The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-07-12


Eighty eighth, Sixty-third and Sixty.
ninth participated in this gallant act
1t was here that the brave Colonel Pierre,
Of the Twenih-nnth Massachusetts, Re.
giment, formerly General Pierce, of Big
Bethel fame, LOST an arm. 1t was takel
off by solid shot.
Night came on, but put no end to the
carnage. The cady roar of the cannon
and the sharp, quick ring of muskctry,
now bursting mo vollcys, now degen-
Grating to that rasping noise made by
file firing, filled the whole air. The
darkness was lit up by the fitful flashes,
and to complete the awful picture, the
woods were set on fire by bursting shells,
and The conhagration painted fiery terrors
on the sky.
THE LOSSES AT SAVAGE'S.
The battle of Savage,s was much
heavier than that of Peach Orchard
We los, in addition to our wounded
! all of whom fell into the possession of
the enemy-from seven hundred to a
thousand men, the greater part Of whom
were killed and wounded. Most of the
wounded and all the killed were left
behind, as we had no means of trans
portation for them, and the ex'gcncy of
the army would not allow of Relay in
waiting the tardy movements If the
wounded. The enemy lost sevcrcl,, and
several of his caissons were blown Up BY
;he effectiveness Of our firing. During
the several parts of the action we took
not less than five hundred prisoners, but
were compelled to let them 90 for the
same reason that operated in the cac of
our wounded.
FALLING BACK FROM sAVAGES.
The weary but sill resolutc soldiers
received orders at midnight to fall bek
rapidly from Savage's across White Ok
Swamp. The enemy was making turtle
attempts to overrcach them in this re
spect, and it was likely to become a tigh
race between the Rebels aud Unionist.
as to which should first cross the creek
and gain the high grounds ON the Other
side. If they should be more speedy
and succeed in placing tue swamp be.
tween ourselves and them, our retreat
would be almost inevitably cut off, anC
almost tue whole army butchcrcd or sur
rendered. Al,hough every soldier and
officer felt this dreadful al crnativc 81
close, no one acted otherwise than as 4
Northerner and a man. There was nc
murmuring, no tlinching, no undue has
tcning, only the subdued talk of soldier,
comparing opinions, the eady tramp o
battalions, and now and then the griffin.
of teeth, or the hard drawing of breath
to indicate the bit erncss of the hears 4
all. Had some lost spirit supplied til
orch, there was the requisite fire in tA
whole army to rush headlong upon il.
notation at Richmond. and end the can
paign with honor, if not with consul
nation. At dawn all had reached IL
swamp, and the enemy was coming
| behind.
| GREAT BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMI
The enemy followed US hard towai
White Oak Swamp. the faithful fellow
OF Hem zelman, Sumner and FranklI
protecting our laggard baggage and arti
lcry. These, indeed, were compelled Il
keep in line Of battle across the coun II
along the whole extent of the retreat, fJI
he enemy was forever endcavorinr Il
turn us upon the right and the left
Notwi hstauding this, our march exh
bited no symptom of haste or fear; IL
trains went on duly, but not riotousl
and when, finally, the last wagon an
cannon went FLASHING through the crcel
our teams whitcncd all the hills on IL
southern side, and the weary soldier
having torn up the bridge, laid thel
selves down to rest. 1t was now eigl
o'clock on Monday, a day arid, dust
and closer than the painting but indom
table Northerners could we'll endure
Many of them were hungry, the waite
in the swamp was such that the stomach
turned at it with loathing, and the
wounded hobblcd here and there witt
dry eyes that seemed to plead for drink
White Oak creek runs through a bel
of swamp timber, precisely as the Chick,
ahominy flows through its encompassins
morass. The creek is not more thar
four or six feet deep, and had been made
passable by the engineers brigade, who
built good corduroy bridge across it
\ strip Of bottom land lies on DO b sides
of the swamp, and on the north side {;
steep hill, crowned with a farm house
forming the headquarters Of Genera
Casey, had been cncirclcd by our owl
troops with a line of rifle pits. A
abat is also sire chcd across the bottom
land. Beyond the stream the countr
was rising, and two farm houses lay on
posite each other at little distance
where some of our officers stopped
rest and refresh.
Beyond the most eastern house ran
small creek, supported by thick WOO
This was the light Of our new line of ba
tie, where General Hancock was postd
with his brigade, consisting of the Elf.
Wisconsin, Sixth Maine, Forty-thil
New York, and Forty-ninth Pennsy
vania. Generals Brooks and Davidsd
lay close in to Hancock, and the ba,
terles of the division were commanded \
Captain Ayres, formerly of Sherman
Battery. Generals Sumner, Heintze
man, Porter, and, in fact, all, the who
army, excepting the corps of Reyes, al
an Immense number of stragglers thI
had pushed on toward the James, an