The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-08-02


fail Ia,o line aid sets Their suns 81.
frs ihe entire rebel ce!lmn. eainpos.
ca q Walker and Baies divisions q
hafdos corps. wss wilhn range
The Zinc u pockets guarded tie inter
|sal between ~ Ed and lett e oar
army lsrtly escaped capture by
plurgug a,o peaeA Tree Creek, and
s. mlstng aer8ss
+ Ibe enemy tad suaek p At q vital
point where 8 yleloy lor him might
ba decisive. Newtonha morc ground
10 guard than De could cover 81 even
4 ngle line Fer tha first few min-
utes everything seemed trembling in
ne scale. Ntwtons lef, flank was
greatly exposed and barely covered
bis bridge across Peach Tree Greek.
Had Il given way. there would have
been great less. Oar whole right
might have been rolled op aud forced
back 10 CLaiiahoothee River
% lhe let, long lines q Jarkiys,
with pack-saddIrs, and other non.
combaiants, cRme bouncing across The
bridge with sweat running down On
Iiiyulets. Guards, wilh6xed bayonets.
were placed 81 III bridge Is collect
whatever armed astrs might ap-
pear; but none cane, 10 spite Of the
furious charge. None Of our troops
were siampeded
The rebel coluan poured down an
open but rocky series Of fields, toward
NcWouS lelt evidently aiming he his
bridges At the moment the enemy
irst appeared, Ste lai but 1870 guns
+ in dosiuon guarding this gilal point;
bat Capt Goo pecl, Newton's Chief
Of Artillery, with splendid quicknc 8,
/ brought up ten more guns, making
Twelve. They opened with canister,
the gunners working with frantic en-
ergy four guns went into action on
Newion's right. Up 10 The moment
/ these guns opened, the rebel columns
4 had steadily advanced, engaging New
tons three reduced brigades at terri.
/ bic odds. Ii was wonderful how fast
the enemy lost lis grip Shen sixteen
guns added their blast TO the storm Of
bullets from the infantry. His col
umns slackened pace and began to
waver and lose their careful arrange
ment
IN vain tie rebel cavalry rode up
and down their lines, waving swords
and exhorting men not to ialter. In
twenty minutes The assault had totally
failed and the enemy gave way, re-
1 firing in confusion 10 the woods from
which they emerged. For the rest Of
fthe afternoon they kept up a desulto-
ry fire, which was returned by our
artillery, but they did not venture TO
renew it again. The rebel General
Stevens, commanding brigade in
| Walkers division, was killed here
! Nearly two hundred rebel dead were
buried in Newtons front next morn,
ing. His brigade did not yield an
inch.
Wards division on Newton's right,
was struck at the same moment as
Newton's. He lad just halted his
men at the foot Of the hill for q brief
rest Aaor skirmishers had made
their way to the crest Of a wood they
came back to him stating that the en-
envy was charging over the open field
in his front in immense force. With
out moments hesitation, Ward Or
dered the division to meet the enemy
with counter charge. His men
moved up the hil in splendid order,
and when they gained the crest, so
close upon Them were tile rebels, that
several Of the hostile regiments were
intermingIed. AT such points, .ihe
rebels seemed added by Gen. Wards
bold corps, and were captured without
Il difficulty. On another portion Of the
line, fighting at close quarters contin-
ued for half an hour bat each success
siye line of the rebels was pressed
back by the valor Of Wards men,
AT the end of that time, the rebels
fell back into dense forest in the
rear, completely whipped.
4 50 far as Gen. Wards division is
concerned, its trophies are seven bait
tie flags and three hundred prisoners,
including many Of the enemy wound
cd and left on the Geld. Among the
prisoners are representatives Of six
Iieen regiments, and he no doubt fought
double that number. Ward sent all
his available artillery to protect New
ion's flank, and his splendid victory
was achieved with muskelry alone.
/. The charge swept along TO the
right, striking Geary's division. AZ
ter Geary had advanced half a mile
from the trenches he occupied in the
morning, and Lad just marched his
troops to the top OF the ridge, when
the rebel columns were thrown on him
with terrible violence. Most OF Gea-
ry's line ran through the wood, and
his right aaak was exposed by an IN
terval Of two or three hundred yards,
which Gen. Williams division was
endeagoring to. close VIXEN the enemy
came on.
CoA Barnes brigade, on Geary's
right, was speedily enveloped on the
flank and rear, and fell back, after "a
sullen fight, TO the trenches i occupi
ed in the morning, where il was re-
formed. A portion OF Col. Twins