Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-07-17
A. h. r. HILDRETH, Editor.
Charles City, Iowa, July II, 1862.
Affairs at Richmond.

space of our news columns, to give a
detailed account of the terrible fight.
ing that has been going on in front OF
the rebel capital. The enemy, dcspe.
rate at the prospect Of their cause
and maddcned at their late series oI
defeats, gathered at Richmond gi
gantic force, to make one bold stroke
for the overthrow of the Government
Confident from their force, they threw
their men upon McClellan's army, al
the time that he was executing that
most difficult and hazardous task Of
changing his base line Of operations
in the face of a ready enemy. Blu
with a bravery unparalleled, our mel
met the shock, fighting eight days, com
plcting the strategic movement, AM
slaughtering the foe in manner AM
to an extent unequalled in moderl
warfare. The fresh troops the enem,
were able to bring into action, forcet
our wearied men to fall back, but tn
retreat was conducted most admirably
as with every step backward, thei
artillery played with dreadful havo
upon the advancing rebels.
At one time, it is reported, our for
ces had rctreated seventeen miles, t,
Turkey Bend, on the James river
Here tho gunboats were brought into
action, repulsing the enemy, and ena'
bling the land forces to regain seve.
raj miles Of the lost ground. A few
Of our guns were lost, but probably
as many were captured from the enc
my. OF prisoners VIC have no authcn
tic account of the number taken b,
either side. Undoubtedly it is large
But the list of killed and wounded il
frightful. At one time dispatches es
timated our entire loss in killed, woun
dcd and missing, at $4,000, while tina
of the rebels was stated at $4,000
Both estimates were probably exag
gcratcd. The latest accounts say tina
the entire loss on our part, in the sew
eral battles, will not exceed in killed
wounded and missing, 1000. The
rebel loss is not known, but there is
no doubt that it far exceeded ours,
from the fact that, their forces in each
action greatly outnumbered ours, and
that our artillery was handled with
more skill and did greater execution
than theirs.
The Richmond Examiner describes
the battle Of Tuesday (the eighth day.
as the ficrcest and most sanguinary OF
the whole series of conflicts. 1t says,
Gen. Magruder ordered charge
across open fields to drive the enemy
from their position. Instantly from
the line of the Union breastworks, a
murder Gus storm of grape and CAMS
ter was hurled into their ranks with
most terrible execut ion. Officers and
men went down by hundreds, but un-
iaunted, they pressed on for two thirds
the distance across the field. Here
the carnage from the whitening fire of
the enemy, Of combined cannon and
nusketry was dreadful. Our line wa
vcred moment and fell back to the
cover of the wood. Thrice again the
effort to carry the position of the enc
ny was made, but with the same re-
suits.
Might at last rendered further at
.empts injudicious. and the fight until
ten o'clock was kept up by the artil-
lery on both Sides"
An army letter to the Herald says
Rebel prisoners say that long before
the evacuation of Corintb, troops
from Beauregard began to arrive at
Richmond, and continued to arrive
steadily until that event took place,
by which time $4,000 had arrived
and that subsequent to the evacuation.
25, OO0 more arrived from Corinth, and
those $4,000 are the flower Of Beau
regards army. The whole number of
troops at Richmond. amounts fully to
100000. Gen. Lee has the chief COM
mand, and Gems. Beauregard, john
son and Jackson were commanders of
the corps under him.
AS regards the distinctions sunk
and driven into the bed of the river,
they are such that it will require such
o vast amount Of time and labor to
remove them that it can never be
done under the fire of their guns, and
no vessel can pass while they remain.
That Gen. Mcclellan believes it can
be taken, and that he has determined
to do it. is apparent from the follow
ing address to his soldiers on the 4th
Of july:
Soldiers Of the Army Of tie POtomae:
Your achievements of the last ten
days have illustrated the valor and
endurance Of the American soldier.
Attacked by superior forces, and with
put hope Of reinforcements you have
succeeded in changing your base of
by a flank movement, al
ways regarded as the most hazardous
If military expedients. You have
saved all your material, all your
rains, and all your guns, except a