Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-07-12


Mcclellan on the Richmond lines. portion oil
this army must have reached Mcclellan probably at
an early stage of the engagements N the vicinity Oh
Richmond, as Gen. Mccall, who was taken prisoner
oy us is known to have commanded q dIvlslon Oh
McDowelPs troops. There is little doubt but that
We have engaged an army, whose superiority IN
numbers to us was largely increased by timely re-
inforcements and with regard to tie operations Of
VIII oh the Northern government has Omitted no
conditions Of success.
THE BATTLES OF MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
A gentleman who spent Tuesday, Tuesday night,
and the morning of Wednesday on the ground OF
the several attles, and the route of the enemys
retreat has supplied us with some interesting facts
that came under his notice concerning the stores
destroyed by the enemy and captured from him.
At the Wbits House, though the destruction was
intended to be complete, boxes OF assorted cart
ridges amounting TO one hundred and nlnety-two
thousand rounds were captured, with between nifty
and seventy-fve boxes of shell, &c. Bayonets were
strewn along the track of the enemy tight as thick
ly as though they had been sown The muSkets
lay thickly strewn through the fields and woods,
bent and doubled by being struck against the trees
Their manner of burning the stores abandoned
was in this wise: Hundreds Of barrels OF picked
beef and pork were piled up together, with barrels
of turpentine and other combuStbles beneath them,
and then fired Abandoned wagons were huddied
in heap and fired by the ignition Of boxes oil cart
ridges beneath them, the molten lead running down
the embankment as the heat increased.
The moaSses emptied into creek by scores
of hogsheals until the waters OF the creek ran as
thick as blood
Numerous cannon, wagons and ambulances that
were not burned had the spokeS of the wheels and
the tongues broken and knocked out with axes
The different postures of the dead always strike
spectator he passes over the battle held one
lay on his back, with his arms stretched upward at
length, another with his head plunged into pool
Of mud and water, having evidently died shaking his
thirst third lay partly on the bank, and partly
in the water of creek, having been shot in cross
in. and died cutching the twigS and bushes of the
opposite bank. One shot through the head had
male himself bed of leaves and laid down, draw
ing his blanket and Overcoat about him. His uni
form aud face bc:Okened an officer of some rank
All OF the above were OF the Yankee slain.
During Tuesday hight those engaged in carrying
the Confederate wounded off the field could not Use
their lanterns every tiicke: from them was sure
to draw the fire of the Yankees.
The battle of Tuesday perhaps the ferceSt
and most Sanguinary of the series Ut bloody con
tictS that have signalzed each of the last seven
days. We have already advCrtcd TO the part played
IN the action by Gen. Jackson and others, but, as
vet, have made little mention of the operations upon
the occasion OF Cen Magrudcr and the troops under
hiS command. We now propose to give such par
tlcularS as We have obtained on the field after the
battle
Elrly on Tuesday morning the enemy, from the
position to which he had been driven the night be-
tore continued his retreat III south caSterly dir"c
ton towards his gunboatS on james river. At
o'cuck A. NJ, Magrudcr recommended the pursuit,
advancing cautiously, but steadily, and Smelling the
forests aud swampS in front he progressed. This
method of advance kept up tnrOu -hOnt the
morning and until clock p. Il, without coming
up with the enemy. But between four and five
O'Clock our troops reached large open field, mile
long and three quarters IN wiJlh, ON the farm oi
DR.. Carter. The enemy were discovered strongly
entrenched in dense forest on the other side Ol
this field. Their artillery, numbering fifty pieces,
could he plainly seen brIstling over their freshly
constructed earth-wOrks. At 10 minutes before
o'clock, p NJ, Ten. Magruder ordered his men to
charge across the field and drIve the enemy from
their position. Calamity they sprang 10 the en-
counter rushing into the field ut a full run. In
Stanly from the line of the enemy'S brcast-workS
murderOus storm of grape and canister was hurled
into their ranks with the most terrible elect Of
ticerS and men went down 10y hundreds; but yet,
undaunted and unwavering, our line dashed on, I'M
til two-thirds Of the distance the field was
accomplished. Here the carnage from the wither-
ing fire of the enemyS combined artillery and mus
kerry was dreadful. Our line wavereI moment,
and fell back to the cover Of the woods. Twice
again the effort to carry the position renewed,
but each time with the same result Night, at
leagth rendered further attempt injudiciOus, and
the fight until ten O'Clock kept up by the artil-
lery of both sides. To add to the horrors, il not to
the dangers of this battle, the enemy's gun-bO
from their position at Curtis Neck, two and half
miles distant poured on the field continuous broad
sides from their immense rifle guns. Though it Is
questionable we have suggested, whether any
serious loss was inflicted on us by the gunboatS,
the horrors of the fight were aggravated by the
monster Shells which tore ShriekIng through the
forests and exploded with conclusion which APP
peared to shake the solid earth itself The moral
effect on the Yankees of these terrornspirIng allies
must have been very great and in this We believe
consisted their greatest damage to the army Of the
South.
1t must not be inferred from the above account
that the slaughter all upon side We have
the best reasons to know that the wedirected fire
of our cannon and musketry, both before and subSe
queEt to our efforts TO storm the encmys position
fell with fatal effect upon his heavily maSSed forces.
At ten o'clock, p NJ, the last gun was fired from
our side. Each side held the position occupied
when the fight begun, and, during the remainder of
the night each Was busIly engaged removing their
wounded. The rumble Of Ihe enemy aubuances
and wagons, in rapid and hurried motion, did not
cease even with the dawn. At ten o'clock WedneS-
day morning they still busy, and discontinued
their laGOrs not because their wounded had all been
removed, but for fear Of our advance. Our wounded
were carried from the field directly the arui houses
in the neighborhood whence, after their injuries
had been examined and dressed, they were brought
to this city.
During the morning the enemy evacuated his po
s'tion and retreated, still bearing in u SoutheaSlcrly
direction and apparently not attempting to lessen
the distance between him and his gunboatS.
THE TERRIBLE sUFFERIYGs FROM THE YANKEE BAT
TERIEs
The battle of Tuesday evening has been made
memorable by its melancholy monument of carnage
which occurred in portion Of General Magruder's
corps, which had been ordered in very inadequate
force to charge Of the strongest of the enemys
batteries. There are various explanations of this
affair. The fire upon the few regiments who were
ordered to take the enemy's battery, which sup
ported by two heavy brigades, and which swept the
thin lines of our devoted men, who had to approach
it across a stretch of open ground is said to have
been an appalling sight
THE COUNTRY NEAR AND AROUND THE LAST BATTLE