Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-14
MOrtester DaIIp Syn.
The Battle Near Williamsburg
From the New York Tribune.
THE POSITION


line of rebel defenses above Yorktown consis-
ted of thirteen formidable earth forts, within
sure artillery touch of each other. One of
them, Fort Magruder, was of great strength.
Most of these forts were in front of Heintzel-
man, and on his left. With the exception of
Emory's cavalry and of Bensons battery, the
command of Heintzelman formed-bear with
the REPETITION, for the sake of the clearness of
statement-thes extreme left. There was no
infantry whatever beyond him. Full two
thirds of the southern army engaged in this
important action, were therefore massed
against Heintzelman. Between seven and
eight o'clock Hooker gave through the down
pouring rain the order to drive in the enemys
pickets The battle began.
THE BATTLE.
The enemy were not in great force. Our
utmost numbers were 5000. All of these
were exhausted with twelve miles march
through the most atrocious mud roads that
can disgrace the barbarism even of a slave
state-wlth a twenty-four hours rain from
which they had no shelter-with a want of
food for which official negligence cannot just
ly be imputed. But they went to work with
characteristic northern resoluteness, and sent
the rebel pickets in flying. But re-enforce-
ments from Williamsburg began to come in
immediatel y-the oldest and best troops in
the rebel army-most of them of the Bull
Run and Manassas experience. At nine the
enemy grew thicker and more aggressive.
Hooker's second and third brigades went in,
and were soon followed by Emory's cavalry
and Benson's battery. The fight now became
furious. The great preponderance Of the
rebels, with their carefully cultivated con-
tempt of the courage of northern men, i'm
PEELED them upon our regiments with audacity
and the characteristic pf thpir piViliZa-
ton. The steadiness and pluck of the north
erners were what was expected of disciplined
American troops. Our musketry fire was ter
rlble. Rapid, in time, and with deliberate aim
at the breast, it moved the enemy down in
great swaths. The oldest Mexican war sol
diers on the field noted its rapid and solid
character, and said that they had never seen
it equalled. 1t, however, began to exhaust
the cartridge boxes. Soon the equilibrium of
the fight was lost, and the result to Heintzel-
mans experienced eye, when he arrived on
the field at twelve and one-half o'clock wore
a doubtful look.
AN ANXIOUS HOUR.
He instantly sent to kearney for reinforce
ments-then hurried an orderly to Gen. Sum
ner to represent the instant necessity of his
reinforcing him with more troops, or by a di-
version to be made by an attempt on his part
on the enemy's center. To Kearney, in his
rear, full eight miles off, he sent staff officer
after staff officer, to hurry him to eXtraordina-
ry efforts to come up. For a whole hour at
time he was left entirely alone on the field.
His Impotence, like Napoeons for the head
Of Grouchy's column at Waterloo, was so in
tense that in five minutes after the return of
his messengers, he repeatedly sent them back
with new entreaties to Kearney to move
quickly, to save the unequal fight. They did
not come, for the rain had utterly ruined the
swamp road. The danger grew fast, and be-
gan to eliminate at l - o'clock, when the
enemy made determined charge with the
bayonet on Hooker'S left with a column of
six thousand troops just up from Williams
burg. They, of course, pushed our few and
exhausted men back, and captured six of
our field pieces three of which they sue
ceeded in finally carrying off. The nature of
the ground was such-covered with thick
woods and brush-that we could not use our
artillery with full effect; but its fire COM
PEELED the shouting captOrs to abandon three
of their prizes. The loss of these guns was
purely the result of the killing of their officers
and cannoniers and drivers and horses in suf-
fcient numbers to disorganize the sections,
and more especially Of the exhaustion of the
supply of ammunition by the supporting in
fantry regiments behind them.
BRAVE TROOPS FALTERING,
Here now commenced the development of
the crisis of the fight. VolIeys of ball car
tridges cannot long be resisted by the bravest
of the brave holding in their grasp only emp
ty gun barrels. Pressed harder and closer
by the new troops that Johnston had got up
from Williamsburg the 9TH and Sth New .Jer-
sey gave ground, and soon fell into disorder
1t was not strange-f0r, their cartridge-b boxes
empty, the men felt themselves to be unarm-
ed. Capt Chauncey Mckeever threw him
self in their way, and endeavored to rally
them, without effect. His resolution was
promptly taken. He took squadron of Col.
Averill's Sd Pennsylvania cavalry; deployed
them in the woods on each side of the road,
and ordered them to fire upon the stragglers
and force them back into the fight until the
re-enforcements should come up. The order
was Obeyed. The men-who had not shown
any symptoms Of panic, nor were in any dam
ger of a stampede-retuned to their work
But without cartridges it seemed useless, and
soon struggling into the woods again com
menced. Heintzeman, having no aid within
miles of him, took his escort of Sd Pennsyl-
vanians, commanded by Capt j. G. White,
and persuaded them to return to their ranks
and resume their ground. 1t was heroic of
any portion of the 5000 exhausted and now
substantially unarmed men to face 20, 600 COM
paratiVely fresh troops, pouring in upon them
with a fierce and steady increase. But a
Massachusetts regiment God bless that state,
and God bless her peopleD greatly assisted
this devotion by fixing bayonets on their emp
ty musket barrels and standing still for the
coming avalanche.
DEATH BEFORE THEM
1t was now that death passed fastest tbrou0b
our ranks Officers fell thckly and men went
to earth in heaps. Ten minutes more would
have ruined us-for demi-gods could not have
sustained such an inequality as 5000 to %
600 Ten minutes more would have saved
the rebellion and caused the recognition of
the revolving states ten minutes more would
have crushed military reputation, and driven
political party out of power-and its admin
istrators perhaps out Of life. But now briga-
der Berry of the stout state of Maine-wad-
ing through the mud and rain at such speed
that he actually overlook and passed three
other brigadcs, came in sight Heintzelman
shouted with gratitude. He ran to the near
est band and ordered it to meet the coming
regiments with "Yankee Doodle" and to
give them marching time into the field with
the Star-spangled Banner. Avid "hurrah +"
went up from the army, and with yell that
was electric three regiments OF BerTys brig
ade went to the front, formed a line nearly
half mile long, and commenced yolley mr.
ing that no troops on earth could stand before
then at the dOuble-quick dashed with the
bayonet at the rebel array, and sent them fly
ing from the field into their eartlworks, pur-
sued them into the largest of them, and drove
them out behind with the pure steel, and then
invited them TO retake it. The attempt was
repeatedly made, and repeatedly repulsed.
-. II II. 1