Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-06-11

, directed fire of our artillery, hlljng TIA
=. ground with the yIain, terrible also to then
were the frequent charges 81 our solid col
umnsr pressing them back step by step L
the last point of endurance, when the
broke and ran inglorioJsly leaving benin,
them masy Of their men and officers q
well as privates prisoners in our hands. -
The number of these it is not vet possbl,
TO ascertain, several days necessarily elaps
ing after every engagement before a iul
inventory can be taken.
Another Account of the Battle on Sat
urday.
HEAD QUARTERS OF GEN. CASEY, SRvEl
> PINES, Va, May 81, 1862. The advance
division Of tue Army on tho Potomac, OF
the left, under .he command of Brigadier
General Si.as Casey, were attacked to,duy
by an overwhelming force Of the enemy
and driven back distance of two miles
Premonltory symptoms Of an attack had
shown themselves for two davs,preYious
and il was generally The opinion in camp
that the enemy contemplated such a
movement.
Yesterday the enemy had reconnois,
sance in force and learned exactly the po.
siIion OF our line Of piokets, as well as the
location Of our camp, and made their pre-
| paratiOEs accordingly
| A the time the attack was made, Gen,
| eral Casey's outpostS were within about
five miles of Richmond, near Faroak sta.
| lion.
The position was gained 10y the recon,
sapce made by Gen. Nagle, on Saturday,
tie Oath inst and our General had olders
! 10, hold oil l..
rebel Generals undoubtedly made the at
! lack III order to prevent US from compile
tipg tie for,:fcations which we were byil.
ding, and also 10 .@el our strength and
learn oug exact position
The outpostS of our plckels were less
than a mile from the general encampment
and very close 10 the pickess Of the enc.
my.
About l O clock the enemy fired three
shells into our camp, one after the other,
{ at intervals of about a minute, which was
I pCobably a signal TO their forces that ev-
erything was in readiness, and which caus,
ed no uneaslness in our camp from the
frequency Of its occurrence OF late.
Within few minutes they came upon
our pckets unaware5, and attacked them
Our piciels were either killed, capt urei
or driven in very quickly, and the enemy
advanced as rapidly as possible upon our
camp.
In the meantime the regiments of the
different brigades had fallen into line in
anticipation of an order to that effect,
which socn arrived and as once were off in
double quick TO the scene of conflict. The
most terrible Of the fighting accuroi just
rs the enemy had got through the woods
and where our reserve was drawn up to
receive them.
The most desperate courage was display
ed here from both sides, our regiments
charging repeatedly on the enemy, driving
them back for while, when they would
again in turn get the upper hand and drive
US before them. The loss upon both sides
at this PORT must have been fearful, as
every inch Of ground was disputed in the
most desperate manner, and was onS
gained toy overwhelming numbers and 10y
passing over the bodies Of our dead and
wounded soldiers.
Our batteries at this time were pouring
into the rebel ranks a perfect shower of
grape and canister, moving them down in
winrows, but still they steadily step by
step advanced till our lines commenced
10 give way when the, charged uron our
batteries and succeeded in capturing sew.
en- guns which We we're unable To remove
owing to the horses having been killed.
The enemy were now in possession Of
our camp, and had turned Qua guns upon
our retreating columns, while the iutan,
try continued to follow them up ~ close,
ly rs possible.
Our men, although compelled to fall
back, did so without a"y symtoms of q
panic but still quite hastily.
The enemy captured everything belong.
ing to Casey's division excepting what
they had on their backs, leaving them
without a tent or blanket to cover them.
The supply OF commhsary stores was
very light in camp, and all the baggage
wagons aud officers baggage had been
sent to the rear two days before So that
our loss falls principally upon tho men
who had left all their effects in their
tents.
The attack was made so suddenly and
unexpectedly, that at this time l6 RI M,)'
while the fight is still going on and all is .
confusion, 1t is impossible to give the ex,
act position which each regiment held in .
the engagement.
The position Of the differeht brigades
before tire engagement, were as follows .
Gen, Nagle's brigade consisting of the .
l04th Pennsylvania, Col. W. II. II. Davis
llth Maine, 1t. Col Plamsted 5Gth New +
York, Col. c, H Vanwyck, Sind Pepn-
Col j. c. Dodge Tooth New
York, Col. J. NJ. Brown, we're on the right [.
of the Williamsburg and Richmond stage
road and extended across the rail track
some distance.
The second brigade, ,.unde? command of
Gen. Vessels, consisting Of the S5th Penn.
Sylvania Col, T. b II. Howell, lOlst Penn
sylvania, Col. T. II. Wilson, lO3d Penna.,
Col. u. H. Lehman, Goth y. Y, Col. j.
Fairman, occupied the centre and guar.
ded The turnpike, while the Sd brigade,
Gen. J, n. Palmer commanding, consis-
ting of the Slst n. Y, Lieut. Col. Delorest,
S6th \. Y, Col 7. S. Belknap, 92d n.
T., Lieut.. Col. Anderson, 9Sth n. Y,
Lieut.. Col Durkee we're on the left of the