details AS soon
as my aid returns. The firing was very
heavy, but all is now quiet.
SECOND DISPATCH.
My position, which was occupied yes
terday by Smith, was entrenched last
night so that we have been able to pre-
vent the enemy from working to-day and
kept bis guns silent The same result
has been accomplished at Hogan's Mills.
Yorktown was sheIbd by our gunboats
and some of our barges to-day without
effect. There was good deal of firing
from the Yorktown land batteries.
BALTIMORE, ADril Is. The Fortress
Monroe correspondent of the American
states that the French steamer Gassendi
is still at Norfolk.
At intervals last night and this morn
Ing heavy carnonading was heard in the
vicinity of Yorktown.
A party q deserters report jeff Davis
arrived in he rebel camp, and it is un-
derstood that he is to take command in
the coming battle,
They represent the enemy in great
force, and works of intrenching are pro-
crossing throughout the peninsula, Re-
Inducements are constantly arriving from
Norfolk, Fredericksburg, and North Car
DINA, and the rebel generals declare that
they will make this the great battle of
the war.
The strongest conviction is expressed
of triumph over the federals and of
driving them from the peninsula. Con-
slant skirmishing is going on by the rifle
men, and occasionally shot and shell are
thrown with great rapidly.
There was quite heavy skirmish this
morning beyond Warwick Court house,
on James River. The rebels attempted
to turn our left flank, the attack being
made with great force, but they were re-
pulsed, after a brisk artillery duel with a
heavy loss. Our loss is about dozen
killed and wounded.
WASHINGTON, April IS. The follow
ing was received at $50 this evening:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY
OF THE PoToMAC, April l8.
An official report has been received
at headquarters, giving the list of killed
and wounded in the engagement between
the 3rd Vermont regiment and the enc
my on Wednesday, mention of which
was made yesterday, The information
as far as received puts the killed at thir-
ty-two, and the wounded at ninety. Ten
of the latter will probably prove fatal.
The conduct Of the Vermont troops on
the occasion is spoken of in the highest
terms, earning for the Green Mountain
Boys laurels only to be won by the brave.
They drove a superior number of the
enemy from their fortified position, but
were forced TO relinquish it on the rebels
being reinforced.
The loss of the enemy in this engage
ment must have been heavy, as the well
directed fire of our artillery moved them
down by acres.
Yesterday afternoon, while Lieut.. o.
B. Wagner, of the Typographical Engi-
neers, in company with squad of men,
was making a survey Of the enemy's
works, shell struck the table on which
the papers lay, and instantly exploding,
the left arm of the lieutenant was shat
tered and was afterwards amputated
He is comfortable this morning, and no
| fears were entertained of his recovery.
Joseph Luther, Jr., of Bristol, belonging
to the ID Rhode Island regiment, was
probably fatally injured.
Daniel Painter, of Berdan's Sharp
shooters, mentioned yesterday, is dead.
About one o'clock this morning, the
enemy in force attempted to cross the
dam in front of our lines, evidently with
the view of capturing a battery of our
artillery which had given them consider
able trouble within the last few days. On
the rebels making their appearance, they
were opened upon by well directed fire
from a body of infantry acting as a re-
serve to the pickets, forcing them to beat
a retreat, leaving their dead and wound>
ed on the dam, which they succeeded in
removing before daylight. Both parties
then opened with artillery, which has