Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-06-11
BArrLE-F1ELp. Monday June ID.

Won-Incldents of the Battle.
Field.
BATTLE-FIELD, Monday June ID.
The rebel army still occupied the camp
of Casey's and COUGHS Division on Sun
day morning, with a strong picket forc'
guarding the road facing Snead's hous'
and the wheatfeld where our earthwork.
were thrown up, extending from our ex
IRENE left to the railroad, near Fair 0aE
Station. The distance from the poinr
where our earthworks were located, to the
edge of the wood, could not have beer
more than four hundred yards. This pc
sition the rebels held until day dawned OF
Sunday morning.
To our right, ON the other side of the
railroad, the divisions of Gems. Richardson
and Sedgwick were formed in q semi-cir
Gle, with their left resting on Gen. Hook.
er's right, at the railroad, and their left
thanking the enemy. These divisions were
composed of parts of the brigades of Gen
Burns, Gen. French, Gen. T. +. Meagher
with four batteries of artillery.
Gen Hooker's division were camped in
the wood fronting Snead's House, on the
Williamsburg road. occupying the cen.
ter, and a little If advance of our right
and left wings. ca our left the remain.
ing portions of COUGHS and Casey's divis.
ions rested, with reserves of fresh troops
extending to our extreme left, near the
middle road, under Gen. Keyes.
Gen. Hcintzleman was on the ground
at the front as soon as day dawned, &C
companied by two Aids. Gen. Hooker
met him, and the two Generals sat down
at the foot of a tree behind our breast
works, arranging a plan for the days pro-
ceedings.
Gems. Jameson, Reyes, and Sickles ar
rived at the front soon after, and the fight
of Saturday was talked over 8 one of no
particular advantage to the enemy, as
they had concentrated their main force
upon this portion of our front lines, and
the effect was more disastrous to them
Their loss in killed in Saturdays fight ex-
ceeded ours tI0o TO one, and of their number
wounded it is impossible to form an es-
innate. Several of their men brought in
as prisoners, gave their loss in killed and
wounded upward of three thousand
They made a desperate attack, it is true,
and gained considerable ground, besides
a large number of guns, camp equipage,
&c, as trophies, which they Immediately
SSAAL " NlSuIAlOL0 " OdLLAC lAc clC Is VI It's
pent-up inhabitants, who doubtless secret
ly wish to see the city fall into the hands
of Mcclellan.
PREPARATIONS FOR TIE BATTLE On SUNDAY.
Gen. Heintzleman, at 6 4. NJ, ordered
a reconnaissance to be made by a small
force IN the left of the wood and to the
right, toward the railroad. A Lieutenant
with two cavalrymen crossed over the
wheatfeld behind Snead's house, and was
about to penetrate the wood near the
Williamsburgh road, when the enemy's
pickets appeared at his front. He imme-
diately turned back and reported to Gen.
Heintzleman the close proximity of the
enemy.
In the meantime, the other parties sent
out came in, and reported the enemy in
great force in our front and our right and
left tanks.
Gen. Heintzleman hen ordered out
Gen. Rockers division-part ofwhich had
been left to guard the camp, and a certain
position on our extreme left. The regi-
ments Gen. Hooker brought on the field
were the five regiments composing the
Excelsior Brigade, under command of
Gen. D. L. Sickles, and the Fifth and Sixth
New Jersey regiments; Gen. Heintzle-
man having resolved to attack the enemy,
and drive them from the wood.
THE BATTLE.
II was about a quarter of seven when
Gen. Heintzleman ordered Gen. Hooker
to attack the rebels in his front, and drive
them from the woods. The Excelsior
Brigade marched out from their camp+in
the woods to the Williamsburg road, tie
New Jersey Fifth and Sixth following
The Excelsior Brigade filed in the wheat
field in front of our earthworks, to the
right of the road, while the two regiments
of New jersey troops took q position to
the left. As the Second Regiment, Ex-
Brigade, was forming in position
to the front of the wood, the rebels OPEN
ed a rapid and heavy fire upon it, killing
two or three privates, and woundin. about
six. Among those wounded at the first
merly an aid to Gen. Sickles) and Capt.
Nolan.
The fire of the enemy Immediately be-
simultaneous along their entire line.
The New Jersey troops fought splendid
ly, loading and firing without finching
from their position. Gen. Sickles' regi-
ments did great execution, advancing at
every fire upon the rebels masked by the
However, it was plainly to be
seen that the enemy had every advantage,
md it was resolved to clear the woods at
the point of the bayonet.
Gen. Sickles rode along the front of his
men, in the midst of an iron hail which
he rebels poured in, and gave orders for
he Second Regiment, Col. G. B. Hall, to
b~ayenets. No Don was the Or
Ter given than the men fixed bayonet.-
Col. Hall calamity led the charge-one of
most brilliant ever made in any bat
lie. Not q man shirked or struggled from
ranks. The rebels presented a strong
ront to the cleaning boyonets of our men,
md a hundred yards distant.
AS the Second advanced on the double
quick, cheering and shouting, the rebels
held back their fire until our men were
hardly one hundred feet from their line,
When they fired a murderous volley into
he ranks of the Second. 1t proved too
ow, and few were killed or wounded.
Immediately after the rebels fired this
they broke ranks and fed through
he woods. Afew of their bravest remain
d to resist our passage, but they were
Don moved down by the steel front of
he gallant Second Excelsior.
Major Herbert, of the Eighth Alabama
egiment, was taken prisoner at this time.
lis horse had been shot under him, and
S he fell he received 4 shot in his side.
lie sprang to his feet however, almost in
and seeing several of u men in
'ont of him, mistook them for some of
is w regiment.
Rally once more, boys !" he criod, but
hey corrected his mistake by presenting
heir ~bayonets and demanding him to sur
which he did with all the grace
nd finish that an original S-ecessionist, as
e afterwards informed me he was, could
% under the circumstances. The rebels
iade two Or three attempts to flank us
n the left, after r~etreating from the CEN
'e, but they were beat back with great
'ss, our troops pursuing them for nearly
NO miles.
Richardson's Brigade, before the enc
ly's center gave way, had a hard fight; /
le ground was hotly contested by the !
,bels. The Fourth and Fifth Excelsior
Ailments were sent tn sunpOrt ono Of