The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-04
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.
Our Army Before Richmond
ADVANCE OF THE ENEMY IN F0RCE-A RECON-
NoIssANCE By THE SIXTEENTH NAssACHU'
SETS.

Brisk skirmishing occurred on Saturday
along the lines of General McC lellan's army.
The rebels advanced in strong force in the
night, but were promptly met by our forces
and retired.
On the 10th instant the Sixteenth Mass
achusetts regiment made reconnaissance
in force in front of our picket line at Fair
Oaks. A correspondent Of the Times says;
At half past three in the afternoon the
Sixteenth Massachusetts, under Col. wy
man, left their camp and marched up the
Williamsburg road to the wood in front OF
two houses, called by cur men the Twin
Houses, now used as temporary hospitals.
Our pickets are thrown out some distance
in advance of this position, in the wood,
reaching the edge OF the forest, fronting our
picket reserves. Brigadier General Grover
ordered Major LamsoD, with FIVE hundred
men from the First Brigade, to act as
support, behind an earthwOrk to the right
of the Williamsburg road and facing the
woods.
Generals Hooker and Grover, with their
stats, took position near Major Lamson's
force, at the earthwork, while the Sixteenth
Massachusetts, filed past. The wood was
TOO dense to admit of the regiment march
ing in with any form, save dispersed
body advancing as skirmishers, and the un~
derbrush too thick to see any of the men
ten feet from each other. The consequence
was, the commanding officer found great
difficulty in delivering his orders in deploy
ing through the forest.
After marching about a quarter of
mile the advance came suddenly upon the
pickets of the enemy, who Immediately fred
upon them. The advance portion of the
Sixteenth returned the fire, and the action
commenced. The rebels held their ground
with remarkable tenacity, and resisted the
passage of our troops with stubbornness
unusual in pickets. The fire of the rebels
was very strong, their knowledge of the
ground and their rifle pits at almost every
st p gave them every advantage to repel an
advancing force, particularly in attempting
to penetrate q wood where the foliage and
thick underbrush prevent one from seeing
en- object short distance from them.
However, nothing daunted with their appa-
rently insurmountable obstacles, the Six.
teenth pushed on under heavy, calling fire,
driving the rebels from their rifle pits in
confusion and with great loss. Never did
a regiment advance with more steadiness
and unfaltering courage upon foe. AL
though this was their initiatory fight, there
was promptness and decision about their
manoeuvres worthy the heroes Of hundred
battles.
Some of the companies on the left saw
the cleared ground on the other side of the
wood with the redoubts in full view, lined
with the enemy. These earthworks are
higher than ours and mount heavy guns.
The enemy had FIVE regiments, acting as
support to the pickets, resting in battle
front at their works. One was the Fifty
second Virginia, an Alabama regiment, and
three from Georgia.
The objects OF the reconnaissance having
been fully attained, though at the sacrifice
of many brave spirit, the order to return
was given. The enemy at this time APPS
peared as if preparing to advance; but one
swamp was found, about thirty yards in
width, easy to go round at either side, some
wet ground little to the right of it, but
nothing that could be deemed impossible to
infantry or even cavalry.
The regiment went out at half-past three
o'clock and returned at five. 1t is to be
regretted that many of the dead and wound.
ed were left on the field. -Four of the dead
of the Sixteenth we're brought in and bur-
led in the camp ground, Rev A. B. Fuller.
chaplain of the regiment, officiating on the
sad occasion. General Grover and numer.
Gus officers were present. The scene was
very impressive.
The names of the four dead soldiers bur.
led by their comrades of the Sixteenth, are
Sergeant John Kennedy, company l; Pri-
Yates Robert Nelson, company G.; w. R.
Clancy, company G.; Lyman Fields, compa-
ny II. Neat enclosures have been made
around the graves, with head-boards, with
their names and date of their death painted
on.
SEVEN PINES, June % -Brigadier Gen.
eral j. j. Peck was this morning ordered
and relieved Generel Casey, 10 command of
bis division near Bottom Bridge.
General A. P. Howe will take comm and
of Peck's brigade.
To General Casey will be committed the
eACcSOiuSlJ iApOilauC anu iCSPouciUiC ucty
of protecting the base of our operations at
the White House and the unbroken centre,
to save the railroad from our extreme ad
vance to the water highway which leads to
Washington and New York.
A letter from Mr. Raymond to the
Times, says Gen. Mcclellan is bringing up
from Yorktown siege guns, some of which
have already arrived. The rebels show no
disposition to assume the offensive again in
force, but are evidently preparing to resist
an attack, and their occasional demonstra.
STATIONS, like those of Saturday night,
seem intended to draw US into at attack, but
they have no General who is capable of
making Mcclellan fight until he gets ready,
nor of making him fight upon plan OF
their selection.
1t was agreed between Colonel Reyes,
and General Howell Cobb, in their recent
conference, that surgeons taken on the field
should not be regarded as prisoners of war
but as non-combatants. This arrangement
has been sent to Washington for approval.
In an obscure corner of the Richmond
Dispatch of June 18th we find an announces
ment that JEFF. Davis had been taken i'll at
Raleigh, where he had gone to visit sick