Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-05-23

ehofihS DcOh "SU ehiVuSh ioi @t uOuio
and with nothing but rubber blankets t.
keep them from the wet ground /? They
were all asleep in less than an hour, anc
scarcely a sound was heard from anybody
till morning except an aid from the Gen
with orders to support Hancock as soor
as light. Light comes, and the rebels
have fled. We went to where Hancock
lay with his brigade, and sorry sight il
was to look upon. Dead, dying and
wounded lay on all sides. In the little
fort l counted 80 secesh wounded, from
Lieut. Col. all the way down. These be.
long to the 9Th North Corolina regt.. with
a few of the oath Virginia. They were
killed and wounded in making the charge
to get the cannon and fort from Hancock
They were taken by the men of our di-
vison-and a good share of them were
carried by Capt Randall's company-tc
large barn, where they were laid on
husks or litters. | was ordered by the
Medical Director to see them all sent to
the barn and it was 2 o'clock before we
got the last one off. Then came the am
putations-sixteen of them of the arm
or the leg (or thigh, mostly the latter
some fingers besides we had our share Of
them. Two secesh surgeons were taken,
but they were not operators, though they
assisted. l mean they did not care to OPP
crate. The Vermont surgeons did two
thirds and more of the amputations.
They number l0l wounded. The dead
will never be counted by us. went over
the real battle field after we had got the
wounded off. They have gone to the
York River to go to Philadelphia. Most
of our own dead had been buried.
counted Isl graves of our soldiers, and one
of the nurses counted over 200 more. The
loss of the New Jersey regiments and
Sickles' brigade was very severe indeed.
1t seems to me-not to speak disrespect-
fully of their commanders either-that
they were not properly reinforced In
buried rebels lay all over the field sick
ening to look at, with every button cut
off and pockets all picked. The worst of
all scenes was in this old rihe-pit-the
largest number together--fve or six in a
clump, in every possible position and at
titnde.
Fort Magruder is strong position, but
they began to retreat last Thursday, and
where they will go no one knows. They
fight desperately, and are well fed and
clothed, reports to the contrary notwith-
standing. They might hold us in check
here for some time if they would leave a
force. We are ordered away tomorrow !;
| don't know where, but think towards
Richmond. ... ..-.s. ..... "a.
Williamsburgh is very pleasant place
the prettiest location have seen. A
large lunatic asylum and college are
among the public billings. The church.
es are all hospitals The buildings are
getting old, and need Yankee industry to
repair and build them over, when the
town would be very pretty indeed. 1t is
low, just uneven enough to be pleasant,
and situated, l guess, about three miles
from the York and five from the James
river.
McClellan's head quarters are at Will
liamsburgh. He is an easy, Independent
fellow, seemingly fearing and stunning
no danger. That he is careful of the
lives of his men | judge from his not
sending his force through the woods to
take the fort that night, which they
might have done and taken them all pris-
oners, but with great loss of life / think
that a western general would have done
it; but l like those best who kill least,
either of their own men or the enemy.
Strategy, it seems to me, is worth every
thing in beating; and a delay of "a
hours to the stronger party is worth a
good deal. A days accommodating would,
in this instance, have accomplished the
same result, and perhaps have taken them
prisoners ar1b v.a
Operations at New Orleans.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF GEN. BUTLER.