Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-06-18
FROM CRAMPS ARMY.
The Battle of Friday.
FULL AND THRILLING DETAILS.
Correspondence OF the n. 7. Times.
HKApo'Rs ARMT OF THE Potomac, a
Coal HARBoR, NEAR TIE CHIcKAHoMINY,
Friday, June STOP. NJ
GENERAL VIEW OF THE BATTLE.

Coal GAEsOE, Mar THE CaIcKAHONiSr,(
Friday, June $40 2. NJ.
GENERAL VIEW OF THE BATTLE.
Judging by the severity of the encounter,
and the heavy losses we have experienced,
the engagement which opened at gray dawn
this morning and spent its fury in little over
an hour, shoald take it's place among the bat
ties of the war; but viewed in its relations to
the whole campaign, it is, perhaps, hardly
more than grand reconnaissance, however,
which has cost US not less than five or six
thousand killed and wounded.
The object of the action was to force the
passage of the Chickahominy, on the north
side of which, and covering the roads to
Richmond, the rebels had planted themselves
in fortified line. What we have-don is to
e feel this line by vigorous attack, in which,
though gaining some temporary successes,
and at one or two points actually carrying the
enemy's works, we have, on the whole, reach
ed the conclusion that any victory that could
here be won must cost too much in its pur-
chase. / do not say this as speaking with
any authority, but only as recording the gen.
eral conviction of the army. Such conyic-
ton, however, when the common judgment
of such men as have to-day led their lines
against the enemy, is apt to be of itself au-
thority, and hence think l may safely pre-
diet that there will be no rene1rdl of tie assault
on The lines Of tie ChickatOniiRy; then we must
T. look to the resources of strategy to plant this
army in position where, being at less of a
disadvantage, its valOr will have better
promise of adequate reward.
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Coal Harbor being secured by the action of
Wednesday, Gen. Grant determined to give
battle the day following, for the purpose of
essaying the passage of the ChickahOminy.
Accordingly, during the night, Hancocks
corps, which, by the previous withdrawal of
the Sixth Corps, held the right of the line,
was moved and took position on the extreme
left; and early on Thursday, the headquarters
of Gems Grant and Meade, which had been
in the rear of the right, were transferred to
the rear of the left and established at Coal
Harbor 1t had, as have said, been design
ed to give battle on Thursday; but Hancock
was compelled to fight his corps into position,
and his formation not completed until
afternoon. The attack was then ordered for
5 o'clock in the afternoon; but thunder
storm as heavy as that which swelled the
Chickahominy on the day before Fair Oaks,
set in, and the order had to be counter
manded.
The hour of attack was then fixed for 4:S0
o'clock this morning Had Gen. Lee, under
these circumstances emulated the conduct of
that Union General whose chief glory is to be
thought well of by the rebels, and planted
his army astraddle of the ChickahOminy, as
Mcclellan did, the storm which swelled that
stream yesterday afternoon might have given
Gen Grant an opportunity which you may
depend upon it he would have improved
But while the rebels praise Mcclellan they do
not initiate him. Lee had his entire force
north of the Chickahominy, and the only re-
suit of the delay in attack caused by the rise
in the river was to give the enemy, who had
by this time discovered the disposition of our
troops, the hours of night during which to
- perfect his defensive preparations.
THE SITUATION AT a. NJ, FRIDAY.
In saddle at o'clock in the morning the
gray light of dawn is struggling through a
thick envelope of clouds, and light patter-
ing rain is falling. Our men still lie behind
their breastworks, worn out with the work of
the night; the rebels, too, lie behind their.
entertainments, and only the sleepless pickets
peer with wary eyes forward through the
dusk of the woods. All is still as the grave,
vet in thirty minutes the storm of battle will
burst forth along a stretch of six miles,
There is but time to take a glance at the
lines. Here on the left wing of the army is
the corps of Hancock 1.-THE 2d;) connecting
with him on the right, and forming the left
centre, is Wright's, 1.-THE 9th j then Smiths,
1.-THE 1Sth,) which holds the centre; next
comes Warren's 1.-THE 5th) which forms the
ElzuE centre, anu bLGu Dufuelut kluS Stti,l
which holds the extreme right. Our line
runs almost parallel with the ChickahOminy,
and from one and half to two and half
miles north of it. On the left wing we APP
proach nearest the river, on the right
somewhat refused Hancock holding the
left wing, rests across the Dispatch Station
road, THAT is, the road leading from Coal
Harbor to Dispatch Station;) our right is
across the TolopatOmoy. The rebel front is
l.. - E -, Il,
hOminy, in three lines 1.-TWO lines of battle
and a skirmish line, on an irreg~!ar line to
conform with the woods and ridges and
swamps of the ground. Between the two ar
mics is low, swampy region, whose dark
hollOws will soon be lit up with the fires of
death. Suddenly from behind the rude para
pet there is an upstarting, a nOiseless spring
ing to arms, the muffled commands of officers
forming the line. The attack was ordered
for 4:3O, and it may have been five minutes
after that, or it may have been ten minutes,
but it certainly was not later than AS when
the whole line is in motion. Shirmishers are
thrown out, and presently meet the enemy's
pickets, as we learn by the smart fusilade you
hear; our artillery opens, the rebels respond,
and in a moment the deadly conflict is Joined.
THE MINUTES OF HISTORY.
The metaphysieians say that time is'naught.
is but a category of thought, and think it
must be so, for into ten mortal minutes this
morning was crowded an age of action. Ten
minutes of the fgment men call time, and
yet that scant space decided battlel There
are thousand details ten thousand episodes,
but the essential matter is this, that the first
rush of advance carried our whole front but
up against line of works, which we were
unable to break through, or, breaking
through unable to hold Conceive of this in
the large-the fierce onslaught amid deafen-
ing volleys of musketry and the thunder of
artillery, and the mad yell of battle, and see
the ranks mown down, and the lines break
here and there, and the sullen obstinate re-
treat, every inch contested and we shall then
be able to descend TO some of the points of
action as they individualize themselves along
the line.
THE LEFT-HASCOCK's CORPS.
Hancock held the left of the whole line of
battle; and his three divisions, Barlow held
the extreme left of the army, that of Gibbon
was drawn on the right of Barlow's, while
Birneys division was held in reserve. OF the
four brigades of Barlow's division, Brooks had
the left and Miles the right-each brigade in
double line Of battle. Smith, Commanding
the Irish Brigade, was placed in support'
NA