Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-09
Correspondence of the New York Tiaes.
The Great Battle near Richmond.
The Attack on Gen. Casey's POsitiOn-Galan
BayOnet Charge-The Rebels DriUen Back
Desperate Nature of the Fighting.

The Attack on Gen. Casey POSutOn-GGudnt
BayOnet Charge-The Rebels DriDen Back
Desperate Nature Of the Fighting.
FIELD OF BATTLE BEFORE RIoHMoxD,l
Sunday A. NJ, June l, 1862.
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 d.
vision of General Casey, much the weakest in
the army, composed almost entirely of raw regi-
ments, and reduced by disease to an effective
force of some 5000 men.
THE POSITION HELD BY GEN. CASEY
Was on the Williamsburg stage road, within
six or seven miles of Richmond, and on a line so
extended at the front that the troops required to
maintain picket guards of sufficient strength,
made no slight draft on his weakened forces.
The right of his line was held by his first brigade
under Gen. H. M. Naglee, as brave and vigilant
an officer as is to be found in the army of the
Potomac. Gen. Naglee's pickets extended across
the railroad drumming parallel with the Williams
burg road, about a mile to the right to near the
sixth mile post from Richmond, and so on fur
ther to the right and a little to the rear until
within a short distance of a point on the Chick
anominy, where General Sumner had thrown a
bridge across the stream, and was hourly ex-
pected to cross to complete the line of pickets to
the river.
The center of General Casey's position. held by
the second brigade. Gen. VESSELS formerly
General Keims's,) extended from General Nag
lees lines to the left a short distance across the
Williamsburg road, where it Joined the third bri-
gade, Gen. Palmer's, stretching some distance
further to the lett, and joining the lines of Gen.
Couch, who guarded the left flank, the main por-
ton of his force being a short distance to the rear
of Casey, on the Williamsburg road.
The position occupied by the main body of
these two divisions was a clearing of about one
mile square, surrounded on the left ana the front
by a belt of forest, in which Gen. Casey's pickets
were stationed. On the right a wooded swamp
divided the clearing from a similar opening in the
forest, along the railroad, which was occupied by
Gen. Naglee with his brigade.
THE ENEMY RECoNNoITERING.
Step by step General Casey had pressed on to
this point. overcoming such opposition as met
him, until it became evident that the rebels had
reached the limits of their retreat, and further ad-
vance could not be ventured without the risk of a
general engagement, for which the plans were not
yet ripe.
Failing in the two attempts to gather infor-
nation by forcing back General Casey's pick
cts, the rebels apparently resolved upon an ad-
vance in force against the lett wing of the army,
doubtless determined to drive it beyond the Chick
%ahOmlDy, should the opportunity offer, and put
buciuSClN III Il pOSlblOu " uIH Otu- AlCOieildu ,
left flank.
During the afternoon of Friday a terrible thun-
der storm arose, continuing through most of the
night with Uninterrupted severity.
just before the storm had reached its fury,
there was some skirmishing between the artillery
on both sides. This commenced again in the
morning, several shots flying over our camp, in
dicating that the rebels had in some way gained a
more correct idea of our position.
THE ATTACK OF SATURDAY.
Shortly after noon the grand attack common
ced. Gen. Casey's pickets being driven in all
along the front, after a spirited resistance, the
rebels advancing in force along three roads-the
Williamsburgh road to our left, the railroad in
the center, and the "Nine mile road" as it is
called, on the right. With his feeble division
greatly weakened by extension, Gen. Casey had
no backbone to oppose to this sudden attack. But
no thought of leaving his ground entered the
mind of the old soldier, SCARED with the wounds
of Mexico, and disciplined by a hundred fights.
His troops were Immediately formed into position
the three brigades maintaining their relative po-
sitions on the left, right and center, and as thor
ough preparations were made for resisting the at
tack as its suddenness would admit of. Regan's
New York battery was stationed just to the right
of the Williamsburg road, BateS's battery of Ma
poleOn 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 pressed for
ward to the attack, indicated the confidence OF
superior strength. A battalion of two regiments
pressed against Gen. Naglee on the right, anoth-
er fell on Gen. Wassell at the center, and a third
on Gen. Palmer to the left, pouring in at once a
fire hot and heavy, and advancing with great res
luton in the face of the steady fire of canister
and grape from the guns in front, and shell from
those further to the rear, moving down their ranks
in all directions. The rebels had but little artil-
lery, and we were ~evidintly 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 regi
meats OF three and four hundred men who com
posed the advanced division.
Most of Gen. Casey's troops were thrown for
ward to the edge of the woods in front of his pc
sition to meet the advance of the rebels, a few
regiments being left behind the partially conceal.
ed rife pits, a short distance to the rear. Thus a
division, nearly new to warfare, was suddenly ex-
posed, in an open field, to the heaviest of fire
from an enemy covered TO a considerable extent
by the woods through which they were advancing
Terribly the tempest ragged, the air growing thick
with musket balls; officer after officer fell, OF
was borne from the field a wounded man,; the
men QfOppeu Dy scores, anu the usual NUMBER Oh
weak iointed ones were falling to the rear. But
in spite of the rapid thinning of their ranks, the
regiments generally held their ground until tie
enemy succeeded in rushing around on the left
flank, and poured in an eniladlng fire from thai
direction, against which the rifle pits were no
protection. The sixty rounds of ammunition
with which they entered the fight were nearly eN
hausted, and no more was at hand.
ARRIVAL OF REINFoRCEMEVTs.
Meantime one of Gen. COUGHS brigades, com
manded by Gen. Abercrombie, was ordered up tC
the support of Gen. Naglee on the right. Gen
Devens, Of the same division, sustaining Genera
Wassell on the center, and Gen. Peck, with the
remaining brigade. supporting Gen. Palmer OF
, the left. When Gen. Casey's troops were forced
to give way, the rebels fell on these brigades Of
COUGHS division, who disputed every inch O
, ground, until sustained by General Kearney
pressing no the Williamsburgh road with rein
forcements to meet them, supported by the di
vision of Gen. Hooker in his rear. Pressing rap
idly forward, Gen. Kearney advanced along the
} Williamsburgh road to within a short distance OF
our original position, where he bivouacked for
the night in front of the enemy.
1t was along this Williamsburg road that the
!, main attack was made, and here our troops were
} forced back for half a mile or more, before the
arrival of Gen. Heintzelman's corps, the feeble
brigades of Casey's division, averaging less thar
1900 men, being completely broken up, many, i
not most of the officers killed, wounded or miss
ing, and the privates scattered through the
; woods and along the road. Bravely and well did
Gen. Casey do his duty, pressing on to the ex
IRENE front and cheering on his men, regardless;
) of the storm of fire and hail that ragged abou
him, cutting down his officers on all sides, bu
strangely escaping his own person. Bravely anC
we'll did most of his officers stand by him, until
one after another, they were borne from the felC
dead or wounded.