Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-05-16
MARCH TO RICHMOND.
rns BATTLE or w1LIiAmsnuReu.


The rebels fought we'll until our men took
the bayonct; they could stand before cold
steel. The rebels we're led by Gen. Joe
johnson in person The correspondent oil
the New York Herald gives the only detailed
account of the battle yet printed
at o'clock A. NJ they commenced to interrupt our
further examination VI their little arrangements and
threw out body Of infantry TO their right, which soon
exchanged Ere with the advance of Rockers DIVISION
Though II did not At first seem serious this fire
changed internationally for good while. Some light bat
tcncs became engaged VI H. and drove the enemy pretty
marc, until uulucEly they got under fire u the enemy
Hcl'tI gus when ihey' Of course got the worst Of &C.
BawhalVs New York battery To- particular. had cotton
INTO sefapr and very hard tight took place ia the
dtAfoi 10 save a. All The horses were either killed or
wounded, ihe guns were mired and, though our met,
fought well and hard the enemy poured his infantry out
a,shly at the right time and In the right place and
nay carried away the guns with most terrible chorus
OF 1dps and cheers. IL noon, aud the enemy,
enoaua aged by his success on our left, disposed to
push harder in the direction. Two divisions Of the
. % corps were now the field and Peck's brigade Of
touchs Division with regiments Of Dey,ns brigade
the 1h Massachusetts Col Russell, and the "a Rhode
i'i"u"' Vol frank Wheaton-in all about 6OOO men-
were pushed in 10 the right NJ Hooker stopped the
ny advance, and perhaps saved Hooker entirely
iccks position was not one that afforded a chance for
ANY brilliant display, butt required the stubborn
resistance, aud he maintained 10 Handsomely all day, and
tcpused every attempt that the enemy made u advance.
hamlercd by his position 10 the woods and equally per
haps o hs orders he could not go on and was thus Kept
under such fire that is miracle his loss proved
small FOR great portion Of the time his men were fiat
ON lhct faces, aud many Of their wounds were received
In that position. But the woods all around he place
were cot to shreds with grape shot Gen Peck late In
the afternoon, supported by Palmcr's brigade Of
CasUys division aud thus formed very strong ce ter
" n' while thus ON the Len and center. with modi-
cum oi re,'e, we al best did little better than hold our
own, lhc right presented a more grateful spectacle
cmuh's division was formcd On the ght front OF our
line of battle, ana PORTION Of its artillery bothered
the enemy n long range. while It's three brigades Of
hmtry were held u hand ready to participate when CALI
cd upon They were called upon soon. From a native
We had LEANED Of "a good road that led through the
woods 90 our uRht and approached ihc enemy position
upon side from which we had not hitherto IL. Gen
Naucucks brigade with Whccler's New York battery.
was accordingly ent out by th, road After a long and
cautious march through the woo ds, and circuit which
opened 80 mIl view OF the York river. ihc head Of the
column found unmistakcable evidence that the cne-
my bad expected an advance by this way To the ef OF
the Inc o march there was vide full dam, and there
Tor sume distance the road had formerly close by the
The water sides but The dam had now been raised that
The road was huHdci and impa sable Tor considerable
distance No time 10 be lost aud patty at once
got Co work tu cur road through hc woods over
steep hill, and did the work as well as circumstances
would permit but The bed Of the road OF vel
low clay aud as thc rain poured down and ,rfencl i
the artillery sank deeper and deeper into il every
turn Of The whcls. SUN all toied bravcy and with
VIII ahd hDaliy came out TO wide open ncd ia iuu
view hrec reduu6s u considerable size not pierced
Tor cannon Why the enemy had pied these works
at nl 10 would De dht 10 say; for sooner was oar
tire opened upon he nearest than the rebels out Of
u ir complete stampede. and good time in safe
direction SO they did also from the sccnud ard thifd
which Our column advanced. AT this time, about 2 p
Ia, Gen. haucncS sent back word TO The division com
maudtr Cen. smith, that he had fair chance go on
ana ta d well supported he could certainly carry Fort
Magrudor
several times Gen. Hancock sent back urgent APP
ptals i1r more force, but none SENT aud ho was
compelled 90 remain ia the position be had taken near
the fret rtdnubt Doubtless the enemy supposed this n
be- the result It timdiy. They In turn determined TO
advance hoping, perhaps, 90 repeat what they had ale
ready done our lc Out Of this movement Of their,
grew what proved o. be the fight Of The daya fight that
was n itself hard fought and beautiful battle, battle
ln winch each side must have learned 20 respect the
courage NJ the other ard which sheds glory upon every
man engaged "a IT, Under cover " the wood, and di
ectN Through o. the enemy advanced from the ueighbor
hood of Fort Maprudcr, doubtless tempted by the bait
Of battery of beautiful field pieces From the sharp
fire ~ the skrmishcrs DO the woods ou our tipht came
the irst utimauun of movement ~ tlt direction and
tins put all ON the alert Su hc hrc grew hotter ia the
woods and IN few minutes, att point fully half mile
away from the battery, the enemys began r. file
out OF the cover and form in the open field. u
bold and proved an expensive way handle men.
wheeler opened his guns on the instant, and the swath
OF dead that subsequently marked the Of the brig
adc ACROSS the open field began at that spot AT the
same mpmCut also The skIfmishots ia the field BEGAN
their fire sun the ouem, formed across the opening
win admrahle rapidly aud precision, and coolly
IL the hre had been detected elsewhere and then
al ihc douOo quick sep IA three distnc lines, firing
lhc5 came, All sounds were lost for few moments n
me snort roar Of the held pieces and in the scattered
rapid repetition Of the musketry. Naturally their fire
could do TO u.s. under tue Circumstances but little harm,
nerve ST. aimed to make the most OF IT. SIN the;
anne on, They wee dangerously near. Already the
kmshcts 10 the eit had fallen back to their line and
he sNrmshcrs to the right had taken cover behind the
ram itnce that ran from the house the wood, but from
thence they bazcd away earnestly as ever YET the INNS
out there aud they are what those fellows want and
IN the next instant the guns silent.
"tor moment, Ia he confusion Of the smoke one
might almost suppose that the enemy had th,m but ia
moment more the guns merge from the safe side Of
Ihe smoke cloud and away they % the hed TO
poinl lear me upper redouht There AGAIN they UNI
hmoctra and again they play away. Farther back also
o the Submissions Aud uow for a few moments the
rebels had Inc partial Of the farm and out-bud-
ng' bug they saw that they had all Of them work do
over, aud 50 they came again. Once more they arc
h r open Held, exposed both 20 artillery and musket-
y Que TINS time the distance they have got 20 go is not
"a s'lous uc OF infantry they are near to us but
also are near 60 thcm Scarcely hundred yards were
i"tri them and The guns when our skImish ire
s"0l lhr Hues OF thc OH Wisconsin and the AID New
OBJ rmed up m close order 90 the rlht OF the battery
the long range of muskct barrels level aud
one terrible 'uQey through the rebel line I'm MOS
ment more ihe same long range Of musktts came u
another Nt-the order % Ch4f2e with the ha,onct vas
wen ana away went The two regiments with glad
cheer Gallant as ugr foes undoubtedly were, they
Couldn't meet that But few bugades mentioned in his
tor have done better than that brigade did Tor space
"teh was generally estimated al three quarters of
hhe theJ had advanced nndor the fire Of splendldy
served lauof aud with cloud Of skrmshers stretched
across heir front, whose IRE very dcstructive and
~ after that ihei had the nerve to meet line of
oAl "hts ihal came towards them like the spirit of de-
'uuclon ncatnaie, D. need not be wondered at They
eI'", ana hedln compile panic. One hundod and forty
N'N f'ifN't ~ NtAtll NNe hundred were
Killed and wounded II is to the eternal honor OF our
o"n men that they had looked upon this advance Of the
lh'nl line with spirt OF generous admiration aud
mat ley sa@e 20 their prisoners a different manner
rom mar which they use towards prisoners generally
MS took place 40 about haifpas four D. m. and, as
VIII be seem was altogether side fight On the whole
htld together We had been all day in very nearly the
same place. and II seemed very much as II there was
mudde or az least want Of general direction or Of any
'Ppa'en pnrp Sc Gen. Reyes, who had been very ac-
ave all day was everywhere and saw personally 10 an
mat WAS done within his corps but he was subordnat
was there any plan of action all that day Or had We
pursued fugitive army only 10 hold our own when We
3l up To u such queries ran through many minds
mat DAY. And exactly al five p. IN. Gen. Mcclellan
anne up. In few minutes he had gathered around
im nearly AL the general officers than accessible heard
he accounts Of each, and seemed 20 see at once very
nearly just how matters stood. Scarcely ten minutes
he order to support Gen. Hancock and TO press the
advantage already gained in that direction; and in five
MINUTES more seven thousand men were on the march
W ihat point Night fell before they reached it, and mo-
more was done that day; bur there as SUBSEQUENT e
hih'uon proved, was the memys weak point and the
General saw a. once what, alas a whole army had blum
Tered over all day"
WHAT THE coN0REss COMMITTEE SAW
The senatorial committee arrived on Monday afternoon
u lorhloWn, aud commenced at once inspectinq tho
l"n ana lls ioruhcatinns. AT seeing the earthworks
uhs Uenohes ana other appliances Of defense all una
nnousy accorded Gen. Mcclellan splinded victory
yer th' rebels, IN compelling them TO eyacuatc such
uonBuold' lhey expressed themselves astonished Al
ne formidable character Of these works and consider
ne evacuation sure precursor Of the speedy dc wn NJ
ne iepls' IL rs understood that they will follow our
dvancing army D'
THE HATTIE on tvLsr por~~