The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-10
Correspondence of the Press1
Letter from the Battlefield.
CALDwELL'S BRIG AIDE,
RICHARDSON'S DIVISION,


RICHARDSON'S DIVISION,
Berkeley, James River, July 3, 1862.
The past week has been an eventful one both
for the "army of the Potomac" and of the coun-
try. l will endeavor to give you the move
ments of the army during that time. On
Thursday last, in the afternoon, the enemy at
tackled us on our right-Porter's division and
others. The fight was desperate on both sides,
and was kept up until dark. Iu the morning
it was renewed with greater vigor, and finally
our army was repulsed after beating back the
rebels three times. Our force consisted of for
ty thousand, while the enemy had some ninety
or one hundred thousand men. The slaughter
was immense and terrible. They would come
up within forty or fifty yards of our artillery,
and were moved down by hundreds. Then
| they would be reinforced, and come up again.
Our men stood their ground till they had used
up nearly every cartridge. Some of our regi-
ments were nearly annihilated. The New Jer-
sey Fourth had ouly forty men left about the
same with Duryea's Fire Zouaves, the crack
volunteer regiment of New York, consisting of
over twelve hundred men. During this time
| friday the enemy was shelling our camp,
! THAT is, the centre,) but not with very great
effect. There were several which struck with
in few feet of our tent, but did not explode
1t was comparatively quiet night Saturday
morning the report was that we were to re-
treat, and in the afternoon the order came for
us to pack up what we could, and to destroy
what remained. We got away with the wag-
ons about five o'clock, and reached Savage's
station, on the York and Richmond Road,
where we remained till daybreak Summers
capitalization and Sedgwck's DIVISION
were designated as the rear guard to cover
the retreat They drew in their pickets about
three o'clock on Sunday morning, and had not
| got farther than mile when they were over
taken by the rebels. We attacked them and
drove them back, and proceeded to Savage's,
when they again came up, and we again drove
them back.
| The baggage wagons were some seven hours
in advance of our rear guard, and such sight
| never witnessed as l did on that Sunday
artillery flying over the road and thousands of
wagons, besides cavalry and infantry, while
| 1.-THE order had just come for us TO skedaddle
men of Thursday and Fridays fight were try
ing to make their way to some place of safety
We crossed White Oak swamp that night, and
encamped on the brow of high hill. The
rear guard came up on Monday morning. ard
thought they could hold this position for a
time. AT ten O'Clock, Monday, we had orders
to move on with the wagons, and proceeded
- ;la -.
being so much of jam on the road that we
could not get along. We had not remained
| long before, Of a sudden, the enemy opened
with twenty pieces of artillery right in the
midst of our men and the baggage train. One
of the shells struck two horses of the Sixty
Fourth New York, which were near where |
was, killing them instantly. We Immediately
started of, and as we came TO point of the
road in the edge of the woods, the shell were
falling thick and fast about us. A negro close
to me vase struck in the head by shell.
and his horse killed under him. dismounted,
went up to him, and found one part of his head
gone. He was holding on TO his chin, and
asked what the trouble was with his eye: he
couldn't see out of it," 1t was entirely gone.
told him that he was struck by shell, and that
he had better lie down. Il thank you, massa,"
he said, and died. Il do not know as you will
understand me when l say zoe, as have used
1t when speak of the troops and myself 1t
Is my duty to remain with the wagons).
We pressed on with the wagons, and trav-
elled about twelve miles that day, arriving at
this place about one O'Clock, Tuesday morning,
entirely exhausted. Tuesday was quiet day
with the quartermaster and teansters, but not
so with our division. They were fighting all
the time. Every time the rebels came up they
were repulsed, and We kept marching back
with the best order, reaching here yesterday
morning. lIspeak particularly of our division
and more particularly of our brigade.) Here
we are. What we came for, or what we are to
do, cannot tell. 1t is considered strategetic
movement Of McClellan's. This thing | do
know: it has been an awful slaughter of men.
We are driven far back as we can 90 with
out swimming for our lives. Our brigade has
suffered most severely-two regiments togeth-
er 1.-THE Sixty-First New York and Eighty-Firs
Pennsylvania having only PCS men left; the
| Fifth New Hampshire less than 800. The loss
in killed. missing and wounded cannot be less
than 10000.
| They are again Smelling our camp, the shells
striking among the men, but very few explode.
| One just struck few feet from me. We shall
have TO move from here. Here comes the Or
der to ''iace In, men," This is the second time
We have had orders to march since l COM
menced writing. We ghall have a big fight to-
morrow if we do not get it to-day. What a
Fourth of July it would be to most families in
the North if they only knew the slaughter that
has been committed, scarcely one of whom has
not bad friend or relative killed. / cannot
write any more now; have got to start. In
great haste, E.
s8- The Bath Times is very, rery kind, in
complaining that the Press does not favor it