Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-07-04

Important News from McClel-
lan's Army!-Great Battle on
Thursday and friday
NEw-YoRK, June 80, 9 A. NJ. The
Tribune has just issued an extra with
dispatches from the battle field Sunday
morning,
The dispatch states that severe and
most determined battle was fought on
the right wing on Thursday and Friday,
which is claimed by some of our officers
as a successful and strategic movement
into which the enemy unwittingly had
been drawn, and which will soon result
in the capture of Richmond and the en-
tire rebel army.
The attack was made by the enemy in
immense force, who crossed the Chicka-
hominy near the railroad above Mechan-
icsville Thursday afternoon.
They fought desperately, but were I'M
able to drive our men a single rod,
though the enemy were ten to one.
The only force engaged on that day
was General McCalps division. The
battle lasted from O'Clock to P. NJ.
when the division was ordered back.
General Mcclellan was on the field,
and expressed himself satisfied with the
result.
SECOND DISPATCH.
The following is a digest Of the 2rij-
unss report of two days battle, which
the correspondent states is necessarily
imperfect;
On Thursday noon the enemy made
an attack on General Stoneman's forces
in the vicinity Of Hanover Court House.
Shortly they commenced vigorous
cannonading from the woods on an emf
hence opposite Mechanicsvlle; also from
two batteries, one above and the other
below. They were replied to by Col.
CampbelI's Pennsylvania batteries-one
on the MechanicsvilIe road and the other
from behind earthworks at the rights of
the grove.
At about p. NJ, the enemy's infantry
and squadrons of cavalry crossed the
Chickabominy in immense force 4 short
distance above the Virginia Central
Railroad, making rapid advance toward
McCalPs division, intrenched on billy
woodland, across a swampy rayine, about
a mile in the rear of MechanicsviIle.
The First Pennsylvania Rifles Duck
tails) and Campbell's Pennsylvania bat
teries were on duty, all of whom except
one company fell back behind the breast
works and rifle pits, where the line Of
battle was drawn up,
Company X of Bucktails, on duty
beyond the railroad, was surrounded,
and the last known of them they were
trying to cut their way through an i'm
mense force.
Their fate is not known, but it is pre-
sumed that the greater number are
prisoners.
The enemy advanced down in the
rear Of Mechanicsville, on a low, marshy
ground, where our forces were drawn up
beyond rife pits and earth works, on an
eminence on the north side OF the ravine,
where the conflict became most terrible.
The rebels, with most determined
courage, attempted to push forward over
he miry ground, but bullets and grape
fell among them like hail, until, in the
words of an officer, " they lay like flies
on bowl of sugar." and withdrew.
Cannonading was kept up on both
sides until about nine 2. NJ, when the
battle ceased. Our forces were covered |
,y earthworks and suffered but slightly. |
Late in the afternoon the enemy made
charge with cavalry. About one humid
ed of them came rushing down and at
empted to cross the ravine, when the
lorses became mired. A squadron of
,ur cavalry, seeing the position in which
he enemy were placed, made charge
lown the hill when the rebel cavalry-men
bandoned their horses and fed.
The infantry fight was then renewed,
md continued until about Z p. NJ,
when retreat was ordered, very much
gainst the will of the Pennsylvania
'oys, who begged to be allowed to de-
end their position, which they felt conf
ent they could hold. The outer forces
~ N