The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-05-16
THE BATTLE.
Some OF the Details Of tho Desperate
Struggle On Monday Near Williams
burg. tts.
WILLIAMSBURG, MAY 6, 1862.

| WILLIAMSBURG, May 6, 1862.
1t was after ten o'clock on Sunday morn
ing when our cavalry and artillery passed
through Yorktown in pursuit Of the re-
treating enemy. They presented a magnifI
cent appearance as they pushed past the
rebel works and along the road the rebels
had retreated. General Hookers division
and other divisions of our army followed
close after the cavalry and artillery. Dur.
ing the whole of Sunday regiments of in.
fantry were leaving their encampments, in
front of the deserted Notifications, and pro-
ceeding to the support of those which had
taken the advance.
In the course of a few hours our cavalry
came in contact with part of the rear
guard OF the enemy, and slight skirmishing
took place between the antagonistic forces.
The rebels covered their retreat with
number of pieces of artillery, which at par.
ticular points halted, wheeled into position,
and threw shells, for the purpose of imped-
ing the progress of our army. Some priss
oners were taken by US, and few casual
ties occurred, but no general encounter with
any considerable body of the rebels had ocs
Cured before the fast approaching darks
ness rendered it prudent for our advance to
halt for the night, and await the arrival of
a sufficient number of infantry.
The main forces of the enemy having left
their camps at Yorktown and along the
course of Warwick river several days pre-
vious, they had abundant opportunity to
secure themselves behind their interior line
of works here at Williamsburg, which
forms portion of their defences of the
peninsula. At this place there is chain of
earthworks, including five redoubts, which
is quite formidable in character. When
daylight dawned we found the enemy was
strongly entrenched and had an immense
force behind those works. The rebels were
quite inclined to make an obstinate resist.
ance. During the morning the advance had
several little skirmishes with bodies of the
enemy. From one of their redoubts on the
right of our position they annoyed our men
considerably. General Smith with two of
his brigades attempted to take the work,
One of the brigades took up position to
assault the redoubt in front, while the other
was sent round to the right to attack it at
the side or in the rear. The rebels had sc,
creted large force in the woods. near this
work, and when our brigade advanced to
the assault the rebels came out of the woods
in which they were concealed and endeavor-
ed to out>hank US. When this manosuvre
of the rebels was perceived, our brigade, in
extricating itself from the critical position
it was placed in, fought desperately until
forced to retire before their superior num-
bers at this point,
The Second New Jersey brigade, in Gen.
Hooker's division, suffered severely. Colo.
mel A. j. johnson, of the Eighth New
Jersey regiment, was badly wounded in the
breast. Colonel William M. Dwight of the
First regiment, Excelsior brigade, was also
among the wounded. The First Massachu.
sets and Second New Hampshire regiments
which fought bravely at Bull Run, were
also engaged 10 this action and lost quite a
number of men. Quite number of off,
GERS belonging to either side fell on the
field. A charge made by detachment from
our cavalry was repulsed. During the
engagement the enemy captured three of
our INTERESTINGLY, the First and Sixth
New York and the First battery of regular
artillery, Captain Bramhall, in General
Rockers division, lost his guns because
they became imbedded in the mud and all
the horses were killed, and when the enemy
advanced to take them we had not suffs
cient force of infantry near enough to sups
port them. Hence they had to be aban.
doned. The tide of battle was evidently
against us until at a propitious moment,
late in the afternoon, General Mcclellan
greeted by our soldiers with the greatest
enthusiasm. He perceived at once the pc.
sition of affairs. The difficulties by which
our troops were surrounded at that critical
moment called out the genius of his militia.
ry mind, and thenceforward the former dis.
asters were in part retrieved, and the for-
tunes of the day were in our favor. Gen.
Hancock's brigade, by brilliant bayonet
charge, succeeded in capturing the rebel
redoubts, and 10 driving the rebels from
their position in that part of the line. Gen.
Kearney's division was also engaged in the
action.
Another rebel redo ubt was captured at
the point of the bayonet, when night closed
on the desperate conflict of that eventful
day. Thus were the rebels signally defeated
at their second defensive line. During the
night they evacuated the portion OF the po-
| sltlUu WuiCu lucy uSIu WHICH, eu0 OoCsi0 CIV"
sed, leaving their dead and wounded on the
field entirely neglected. General McOlel-
Ian followed up his advantage as Napoleon
would have done, and is fast in pursuit of
the fleeing foe. In the meantime, at noon
today, General Franklin's division started
in transports up the York river for West
Point. When be effects landing at that
place he can probably cut of the retreat of
large portion of the routed rebel army.
GENERAL M'CLELLAN's DISPATCHES TO HIS
WIFE. a
WILLIAMSBURG, May 6, 1862.
Mrs. Geo. B. McClellan, Fifth Avenue Hotel,
| Ne,0 York:
The battle of Williamsburg proved q
brilliant victory. We have the enemy's
strong works, the town, and all the sick and
wounded of the enemy, &c.
None of your friends injured, though our
loss is considerable. That of the enemy was
severe. The Quaker army is doing very