Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-07-17

with some show of determination. General
Sumner rode in the thickest of this fight, and
the gallant brigade of Meagher was like wall.
Indeed Richardson's division We'd with Sedg
wick's, and Heintzelman's troops were not be-
midland in the rapidity of their discharges and
the steadiness of their behavior.
The whole fight though it lasted from eight
o'clock A. NJ. to twelve, was like one incident,
and it terminated with loss to our side of not
more than one hundred and fifty men, to the
rebels of not less than one thousand five hun
dred. The efforts of the enemy to overreach
us on the left were made futilely for we took
pains to cover our line of general retreat along
the Williamsburg road by deploying our left
along that road to q creek that crosses it more
than mile in the rear of Sayage's. They en-
deavored to charge through the brigades of
Burns, Dana and German; bnt the steady fire
of such regiments as the Massachusetts, Twen-
tieth bafiled them in that regard. Having held
the place until, in the judgment of the generals,
our teams, heavy artillery and ambulances were
far across White Oak Swamp, our troops fell
back Ieisurely to the neighborhood of Savages
Station and again drew up in order of action.
The fight of Peach Orchard-for so it will be
caed-was a decisive victory to the Union
troops. 1t was fought with a small force,
against immense odds and in the rear of the
main army that was every moment receding.
To conduct an action so manfuy in view Of
these gloomy facts argues bravery akin to in
vulnerability.
The large figure of General Sumner, with his
long white beard, handsomely mounted and fol-
lowed by dashing staff is feature of this
fight that will be forever imprinted upon the
minds of his soldiers. When they saw him
galloping down the Lines they cried "IIere
comes the old Bull, boys; give him three
ci GERS !" and fought with renewed enthusiasm
Tha 1,,ot ,f H., .,
proved. Cool, steady and valorous, he exhibit
ted in this action the greatest self-possession
that marks him in daily life.
Colonel Sully, son of the distinguished ar
fist, was acting as General Of Germans brigade
during part of the battle. He also won en-
comiums for his generalship.
THE BATTLE OF sAvAGE's STATION.
The battle of Savages was more SANCTUARY.
1t commedced about five o'clock in the after
uoon and lasted till eleven o'clock at night.
The rebels, when'we had fallen back from Peach
Oachard, filed, with large reinforcements and
additional batteries, as well as with several
squadrons of cavalry, towards several roads
leading to the Chickahominy, and, covered by
the thick timber, were enabled to remain con-
cealed until they had reached wheat field that
stretched from Savage's to a dense belt of
woods in the direction of the farms of DIR.
iiSHt anu -hCoolo -'ilChC, iIuulel anu COuCU.
Suddenly appearing out of the edges of the
timber, they opened with rihed cannon upon
our forces, drawn up in full view to the south
of the railroad. Directly they ran out three
batteries to commanding points in the wheat
field, and opened rapid enfading fire of shell
and grape This was at first so staggering that
our men could not form, nor our arierymen
bring their batteries into service. The 10th
Pennsylvania regiment was seized with momen-
tary panic, but soon recovered and did good SER
vice. The first named lost ir the beginning of
the fight hundred killed and wounded men,
and regiment of cavalry galloped in and
drove the regiment off, so that the wounded
had to be resigned.
In the meantime rebel brigade was OBJ.
served stealing down to the right, as if with
the design of flanking our troops by reaching
position on the Williamsburg road. Captain
Petit at once planted two guns on the railroad
and swept the column with grape and canister,
until it went back 10 the woods upon Il run. |
Some of the sharpest infantry fighting of the
war ensutd, in which parts of Sedgwick's Rich
ardson, Rockers, Kearney's and Smiths di- |
visions engaged with various success. The
rebels came deerminedly across the field, firing |
as they advanced, until General Sumner or.
dered our troops up at double puick to a
charge
About four thousand of them went off at
once with roar that might have drowned the |
musketry. The rebels kept their position for |
moment, aud then fell back TO the rear of their
batteries. Meagher's brigade, however, sue
ceeded in charging right up to the guns of
Virginia battery two of which they hauled off, |
spiked and chopped the carriages to pieces
The Eighty-eighth, Sixty-third and Sixty-ninth |
participated in this gallant act. 1t was here
that the brave Colonel Pierce, of the Twenty
ninth Massachusetts, regiment formerly Gen
eral Pierce, of Big Bethel fame, lost an arm
1t was taken off by a solid shot.
Night came on, but put no end 10 the car
mage. The steady roar of cannon, and the
sharp, quick ring Of musketry now bursting |
into volleys, now degenerating to that rasping |
noise made by file firing, filled the whole air.
The darkness was lit up by ftful flashes, and,
to complete the awful picture the woods were
set on fire by bursting shells, and conRagration
painted fiery terrors on the sky.
TIE REBELS FIRE INTO OUR HOSPITALS.
In the battle of Savase's Station the rebels
fired into our hospitals repeatedly, althou Oh adj
monshed by the customary red flag, and after
wards by white flag. Deaf to all appeals for
torbearance, they continued to hurl messengers
OF death among those already past their ven
geance, and the wounded were compelled to lie
immovable and receive the quietus to their suf-
ferings from the hands that had already manned
tnem. "A lew had lmpeu away from the hos
pitfalls, but were shot down whenever discovered
by the boodthrsty foe.
THE LOSSES AT sAvAGE's.
The battle of Savage's was much heavier than
that of Peach Orchard. We lost in addition to
our wounded--all of whom fell into the posses
sion of the enemy-from seven hundred to
thousand men, the greater part of whom were
killed and wounded. Most of the wounded
and all of the killed were left behind, as we had
no means of transportation for Them and the
eXigencles of the army would not allow of de-
lay in waiting the tardy movements of the
wounded. The enemy lost severely, and sew
eral of his cassions were blown up by the ef
fectiveness of our firing During the several
parts of the action we took not less than five
hundred prisoners, but were compelled to let
them go for the same reason that operated in
the case of our wounded.
FALLING BACK FROM sAvAGE's.
The weary, but still resolute soldiers, received
orders at midnight to fall back rapidly from
Sayages across White Oak Swamp. The en-
envy was making furtive attempts to overreach
them IN TINS respect, and it was likely to be-
come tight race between the rebels and Union
lists as to which should first cross the creek and