Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-09

nelu, ana at 0lnefeut p0luI9 not more than
fifty yards from the enemy. Here they
intrenched, and herelt leave them to pass
on to Gibbons division Of the same corps
on the right, and which was engaged at
the same time
Gibbons advance eEasiSimultaueous with
Barlow's, but in moving forward, he came
upon one of the sWamps Of the Chicka.
hominy, which had 70 be turned or over.
passed, in the process of which it becape
very difficult to establish the connection
between different pasts of his line. This
overcome, hoWeVeF, his troops pressed
forward with the same vigor that p1arked
the conduct of their companion division
on the left. Parts -olsthe briRades of Ty.
Ter aud Owen gainedths rebel works, but
for reasons identical With those that forced
back Barlow's troops fhey also were com.
PEELED to give up RhAt they had won.-
Gibbons' division, too, lost very heavily.
Gen. Tyler, before reaching the works, was
carried off the field, shot in the ankle
One of his regimental commanders, Col.
Porter, of the Eighth New York Heavy Ar
tillery, was killed Immediately after, the
Lieutenant Colonel (BGtes) fell dead. An.
other of his regimental commanders, Col
MoMahon, of the Que Hundred and Sixty
fourth New York, was struck while plant.
ing his colors on the rebel works, and was
left a prisoner in the enemy's hands-his
troops not supporting him after he was
wounded. Owen's brigade lost two entire
companies taken prisoners inside of the
enemy's intrenchments In giving way,
Gibbons division also vas far from losing
ell the ground it had gained. 1t took up
an advanced position, close to the enemy,
and just over the crest, the rearward slope
of which was held by the rebels. This
position it has retained during the day, and
McKean's brigade has held all day posi-
ton within gfteen yGrds of the enemy's
works.
TIE KEY POINT OF THE BATTLE, AND HOW IT
WAS LosT. ..
Not until the splendid attack of Han.
cocks Corps had been made, not till after
it's blood bought victory had been wrested
from our hands. was be or any man in this
army aware of the supreme Importance of
the position this morning carried aud lost.
The key point in the battle of Gaines
Mills, two years ago, iE isstrange aud NOR
tifying that no one should have appreciated
its value. This position Is o bald hill,
named "Watts' Hill, ;" dominating the whole
battle ground, and covering the angle of
the "DispRtch road" Along this ridge the
of it was sunken road. OF this road
Hancock got possession, and the brigades
of Miles and Brooks actually struck and
carried the work directly on the salient l.
Had we held this point, W would have
had position whence the entire rebel line
might have been enfladed and think it
is not too much to say that the day would
have been ours, and Lee pushed across the
Chickahominy. Had we even known in
advance its commanding Importance, very
different dispositions for attack would have
been made; We would have massed on the
left, and made the victory certainty
These considerations certainly inspire Bit
ter regrets; but who does not know that
it is on precisely such contingencies that
the fate of battles often hAngs2
THE LERr CENTRE AND OENTRE-wRIGHr
AND SMITH.
simultaneously with the attack of the
Second corps, the Sixth, under Wright,
connecting on the left with Hancock, made
general advance at a quarter before five
O'clock-each division assauItiug on the
entire line. or this corps, the Second di-
vision, (McNeill,) held the right, the
Third division, (Ricketts,) the centre, and
the First division, (RusselI,) the left
Five batteries, under the charge Of the
Chief of ARTILLERY Of the Second corps,
Col. Tompkius-namely: Adams First
Rhode Island Battery, Oowan's First New
York, Independently Hahn's Third New
York, Independently McCurtiu's First
Massachusetts, and Rhodes First Rhode
Island, were planted in good positions and
did effective service 10 covering the Rd-
vance. The assault Of the Sixth corps was
made with the utmost vigor, aud succeed
ed in carrying the first line of rebel rife.
pits along it's entire front, and got up
within two hundred and fifty yards of the
main works. Smiths corps, connecting
on the right with the Sixth, had advanced
in conjunction with it, but the left divis.
ion, lha: of Martindale, who led the attack
in heavy, deep columns, got disArrauged, i,
and was repulsed. Gen. Smith made
three different attacks to relieve Martin
dale, but his last supports did not get up
in time to allow him to hold on. The Of.
feet of this repulse ou the lett of Smith
bad a disastrous effect on the position Of
Wright. 1t uncovered the right flank of
the Sixth, and exposed Ricketts, Division,
which was strongly holding the advanced
position, to savage fire on the prolouga-
lion Of its line. In this state of facts, to
retain possession Of position somewhat
in advance of his point of starting, was
the utmost Gen. Wright could possibly do.
OPERATIONS ON TIE RIGHT AND RIGHT. CEN-
TRE--wARREN AND BURNSIDE.
Operations along the fronts Of Warren
and Burnside were of an Importance quite
subordinate to that of operations on the
left. No results we're achieved except the
carrying of the line of rifle pits occupied
by the rebel skirmishers. The Fifth and
Ninth Corps nowhere struck the euemy's
main work. Burnside kept up furious
cauuouade for some hours but it was noIh-
iDg-vor ct pretterea nihi. From the tenor
of one OF Bnrnside's morning dispatches, it
was at one time hoped that he would be
able to turn the euemy's lett; but this hope
also was doomed to disappointment.
LONG LuLL-INoIDEErs oPTHE DAY.
Returning from the ride along the lines
at 8 A. NJ, l found that Gems. Grant and