Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-06-13
FROM MCCLELLAN'S ARMY
THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAK.
DETAILS OF rHE CONFLICT ON SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY.

ticnlars Of the great battles before RichmOnt
on Saturday, the 3lst ult., and Sunday. th,
lst inst, as include a general history Of thcs,
events:
rHR nArrIE or SATURDAY.
There Is no doubt that the rebel chiefs In Richmou,
knew perfectly the weakness Of the len u position
ON the Chickamahomiuy but Il Is not presumed tha
they wouldhaye made the attack on Saturday Genera
Caseys force had they not expected firm the food
state Of the Chickamahomny, that could not stur
over achievements and that accordingly the hageiap
OF some SIX thousand raw troops would be very casl
/ process
That was not precisely considered so will be- howev
made manifest by The fact that "thc flower of South
orn ohivalry 70 the number Of fom 20 600 To- 80 0O
paru paied In the attack which, instead Of proving an
easy victory, turned out, for them ngllrous retreat
We need not attempt 10 describe the scenes uf the bat
words would give correct idea of them IL Is sufficient
I 10 say that Llng-ucet and other military notoncues
among the rebels came from Richmond along the VII
.Amsbufgh road with force Of five divisions according
20 some accounts. while others say that the rebel force
included six brigadcs.
rHR orENIsG or THE rIour
10 was about when the scattered fire of our nick
cts In front announced the commencement Of the
bat For two three days before there had been skr-
mishes between The pcke the road iu front, and
TINS was mistaken FOR another affair Of the same kind
aud thus some time was LOST f0 Instead Of the dispo
tons that should have been made regiment was .in-
ply ordered outthe l03d Pennsvtvauia gunnort tho
pickots This regiment vent out quickly, was formed
the road and almost stumbled upon the enemy adj
7anene 10 line Of battle Before the men had even load.
from the effects o which it did recover That one
hre-deyered almost complete surprise, and which
our men could not reun-cut down, perhaps one fifth
oi the regiment, aud demoralizcd the remainder No
more service had from the l03d that day and what
was WORSE the men began to % the with the
old story Of cut to pieces One very severe
On these rctreatng troops. Speaking of their running
away II IL the most astonishing Of snrracies
Great healthy vigorous men, who had volunteered 20
night the battles Of Freedom walking rapidly back from
the first touch Of the Zoe. with boxes full o cartridges and
muskeis in their hands, sound in wind and limb but,
thank God looking mean as sheep thieves when they
encountered the stare OF brave men, and stimulating
ameness and every form Of sickness when cavaliers not
oomhaants by profession, damned them u their fury Tor
cpWarus anu eudeavurcd 20 breast them backward with
their horses into the hghi-grcat, hukng poltroons
falling into every possible variety OF limp OF rapid
strong walking depressing at pleasure either shoulder
with terrible wounds quickly gathering into their boz
SONS mutilatcd arms wholly untouched with bullets
going through thc whole disgusiug pantomme Of sick
where they going, and why in the devil they were
not lighting with false speech and fascr looks asserting
every conceivable acute attack Of disabling disease
'u9n for going TO- the rear, and etung the cause
which he had sworn TO defend go the devil Il
amazing. u was a newreyelaton
Inc iehrtu' Toley which caused this decentralization
brought hc whole " Gen. Caseys division TO their feet
and the artillery had opened upon the enemy In very
short time after The warning note Of attack
Spraus battery, which posted ia field to the right
the road and near the edge Of the wood aud Begans
battery, got into the action Immediately, and sup
ported by the OH New York in the road to the left by
the llth Maine and 0fh PENNSYLVANIA on their right
and by the ga New York in the rear Both batteries
dd splendid eNccutiOl the line advanced
lcntly and steadily, receiving the fre with apparently
perfect cooness and firing IN with great effect
As the enemy line came into hre OF our infantry
gnen after regiment gave to them in tine style but
break. Fire after hfe through their ranks
but could not break them and three regmcns engag
ed az that point fell back, little shaky perhaps, but
still iu order
spraus battery was composed OF Napoleon guns
-Four hundred yards 10 fron Of ne place where
posted there was rather difficult rail fence which the
rebel line had % As they up the four
Napoleuns played upon them fearfully with grape and
canister. They could not pass the fence. Every time
TINT they came 70 it the discharge tore their lines
assunder moved Wide gaps through their formation, and
he'd them there beyond the fence They did not pass
the fence until Spratrs grape aud canister were gone
lie could not be supplied again for the wagons were be-
doubt
Regan's battery still maintained It's fierce fire. But
the enemy dressed his line the perfect man
ner' and came for that Should he have few more
pieces Not II fire could prevent it, and the FIRE Of the
battery became warmer while that OF the four infantry
regiments that supported It redoubCd Bat fire
could not prevent IL. Gen Casey that in spite Of
what hre could do the battery gone
The old hero, conspicuous on his large gray horse and
by his white hair rode into the hickost Of the hrc form
ed the four reyimenthe 9ll aud lO0th New York the
llth Maine and the 10Th Pennsylyania-nto line gave
the word and led the eha'ge in person. Fire could nat
slre the battery, 5a the bayonet dd Back went The
rebel line, driven fairly out OF existence. Plenty
behind however to take its place, and still the enemy
came on And now new line appeared on the night
hank Of Caseys 'front.' and then RegAn battery aud ts
supports fc back Another attack stimuli iueous.
y on Tie len flank held by the 9sh and Goth New York,
and hey, too, retred, still in good order
Caseys division thus fairly driven into his first
line Of deferse aud the enemy advanced against that In
the reGoubt the left Bates battery Of six pieces
which Immediately began 20 pat in why II should
not be taken In support the slst and Sjth New
York, aud The Sjth and Tooth and lst Pcnnsy ylyana.
Fchs battery posted to the right and in Of the
red'u6i Behind this line Caseys other regiments nov
retired.
There silence Of few moments and the rebel
line agaiu began its terrible advance Bates and Fuchs
batteries had already opened and also the four rebel
batteries did the same and the rebel infantry and our
own infantry Never since this began has there been
heard more terrible fuslade. Ultimately the enemy
reached the red1ubt aud the rifle pits and stormed both
In the rodoubt lcf Bates whole battery and two Of
Sprats guns, because they could not be taken away
but every gun spiked OutOf LOT OF one hundred
and thirty eght horses only tweny-eght lett alive
For three hours and halt against fearful odds, with
half disciplined troops did Gen Casey breast the torrent
OF attack losing only ono half mile Of ground That his
men not all OF the runaway stamp is proved by the
fact that every fourth Of his command either
killed or hors du combat Some Of his best officers had
fallen
Before O'Clock Gen Keyes found that Caseys entire
division gone lie sent to Heiutzenan jr instant
help The brave Pennsylvania was already on his way
70 the place where he wanted. li0 came the
ground about quarter after and gathering as he could
Al the elements Of the situation in The strange woods
and unknown swamps, took command and Infused his
Ind mitahle spirit into the failing fight.
General Couch, upon whose command the enemy was
acst 10 fa had upon The hed parts Of twelve regiments
Tho brigade that contained his oldest troops-General
Doycns-had only the Seventh aud Tenth Massachusetts,
and the 36lh New York the field and each Of these
regiments had three companies out picket. Pecks
brigade also. and Abercombe's Qatcy GTaham's) were
both weakened 10 the way. But General Couch
modest brave aud reidy for any emergency-pepaed 10
do his bet Upon the first intimation Of the enemy's
advance his dyiIon quickly turned out aud posted
IL was little more than halfpast olr when the re-
newod advance Of the enemy brought them 10 COuchs
line His line not dAwn exactly parallel 10 the en-
emys advance, but oblqued in such manner that
ts right became hrst engaged. Once more the woods
were alive with fire. Col Nele with the Twenty third
Pennsylvania gave HE the word 10 charge and vent
ahead show them how TO do H. Again the cold steel
offered and again the Of the South refused
fhcy gave way aud scattered before the Twenty third,
and the way clear but Neie had the IRE Of the
'nemy upon his right snd e and began 10 suffer
y as he iell back n his place.
From It's place on the left the MAssachusetts Tenth
ordered into piece OF ground nearly surrounded
Two regiments which had supported It's lef,he Ninety
hifd and One lundrod and Second sylvaaia-were
ordered % the right Thus the Tenth lefi Ia bad
place and entirely without support. As the enemy ad
anced firing and torn by the Gre Of Floods Me- aTtys
lud Milers batteucs-nr Miller from his side Of the
ied when he could get clear shot at the enemy in
rs font, thre~ bis missiles clear across the field, aud
with awful elect too, the enemy advanced under this
Ire and the Tenth became engaged iu ifont, body of
he eaemy made their way through the wood lls Hank
lieutenant Ecueston the hrst 10 discover this body,
aud rode desperately the td dnd General Couch
hat he might get order Tor the Tenth move aud
IL But the gallant fellows eXcftous 10 vain.
General Couch in the thick Of the struggle, the
light far away 10 be reached Ia time. Colonel Bnggi
sas informed of the approach VI this body but as he