Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-05-15


They ere premium specimens of eIravagsni mendacity
As a specimen to begin with, We give the following tsle
gram iran a high officer of the Regular Army Of the
United Safes:
DKPATcH FROM GEN. MARCY TO DR. MARCY.
WILLIAMSBURG, May 5. 1861.
Dr. E r MARCY: -
Gsnerl Mcclellan, on the 9Th inst, had mOst de-
cisye Vstory.
Nv t1ouy hi,tV thousand Of our troops mere engaged
a0ainst ffv fh9l,ani of hs best rebel troops.
Our n,n fought most vsisnty, and used the bayonet
freely which the rebels could not stand They fought
we'll until they felt the c1ld Steel when they took to their
heels and hks hounds, leaving tneF ueau "Vunuo'
/ and sick upon cur bands.
| Joe Johnston led them 10 person.
| Tbey have Lost several Of their best officers.
R. B. MARCY.
E,ch separate sentence in this despatch except per
hans the last is separate hlsehood and some Of them
ara ".houpeIsp Instead Of Gen. McClsllan's gaining
victory he gained repuse, which be has himself con-
essed was on the verge Of becoming second Manassas
rou, Instead of his thirty tsudnd hreliugs being met
BY fifty thousand Confederate troops they were met by
sokl fhousaad Insead Of the Yankees using the bayo
net they I'D before it. "J1s Johnston" did not lead
our troops So much for the veraciy of the Wee
Point Ankees. Toe statements We make upon
questionable authority.
Following this despatch is account Of the Battle OF
Williamsburg by the HsrdidS correspondent that comes
much nearer the truth and Will interest the reader. We
| give the substance Of ii:
AZ about eight A. N. they threw out body Of infant
~ 10 their which exchanged IRE with the ad
vance Of Hooker's division Though 1t did not at first
serious, this fire was Ell changed nteTmungy Tor
a good while Some light batteries became engaged In
IT, aud drove the enemy pretty hard until unlucky they
GOT under ERE OF the enemys HEAVIER guns when they
of course got the worst OF il. B:aml New YORK
battery in particular had gotten into seraPe, and
very bard fight took place IN the endeaVor 70 save IT,
All the horses were either killed wounded the guns
we're mircd aud though our n fought well and hard
the enemy poured his infantry ivshy at the right
time and in the right place. aud finally carried away the
guas with most terrible chorus OF yeps and cheers
I, vas near neon, and the eaemy encouraged by bis
success on our left disposed 10 push harder 10 the
aaue dhtc.on. Two divisions Of the fourth corps we're
| noa on the field, and Pecks brigade, of COUGHS div
Sion with two regiments OF Devens brigade-the Sew
en,h Massachusetts Col Russell and the Second Rhode
| Island Col Frank Whea;on-in all about six thousand
men, we're pushed in TO the right Of HOOKER stopped the
enemys advance and p'rhaps saved Hooker entirely
P, OK, position was not that afforded chance for
a brilliant display but il required the most Stubborn
rs,,,apcs and he main, aimed handsomely all d. and
rsuulsed every attempt that the enemy madt 70 advance
| Htmpered BY position in the woods, and equally
perhaps BY bis orders he could not on, and was thus
| ken
30 small For great portion Of the time bis men we're
AZ on their faces and many OF their wounds we're re-
c.iyed in that position But the woods all around the
place were cut to shreds with grspeshot 6 n. Peck
late in the tsrnoOn, was supported by Falmers ou
rsde of Casys DIVISION and thus formed very strong
centre.
Sdl there was no advance and "eyery wondered
Bat while thus On the left and centre, with modicum
Of reverse we at did little better than hold oNn
| the right presented more grateful spectacle
smiths division was formed the right front OF our
line OF battle and some portion OF its artillery bothered
he enemy at long range, while its three brgsdes OF
infantry were held IN hand ready 10 participate when
| called up1n. They CALEB upon soou FROM ma
i've We nsd les.a2t Of good road that led through the
woods TO right, aud approached the enemys position
| upou a eide from which had dot hitherto seen it
| cen. Hsncocki bdgsds, with Wheelers SsW FORK bat
terry was accordingly cent out by this road After aong
and cautious march through the woods, and wide cir
cult which opened in full view Of the York rver the head
OF the coluun found unmtikeabe evidence that the
enemy had expected ~ advance by this way. To the
sf OF the Inns OF march theirs vide, foil dam, and
there for SOME distance the road bad formerly close
by the water side b1 the dam had nov beer raised
TIA. the road vs.. )oded aud impossible Tor eonde
r,bIs Distance No time to be lost, and party AZ
oGce got 10 work cut new road through the woods
over steep hill aud did the work well as orcumstsn
ces would permit But the bed OF the new road Of
yellow CLAW and the rain psured down and softened it
lac rery sank deeper and deeper into at every urn Of
!
and aaAlv Gaze out TO wide open field in full view OF
tres r,doubts Of considerable size, but pierced for
cannon. Why the enemy had Occupied these works At
all would be difficult to say for no sooner was our IRE
opsDei upon the nearest than the rebels burst out OF it
in couplete stampede, and made good lime 10 safe
dirctsp So they did also from the second and third
" lch stood IL Rnc with another across the plain
upoH which columns advanced A. this time, about
| tso F. H.. General Hsnco sent bacE word 20 the d.
vision commander, General Smith that he had fair
4 L., allu ID Ia Il A,cr
sius carry Fort Magrudsr. General Smith had short
tune be ore asked Permission TO 20 forward, and had
zen ordered 20 remain Vhec be was; but he sent Cen
e-a Hancock's message 10 General Sumner, with a re-
! L wed request for permission TO go forward Orders
came in arsser for him 70 60 on, with his whole dive
| iol 90 HAnoocts support Scarcely, however, had he
3D. ken few Necessary preliminary words to the Ulcers
aoou, him fore the order lst given was oountermand
81 ov Genera SUMNER ana General Smith vas ordered
Ia re ain his exactly in the position they then held
~ this last order two hours oil inclcuaoe value were
| lOst TO our army,
Several times General Hlnccck sent baek urgent sp
psl lor more force but none was senI aud he was
compelled TO rmlin in he position he had taken near
the ct rsdonbt. Doubtless the enemy supposed this 10
be the result oil iuiiity. They in turn determined TO
advance hoping perhaps TO repeat what they had al
ready done Left Dat OF this movement OF theirs
grew what proved TO be the fight oi the day-a fight
ina, vsu in itself bard fought and beautiful battle
bart, in which each side have learned 10 respect
the courage of the other and which sheds glory upon
every man engaged in IL.
DEsrent slAtemsnts have been made as to the force
the enemy had gagged in this movement One prisoner
stated that there big regiments aud another that
they were led by tao Generals II is probable that there
we're two brigsios plrS Of Two. On OF these vas
General ry and comprised the Fifth North Carolina
and Twenty fourth Virginia regiments and Georgia
regiment, ,ad meu were found the field in the uni
form Of the Louisiana Tser5. Beyond this We cannot
designate the regiments but il would be cafe 10 state
the force a. three thousand. There only reg
ents engaged in this conflict and both together num-
b red ouy sls5en huldrsd men, They were the "a n
VIRGINIA and the n North Carolina They were led by
Gen. Early, bat we're under the general command OF
,nduc and terrible execution OF this handful Of
nay excuse this correspondent for so oyer-estmatug
t,er nunber--Ed IFhig.l On our part this force was
encountered BY tho sxtn Maine, ,ha FIT h Wisconsin,,