Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-07-16

all with the most telling results. At two
O'Clock, on Friday afternoon, the rebel line OF
battle commenced at the rivers edge, just at
Dr. Gaines house, ran up the hill to it, then
across, and curving around the Fedeaal
troops, seemed TO bear away off back into the
| country. Thousands of their men were de-
! ployed on the hill sides, Federal battery,
taken across corduroy road above Grapevine
! bridge, firing into them with deadly effect.
/ Skirmishers and picketers fought in the fiat
and SO it was all the way up the hill and back
/ TO he woods. Musketry ratified increasingly,
| aud the enemy seemed to be met strongly at
| all quarters. Porter S and McCallS troops lay
] on the hills bordering the Chickahominy, at
/ Woodbury. bridge, mile or two below Grape
! vine, their horses grazing under the trees, and
! the men in line of battle This fight was al
most purely an artillery one, excepting among
| the skirmishers, whose rifles maintained a
! constant cracking. Infantry, excepting as
! reserves or supporting parties, were but little
! used. There was some severe infantry fight
/ ing, however, but it was only prelude to the
! great battle which gave that day such bloody
! name.
At 3 O'Clock in the afternoon the Grapevine
bridge and the one above it were destroyed,
the goth Pennsylvania and Sd Vermont break
ing down the former. Trees were thrown n
every way to obstruct a passage, and in few
moments such an impossible barrier rear
ed OF logs and trees and brush, added TO the
streams u wafer ana swamp. tilat no 4OTec Ol
the enemy could have passed it il week.
Thus were closed these entrances to our lines,
and by this destruction every passage-way
across the stream obstructed, from Nj e.
chanicsville down to the " woodbury. bridge,
distance of fully six miles. The brigade then
followed the other two which had gone off to-
wards camp at noon.
But their road through towards the camp
had not led into 1t. The whole of Gen. Slo-
Gums division were taken across Woodbury.
bridge and General Mugher's Irish Brigade,
brought over from Summers corps, followed.
They advanced to meet the enemy, and then
commenced Friday fearful contest. Mccall
and Porter, and Slocum, and Meagher, drawn
up In line Of battle, awaited the enemy's APP
proach. The former had fought him all day,
and were Weared with their constant eXer-
tions. Still they did not lag. They held the
field until reinfOrcements came, and showed
the most heroic bravery. Then, with the or
der they reTeated, SlOcum and Meagber tax
ing their places, and on field already strewn
with dead and dying recommended the battle. /
They first confronted the enemy ut five in
the evening, mile distant from the bridge |
This was the bloodiest scene of the whole |
days fight. The rebels were deploycd on the /
hills, and our troops brought up from the low
lands to check them had TO do SO under tu- /
rious storm of round shot and masketry I
Charge alter charge was made full to the enc
my's centre, when they hanked us with
cross fire Of rourd shot We held our place, /
however, each man firing swiftly as he /
could, lying on his back TO load his usket, I
and turning over, or rising to his knees, to /
fire it. The enemy, at the end of the contest, [
did not reply to our golleys. Thus it remain
ed until dusk, when we were ordered to Iereat. /
AT first, our artlleTymen did good execution, /
but it is said that afterwards they murdered I
many of our own troops.
Too high praise cannot be given to the noble /
rp pt " of uui ~
troops during this days contest. For SIX |
hours they bore the brunt of the battle, and I
some of the grandest charges, most honorable .
to ourselves, most terrible to the enemy, were
made by this body. Tney allowed no stain to I
fall upon the bright escutcheon of the regular /
Amy. The 95th and Goth Pennsy lvAnia regi-
ments were also in the battle, and behaved /
most gallantly. The latter was the last TO /
leave the ground, the brigade commander
riding away after ordering il, but Col Cake /
being reluctant to follow. A Federal battery /
was standing hard by, and its commander
being asked why he was preparing to leave, he
said there was not single infantry soldier
to support him. ''The Goth Will do it, was
the universal cry.
Col. GOslIn, of the 95th did his duty brave
ly. He, with Major Hubbs, was wounded
fatally, and ] am sorry to say both have since
died. The Goth had three officers wounded
Lieut.. Elerick, since died, and LieutenantS
Albert Saylor and Ernst Sauerbrey, though
not dangerously. Every field and company
officer of the Goth, with the above three eXcep-
tions came safely out of the contest, and
Lieut. Col. Town, of the 95th, is also safe. a
OF cur men must have been killed
and wounded in that days contest, and the
loss OF the rebels is beyond all calculation.
By midnight, on Friday, all our troops were
safely across the river, the killed and wound
ed, excepting the latter who managed to get
over, being left in the enemy's hands. Wood
bury bridge was pile of ruins by daylight,
and the falroad bridge twelve miles from
Mehanicsvilie, was the first unobstructed cross
ing below that town.
Whilst one side of the ChAHahominy saw so
much blood and battle, the~o other was not al
lowed TO rest quietly. During all of Thurs
day and Friday the most terrific cannouades
rent the air. Our artierists, aware of the e.
yacuation they were so soon to make, knew
that they could best cover it by fierce and fu-
rous shelling. In the midst OF all this ball
playing, on Friday, two Georgia brigades
came upon four companies of the 33d New
York and three of the 18th Pennsylvania, who
were picketing in front of Fort Davidson, on
the extreme right of our position. Our five
hundred Unionists fought bravely, making
scores of rebels bite the dust We; of course,
retreated but it was in good order, and with
aying coors. Gen. Lamar OF the rebels, was
killed. and a colonel and lieutentant colonel
and numerous privates taken prisoners. The
bravery of this skirmish, against vastly. supe-
rior numbers, cannot be sufficiently praised.
The week was full OF noble deeds.
Friday night found every regiment in the
army resting on its arms, momentarlly eX-
pecting an attack. The retreat was TO be
made by first sending away the wagons, be-
ginning at the left, and going around to the
right, aud then the troops from right to left.
morning, June 2S, the main bodies
were sent off, picketers and rear guard alone