, 1862-07-07
FIVE DAYS OF ALMOST CON-
TihU0Us FIGHTING.
Desperate Battle at Gaines
RiII On Friday.
RETREAT OF OUR FORCES ACROSS
THE GHiCKAH0MlMY.
Another Desperate Battle in our
New Position on Monday,
OUR GUNB0AT5 ON JAMES RIVER
IN ACTION.


From the Special Correspondents n. T. Times.l t
ARMY Of THE PoroMc. on JAMES RTEE,
Monday Evening, June 80. 1862.
Events Of the gravest character have trans !
pired within the last five days, touching the !
condition ard prospects Of the army on the |
Peninsula. Acting under the necessity which
the commanding general has long f0reseen, ,
its miles Of well constructed defenses stretch |
ing almost from the James River on the left, |
to and beyond the ChicLahominy on the right, |
have been abandoned, and the army before |
Richmond has fallen back to q more practfca- !
BILE line Of defense and attack, upon tie James
River. Hitler the grand army, with its i'm |
mense artillery and wagon train; its commits
eary and quartermaster's stores; its ammuni-
tion; its cattle-droye, Of ? $40 head; ia flct,
it's entire na7t<riel, horse, foot and dragons,
lag ard baggage, have been transferred
Tie army has been engaged in constant con- |
hict with the enemy for Six days, during which |
their highest energies have been taxed to the
uttermost. The enemy have closely watched
every movement, and, with an army double
that Of our own, have had the ability to con-
staDty launch fresh troops upon our rear, an
advantage which they have been quick to dis
cover and remoncless il improving. :, Their
perfect knowledge Of the roads, paths aad
| bridges, and the topography Of the country,
| which has taken us tine to learn, has placed
| an immense advantage in their hands
| Beginning With the light at Mechanlcsyille
| On THUS sday, our advance forces, while stead
llY falling back, have had continuous run
| ming fight
| Oh Friday one OF the severest BATTLES which
! was ever fought On this continent occurred on
/ the right Of The !Chickahominy, near Gaines
| Hill. On Saturday, after our forces had re-
| tired in good order across the creek and de-
st1oscd the bridges, We were attacked in front
Of our eHcampment, but Gen. Smith fepHlscd
the enemy, leaving the ground strewn with
| his dead.
On Saturday morning, the arrangements
started cn It's way to James Kiver, and was
followed On Sunday morning by the artillery
and comnlssary's train.
Meantime the enemy, getting scent Of our
movement, strongly reconnoitered our front,
and finding that several Of our positions lad
been abaEdoned pushed in and attacked us
vigoi ous}y. Gems. Hooker and Richardson
drove them back, and Ger. Meagher'5 brig
ade, always On hand at the right time, charg-
I'd, ard captured two Of their guns. The
rebels paid dear price for the information
which they obtained. The chief struggle WAS
near Sayagt's Station.
Anticipating a movement Oh our right
fsnk, thera1road bridge OYER the Chicsahomi-
ny vas DESTROYED on Saturday morning. The
Whltehouse, sent large force Of infantry,
cavalry and artillery IN that direction, but
after long, rapid aud weary march, dscor-
, | cred they had gone on Wild goose chase in
IQN hIOEN u1[tct10H. 1lSS OILY lJull u
small force Of our infantry and cavalry seat
tered doTn to guard the rear, who fell back
, ! ard escaped from W1itthouse Landing.
: The rest was one Of those <sho9ling wilder
nesses" which the rebels in to leave for Us.
Al the quartermastcr aud commissary stores
had been removed tHo days before, and the
rubbish burned
Ger. Mcclellan and staff left the hcadquar
tiers at sa1age's Station at daylight on Sund y
: morning, with body guard Of lie 4th United
NfD4E o711 holt cNF~a f{rta1
afttr crossing White Oak,.Creek.
There were, on Saturday, about one thou
< sand Ct the wounded and tick, chiefly accumu
. | lated FROM the battle Of Friday, many Of whom
= / it was found impossible to remove owing K
: the nature and severity Of their wounds, ant
| as 8 matter Of humanity, as we'll as Of neces
silly, they are left behind. 4 great many, no =
Il ever, who could walk slowly followed tn
C track Of the army, and the ambulanccs brough
away great many Others.
WITHDRAWING FROM THE FRONT.
Is Gen. Rockers division broke camp in tn
It intrenehmcuts 1T three o'clock Snndlg more
ing, and Gen. Sick,r5' and Growers brigade
= proceeded to the outposts to relieve Gea
C. Pa1tcrson's New Jersey brigade. At fiv
o'clock Il. III. the three brigades fell back t
the second line Of redouts, where they forme
in line Of battle with Richardson's and keal
uey's divisions, and remained until s o'c1oc
g, P NJ. On discovering taat Geu. Hooker ha
a 1a'l+n back, the enemy advanced his scout
! N4sA tHt ANlA-P!SCtS, AA1 Vf!EAE0A y D4AsA III
p upon his rear, along the line Of tue railroAt
y Gen, Mcagher's brigade made movement Q
~ both the euemy's TANKS, while the Ssth NJ
d. York charged in front, and captured two I
their Euns. Tie enemy then tell back uads
cover Of tic wood. None were kjllad
,el Hooker's division. In the 2Gth Pennsytvan
he thrse 1erc wounded; the LIST Massachuset
M lost 70 prisoners. One man lost both lc:
~ By 3 sell. Kcaracy'e and Richardson's divi
III ions were the last off the field.
fa f1 fHt4$ $131r # h3 rob haf EHr1a IN
VI, ! Savaee's Station, where the hospital WAS e
,-a tablished, q white flag was sent out, and it VI
'o1 met BY lieutenant colonel Of the Comic
ID crates, who gave assurance that the 1ospit
',a Iurpose1y, in lnar direction, and, if an occ
Ae sional she'll exploded near the house, it is b
ne 1icytd to bare been accidental.
About 10 rebel prisoners, WHO were ca
tu1ed on Friday. accompanied US under guar
On SuGday forenoon an advance body Of o
an | cavalry, who we're accommodating in front, d
81, covered body Of rebel cavalry near 4 sm
~ church, ard, after 4 sharp engagement, p
lss- them 70 flight, killing considerable nu mt
By Of hcrses, and capturing some twenty-6
,os prisoners. vino 7Fere added to the group a'reA
- il hard.
ll5 Sc5gvick's division Left the front at d
ing 1ght, and were engaged By the enemy
re- way to Savage's Sta1ion, which they react
49, at i've T. IL. Here the ene1uS's iufAnlrg, VI
-" -. battery, came out Of the woods on the rig
Che Sedgwick'5 division crossed the creek
ar, White Oak Swamp about four O'Clock 4. i
49, Mordax. His rear Has not ammo! cd during
ena night
lud | kcses' and Porter's divisions had a{Ees
,f precteded us On TIC march, and had re ichc
position On James River, near Turkey lsla
witch is about ten or twelve nil1s aboyc. {
Point.
r. The engineer brigade Of Gen. Woodb
H proceeded tie army, ard constructed cor
'tco roy roads where they were necessary. at
re- Fvurn'ilc Greek, bridge Was QUILT ac1
1sed / the 1un- At tic White OK Swamp Cr
1ro. two bridges were ALSO constructed by
ara- same valuable corps. Oce for the p,ssa,
1uct the main army tran, and the other 10 a.e.
Uni modatc Gen. Ucitze1man's division, II
r,s- aith Hooker aud Richardson, covered the
treat
lse HOW TIE RETREAT WAS cosprcrEp.
8 fl The +. treat was conducted in the mast
fed fcc1 order There sas no trcpid 4.io1 or has
dec no smashing up OIL wagons ~ clreles5 or
driving, and not sicg!c accident Of any
Sequence is believed to have occurred.
drove of 500 fat cattle, under the clar!
.a7t, Col. Clark, chief commissary, and CApt- E
Buchanan. comnalssagS Of eUbsistence on {
port McClcllan's staff, were successfully drj
nd along. They had been brought up from
vile Nhitehouse and narrowly escaped stampe,
- - By the rebels.
were TUE APPROACH TO sA.sEs RIVER.
'1bly When au aid of Gen, Mcclellan rode
iycd and reported that the "zy 7oas all open 10 i
R;Y7, thrill Of rellet ran through the n
line, and the sight OF the green fields slir
its banks was indeed an oasis in the ter,
:tYea desert Of suspense and apprehension thro
which they had passed. Tue teatns vera
0 Inc put upon lively trot iu order to relieve
map pre- ssnre upon that portion still in the real
5 the Gen. Mcclellan and staff rode ahead
men Malvern Hill o1gnod he 2 = TO- nm nnn
war. back from "Turkey Island Bend" It.
large, old-fashioned estate, originally bui
the French, and has near it, in front, 81
cratic earthwork constructed by Gen, Washio
of of during the Revolutionary war. It has q
- cioE6 ysrd shaded by venerable elms and I
used trees. a fine view Of the river can bs
Yards from this elevated position. Gen. McCl
con- expressed the opinion that auith brief tt
r;t1, prepare, the position could be hezd agdius
VIII force the e7itny can bring against as.
I and Exhausted By long watching and fat
will and covered thickly with the dust Of the
other ; over which We had passed, many Of the
GERS threw themselves upon the shady
HOW grassy Lawn TO rest The soldiers also at!
? the ed By the shady trees, surrounded the h
tmost or blyousced in the fields near by.
,,+;o, Gen. Mcclellan immediately addressed
icient "a Gora+o,S4 - 49, ~
noun- 0~ w ....,.-.
1ceess TIE FIRE II OUR REAR.
egro: At tRo o'clock P. m firing Eas heard
lon Ia direction Of White Oak STnmp, where |
!, they supposed Ayers Was holding in check the
4 the force who were attempting to cross.
opu1a- continued for nearly two hours. when 81
Penn and heavy firing began further to the 1e
to be the direction OF Charles City Cross Road
! four this point an immense body Of fresh tr
order with artillery and cavalry, b I'd made the
ueEro pearance direct from Richmond and WEI