Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-25
TuE FREHgH PRINCES I'm THE
8ATILEs EEBOER RECElMOND.
Letters from TIE E0rissee De .yois,sfgSs Z
Dac E7'sEHAsGEe.

The following extracts from letters addresses
by tho Prince De Joiuvile to his brother, th
Due D'Aumale, are published in the Londoi
papers;
LINCOLN, June 26 Tbs day be
fore yesterday it was suddenly announced tia
Jackson was marching upon the Potomac al th'
head of a considerable force, in order to act upor
our rear, to break I'D the railway and destroy
our magazines. We heard, besides, of the SRI
val at Richmond of Basuregard with part o.
his forces All that greatly duplicates our stu
ation Not being able to detach troops to meet
Jackson, and defend White House, as well as
our line OF communication, the general has de-
cideG upon abandoning it completely; be has,
therefore, ordered all his troops to cross to the
right bank oil the Chiekahominy, aud to take up
. new basis Of operations upon James river, IN
der the protection of the gunboats. The enemy
commenced his movement last evening. He
crossed TO The left bank of the above mentioned
river at Meadow bridge, in order to attack Nc
Calls division at Mechanicsvills The attack
| was made by Gen. Lee, at the head of Hills
| division. Some Louisiana regiments attempted
| TO pass By main force, but were repulsed. A
light took place there, which, however, was not
followed by any important result. That same
night we conveyed our baggage over to the right
bank of the Chckshominy. At this moment
the enemy is attacking the troops which have
remained on the left bank, in order to cover the
bridges
SAVAGE STATION. June %.
FORTRESS MONROE Ju'y
Yesterday will ever remain deeply sngraveu
on my memory; il the first place on account
of the soul stirring scenes witnessed and in the
/ Rext, by reason of the dangers which our two
nephews escaped IS by miracle. For four
| hours Paris (tha Count OF Paris) and for two
| hours Robert (the Duke de Chsrtres) were in
cesssntly under mos. violent fire Of musketTy
and artillery. Their conduct was, as might
have been expected, excellent. They have been
exceedingly active and useful, and at the criti-
| cal moment eVinced firmness wkich has excl
ted universal admiration and gained them public
! thanks. But to return to nay narrative.
We knew that the forces under the command
of Gen Porter, situated on the left bank of the
Chickahominy, were attacked from al early
! hour in the morning. The action commenced
about l o'clock Paris was Immediately DIS
patched and remained under the orders OF Por-
ter The. battle becoming warmer, the bal
| loon announcing that strong reinfOrceunsnts had
| been sent from Richmond, and every thing being
comparatively tranquil upon the right bank the
general gave orders for five brigades to join
Porter. Robert was sent at shat moment to the
| front, and our nephews thus finding themselves
both In the 50 dough (petrln), l also went to
the front, in order to see what would become Of
them / gallopped over the bridge on tho Chick
ahominy, end mounting the opposite hill, found
our troops in an unduating country composed
Of vast fields and woods, upon line of battle
measuring about mile and half / thsn
passed q battery very warmly employed, and
rejoined our nephews who were in the first line
with Gen. Porter Neither they nor he appeared
to perceive that the balls rsined thick and fast
around them. After moments conversation,
orders to be transmitted sent our nephews in all
directions. We separated, and | took up po
sition on hiIl in the rear, whence hEd pretty
general view Of the field of battle and from
which 1 could distinguish our nephews, espe-
cially Paris who wore peculiar kind of hat.
/ was admring the grandeur of the scene
spread cut before me-Ws had sbout thirty-tiYe
thousand men engaged; numerous artillery, a
reserve of cavalry, the lancerS, with their float
ing pennons-all in the midst OF most pictur-
esque country, and the whole illumiaated by the
blood-red rays of tue setting sun, when all Of q
sudden, at the place where Porter was, the
fuaiiade bscame intensely hot. The reserves
are excited By horrahs, and sent by degrees
into the woods. The fUsilade becomes more and
more fierce and extends to our left There is no
longer any doubt that tia enemy is making
last effort on that side. Our reserve is engaged
aud we no longer have anybody under our hand. |
The sun is rapidly sinking. If we are able to |
hold out another hour we shall have gained the /
day, for everywhere else we have Tepulsed the |
snemy, and the efforts of Jackson, Lee Hill and /
Longstreet, whose troops are before us, are
vain But our men are harrassed with fatigue |
they have been fighting since the morning, and /
have scarcely asy ammunition left. Ths ensmy /
brings forward reserves which he has been col |
lecting since ID o'clock. Those fresh troops |
rush in good order upon our lett, which falters,
flies, aud passing through the artillery, draws |
on in disorder the troops of our center The
enemy advances rapidly. The staff our
nephews at the head, draw their swords and
throw themselves into tia melee 20 arrest the
fagitives The standards are planted in the
ground, and around them the bravest make a
stand by rallyiug themselves in little groups
The fusilade ana cannonade are so violent that
the proieetiies striking the ground, raise par
manant cloud of dust. At that m0msnt General
Cook charged at the head of his cavalry, but
that movement does not succeed, and his horse
men on their return only increase the disorder
He makes every effort, aided by all who felt a
little courage, to stop the panic, but in vain l
Joined few officers who attempted to check
the artillery, and we succeeded, by absolutely
barring the way and seizng the horses By the
brides. By that means we were enabled to
put two or three pieces 10 position on the slope
of the hill, and with them we hRrrasSsd the
enemy by the last rays of day.
At that eonjuncture Meaghsr's Irish brigade
arrived, which, utteTing few savage cries,
ranged itself in order of battle, and the enemy
was checked. at that moment also l was
Joined by our nephews, who, each on his side.
and acting under his sole inspiration, like msn
of courage and intelligence, had done all they
could to stay the confusion, and, God be
praised, without accident. We warmly shook
hands Each had had his adventures. Robert,
sent to carry an order, and returning at dusk
was fortunate enough to escape, being taken by
a regiment of the enemy, which he mistook for
one Of ours; he was only undeceived by that
regiment firing on him.
Paris directed up to the last moment the FIRE
of a German battery. Oar loss is considerable
Sykes brigade had lost ons-hslf its men. But
the enemy must be sadly cut up. From - to
all their efforts have misearried, and the only
advantage they have gained arose from a de-
plorabie panic which made US lose half mile
of ground, with the cannon and wounded we
left upon it. If a single fresh brigade had ar
rived in time all would have been changed iRto
q brilliant success; but such IS the fortune Of
war only rejoice at one thing. which is, that
we have delayed forced departure in order not
TO abandon the army in its critical situation,
and also that cur nephews should have borne
themselves in the brilliant manner they have
done
After the battle of the 9th, the concentration
of the Federal forces had become inevitable it
was necessary to retreat. 1t was decided to
cross White Oak swamp, behind which halt
was TO be made, in order to give time for the
baggage to post on TO James river, where new
base Of operations was to be established under
the protection of the gunboats Between 5000
and 5000 wagons were employed on one single
road between York river and james river. On
the morning of the 30th all had crossed White
Oak swamp. We left Savage station on the
morning Of the 29th, in the midst Of dense
fog, and followed that road, iucumbered with
wounded, and crossed White Oak swamp, which
is a kind of woody marsh. But, when We
arrived, the head of the column had alone passed