Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-07-09
The Standard.
THE GREAT battle.

A rieao of tho gr0unG-incidents of the contest
Nagruders attack on Ssnday-he Clellan's re-.
treat-ha position on Monday night.
The impossibillity of obtaining from the Rich
mond papers full, authentic and circumstantial
count of the great battle before Richmond as it pro-
crossed, with the particular part which each reg-
ment brigade and division has borne in the conflict
obges us to give our readers what seems to be the
most reliable, and best adapted to convey to the
mind a correct idea of the affair." The following
account Of the Examiner brings up the affair, added
to what appeared in our last ISSUE to Monday night
last
REVIEW OF THE SITUATION.
To keep the track of the battles which have swept
around Richmond We must have reference to the
principal points of locality which have become IA
miliar in these accounts. 1t will he recoected
that it was on Thursday evening when the attack
was commenced on the enemy near Meadow Bridge.
This locality is about six miles distant from the
city, line almost due North. THIS position was
the cnemys extreme right His lines extended
from here across the Chickahominy, near the Pow
bite creek two three miles above the crossing of
the York river railroad From Meadow Bridge to
this railroad the distance along the Chickaholnny
on the North side is about ten miles. The different
stages between the points indicated, along which
the enemy were driven are Mechanicsville, about
mile North Of Chckahominy; further on, Beaver
Dam creek, emptying into the Chickahominy; then
the New Bridge road, on which Cold Harbor Is To-
Gated and then Powhite creek, where, it will be
reco1lected, the enemy was pursued after having
been driven from his strong position behind Beaver
Dam creek.
The York river railroad runs in an easterly direc-
ton, intersecting the Chickahominy about 10 miles
from the city. South of the railroad is the Will
liamsburg road connecting with the Nine Mile road
at Seven Pines. The former road connects with
the New Bridge road, which turns off and crosses
the Chckahominy. From Seven Pines, where the
Nine Mile road joins the upper one, the road is
known as the old Williamsburg road, and crosses
the Chckahominy at Bottoms Bridge.
With the bearing of these localities in his mind,
the reader will readily understand how il was that
the enemy was driven from his oriGnal strongholds
on the North side of the Chickahominy, and how,
at the time Of Fridays battle, he had been COM
PEELED to surrender the possession of the Fredercks
burg and Cent. al railroads, and had been pressed
to position where he was cut off from the trinci
pal avenues of supply and escape. The disposition
Of our forces such to cut off all comnunica-
ton between Gen. McClcllan's army and the White
House OR the Panunkey river; he had been driven
completely from his Northern line of defences; and
it was supposed that he would be unable to ex,ri-
cate himself from his position without victory ora
equalization In front Of him, with the Chckahom-
my, which he had crossed in his rear, were the
divisions of Generals Longstreet Magruder and HUI
ger, and. IN the situation, as it existed on Saturday
night all hopes Of his escape were thought to be
impossible
On Sunday morning it appears that our pickets,
on the Nine Mile road, having engaged some small
attachments of the enemy and driven them beyond
their Notifications found them deserted. In short
while 1t became known to our generals that Nc
Clellan having nassed his entire force on this side
OF the Chickahonlny, was retreating towards James
river, having stolen a march of twelve hours on
Gen Huger, who had been placed in position on
his flank to watch his movements
INCIDENTS OF THE coNTEsT-scENEIY ON TIE BATTLE
FIELDS ETC.
There appears to have been some imperfect state
mentS as to what forces were engaged in Fridays
assault on the enemys works at Gaines farm, where
was IN TACT the great wrestle of the contest From
the pest Information We can obtain, it appears that
Gen. A. P. Hills division, supported ny General
Plcketts brigade, from Gen. Longstreets division
made the first assault upon the enemyS works, and
were afterwards reinforced by Gen. Writings d.
vision, when the enemy were GSlodged Writings
division is composed Of the Fourth Alabama Elev.
enth Mississippi, Sixth North Carolina, Second Mis-
sissippi, First, Fourth and Fifth Texas, and Tenth
Georgia.
hill east of Mechanicsville offered an eminence,
from which could be observed much of the progress
OF the three days combat; the smoke of the battle
afortns the outlines 10 the positions of the forces
engaged.
All day Friday and Saturday. as well as yester-
Jay, there could be seen hanging over the woods a
neaVy maze, yelling up from the scene of the fight
below. The shells often went I'D to great eleya
ton, and falling and exploding were generally harm.
less. In the woods beyond AechsnlcSve some of
the trees, as thick around as mans BODY are shot
through and through by round shot, and the bushes
are everywhere cut and nipped by the bullets.
olons OF human habiatl1ns, fences and fruit trees
nave been swept from the face of the country. as
lar as our army that Of the enemy has progressed
in Hanover county,
lne woods and swa,nps are represented as full! Of
1ahkee deserters, and they could he brought in in
any numbers II our troops desired to leave the reg
nlar lines and go to the front for that burmese
The farmers residing in the neighborhpod Of the
battle fields have, with great unanimity and ma.
trlotlc devotion. responded to the demand for br.
pital accommodations, and have opened their dYej.
lings and out houses for the use and orcunatin If
the wounded.
Among the trophies of our victory are several
very fine Federal flags taken from the enemy on
Saturday and Sunday. One belongs to the Buck.
tail Rifles of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserves
and two others to the Fourth New Jersey regiment
Around Mechancsvllle the houses had been occu
pied by the troops of both armies, and the SCIENCES
OF devastation and desolation are very great.
Throughout the whole country the houses are
shattered and nearly shot into pieces by the cannon
balls OF the opposing armies. At Mechanicsville
the explosion of a shell knocked large house nto
fragments and killed six men who were res,inp
there. ~'
In Hanover county the scene of destruction is
wide and appalling. At Ellis mills the wounded Of
both sides were lying though Saturday and Sunday
great many of the dead were picked from III,
canal at the mills One poor fellow was found ".
ing on the side of the hill with his musket bes,I,
MN and shot through his breast
AT Dr. Atkinson's farm, from which the enem,
oore OH alter the fight at the mills the fighting wa;
serrlnc ana the loss heavy on both SIDES Tn,
mouse OF TINS gentleman is filled with the dead an,
wounded, and the enemy's surgeons were amone
them they being furnished with every facility =
They laid unattended for niles sick prostTated .nI
wounded The Yankees have their hospt s IN th.
woods and thousands lying around under m e., thu thu
attention Of their surgeons Amputaon is gOi in
on at all times, but the green leaves furnish es
relief to the wounded The demand for u oom grea
great that some of the houses We're torn U 1 Is 81
the route to make collins Tor the dead 00"i Vi
Some fifty bodies were taken out of tho .-,