Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-11

WOrks-Grant Fails to Force she
Passage of the ChickahOminy.
Correspondence of the New York Times, Army Of
the Potomac, June 81
THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION.
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 them
selves i'm fortified line. What we have
done is to feel this line by vigorous at
tack, in which, though gaining some tenn
porary successes, and at one or two points
actually carrying the enemy's works, we
lave, on the whole, reached the conclusion
that any victory that could here be won
must cost too much in its purchase. | do
not say this as speaking with any author
ity. but only as recording the general con-
viction Of the army. Such conviction,
however, when the common Judgment of
such men as have to-day led their lines
against the enemy, is apt to be of itself du-
Mority, and hence think may safely pre-
dict that there will be no rene,CaL Of the as
SauN on the lines Of the ChickahOnliny that
we must look to the resources of strategy
to plant this army i'll position where, D, :
ing at less of disadvantage, its valOr will
have better promise of adequate reward.
GEN. GRANTS METHOD OF FLANKING.
No serious impression having been pre-
duced on the enemv's line nv MONDAYS op-
erations. the commanding General resumed
his favorte tactics of developing the left
flank. The mode of executing this inge-
nious movement is as follows: The corps
holding the extreme right Of the line is, un-
der cover of the night, withdrawn behind
The line of battle of the other corps and car
ried to the extreme left of the line, where
it intrenches. The next corps to the right
is then withdrawn in like manner and
connects in the same way with the new left,
forming a prolOngation of the line. In
this manner, in the course of couple OF
days, complete reversion OF position
the corps has taken place; what had bee,
the extreme right fOr'niu~ RI" Pvt""Ir" '"t
and what had been the extreme left form
ing the extreme right; and Jhus the arm!
fnds itself drawn to the left by the lengt
of its whole line of batte-say eight or tel
miles.
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Coal Harbor being secured by the action
of Wednesday. Gen. Grant determined to
give battle the day following. for the pur-
pose of essaying the passage of the Chicka-
hOminy. Accordingly, during the night.
IldIlCOth COIDS. NllCil IClu IlC llSul vi
the line, was moved and took possession on
the extreme left; and early on Thursday.
the headquarters of Generals Grant and
Meade wrr" trarSf,rrnd to the rear Of the
left and established at Coal Harbor. 1t had
been Designed to give battle On Thursday;
but Hancock was co'n"ollnh to fight his
corps into position. and his formation was
not completed until afternoon. The attack
was then ordered for o'clock in the after
noon; but thunderstorm nS heavy ~ uni
which swelled the Chickahominy on the
day before Fair Oaks. set in, and the order
had to be cOuntermanded.
THE SITUATION AT A. NJ. FRIDAY.
On the left wing of the army is the corps
o! Hancock (the SecOnd); connecting with
him on the right and forming the left CEN
ter, is Wright's (the SIXTH. then Smiths
(the Eighteenth). which holds the center;
next comes Warren's (thc Fifth), which
forms the right center. and then Burnside's
(the Ninth); 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 approach nearer the river; on
the right we are somewhat refused. Han
cock. holding the left wing, rests across the
Dispatch Station road. Our right is across
the Totopamoy. The rebel front is formed
Immediately in front of the Chickahominy.
in three lines 1.-TWO lines of battle and a
skirmish line), on an irregular line to con-
form with the woods, and ridges, and
swamps of the ground. Between the two
armies is low, swampy region. The at
tack was ordered for 4:30, but 1t certainly
was not later than 4:45 when the whole line
was in motion.
THE LEFT-HANCoCKs CORPS.
Hancock held the left of the whole line OF
battle; and of his three divisions, that of
Barlow held the extreme left of the army.
that of Gibbons was drawn on the right OF
Barlow's, while Birney's division was held
in reserve. Barlow had directed that his
attacking brigades should, previously to the
assault, be moved out, and formed Just in
rear of the picket line. From this point
they advanced for half mile through woods
and over open intervals, under severe fire,
square up to the enemy's works. That pOr-
tOn of his front where the right of Miles's
brigade Joined with the lett Of Brookss
succeeded in similar splendid coup her |;
they got over and into the enemy's parapeI,
capturing his guns Qour light II poundprs),
his colors, and five or six hundred prisoners,
about three hundred of whom were secured
by promptly passing them to the rear. The
storming column, in fact, we: e Just turning
the enemy's guns on the retreating rebels,
when powerful reinforcements from the
second rebel line appeared advancing. The
first rebel line was held by Breckinridge's
troops and was carried. Breckinridge's
men were placed in the forefront to receive
the baptism of fire, but behind these lay the
veterans of Hills corps, and it is these we
now see dashing forward to retrieve the
honors we had snatched. BarlOw's brigades
could have held their own under conditions
the least short Of desperation, but the situa-
tion in which they now found themselves
overleaped its limits. 1t was not merely the
overwhelming front that came pressing
down upon them, of that they had no fear,
but the position they had gained pla e
them in advance of the whole line of battle,
and gave the rebel artillery the opportunity
for deadly eniilading fire. Beside this they
had lost the directing heads of two of the
chief commanders. Brooks and Byrnes fell
mortally wounded, and all the organizations
had suffered fearfully from an unparalleled
loss of officers. In this state of facts they fell
back, bringing with them the prisoners
they had taken and captured color. but
not the guns. They fell back to position
far in advance of that they had held, and at
points not more than fifty yards
from the enemy. Here they intrenched,
and here / leave them to pass on to Glib
bons's division of the same corps on the