The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-04-12

+ Tvs NattsHt ~ tAt att ivy 49, "a
a sn sans. vere aarls prulc'isl y ,be
svamps There was slso a strp 8 lVe
marsh land ia tbs cuemg's grsat, saa pef-
hags CREATION Affords tal iew poslieus las,
40 enemy sauii peguny e gressvr aavap.
fnse. oar army passed. Into chs triangle
thrsogh tbs upper raH Of the hyPolheuast,
aud ocaapIel . position little bclgv ,hs
aps1 rhi. lsrt ROAD, which was our line Of
marca. passed between tive swamps. aui
vas 50 narraH ia, many 81 var wea had 10
wade tie swaps hnee l0cp 10 mud aud VA.
ter 20 get iuio elton.
GHE BATTLE
A. STATED above. the skiraishieg eonweu-
cea AZ The time cur advanced guard crossed
the railroad. The Fcuieih Massachusetts,
cavalry Col Henry, The lu3epeadant bat-
talon. Major Stevens, and the seventh Con-
neetieut infantry participated - this prelim-
mary action. Our skirmishefs we're halted
till Cap,s Hamilton aud Elder. with their
batteries. came up. As they move on to-
gether Two guns are breughtnto battery and
throw few shells into ihc woods lpinc bar
rens) in our front, bu, no response IS elicit
"a. The skirmishers we have driven Ia have
disappeared, aud they were, IN fact, moth.
ing boI deooy ducks 70 lure US on and chow
the way to the ambuscalc
Occasionally squad ofa dozen Or SO alc
to be seen 10 the roads and other exposed
points to encourage Us in Tie pursuit q cur
prey, aud on we 60, cavalry, infantry aud
artillery as near together as possible. No
enemy q any importance, nor signs Of a
camp are to be seen anywhere. No sound
is to Je heard But the solemn tramp 81 our
army, and the trembling murmur Of the
winds among the huge end lofty pines
We move on, the Seventh Connecticut IN the
advance, we pass the swamp and emerge IN
to the open space beyond when suddenly a
eoncentric fire from the enemy's curved liue
I is poured upon US. ccl llavley seeing the
hot work in which his advance Il engaged,
orders up the Seventh New Hampshire BY
the way, one Of the best regiments IN the
service. On this occasion, howeser.it was
not possible FOR it to appear to The best nd
vantage. Aims had been taken away and
bad ones given to the men. Ii the terrible
roar Of battle, orders we're net understood,
and in deploying il got into iuektricable CON
fusion. Ii did but little execution, lost
heavily, and did we'll to get cut Of The way
rs soon as possible. lIamilton's battery was
posted in the centre Elders upon oar
right, and Langdop's on the left. When
the Seventh New Hampshire regiment be-
came confused, Col. H.wley brought for
ward the Eighth United Suites Colored. Col.
Charles W. Freblcy. part Of this rcsi-
ment came into action with empty guns, and
being under terrible fire AMI cramped fer
room, ii was fonnd impossible TO form lire
Of battle to the best advantage Considering
that this was The first time the regiment had
been under fire, Il behaved remarkably we'll
The reports that i got into confusion and
run from the field, are certainly false.
cunnot account for It's good conduct, consid-
ing that the m,n we're raw recruits, only
that they were under the command Of SUI
perior ofioers As the Eighth fcil back,
having been under FIRE an honr and half
Col. Barron brought BIS brigade into action.
The Forty seventh New York was posted on
the left, PAT Of tie Forty-eigbth New
York to the left Of llamiitou battery, the
other part on the right, aud the One Iluu-
drel aud Fifteenth New York formed The
right Of our line. THIS brigade did noby -
The enemy's left pressed hard upon tie One
Hundrdrcd AMI Fifteenth. bat every man
stood bis ground like a veteran The Forty
seventh and Fotty-eigth held lie centre
firmly. The battle has now ragged fariously
for two hours, and our losses N officers and
men have been terrible.
Col Montgomery, with the Ffty-fourlh
Massachusetts and the First North Carolina
(colore) regiments. was left back ut The
crossing IL tie railroad, With the train.
Hearing the constant roar Of artillery aud
musketry in front, he sent forward big aid
for orders, bat, without waiting CIR him TO
return, he moved forward with the Fly
fourth, and, as he passed Che swanps, re-
ceiyed orders 10 take position on our left, as
the enemy was pressing US hard in that
quarter. This was done. and, as Gen. sey-
mour said Afterwards. to his entire saiistac-
ton. The Forty-seyenih and Forty-eigbth
New York are nearly out Of ammunition, and
have been in action about two hours and a
half The colonel Of each regiment and
many other officers are badly wounded
some arc killed. Col Montgomery brings
the First North Carolina, Lieut. Reed com
! rnan1ihg, into action. Il passes between
the Forty seventh and Forty-eighth On the
double quick, and Is CD eered y those re-
firing regiments as It goes into battle The
coming Of these fresh troops upon the aeld,
ana tie manner ID which i was done, rather
staggered the enemy for moment Bat
the cars came Numbering IN bringing him
reBlorcements. These North Carolina
coIored soldiers aud The Fifiy-fourth Massa-
chu.eits nov held our len, aided ~ he Dr.
tillery, and even pressed The enemy back.
The battle ragged furiously all along the line,
and the slaughter is terrible Every man
seems determined to do bis whole duty. No
regiment went into action more galiantiy,
fought more desperately, or did better exc