The New York herald., 1862-11-16

Canls,sns OF Nor zniH and Selff fln-exh'oea so s
courage He had ali his aids de-camp is sf"uuu
hm a, lett aln.A aiouo, he eectrheu ms mon " n's
,nlrcpdiy. During TINS time the portion OF suc army
that was massed ulon al ~ the right ruaincd IN
active One division forming the head oi cOamn al nc
arnyed and the generals could not resolve on o!hgus
n MO action beire seeing the troops that wcro 10 sup
uort 4, hut these oops hid been stopped by tho over
a, gIug streams oncumbesed rads, WAGONS osrrsuIneu
and eubedded N the mud % .ny nea,r nn NV s,,r ~
re,re a. They had heard 10 front, then on the tpk,
and il was sill retiring Bai- aud shos came whistnng
and tearing 10 the midet OF those rnotiniess
troors II three click. Action was at length do
ciaei d ision penetrated the woods 10 take IN
ank the Con regiments that were driving back
Hooker. whilst at the extreme right brigade
eros ed the creek upon old mill dam which tho
enemy had neglected to guard, and asoouShed deb sltsi
Of the works that def, nded Williamsburg. Tho Con
federates were No; expecting an attack on that side
the succseded rendered their whole position
teGabe They immediately sent Two brigades who were
advancing resoutey through the green corn 10 drive
away the federal brigade The latter cooly awaited their
The COMEDIES ates without waverng dashed forward to
wih,n thirty yards Of the cannoas mouth bawiing OUT
''Bul run, Bull run, "The Swiss over again. "Gtan.
son. But there they began hesitate and the
federal General Hancock sezing the right moment waving
tho bayonet!' and he threw himself, with his Brigade
the eremy, who could not resist the shock and hcd
srewng the plain with their dead Az the same moment
the In Chief detained till then at Yorktown, ap
peared the field Of battle. IL was dark; night had
quickly, and the rain still fell In torrents On
three sides OF plateau which the General stood
cannon musketry rolled necessarily Haucocks success
hsd decisive and the erves broug hy the chi
dashing forward at double quick completed by teir
prese co alone. then Gen. Mcclellan pass IL tr at
oste sixth cavalry which was drawn up IN columns by
squedrons and give his hand TO MAJOR Williams with me
words his brilliant charge the day before The regi
ment had not heard these words, but II had compre
hendcd them and there from all those breasts of
beard On battle days These accais repeated over the
whole lines, terrified tho enemy. We saw them ascend
the parapsis Of their rcdoubts and look around rshened
ana mconess; then the firing ceased, aud night fol- on
tba, battle which Is called IN America the batte OF VII
liamsburg.
Next day the sun rose oades. The air had that pd
r, which IN countries succeeds storms the woods
had ali the freshness beautiful spring morning. On
ali sides a charming Landscape, new for our European
eyes but by the SIDE Of all that the ravages Of the battle
field, the ground strewed with dead and dy ing, ruins OF
every sort formed a sad hrast. During the night the
Couederates had evacuated their works We soon in
them and could the blue columns OF the federal
iaanlry entering, with waving flags into the city OF
Wi ias burg the midst 0. the explosion OF magazines
aud abandoned cassoEs. Shortly after the Generals
sta entered also IN It's trn by wide handsome street
bordered with aoacas. All the shops closed but
the inhabitants for the most part stood at their doors
windows looking on th an uneasy and gloomy air The
negroes alone showed themselves smiling and many of
them put the rather groesque air OF conquerors
ecAmped in the direction Of Fortress Monroethat Is 10
say OF liberty carrying their wives and children in
others, were surniounted by the yellow nag and filled
with no encmy's wounded At the end OF the wide
street staff debouChed on handsome square adorned
with mar BILE statue and surrounded with the buildings
OF celeb ated college, founded by the English govern
ege Lad been converted into hospital and the
wounded encumbored even the sters OF the peristye.
The st thought Of General Mcclellan was TO relieve so
much sd. .erng. flag OF truce was despatched to the
ederate guard 10 invite surgeons to come and take
Of their wounded complete liberty being guaranteed
them. There arrived certain numbeR OF them
clad ia the gray dead leaf Uniform with green color be-
longing the Confederate army. which made them look
like OF ccrs OF the Austrian Chasseurs. After this
came that Of placing sentnes In all the streets
the maintenance OF the strctest discipline This rrecau
tion supsruous for the cbedsncs Of the soldier TO-
In ha In
ranks in regard TO military service Never. believe has
any army SHOWN more respect for private persons aud
property During all the time that l have followed the
Army o tho the only example Of disorder that
came my knowledge the pliaging OF load Of the
nnest Virginia toDacco oscoveIed unuer an aoanooned
shed. my add that circumstances lent some merit TO
this strict observance of discipline The troops cncamcd
around Williamsburg the day after the light that we have
have Just related wclc for time shortsof provisions In
Of the impossible condition OF the roads and
bore resgnedy the hostile attitude of the Inhabitants
who replied by unanimous refusal to their offers pay
cah fer prov sons After the first moments or alarm had
passed when evident that they la danger,
the ladies the city we're seen carrying, with much ac
taton refreshments 10 their wounded which they had
for the federal wounded and when followed by their
negro porers with baskets full Of provisions, they met
gather up the folds their dresses they feared TO
be contaminated BY the contact Of an unclean animal The
ten OF childish spite Others in their place would per-
haps have been less patient
The General established his headquarters at Williams
burg in the house which the chief OF the Confederate
army, johnston had occupied the day before; for Of
late il was no longer Magruder had before
Johnston, in the eyes OF friends e well enemies,
and the opinion particularly Of his old comrades Of the
regular army was regarded a. soldier Of the first rank
TO great courage, said he joined iron will and
remarkable quickness OF conception on the field
With Nj, jefferson Davis great intelligence to conceive
execute the Confederate army in good hands and
We saw that only too well In making stand thus two
Tie withdrawal Of his n.eterid and tie bulk OF his
troops, without their being dsqnieted by the narrow
roads over which they travelled; and In spite Of
cond ,on, he sliI arrived at the head Of the York
days after the battle In time TO fight with the
soldiers OF Franklin who had Just disembad battle
by which he succeeded in covering his retreat Hence
forth the two armies were not 10 meet again until they
met before Richmond.
The federal army spent three days At Williamsburg,
engaged collecting its wounded, lost in the solitudes Of
the rest and In burying It's dead. The wounded
sent by water the Northern cities board
those large steamboats, so well known for their
creeks in the country the 10 take them almost
up the battle field AS 10 the dead, their intcrmen
took place on the SPOT. Tho encnys dead were numer
ous IN single rifle pit there sixty three found
General Mcclellan sent some squadrons Of cavalry after
tae Confcderate, who had some ring engagements with
their guard. The st day they took many prison
ers and seven eight guns; but after that the
retreat was conducted Ia an orderly manner, aud the
pursuit was almost without Object Besides If the enemy
had abar oned some o. his guns he took with him almost
equal number captured from Hookers DIVISION and
destined, many troIh Ihss, 10 rckinde zeal which
the federal troops necessarily compelled await
the supplies from Yorktwn, Of which the state q the
roads rendered the arrival difficult They received them
length, and, the ne weather drying up the reads rapid
ly they oiucd after two days march, the CORPS which
had dsembarked at the head Of York river, and there
formed bss OF supplies. The whole army rallied
around this depot then II resumed its route towards
following the Psmunkey-a navigabc a'luent
OF the York river There nothing picturesque
than that military march along the banks " beautiful
stream through a magnificent country decked with all
the gorics Of a springtime vegetation. The winding
Of the Pamunksy in valley covered with meadows
Of q sparkling verdure and with wooded hocks, was a
perpetual enchannen for eyes Every where flowers
especially the banks Of the stream where the magno-
liza, the Virginia jasmine the azalea and the blue Ia
pins abounded. The humming birds and unknown birds
all coors swarmed tho branches OF the trees Some
times passed front OF . handsome dwelling, re-
mnding Of old French chatsaus, with large win
dows In the roof: around the house handsome garden
and behind the hus Of the slaves On the approach Of
the army the inhabitants displayed q white flag.
grand provost guard dstnounted AZ the