The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-08-01
Brilliant Action Of the Excelsier Bri.
gade Under Gen. Spinela.
They Chamber Up the Face Of . Stcep Hill Un-
der Heavy Fire, Make q Charge, Clear
the Heights, Make Second Charge
Up Another Hill, and Garry Il.
General Spinola Wounded IN tho
Foot and Side.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED,

I1E A1AlAEO AND WOUNDE ELI
h., -. -.
Mr.. Thomas II. Cocks Despatch.
AxY or m PoroxAc, July %, 1868.
luss ARryuL yxurr-nHADD's oouNIYRyIOT.
Lee with his army, having pushed into the shenan-
Aeah valley found that Meade was at his heels
than he made ein a. no would turn and recross the
Potomac 50 soon however, Meade ascsrtained 70 bis
own satisfaction that Lee had not turned back In force
but only feint he again put his columns In motion,
and BY the rapid and fagung marches got posses
sion Of all the passes IN tho Blue Ridge Mountains down
70 Manassas Gap, thus hsmmins the enemy into the
Shenandoah valley. On the I'd instant hh scouts re
ported 70 him that corps Of the enemy at or be
low Front Royal through Manassas Cap and that the
other two corps behind and rapidly approaching
that point
BuToRp's DIVISION cAvAIxy
were alone n occupation Of this important mountain pass
through which Il seemed probable the enemy intended
70 force his way, and they were calling loudly for
reinforcements, representing that tho entire rebel
army were MANAGING them In this emergency
rm ARMY ooRfs,
shsn guarding Ashby's Gap, was ordered down 70
Naaaaas Gap. The order received late in the day,
and by four O'Clock the corps In motion By an al
most unprecedented march they reached Piedmont be-
fore dark, wnen, without hatng, the First division
(Birnsy's command), temporarily commanded BY Gene
raj Ward, thrown forward 70 support General b.
ford who found 70 bs ten miles In advance up the
gap Thus n was nearly midnight when this division
reached s camping ground In tho vicinity Of Linden,
tte town close n among tho mountains. Esry on the
following morning General French moved the rest d
sAe corps up support the First division and dispatched
hh Cnief Of sts Colonel Hayden ascertain the POSI-
tton Of the enemy. a
ouR nAr-rm scun.
Issnd you with this map iIussatns The topography
~ Manassas Gap 70 sxtsut and showing The POSI-
tioss Ne akrmshinG thal followed thsss movsmsnAs
Colonel Hayden IN obsdspce 70 hi instructsous pushsd
ahsad md gut position upon shs sumnit a Aioy moun
TAIN Indicated the map whsnos he bod splendid
View Of the Shenandoah vasy for miles n all directions
At his very fest rolIsd the murky waters Of The shsnan
doah just In front lay The pretty town Of Front Royal
beyond and stretching fAr The eye could reach,
south and north, broad neds rich with ther
absndApt crops The ses.s beautiful ous, well cal
calassd tns attention and awaken the sdmlrstcn
u Ne behoider.
But other scenes OF greater interest 70 the veteran SOL
dior met gaze Of the observing STAT officer Upon
ordinary country road approaching the Shenandoah river
almost st the base Of the mountain which hs STOOD
and crossing the at that point by ford thence
losing itself the system Of ravnes and hills leading 70
Chester's Gap, large body OF rebel infantry were
moving close column and most perfect order. Several
thousand OF these infantry seem followed by large
body Of mounted subsequently shown 70 be sick and
disabled soldiers mounted hores stolen in Pennsyiva
The Of the line covered by large body Of
cavalry.
THE RxBn rnANs.
On the turnpike beyond, running nearly parallel with
the country road above described leading directly 70
Front Royal the long wagon trains o. the enemy
pushing rapidly possible and extending
far as could be
RESULT REcoSxomAEcE.
No reconnaissance could be perfect and satisfac
tory than this Taken in connection with the infoma
that had been brought by scouts the previous
day, seemed clear that this be portion--per.
haps the advance-of the rebels Second corps Their
nrst corps had already passed down the valley tho
third must ret be In the The situation was emil
nenty favorable This precisely tho TINA 70 attack
We could now cut ths rebel column In This the
natural and suppositon and there dissent
from II.
ceI~ BEnDASs ExlcApK MH#wM E
80 Col. Hayden returned and reported his ob-
Woods old brigade Of the First division
porariiy commanded by Col. Bcrdan, depoyed az
administers and ordered forward Besides the celebrated
Bcrdan sharpshoosers thsre this brigade the well
known Twentieth Indiana, which did such splendid
vice az skrmizs at Chanceorsvillc the SIXTY third
Pennsylvania and the Third and Fourth Maine-aI rcg
mcnts OF the highest reputation together forming
skrmishing strength and excellence They
we're immediately supported by the Ninety ninth Penn
sylvania and tho Eighiy-sixth and O. Hundred and
Twcssy fourth New York
mR voRmED
just beyond tho Iittc village Linden where tho pass
n very narrow and would admit of no extended line.
There was but single and tnai very narrow road lead
ING through the gap by which 20 move no the main
bsdy the corps but in the face thsse obstacles 0en
French kept command wen clc~ed up end ready for
rcxrr prvr IN.
But the enemy appeared 10 have great force M the
gap, having been content with occupying iu western
end with picket force of . few hundred mon They
fel back skirmishsrs advanced. until they cana
upon supporting fosos strongly posted On . lofty hin.
facing directly up the zap. around which the soad
leading througn the gap passed by deoouch TO the right
On this hin the enemy made stand and seemed a.
posed 70 resist our further advances.
Tax mrI cIxAaEp caAR0G
Gen ward then detached two rexime~n from hia
shirmsrh Iueshs THIRD and Fosrsh Malns veasrans q
Kearnys old diysionand directed than To clear this
hin by sssani shaxpshoosrs bed ths attention q
she enemy while she MAiDs cSept silently and a
observed ~ ~ facs a. tho hin Ou gaining The summit
ihsy prsns 70 sbsr feet delivered voIlsy. and
rncsG determined charge cleared the hn, gaining num-
ber Il prisoners snd prsadss ground with snIsd and
wousled rebels. The charge vas . right gallant one.
sueh a soldiers may vel feel proud a having partlc
rated a. ard viii ever be bright credit marx foe sbess
nne regiments.
rur rxE~y srnosaLy rosrxp IN yporr
nm, whep ,bs hIl uxs gained wss deovered ths, III
sosmy we're more rrocsy posscd on system q Apls