Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-06-14
Fridays Battle at Cold Barber.
HEADQUARTERS 20 ARxY CoHrs.

COLD HARBoR Va, Friday Night, JuDe 8. {
At 4:3O 10 day tho report OF q sIbgle cannon
sounded along our nes, breaking the silence OF
= beautiful Summer morui"g and summonine
tie troops TO an assault upOu ,he rebel works il
their front. The echo Of the quo ad hardly
died away before our lines werj mo iug onward
% the attack, which, although proving partially
abo tive, secured to Us the possession OF an adj
yanced position and a number Of prisoners, esti-
mated at 500. he whole OF our line tonight
occupies position one TO thFee.quarters OF II
mile IN advance Of the one held this morning,
and the 18th Corps together with Ricketts, III
vision Of te 9th, possess distinct line Of the
enemy : rifle pits, carried by them this morning
/ Owing 20 tie formidable character tf the cpc-
mys main works, il was deemed impolt'c 10
untinue the assault ard accordingly at noon
our en- r,sled 10 their new positions, which
have now been rendered impregnable by earth
works thrown up during the day all along our
font.
Our loss to-day has been very heavy, aud is
estimated at fr IN 3 900 to 5000 The loss ol
the enemy, although great, must have been con-
sderably less, as theg acted whoyon the deien.
sye.
The advance was Simultaneous. The brIgad 3
I'd the l4sth Pennsylyana, Col Beaver acting
as skirmishe's, led the charge charging the
works ut the oint OF the bay and driving
the enemy from them in confusion. In reform.
ing, our troops i the works we're desperately
charged upon ty IhG enemy and compelled 10
retire short distance under the prot elton Of =
ridge, but lew YARDS from tie Rebel works.
lIele suong work were immediately conslroted
ana he by cur troops IN splIe Vi the forts Of
the enemy 10 dlsiodge them during the dsy.
In the charge oi Barlow 5 DIVISION AZ pris.
Ouers ana one color 10 taken.
The prisoners iaken are from the most diverse
commands iron AL the eorps OF bon. Lees
Amy proper, from breckenridge, ana from
three DIVISIONS O uio1ard, SHOWING that the
q ,my bas used every 1hirs he can cJmmand.
lhmty twO pouuteIs, probably brought IRON
the deienscs O Richmond, 0, cned upon US az
day break, and drOppsd shells lar To tue rear,
not only Ol n0ops, but vi our dtislent head
quarters, Of trslUs and hospitals indeed, every
corps heaGquarteis has been under marm fire
lIom morning till night suspect our artillery
hts been troublesome to the rebels Captain
Stevens, 5ih MnIue. disclosed 10 the rebes at
daylight Two guns OF his battery On Galnes's
Ml,l Toat to nights lett, we'll covered by earth
works, and wtDln 200 yards OF their line
from there he has thrown grape aud canister
~ their troops, keeping when either OF two
balterl.s nearly opposite wUuio open upon him,
shen be would luro has attention and his guns
~ shelllug them 10 sllence. 30 close are these
guns 10 the enemy, that IA cap lifted over the
parapet upon a ranrod is Instantaneously
perforated, while minnie goes jeerng by
Imagine it--men work ali DAY, ana never
once stand upright Load the leees upon their
hands and kuets, extendlng the rammers out OF
the embfasures, while others lly shOsel- to re
pl.ce The eath knocked away by hasty lrojec
tiles. Here, where the bushes have been allowed |
to staud in the embinkmeut, if you v III rise up
cautiously aud peer through, you shall sse the
shOyeled earth Us II is thrown up and falls upon |
their line 200 yards away, You must 10 wary, |
aud you must promptly drop On your knees wher
you see a luh Vi smoke Tor they suspect some
one Is looking through that clunp OF bushes.
You VIII have sufficient time to dep down into |
safety, ioi the smOk will putt out white and
dl-tluct quarlor VI minute before the sound
oi the discharge aches you or the bali whlzzes
by or thuds 10 the thro~n.up dirt. Better take
off Your hat for 1t en- be seen more distinctly
than our naked head, and don't betray any
neIvo.sn should the bull, which will surely
CONE, shower dirt upon your head, else those
old aIiiitrymen will laugh at you. Now, II
You want to get to the rear, stoOp low ana
double quick 1t Til you get under cover Of the
woods. It's only eight or ten rods. Oh, there
lsn Z any danger. They won't hur! you more
than n hundred men have run across there to.
day. Every one has Been fired at, and only
three have been struck. You see they only get
a glimpse Of yoi, and can't get u good aim.
The, II shoot over you, or behind you, or ahead
OF you. Thuse two guns alone would stop the
advance OF brigade.
Our line On the extreme left is scarcely TWEEN
ty-hve yards from the enemy, whose guns at That
point are covered by our sharpshooters. SIX
pieces were taken IN tie charge, aud Col. Morr E,
the 7th n, Y. Heavy Artillery,
Was about to turn them upon the enemy, when
be was charged upon by overpoweriug masses,
and compelled to retire.
At nine O'Clock tonight the enemy made
desperate assault on cur position on the left,
bat were handsomely rgpClsej at very point,
and our line maintained. The foe came down
IN solid masses and with the inyariable demoniac
yell oi their charge, but our grape and canister
Were too fearful in their sweep. and his serried
broken columns went reeling back in confusion,
leaving great numbers Of his dead and wcundeJ
be ore us to testify 10 hls temel ily and madness