Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-07-17
THE LOSS Ar sAyAog's.

in addition TO our wOunded-all OF whom
fell into the possession Of the enemy
from seven hundred to a thousand men,
the greater part Of whom were killed and
wounded. Most OF the wounded and all
the killed were left behind as we had
no means of transportation for them and
the cxigcncy of the army would not allow
Of delay in waiting the tardy movements
Of the wounded. The enemy lost severe
ly, and several OF his caissons were blown
up by the effectiveness Of our firing
During the several parts of the action we
took not less than five hundred prisoners,
but were compelled to LEI them go for the
same reason that operated in the case Of
our wounded.
FALLING BACK FROM sAvAGE's.
The weary but still fcsolutc soldiers
received orders at midni,h ,ht to fall back
rapidly from Savage's a ross White Oak
Swamp, The enemy was making furtive
attempts to overroach them in this re-
spect, and it was likely TO become tight
race between the rebels and Unionists as
to which should first crtss the creek and
gain the high grounds ON the other side.
If they should be more speedy, and sue
coed in placing the swawp between our
selves and them, our retleat would be al
most inevitably cut off, and almost the
whole army butchcrcd or surrendered
Although every soldier and officer felt
this dreadful alternative so close, no one
acted otherwise than as q Northcrncr and
man. There was no murmuring, no
flinching, and no undue. hesitating, only
the subducd talk Of soldiers comparing
opinions, the steady tramp Of battalions,
and now and then the gritting of teeth,
or the harl drawing Of breath to indicate
the bitterness in the hearts Of all. Had
some lost spirit supplied the torch, there
was the requisite fire in the whole army
to rush headlong upon immolation at
Richmond, and end the. campaign with
honor if not with consumation. At dawn
all had reached the swamp and the enemy
was coming on behind.
THE GREAT BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMP.
The enemy followed MS hard towards
White Oak Swamp, the faithful fellows
of HcEtzlcman, Sumner aud Franklin
protecting our laggard baggage and ar
tillcry. These, indeed, were compelled
to keep in line of battle across the coun-
try along the whole extent of the retreat,
for the enemy was forever endeavoring to
turn us upon the right and left. Not
withstanding this, our march exhibited
no symptoms of haste or fear the trains
went on duly but not riotously, and when
finally the last cannon went plaohing
through the creek, our teams whitencd all
the hills on the southern side and the
weary soldiers, having to. u up the bridge,
laid themselves down forest. 1t was now
eight O'Clock on Monday, day arid,
dusty and closer than the painting but
indomitablc Northerncrs could well en-
dure. Many Of them were hungry; the
water in the swamp was such that the
stomach turned at it with loathing, and
4 the wounded hobbled here and there witt
5 dry eyes that seemed to plead for drink
White Oak creek runs through belt o
. swamp timber, precisely as the Chicka
: hominy flows through the encompassnI
, morass. The creek is not moro than fou
: or six feet deep, and had been made pas
sable by the engineers brigade, who built
} II good corduroy bridge across it. a
strip of bottom land lies on both sides
i of the swamp, and on the north side a
steep hill, crowned with a farm house,
formerly the head quarters of Gen. Casey,
had been encircleI by our troops with a
| line Of rifle pits. An abatis also stretch
ed across the bottom land. Beyond the
stream the country was rising, and two
farm houses lay opposite each other at at
little distance, where some of our officers
stopped to rest and refresh.
Bcyong the most eastern house ran a
, small creek, supported by thick wood.
, This was the right of our new line Of
battle, where general Hancock was post
! cd with his brigade, consisting of the
, Fifth Wisconsin, Sixth Maine, Forty
third New York and Forty-ninth Penn
| sylvania Generals Brooks and David
son lay close into Hancock, and the bat
S teres of the division were commanded
: by Captain Ayers, formerly of Sherman
J battery. Generals Sumner, lIeintzelman,
Porter, and in fact the whole Of the army,
: excepting the corps Of Keys and an i'm
5 meDse number of stragglers that had
, pushed on towards the James and could
+ not be rallied in time to be of service
} extending the line Of battle upwards ol
l four miles to the left, bordering the whole
t distance upon the swamp, with battcrie,
S ranged upon every commanding hill, ant
| strong picket situated at Charles City
4. Cross Roads, where it was shrewdly ex.
n pected, the enemy would attempt to com,
= out in force from Richmond.
l Hancock's position was a strong one
0 and it would have taken strong encm,
| to diSlodge him. The fire commenced a
t this point on Monday, when the bridg,
j that the enginees had constructed for tn
= passage of our army, having subscrvet
f its purpose was removed from White Oal
5 creek. Previously the railroad briig
had been burned, the culverts blown up
Q and lot of supcliluous ammunition an,
, cubrous baggage run by train into tn
Chickahominy.
= He appeared on White Oak Swamp il
e strong force, and directly opened from
S some twenty masked batteries, that blew
: up several of Captain Motifs caissons
C dismounted his pieces, and raised hub
= bub generally among the teamsters, wag
=. oners, cannoniers and infantry. III
Twentieth New York at this time mad
I,n,. ,l.,l. t,l ,A.,1~ 4. II.