Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-07-04
WAR NEWS.


Department of the stirring occurrences which
have no doubt, transpred on the Peninsula,
near Richmond, within the last few days The
accounts which we receive, are from army cor
respondents, and are so very meagre and con
fused, that we can hardly give any intelligi-
BILE account Of them. 1t appears from them,
that heavy diminishing occurred on Monday
aad Tuesday, the 23d and oath ult, of the ca
sualtics Of which we have little or no account
On Wednesday, the25th preparations were
made, on the part Of the Federals, for general
engagement. The two corps of Heintzleman
and Sumner were ordered TO advance Press
ing forward through skirt Of woods, Gen
Rockers men drove the Confederate pickets
before them, until they came upon the main
body Of the enemy, entrenched behind rifle
pits, where battle ragged fereely for some
tme-according to the New York Times-the
Confederates stifiiy maintaining their ground,
until finding themselves sorcly pressed and in
danger Of being iianked by the Federals, they
gave way before the fierce charge Of Hooker
division, which drove them from their rife pits
and into the woods at their rear. Here the Fed
erals held their ground and would have made
good their position, had not an order came
from headquarters for the men to +" fall back y
At II o'clock General Mcclellan arrived on
the ground, declared himself perfectly salts
fed with the state of things, and took com-
mand in person. The contest was continued
with great earnestness, which was increased,
by bringing into play several batteries Of ar
tillery, driving back the rebels for the second
time. The recovered ground was held by
lockers division until late in the evening,
when the enemy succeeded in retakiug. for the
second time, their lost position driving the
Federal forces 10 the edge, and into apiece
Of woods-thus allowing the Federal troops
to accomplish all that was intended, without
bringing on general engagement. The esti-
mate Of the Federal loss in this affair is stated,
in the report of the Associated Press, at two
hundred which the correspondent Of the
New York Times states, will be wide Of the
mark, estimating the loss at between Ave hum
dred and one thousand. \ Southern account
taken from the Richmond Enquirer, claims a
complete victory, and says, after pursuing the
enemy as far as desirable, we concluded to
let them slide" Sckles' Brigade was encoun-
tered by the First Louisiana, aud were driven
back, with great slaughter, losing seventy
five in prisoners, besides the killed and
wounded, Of the number Of which We are left
to conjecture. The New York Tribune gives
special dispatch Of the battles on Thursday
and Friday, which are set down as strate-
getic movement on McClellan's part, but
adds, that ON Thursday afternoon the Con-
fedcrates crossed the Chickahominy in large
force, and made attack on the Federal
forces, on the opposite side, in great fury
but were unable to drive them a single ROD.
The only accounts of the battle on Friday
arc, that it lasted from two till five o'clock,
z. NJ. The Coufederates are reported to have
been driven back three times; but, finally,
the Fcderals were ordered to retire by Gen
erlI Mcclellan, after sustaining loss Of
twelve hundred.
In the meantime the evacuation Of the de-
pot of supplies at the White House was sue
cessfuly accomplished, all that was move
able being carried away, and such as was
not worth moving burnt. The troops sta
toned there were put on board steamers and
taken to yorktown.
The Federal loss is believed 10 have been
far greater than was at first reported bat is
compensated fox by the great advantage
gained.
The Confederate officers in command were
Generals Lee, Hill, Anderson and Branch.
No intelligence has Leen received from Gen,
Mcclellan later than Friday evening but the
correspondent Of the Philadelphia Press SAYS,
that The battle on Saturday was much more Of
an engagement than those Of either Thursday
or Friday, and that the slaughter upon other
fields, during this war has never been any
thing to compare to ihis The Federal troops
arc said to have fought with astonishing cour-
age, and to have driven The Confederates back
with great loss; but that the latter recovered
their ground. What is most remarkable in
the statement is the reported fact. that willis.
the Fcderals were driving the Coniederates
back at every point, an order arrived from
Gen. Mcclellan directing the victorious Fed
erals TO fall back across the Cbickahominy."
The Federal losses in the two days battles Of
Thursday and Friday, was supposed 10 have
reached ten thousand. BY teleQraphic dis
patch flom Fortress Monroe, we learn that the
army had, up to Monday evening last, been
fighting for four days, and had reiterated be
fore superior numbers about sew enteen miles.
The fighting on Monday, it is said, was most
terrific; but, finally, after Sighting for four
hours, the Confederates were brought within
range Of the gunboats on the james river
which they withstood for about two hours
and then retreated. The Federal troops are
reported TO have taken, during their retro
grade movement, large number Of pieces Of
artillery, and some two thousand prisoners
among them Gen. Magruder; bot, in turn,
Gen. Mcclellan was obliged 10 abandon all his
siege guns, after spiking them aud burning the
I'D e. Ion,a all lto c,els a.