Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-06-11
The Battle Before Richmond-Con-
duct of Casey's DiVision-Interest-
ing Particulars.

The Battle Before Richmond-Con-
duct of Casey's DiVision-Interest-
ing Particulars.
From full report in the n. Y. Times
of the desperate battle near Richmond on
on Saturday and Sunday last, We quote
the following details:
The attack commenced shortly before
l O'Clock on Saturday, on the left wing of
the army, on the further or south side of
the Chickahominy, where the advance
position was held by the division of Gen.
Casey, much the weakest in the army,
composed almost entirely Of ra,g regiments, and
reduced by disease 70 an egectire force Of some
5000 men.
THE POSITION HELD BY GEN. CASEY
was on the Williamsburg Stage road, with
in six or seven miles of Richmond, and
the troops required to maintain picket
guards of sufficient strength, made no
slght draft on his weakened forces. The
right of the line was held by his first brig
ade, under Gen. ii. N. Naglee, as brave
and vigilant an officer as is to be found in
the army of the Potomac. Gen. Naglee's
iD1ChCAS cAlGllACo tCLNSS NA4S
ming parallel with the Williamsburg road,
about a mile TO the right to near the
sixth mile-poSt from Richmond. and so on
further to the right and little to the
rear until within a short distance of a
point on the Chickahominy, where Gen.
Sumner had thrown bridge across the
stream, and was hourly expected to cross
to complete the line of pickets to the river.
~ CO.., (sacaxy's
held by the second brigade, Gen. Was
sells formerly Gen. Keims', extended
from Gen Naglee's lines to theleft a short
distance across the Williamsburg road,
where it joined the third brigade, Gen.
Palmer's, stretching some distance fur
ther to the left, and joining the lines of
Gen. Cough. who guarded the left flank,
the main portion of his force being short
distance to the rear of Casey, on the Will
liamsburg road.
THE STORM on FRIDAY NIGHT.
During the afternoon of Friday, a ter
rife thunder storm arose, continuing
through most of the night with uninter-
rupted severity, deluging the earth with
rain, converting the spongy soil into
nearly impossible bog, and raising the
waters of the Chickahominy so rs to car
ry away one of two bridges Gen. Sumner
had prepared for his passage, and some
what disturb the foundations of the other.
The broad sheets of lightning that night
and the camp fires of unusual size, gleam-
ing in the pitehy darkness, seemed to il
Illuminate our position, and may possibly
have assisted the rebels in getting an idea
of the bearings of things Just before the
storm had reached its fury there was some
skirinishing between the artillery on both
sides. This commenced again in the
morning, several shots flying over our
camp, indicating that the rebels had in
some way gained more correct idea of
our position.
THE ATTACK on SATURDAY.
Shortly after noon the grand attack
commenced. Gen. Casey's pickets being
driven in all along the front, after a-spirit-
ed resistance, the rebels advancing in
! force along three roads-the Williamsburg
road, to our left, the railroad, in the cen
tire, and the ''Nine-mile Road" as it is
called, on the right. With his feeble di-
vision greatly weakened by extension,
Gen. Casey had no backbone to oppose
this sudden attack. But no thought of
yielding his ground entered the mind of
the old soldier, SCARED with the wounds
of Mexico and disciplined to danger by
hundred fights. His troops were imme-
diately formed into position, the three
bii gades maintaining their relative posi-
tions on the right, left and center, and
as thorough preparations were made for
resisting the attack as its audiences would
admit of. Regan's New York Battery was
stationed Just to the right of the Williams
burg road, Bates Battery of Napoleon
guns further to the left across the road,
and Fitch's Battery three or four hundred
yards to the rear, the last sending its shell
over the heads of our troops at the enemy
beyond The fourth battery was near
the railroad, further to the right
The vigor with which the enemy press
ed forward to the attack indicated the
confidence of superior strength. A bat
tallion of two regiments pressed against
Gen. Naglee on the right, another fell on
Gen. Wassell at the center, and third on
Gen Palmer to the left, pouring in at once
fire hot and heavy, and advancing with
great resolution in face of the steady fire
of canister and grape from the guns in
front, and shell from those farther to the
rear, moving down their ranks in all di-
rections. The rebels had but little artil-
lery, and were evidently disposed to make
good the deficiency by pressing to close
quarters with their superior force, to bear
down at once by weight of numbers the
feeble skeleton regiments of three and
four hundred men who composed the adj
vance division.
Most of Gen. Casey's troops were thrown
forward to the edge of the woods in front
! of his position to meet the advance of the
rebels, few regiments being left behind
! the partially completed rife pits, short
distance to the rear. Thus division,
nearly new to warfare, was suddenly ex-
posed, in an open field, to the heaviest of
fire from an enemy covered to a consid-
cradle extent by the woods through which
they were advancing. Terribly the tenn
pest ragged, the air almost growing thick
with musket balls; officer after officer
fell, or was borne from the field woun-
ded man the men dropped by scores.
and the usual number of weak jointed