The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-07-12
JULY 12. 1869

battle field are appreciates when II aHtl
toll have exhausted brave band Que @ho
looked on as General Potter ad7aacs a
receive the proffered aid, Stated 10 me a
neither the General nor himself c0uid an
press a trickling tear at the unex e2sed
thonghtfulness and kindness of a Geae [
in whose corps he had served ali afona d
front of Yorktown ard until recently
The force of General Porter was sta
ed with General Couch on the Quaker City
road, at the extreme right, with GeDeTal
Morell on the left, and Gen. Sy kes' division
of regulars in the center.
Here again was the army which had en-
gagged the enemy st Meehanicsville and
Chickahominy, face to face with nearly
treble their number, as before. The enemy
seemed u no haste to make the attack; in fact
he thought it necessary to bting up all his
available force before doing SO. At ten
o'clock the enemy's lioe was found to ex-
tend in half square, his right wing ex-
tending nearly to James river, and his left
directly in front and facing the river IN a
parallel line, when he opened FIRE from an
eighteen gun battery placed near our lines
under cover of the woods.
1t was Immediately responded to, and at
the same time the gunboats on the river
swept out the line on the right, compelling
the rebels to abaadon their dead on the
field. The action became general as soon
as the position of the rebels were fully dis
cerned. As the battle progressed and the
enemy advanced, the roar of the siege guns
and artillery was terrific beyond any Ian
guage of description. Nearly fifty shell
minute were exploded above and amid the
o.Is o1t rF fba
and so continued during the day, with no
apparent cessation, and up to o'clock in
the evening.
The determined manner in which the
enemy pressed up showed that they had de-
termined TO make this a decisive battle,
either to capture the Union army or drive
it into the river. The rebels could de-
pend less upon their artillery from lack of
numbers and our better position, and there
fore, pressed column after column up in fe-
verish haste, to see them break before the
terrific iron bail of our shell, and either fly
or march rapididly out of
danger.
At this time, and to near one o'clock, our
were resting upon their arms and
waiting the moment when hardihood of
continually advancing columns should rem
der it necessary to meet them with the bay
onet. 1t had been determined that very
little musket ammunition, comparatively.
should be expended, but that the enemy
should rather be kept back al the point of
the bayonet, under range of she artillery.
Col. Hunt in command of che artillery,
had his horse shot, early in the day, and
another, and personally directed
the operations until second was shot un-
der him. At one o'clock the rebels came
up in solid phalanx and pressed forward to-
ward the guns, supported by column af:er
column, as far as the eye could reach, and
one of the most fearful as well
as interesting sights imaginable.
For some miles around, with the excep-
tion of a point on the left the country is
almost cleared of forest and one of the lar
gest and most beautiful estates extend, over
which the eye sweeps at pleasure.
The fearful havoc of the rapidly bursting
shells from guns ranged so as to sweep any
position far and near and in any direction
was terrible to behold. The burning sun,
which had poured down its terrible heat
during the previous few days, and up to
noon had become over-clouded, and the
day was comparatively coil. Still the dust
and smoke partially concealed the dreadful
H0 guns were DS no IneaOS
without their effect on our side, and the
dead and wounded were literally covering
the field, while, as the enemy advanced
nearer and nearer, the old dwelling turned
into hospital was Immediately under fire
stiH the surgeon and nurses never finched,
and the stretchers and ambuances came in
with their loads of wounded
AS the enemy approached, Gen. Morelps
them q Hiof
fire, and, advancing, poured in volley after
volley, while the several pieces of artillery
directed to this point threw canister and
grape, and, as it were, moved them down
by battalions. The enemy could not bear
it, and our troops fought against a second
relief of fresh troops in several instances,
and then charging, drove them from the
ield
Another column came up in front of
General Sykes, when the regulars met them
n mcst admirable and determined man
Der. Perfectly disciplined, they obeyed
each order with promptness and precision,
and with as much GOODNESS as if merely at
1ress parade, with white gloves and shining
buttons.
THE FIEReENEss OF THE CONFLICT.
Colonel Warren, commanding division,
made most desperate charge, aud was
complimented by Gen. Porter for
1is bravery and the efficiency of his men,
At the right most desperate effort was
made to divide the army and penetrate to
he hill over a rising sweep of ground, ex-
ending down in a less slopiDg manner, and |
)uerIng u OrUUer prUgTrss ~ trUops aavan-
ing up the hill. But they sadly mistook
his point of attack. General Meagher, |
wounded though he was, was there with
lis brigade, and the boys only wanted to
De let loose to send each successive ap-
preaching column skedaddling down the
ill as fast as they could be filed into place,
md ordered to advance.
As the battle grew warm-Gen. Griffin, |
Until recently in command of Grifiu's Bat
ery-and the battle of Chickahominy was
MS first command-Who had during the |
dIeness Of the infantry, again taking his T
place, directing one wing of the |
artillery, but seeing that the services of his
brigade were needed, returned to his COM