The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-07-04

Npll ~, guns 10 tie direction 81 west
Poipts where tho eanDoai wero lying
ready 10 cover iltna, rs IN,
" wps 3 o'cloek when the enemy gove
way lQlaf leaving then last easlwork
battery of tbifteen guns, which MAS their
best, incoming heavy sieed eone Nc
Clelon retifod, burnin6 uo his storcs at
the Depot Of his lines From tho Tow Of
'fhe clqdtol, IA ne square, shafts IL white
smoke could I'D seen fiaiDe III tbs dircc
iiolt o. Old 'Chuic n ana thew hite Honse'
Atfifst tlis was tl.oueb 10 orieinate
|'fpln he firing Of cannon. lta.b could not
pc heard from The distances The Wind al,
So being contrary, butleter 81 Tie duy it.
was psctrtainod 10 have been caused by
the destruction, bv the enemy of his
immense stores oil 10 tho right of tie
NcchRnicsville pike, on QAo farm OF Dr..
Gaines
Tlicmniterings of<the fight could be
Occasionally heard through the report Of
heavy quus but h died enngely away as
the scene of tho eoiFaict was r6hose,l BY
tie retreat Of tho enemy and the adj
vance Of the Confederate forces.
/ rhoretfeat OF Meclellons army, and
the pursuit Of the Confederate army. has
moved or hnsc Of Inflammation concern.
ing the 6gbt. which. We learn, was kebt
up atintervals with great severity; but
through the kindness Of an officer from
our lines, we have been supplied with a
very Intelligent pencil diagram. Furnish.
ing the positions Of the relocating and
pursuing forocss .
Jacltson's army was represented rs
tmoying down considerably this side Of
/ the Pamunkey fora trisscl hrldgr span
ming IL az tbe raiiroed, with the intention
Of outstrippine Mcclellan. whose forces
were making for thessafpe bridge 10 Sc
cure itAs a crossing before il was seized
or burned by Jacksons Generals Long
streets, a. p. Hills and d. II. HIS d.
visions were pressing hard upon McClel
lah's rear. while Magruder and Ihger
on the Chickahominy. held oG. right
wing ia the direction of New Bridge with
q portion Of the enemy in front Of them.
This was the supposed situationot the
armies up to yesterday afternoon. IS
regards the battle, or series of battles
that closed the eyentful day we have lit
tie that is reliable So, too, of cur loss
and chat Of the enemy, but it his been
heavy--that on the enemy's side very
great; but we will not venture on figures.
1t appears to be conceded that the enc
my successfully withdrew their forces
from the position held by them or Thurs
day night, after the capture of Mechan-
icsville, leaving behind, as blind, some
skirmishers and battery, which, when
charged upon By the advance yesterday
morning at daylight, was found to be
empty of men and guns. A pursuit Of
three hours brought our forces upon a.
formidable battery of thirteen guns at
Gaines Mill near the New Kent road.
Here occurred our heaviest loss. The
breastworks were situated on bluff,
scross q milhdam, canal and swamp with
rife pits in front Our troops charged
through aud over all with valor and
determination that swept everything,
clearing rifle pits and battery at the point
of the bayonet. The troops that did this
splendid act of gallantry We're from
North Caroliua--the brigade Of Gen. Pen
der. This was accomplished through ter
rifle volleys Of musketry, shell, round
shot, grape and canister that piled the
ground with tho yalorous dead and
wounded.
In the retreat bodies Of cayalry were
thrown forward on the Prospect road and
the Tues ertowu road to intercept them
but IL failed to succeed We hear il saiu
that McClellap's retreat WAS conducted
in good order. and tfGt the ouonly chr.
ried forward all their dead and Wounded.
IL WAS said few prisoners were taken
however that my DO. tut few have ar
rived in Richmond. As far as oug limit
ed knowledge extends this moment, there
is very fortunate lack of general and
officers killed
We hear the light batteries suffered
severely Pureelps battery OF Richmond
Col. Lindsay Walker, went into the &C
ton Of Thursday evening with above 30
mon, and brought out only 30 OF 40
Seventeen OF their horses were killed.
The Maryland battery, Capt Snowden
Andrews, in the same battle lost Ave men
killed and wounded. and several horses.
Doctor Hunter, of Maryland, he sur
geon. was killed. The Chesapeake Ar
tillery was ordered to join Cen Long
streets division on the right and vas not
engaged.
We hear from the Appomattox river,
near Petersburg, below Port Nalthall,
that fighting between some of the enc
my's gunboats and our forces had com
menced. The enemy had destroyed all
the shipping at City Point. Several lives
were lost.
LATER-IHE ACTION sEcoMEs GENERAL.
We learn from Maj. John NJ Daniel,
of the Generals staff, serving With Gen.
Hill in these battles, and who, about
1 o'clock last evening, was obliged to
leave the field in consequence Of having
had his right arm shattered by Minnie
ball, that at the time he left the field
Hills division, which had been engaged
the whole day and victorious throughout,
was engaged in terrific battle with the
enemy near New Coal Harbor, and were
overmatched by large masses Of the enc
my Just as the Major was wounded sew
eral large bodies OF troops were appear
ing on the field which were supposed to
be reinforcements under Jackson
Later accounts brought from tho field
of battle are deeply interesting. The
reinforcements thai reached the field,
and which were supposed to DO under
Gen. Jackson, were troops OF Gen Long
streets division. de1. Jackaun~ yrs ca
gagged on Gen. Hills left during the day,
but vas also in time TO Join the general
which ensued about FIVE
O'clock in the evening.
At this hour the action became senor-
a for the first time on the Richmond
lines No such collision of numbers has
YET occurred in the history of the wsr
u is estimated that seyenty-fye thousand I