New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-04
The Battle OF White Onis swamp-Ihe
Pcnnsylv nnia Rcservc-Exceiienf BE
bayior Of the Wen Generally.

rom OuG Special Correspondent
TURKEY BRIDGE JANIS RIVER,
Nine q. IN, Tuesday July !, 1892.

TURKEY BRIDGE, JANIS RIVER
Nine a. IN, Tuesday July !, 1917
Another tremendous battle, more terrible carnage.
Yesterday. From Wednesday to Monday has this
army been fghting-a ak days battle, or, if you
please, forty battles.
Early yesterday morning the enemy appeared in
force at White Oak Swamp, the position we bad
assumed during the night previous In this retreat
-wny hesitate to use that wordl-he has not, IN &
single instance long hesita,ed to attack-he did not
now. By noon the action had commemorative bat
tie of White Oak Swamp. Musketry had not cested
when | left the field at III p. IN. Ii will scarcely
rank in magnitude with Gaines HILL and yet we did
not suier more nor cause to autfer more, a. Far
Oaks.
1t is impossible for me to give circums;antia'
account Of this battle raging as II did ten hours, and
extending along line OF - miles, and fought on
ground such that not one-tenth Of the field was IN
view from any one point of vision. At least three
ffths of what remains of McClellans army wss ell
gagged or in immediate reserve. Heln1clman's,
Summers and Franklns corps were thus, and
portion of each of Keyess and Porier's. More could
scarcely have been brought into an action had the
fate of the country depended on the one effort Not
40 MANY can be brought INTO line to-day. And yet
we only barely held our grcund-perhaps no, quite.
shall bave 10 hurry on 10 the results. Our loss
of Yesterday may be estimated at 5000. Many Of
these are prisoners. The Pennsylvania Reserve
were again in the ,hickes,. This morning they do
not muster 3, 900 men. Add to these 900 who are
Struggling and will yet n and the number is
less than half that they began with at Beaver Dam.
They lost severely there, they were more than deci-
mated the next day at Gaines Mills, aud yesterday
they shraIk 10 this small measure Their leader Gen.
Mccall is severely wounded and in the enemy 3
hands Our Brigade Commander, Gen j. j. Roy
nods is prisoner al Richmond, another, Gen. Geo.
G. Meade, lies in q tent near US seriously wounded.
Officers Of lower grade they have lost in about the
same proportion. Of the Bucktail Regiment-not a
hundred respond to the ro-call.
And 30 with other divisions. For the losses Of the
last six days cannot be less than $1,000. It is only
hoped that they will not reach 10000.
Our Generals behaved like Napoeons under his
own eagle eye. Gen. Mccall was severely
wounded in the shoulder, but refused to leave
the field or to dismount. A. night, when the
enemy had been driven back, his horse was found
dead, and this is all that is known Of his fate How
Generals Richardson and Dana, always well up in
the melee, escaped unhurt, seems miraculous. The
same NAV be oaid Of scores Gen. Burns and Gen.
Brooks were each slightly wounded, but neither so
disabled as to leave The field. Col Wymsn 10Th
Massachusetts,, was killed late in tie day, under
what circumstances | cannot say, bCI in a brave
fight it may be warranted for such was the place he
always sought. Col. Kinks, 10Th Massachusetts
fought Lis regiment until he had less officers than
companies, mace two bayonet charges, aid fought
his men until al length he fell wounded.
Let it be recorded here, that O regiment always
fights precise!y ike s officers. This fact reeurs 10
me speak Of the l9h since that furnishes one Of
the most notable instances bearing the assertion
The varying fortunes Of the field are shown by
n fact that each side took guns and large numbers
NJ prisoners. Among those taken from the enemy
ARE Col. Lamar Of Georges, ex.M. c., the noted
scce, sonist OF long standing and Col Pendleop, OF
a Lon siana regiment formerly of Cincinnati. A
whole brigade was captured by Heintzelman-a
email b, gade, 900 strong Perhaps 5000 were
taken du, ing the day.
That the enemy's loss OF the sst week more thal
exceeds ou. own, is as nearly certain NJ anything
can be of which there ia no direct proof he has
ost fewer by capture than we, but his killed and
wounded must lully balance the account. BY tight
ing the enemy i'll choeen positions, where the aTt-
ery could play havoc with si who fhould attempt 10
approach, we pilea his dead IN winrows Onf
superiority IN artillery has saved zoe army from
utter apniiiaDon. And yet the nos, tenacious ,mg-
sles tsYs teen over these very gOs Tie 'r'my