Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-08
LETTERS FROM RGCmmoND.
RICHMOND, June IS, 1862.

of success, but the JuBiIate Dec and the con
gratulations with each other m be deferet
until the victory is complete. In other words
we shouldn't halloO before we are out Of tn
woods.
The severest fighting Of yesterday was done il
the immediats neighborhOodof DR.. Gaines house
beyond the -Chickahominy, about eight mile
from the city, between 1--WE and seven o'clock il
the afternoon. Here the enemy made a stanC
in 4 heavy force, and fought with great despera
ton, throwing a deadly fire of all sorts of mis-
silcs and projectiles from their batteries, which
were mostly concealed in the woods and pro
tected by a thick absttis. To assail them GU
troops were forced to march across an oper
field for q distance Of more than a quarter of
mile, exposed to 8 tempest Of fsme and iron
such as the modern ~enginery of war, with al
its appliances of destruction, but rarely hurli
against an advancing column. Still the col
umn moved on closely and in admirable
order, filing up its constantly decimateC
ranks, and entered the forest whence came tht
terrible wrath of the foe. At this moment tb'
combat was hidden from the view of those who
had watched it with breathless anxiety for hal
an hour, and the suspense was agonizing.
President Davis, the Secretary of Wa, Gen
Lee, Gov. Letcher, and a dozen other gentle
men Of less note, sat in the saddle looking OIL
from an eminenee which commanded a full
view of the neighboring country. Twenty
minutes, which seemed prolonged to ages.
elapsed, when the blue, confused mass of the
| Yankees was seen breaking from the further
end Of the woods, like clouds that have dashed
themselves in pieces against q sharp mountain
peak. Then, for the first time, something
ike a rout occurred, the enemy flying in
disorder to their remoter in~trenchments, and
with the pursuit, up to the very Threats of their
guns in these yet unassailed works, the serious
fighting of the day was over. At a later hour,
Gen. Hoods command Of Texans broke through
the enemy's lines, and, surrounding a detached
camp, took a thousand prisoners.
The retreat of the enemy, from the time Of
their abandoning the Mechsniesville f%ortifca-
tons on Thursday evening, has been conducted
in excellent order. They have contested the
ground and burnt their stores as they have
retired. There has been little Of confusion or of
panic, a fact which is, doubtless, due to the con-
fdence inspired by a knowledge Of the strong
earthworks upon which they successfully fell
back, and behind which & small rear could sue
cessfully protect the retrogrtde movement of
the main body.
OF the operations to-day we are not fully in
formed, and as the scene is farther and farther
removed from the city every moment the diff
Guilty Of procuring intelligence is greatly in
creased. StOnewaIl Jackson is beyond the
Chickahominy with Stuart's cavalry, 10 inter
cspt the enemy's fight in that direction should
II be attempted. News has been received in
town within the last half hour that a terrible
fight took place to-day on tho Nine Mile road
between the enemy and a portion of General
Toombs' brigade. The gallant Georgians stormed
and carried a formidable redoubt held by the
Yankees at a very sad expense of life, but were
subsequently driven out by q howitzer battery
in the rear. flag Of truce was afterwards sent
in, requesting an exchange of wounded prison
ers and a cessation of hOstilities for the burial
of the dead, which was agreed upon. Col. La
mar of Georgia, who was very painfully wound
ed in the leg in storming the redoubt, was left
in the enemy's hands when his comrades were
compelled to abandon It, but it is supposed that
he was recovered upon the exchange Of wound
ed prisoners.
To sun up the results Of the three days fight
have expelled the Yankees from their
.sIongholds on the other side Of the Chickahom-
lay, and taken large quantities of ordnance and
small arms. We have entirely cut of McCleL
lan's communication with his transports in the
Pamunkey, thus stopping his supplies, at the
same time that we have re-establis&ed the Cen
tral and fredericksburg railroads as lines of
transportation to Richmond. We cave taken
hardly less than seven thousand prisoners, and
acquired the prestige Of invincibiity before the
Confederate capital. The contest, though san
culinary, has certainly been far more disastrous to
the enemy than ourselves. Our loss has probably
been, up to this moment, three thousand in killed
and wounded. The enemy's less, in killed,
wounded and prisoners, has not been less than
twelve thousand.
I regret thatI have been unable to procure a list
of the casualties in full, 80 that l could give you
the names of those from Tennessee, Mississip-
and Arkansas, whe sealed their devotion to
their country with their lives, upon the field, and
1 especially regret that l could obtain no de-
Of the injuries sustained by the wound
ed men. The following, however, is a complete
and accurate 1ist of the wonudad who had baap
at the various hospitals up to the hour
Of four, P. NJ:
TENNESSEE.