The national Republican., 1862-07-02
rr' fAanFF FFris.y. Ss TAs'''"' and
Corrpsaasnes Of ,he ~. Tribune.

CorrPsadenes Of The =. \. Tribune.
AvAoEs srirros, Jans ~, 1862.
VA wh III concealed rage, q well a
anxiety, tha men yesterday listened 10 the cir.
oulatlng rubor that Jaokson's army was upon
our front, "a had engaged Pcrter's diyislon.
Al 0'clocl the reports Of musketfy and artil.
lery were Pontinuous And heavy ncOall':
division su$ined the brunt Of the attack. All
chanicsvilldto the borders Of the White Oak
Swamp, tbse was an attach of more or iess IN.
tensity, 10 |old our troops engaged Ia their
position, ah prevent, II posslble, reinforce.
ment Of Hrtsr. When darkness closed over
the lines, te artillery nre was uuintermltting.
II was KEEP up with great spirit BY Porter and
by the enety 10 bis front until . O'Clock. Bat.
tie rumorshlways false, cheered rs In our beds
With the s9ry that jackson WA broken and In
hight-tha| We had captured his artillery, and
advanced hr lines. The morning brought 10
the woundh Of the Pennsylvania Reserve, and
the truer Intelligence that the contest only
resulted ina drawn nght. We occupied our
ground, sH the enemy were again in their
camps. .
Tne batle was renewed at dawn. A sud.
den eher8nce Of regiment from o wood,
and prompt occupation Of two rifle pits, par.
TALLY in thdpoassslon Of some Of the Pennsyl,
vsnla reserte, gave the rebels an advantage
10 frent Of Porter, which they improved during
the day. NE attack became general. IT. q
verify, and the seriou,ne1 d the Issue, - felt
BY the Commander In Chief, were keeuly ap-
preciated about 9 O'Clock, BY the guarded
whispering Of the news that all the public
embarked, and all The transports and vessels
under charter ordered 10 ail under convoy To
Hampton Roads. The military truth at last
dawned smartlngly upon the eyes Of the dulleet.
Mcclellan had not soldiers enough 70 fight
tho enemy In front aud 10 unalptain the base Of
his supplies aud guard his connection with II
by railroad. h'.
Early in the sction this morning, Portcr's
wounded were ordered 10 a remoier hospital
than that In which they lay. Tho regulars, for
the fist time, were brought up and set to work
Before noon the Pennsylvania and Massachu
sets troops beyond Gaines's Mills hady ielded
the ground to numbers, and retired under
orders, burning commissary and other property
before they went and destroying bridge over
the Chickahomlny a. they crossed II. An at
tack 10 great force upon Smiths Division was
also made. The Vermont troops and the New
York SD, and others, with Ayres's immortal
battery and Governs, repelled 1t with terrible
slaughter.
Superabouuding in regiments, ss brave and
resoluto as tger, the rebels rolled their fresh
men In successive waves upon Sumner, and
aercely carried the general assault 10 the lines
Of Hooker and Kearney The ground, a.
have repeatedly said, Is swampy wilderness
dotted with cleaIings, In corn, and wheat, and
oats. A battle all along the front We occupy
cannot be seen even from balloon. The
woods will hide the most Of II. They will mask
nearly all Of battle In front oil the corps
d'arInee, or Of the divisions either.
This fight Of 10 day, therefore, cannot be dc.
scribcd, save by q memorandum Of the posi-
uons respectively held by the opposing parties
1t It's close, and by the list Of killed and wound.
I'd. On the rebel side, however, II was charac.
terlzed by the steadfast old policy, for which
their leaders are 10 be 30 much honored, Of
pouring In fresh and eager troops upon our
weary men, and endeavoring to crush US with
superior weight Of ire and vastly superior ex
hibiti0n Of foroc. ....t o. uag
Twice all along the front did th. bloody and
determined attack cling 10 our lines Of battle
aud our rifle pits and rsdoubts Porter thun,
dered on them with ffty cannon; Summers q
lockers and Ayres's guns reapcd them with .
very death harvest Their loss In killed ani
wounded was horrible. We but debate now
II our own dead, wounded, and missing equa
those Of the Ssven Piues--or exceed theirs.
10 the meantime, Notwithstanding the dispro
portion of numbers, the Union line Is nj every
point about where II was In the morning, ant
the heroes behind i are In heart; ,,r m hear.
mslihons be on them! or the ID, the til
the ---tb, that ran like kicked ours, and oi
Maj.--, who, overtaktn in bis shameles.
scaDper away from tho robel fire, had Ills SWORD
taken away BY brother officer, and used to
beat him in the faos with, before be was booted
aud booted away from his regiment OF The
conduct of-but what 10 tho use? Let II ali
go. The morrow Is close at hand, and It's prom
lee does not invite to crimination or recrimina
aon. Let US brace ourselves.
1.-THE same correspondent, writing little Of
ter midnight of Friday, sums up the following
account of the two days fighting j
The attack was made by the enemy In i'm
menss force, who crossed the Chickahomiuy
river. near the railroad, above Mechaniosyiile
on Thursday afternoon, and fought desperately
but were unable to drive our men back q
single rod from their position, Notwithstanding
that VIC had to contend, In IN unequal combat,
with nearly or quite ten to one.
The only forces engaged On that day was
AcCall's division, which was located on the op-
posite side OF a swampy ravine, about a mile
and half back from the Chickahominy river,
The battle lasted from about 2 until D D, M,
when the enemy drew off,
On Friday morning commenced wha Ia called
the strategic movement" which, It h hoped
will be successful, although at one time 1t
nearly proved fatal to considerable portion
Of the army. ''4 . lI
The following are the facts Of the two days
battles: ~, -
On Thursday, about 2 p. n., the enemy's in
fantry and squadrons Of cavalry crossed the
In immense force, short dis
tance above the Virginia Central railroad, max.
Ing rapid advance, through lowlands and for
est, toward Gen. McCall's division, who were
entrcnched on billy woodland across swampy
ravinc, about mile in the rear Of Mechanics
vile. =
The First Psnnsylvauia ifiaes (Buoktails) and
Campbell's Pennsylvania battery were on pick
ct duty, oil Of whom, except one company, fell
back behind the breastworks and rife pits,
where q line of battle was drawn up. Com
pany X Of the Bucktails, who werc on picket
duty beyond the railroad, were surrounded by
the enemy, and the last that was known Of them
they were trying TO cut their way through an
immensely superior force. Their fate Is not
r NUN hut II ta proaumad thot tho svroai A. 80