Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-26
ilTUf EIsEf dtEses min. iIl
Correspondence Philadelphia Inquirer.l
CAMP NEAR YORKTOwN, /

sFAlsiat Thursday, April II. I
After closing cur dispatch Of yestelda
70 forward 70 Fortress Monroe, we rode over
to the soehS OF the firing We found il
was, near "Lee's Mill, about eight miles
south Of Yorktown, on the Warwick river
Between Winds mill and Lees mill the
rebels have built fort and mounted sew
eral guns upon Il 10 cover the road lead
ing 70 Lees mill, which runs in front of It.
about twelve hundred yards. In front
Of the fort was bog, some two hundred
and City feet wide, and above Il q large
dam; between the bog and road was an
/ open Geld Of about iorty acres, in the Oen-
/ ter were two fne houses, but which we're
burned BY them a week ago last Sabbath /;
nothing now remains but the ohimneys ;
below the bog Is the dam used by v ind's
mill. E
About nine A. NJ, Motifs battery opened
upon The rebsl fort from the woods in
front; the first fire was shell and exploded
right over the rebel fort; the rebels soon
returned the FIRE, and their frst she'll ex-
pioded in front Of gun No. /, killing and
Rounding all the men but one, and killing
one horse; their position was then changed
and the whole six guns played upon them
at distance Of @ little over one thousand
yards between the tive batteries The
rebels fired six guns, and threw Hotoh-
kiss shell from 6, IL and 24,pounders, and
shot from 10,pOund Parrott gun.
In about an hour We had disabled three
Of their guns and they stopped firing; Mott
hFed for half an hour into the woods and
then stopped Not man vas 70 be seen in
front Of their works, and the infantry in
the rear Of our battery gave three cheers
for the Union, that could have been heard
for miles had not the dense woods all
around cut off the sound. We were now
vietoFious; We had driven them from their
battery, had silenoed half their guns, and
only lost seven men.
General Mcclellan rode up and con-
graduated the men upon their artillery
firing, which had never been exoslled in
the country. Our sharpshoters and pick
cts we're sent down upon both sides Of the
woods, and reported no rebels there. all
was auiet until about four P. NJ
Motifs battery was now ordered up lat
p. NJ to the centre of the field, and
within Eve hundred yards Of the fort.
The woods we're soon filed with grsy-ooat
ed rebels, and Mott opened with shell /;
they replied with but two pieces from an
upper fort in the edge Of the woods, and
their shells al went over the artillery.
When our artillerymen ssW the fash Of
their guns they fell hat on the ground, and
when the she'll exploded, at it they went
and fred canister and she'll. The color
bearer, James Miller, was mounted, and 8
shell exploding near him, piece cut his
side open, and he fell 70 the ground. Keep
ing the colors up, he begged Of the mep to
help him upon his horse-thsn he could
keep the fsg flying. His wound is not
fatal.
In half an hour the infantry had disap-
pesred and the guns ceased firing. Our
artillery were now aided BY Ayers and
Wheeier's batteries, who played on their
hanks. Agaim zoe tTiSnPhed. Not one asaH
killed. The artillery did the work. The
rebel shot and shell plowed up the ield in
our rear, and tore through the woods at q
fearful rate. One pine tree, ten feet in di-
ameter, was cut nearly in two, shot going
entirely through it The Vermont Fourth
and Fifth were deployed down on our right
through the woods; the Third and Sixth on
our left, and were safe, ct distance OF
from FIVE to eight hundred yards from
/ their line Of earth works. The artillery
continued to play into the woods. No reb-
els we're visible, end no reply was made to
us BY them. Now for piece Of strategy.
Gompanies and D, Of the Sd Vermont
we're ordered to charge bayonets on the left
or on the right rife pits. Down out Of the
woods they came, marched through the bog
some $50 or 800 feet wide; al sank down
from their knees to their waists in mud and
water; but on they went.
When they reached the shore, up they
rushed to the rife pits. A glance at the
fort showed it TO be empty. A ditch at the
left was found to be full Of men. Oul
men then poured one deadly volley int
them, and all fed who could. A SECOND
pit Wss found empty, and they stopped t.
load.
Two more companies followed up t,
their horror they found their cartridges
were spoiled by being vet in crossing tn
bog. A few had dry ones, and they divid
ed them among one another, and charged
on the third ditch, when all at once, slenl
the whole line, the rebels poured out b.
thousands, and with q yell, hoisted for th
first time the Stars and Bars. A long
haired and seedy chap cheered for JEFF
Davis and fell backward, shot through ant
through; his rsg VAS seen no more. 1
whole platoon was marching on our men
when Mott fred three guns into then, Whic
must have killed al least fifty from one dis
, charge, The VeFmonters held the secqn
! DITCH, snd the artillery poured in the shel
and canister at 8 terrific rate, firing oFe
, the heads Of our troops.
But no reinforeements came, and the.
commenced 10 fall back, trying to carr
, their dead and wounded; they reached lh
! bog, when the rebels again 6lled ditche
: they had left, and commenced q gallin
: FIRE upon them. The water hsd been let pU
Of the upper dam, and IS it is q very 10
!, fat, il had NOW two feet more water tha
Z when they went over. A number Of Il
wounded could not get through, and fe
= exhausted to stiangle in the mud man
stuck fast and were shot through the heal
e while many we're killed and wounded b
. fore they reached the shelterof the wood
Seven companies Of the Sixth Regimen
we're ordered 10 make q dash. They eros
! ed partly ct the dam, but before they cou
! get to the trenches, the rebels drove the
70 kt5-I.lsn nd trok aevefal rrigduerg