Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-07-11
THE BATTLE OF GAINES


The hardest fought battle in which the ar
my Of the Potomac has been engaged, was on
last Friday, at Gaines Hill. The contest
was between 10000 of our right wing and
1000 of the enemy. After the desperate
fight Of Thursday, Porter fell back to Gaines
Hill, on his way to the James River. His
purpose was to check the advance Of the reb-
els before attempting the perilous task Of
crossing to the other side OF the Chickahomi-
ny marsh, " hich is three miles wide at that.
point. IS.
twas known to every officer that If tho
column should be driven from Gaines Hill
before night the rebels might destroy or cap
ture The whole division while it was founder
ing through the mud and defiling over the
fral wooden bridges.
The onset of the rebels for the possession
of this key point was desperate in the ex-
IRENE. Sixty pieces of artillery dealt death
on their SERTED ranks as they advanced
asain and again to the assault. The rebels
were supported by an equal number Of pieces
which hurled continual showers of shell aud
selid shot among our troops.
Towards shutdown the rebels collected all
their available strength for a final and dcci.
sive assault. They advanced SAC columns
deep, ard in compact order right into the
teeth of our guEs, which moved great gaps
in their ranks at every round. But on they
came, maddened with whisky and regardless
of death.
They discharged volley after volley into
our thin and exhausted ranks. Our men re-
piled as vigorously as it was in the power of
brave men to do but they were crushed by
the avalanche Of numbers, and at last when
further resistance was in vain, when half
our artillery had been captured, and the can
noners bayoneted fighting at their pieces,
the order was relucta, lily gwen to fall back,
ard the whole l. ne began to retreat towards
the river The enemy ecized upon the aus
picious moment, and with furious yells rush
ed forward upon our broken ranks. Says an
eye witness;
'Teamsters and ambulance drivers began
to whip up their horses, and get up another
Bull Run. Some portions of cavalry were
gaIloping heller SHELTER ,an1 confusion among
the infantry would have taken place, had not
the officers leyeled their pistols and threaten n.
ed to shoot the first man that ran.
But to contend longer was useless. We
had lost our position, and all attempts to raj.
ly the men were vain. The command to re-
tire across the Ch:ckahominy in order was
given, and the regiments commenced moving
in that direction. 1t was nearly dark. The
ight had been desperate and the enemy die
not seem inclined to ress hard.
Another line of battle was formed about
half mile in the rear of the first position
, The object, however, was more for the pur
I pose of covering the retreat than for renew
} ing the contest. The battle was ended"
Easton's Pennsylvania battery of four pie
ces was lost Aliens Massachusetts, battery
| st four pieces; Weeden's Rhode Island bat
terry, three; Edwards Pennsylvania battery
two Weeds United States battery, tw'
and Keen's Pennsylvania battery, thre
pieces of artillery.
During the ight, this sorely pressed di
, vision crossed the Chickahominy marshes
and the next day continued its retreat to
. wards James river. '4'