Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-05-23
From Walton's Daily Journal.
The Fight at williamsburg.

brigade. III gives q more minute accoun
of the part taken by the Vermont troop
in that fight than any we have yet seen
CAMP NEAR WILLIAMsBURGu, May 9.
We have had battle and the rebel.
have fled, carrying most of their effects
except at Yorktown, where several guns
were captured from them by our men
Here however, they captured one of oul
guns and three caisons, killing some Of
the horses. This gun was one that was
in the advance on Sunday, unprotected
by infantry, and the rebels charged back
and took them. Our brigade had no hand
in the fight, though it was in sight Of
and, | think, nearer the rebel Fort Ma
gruder than any other regiment, but pro
tected from their fire by corner of woods
Our army followed them all day Sun.
day. Our cavalry and the battery on
which they had charged overlook Their
rear before dark. Our men, of course
knew nothing of their locality or intrench,
ments. 1t was soon too dark to move.
Our brigade was ordered into the woods
to a clearing and into the woods again to
come against the worst piece of slash or
fallen trees l ever tried to 60 through
with a horse We got through, and
camped, to wake in the morning right in
the face and eyes of the enemy's fort.
They looked at us and we at them, and
we supposed them our men but on closer
or more looking we found they were not
ours, and we were ordered into the woods,
right, left and rear. The rain had COM
menced falling about ii the previous
evening, and we were all wet through. No
supper, no fires, no talking all night, and
no breakfast. We did not know where
we were. Not gun was fired from that
redoubt by them, and none at all by us.
The fight was continuous and rapid all
day, just through the woods from us. AT
night, or 4, p M, the General thought
they were going towards Hancock's brig
ade which was on the right in front Of
us, and ordered battery to open fire on
them. 1t was close by us, and the rebels,
returning the fire, drove our regiment to
one side, shells coming too near us. About
dark we were ordered back to a large
clearing, where report came to us that oul
men were repulsed, and then the firing
came nearer and nearer This clearing
was one dense mass of infantry. just
then Mcclellan came up, and in less than
half an hour these men were formed in
lines on two sides of the opening. The
rebels were on the road from the Fort, in
a rife-rit made during the revolutionary
war, which is shaped zigzag, like a Vir
ginia railfence. 1t was thought the reb
els were going to charge through the
woods, near the corner where the road
comes from the Fort. The fighting was
in that place all day. Our men would
drive them out, and then, in turn, them
selves be repulsed from the pit by Aanl
movement on both sides. The lines
speak of were thrown into this shape witt
a view, as thought, to meet their charge
if they made one, and to charge back OF
them and get the Fort. They moved for
ward into the woods until the rear line
only were visible. l never realized thu
benefit Of military education before.
don't believe million of men could hav
charged through that determined body o
!, soldiers. All understood that Mcclellan
was there, and as he rode along cheer
such as | never heard before rent the air
, By being thrown into the woods SO ia
our position came right where it had bcel
, before, with the I'd regiment on our lef
! and the 9th on our right. Then cam
the news that Hancock had taken tn
/ small redoubt at our right. The rebel
made charge on him to retake it, ant
get his cannon, but he drove them bacl
, and cut their regiments terribly. Thi
, brought more cheers from our men, a
3 we'll as shells from the rebels, for we ha,
advanced so far that they knew RICH
where we were