, 1865-07-01

Other troops not taking place, he found him
self unable to maintain the ground he had
gained aeainst the Verwhefm{ug numbers and
numerous batteries Of the enemy. Jackson
sent to bis support his onn division and that
part OF Ewelrs which Wns In reserve, but, o"-
ing to the fnciessfng darkness and nsrlcacy
Of the 1o:tst and swamp, they did not asItTe
In time tasendtr ;hc de9tled assistance HUI |
was therefore compelled to abandon part OF
the ground he had gained, after suffering &C.
vere lcss and fohtcttug heavy damage upon
the enemys On the right the attack was gal
:1antly made by Hugcrss and 31agtuder's COM
mands. Two trigudes Of the former com.
menc.d the ectiopo The other TWO we're
subsequently sent fo.the support OF Magru-
der and Rill-,. Several determined efforts
we're made TO storm the hill at Crews hou:e.
open f,elo, ,aked by the fire Of hundred |
cannon and The musketry Of large bodies of |
lntautIy Some Eere broken and gave way,
others approached close to the guns, dir |
ing hack the infantry, compelling the adVan-
ced batteries to retire to escape capture and !
mipgling their dead with thosa Of the enemy.
columns, their assaults were too Teak to
break The Federal lines, md, nfeer strug-
Cling gnllant1y, sustaining and infllcing
great loss, they were compelled successlreiy
TO retire. Night was approaching when the
Distinguish friend from foe. The firing con.
tinued until after nine p. ~, but no decided
result was gained. Part Of the troops we're
withdrawn to thelr- original positions, others
rsmained on the open field, and some rested
within o hundred yards Of the batteries that
had been 60 bravely but gainly assaulted. The
lin some instances heroic. Tie 1ateness OF
the hour at which the attack necessarily be- s
gun, gave the enemy the Eull advantage Of his
superior position, and augmented the natural
difficulties of our own.
After seizing The York Rirer railroad On the
a8th of June, and driving the enemy across
the ChickahoElny, as already narrated, the
cavalry under Gen. Stuart proceeded down
tue railroad to ASCERTAIN II there Tas my
movement Of the enemy In that direction:
lie encountered but little opposition; and
reached the vicinity Of the White House on
st1o3ed the greater part Of the immense
stores accumulated At that depot. md re-
treated towards Fortress Monroe. Wsth one
gtn and some dismounted men Gen. Stuart
drove III gnnboat, whirh lay near the
White House, and rescued large amount Of
property, including more than ten thou,a sand
stand Of small arms, partially burned. Leay-
irg one squadron at the White House, In
compliance with his orders, he returned to
guard the lower bridges Of the Chick
ahominy. On the 30th be Was directed to
rec1oss and cooperate with Gen. Jackson.
enemy at Malvern Hill, on the night Of the
1st Of July, ut the Gloss Of the enEagement.
On the I'd Of July 1t was discoy cred that the
entmy had withdrawn during The night. leav.
irR the R1ouId covered wlth his dead and
wounded, and his route exhibiting abuud1nt
was commeneed. Gen. Stuart With bis cavalry
| in lie advance. but q violent storm, which
p:esailtd throughout the dag, greatly re-:
tarded our pIogteas. The enemy, harAssed
and closely followed BY the cavalry, succeed
ed in gaining Wes:over, On the James river,
uaeulate]y began 10 lortIy hts position which
| WAS one OF great natural strength, 1anked
on both eldes by creek, and the approach to
his front commanhed by the heavy guns Of
his int5s ncAments. It was deemed inexpe-
dent 10 attack him, and in view Of the con-
| ditson OF our troops, who had been marching
aud fighting almost necessarily tor sefen
days, under the most trying circumstances, 1t
was determined 10 wlthu1aw, IL order to
50 much need. Several days were spent III
collecting aims and other property, a6andon-
I'd by thu enemy, and in the meantime some
artillery and cavalry werC sent below IVES.
tortr to annoy his Transports. On the 8th ol
July. the army retuEntd to the vicinity OF
; Richmond.
Under ordinary circumstances, the Federal
army should have been destroyed. Its escape
was due to the causes already sta.ed. Prom
INT among these Is tic want Of correct and
timely information. This }nct, attr1butabl.
fly to the character Of the country, cna
b1ed Gtn. Mcclellan skillfully 10 conceal hi:
retreat, and to add n.,lea to the distractions
with which nature bad heset the way Of Ou
. pursui:g colu,uns But regret that more VA
not accomplished gives way to gratitude u
the sovereign Ruler Of the UnIrsrse for TIL
results achieved. The siege OF Richmond "a
roised, and The object Of campa 'gn, wh!ca
, lad betn prosecuted, after months Of prepa
ration, at an enormous expenditure Of nlct
, ard money, completely frustrated. Nor
than ten thousand prisoners. including OIL
GERS Of ,ank, tittJ TWO pieces Of artillery, ant
e ! upwards Of thisty-tlye thousand stand o
). supplies oi every description which fell int
; our hands were great In amount and value
but small in comparison With those d.stroye
l by the enemy. Ills losses In battle excesde'
q our OWE, as attested By ths Thousands Q
= dead and wounded left on every field. Will
4 aition the survivors teaebcd the protecttan +
r which they 1:d. Among our dead will b
+ foutd many whose names will ever be assc
c GATED with tbs great events II which the
0 all bore so honorable a part. For these, q
. well as for the names OF their no less dlstiu
t guishtd comrades, Who earned for themselse
+ The high honor OF special commentator
9 where al 60 we'll discharged their duty, ri
X e1cnce must necessarily be made to tho az
: conplnyiDg reports. But I cannot foTbea
j. exp ee.te my ndml+ation Of the noble qua
l. tiles displayed. with rare exceptions. 9y OF
. GERS tnd mcn, rnder circumstances which it
1 minded the exercise tfeTery solderly virtut
i To the tticcss commanding divisions an
!. biIsades belongs the ctedlt fer the manage
l. ment Of thelz troops In action. The exten
!. Of the fields Of battle, the nature OF til
Il grcund, and the denscness Of the foreet!
| I'D $1a7 atpYR
= practicable. To the oi1leets OF my SAT- 81
l. | indebted for constant aid during the entll
= period. Colonels Chiffon and Long, Maj3
d TAYLOR, Venahle, Tn1cott md Marshall, an
If the field. Gen. Fendleton. Chief Of Arti
e 1eIy LIEUT.. Col. Cotley. Chief Quarterma
K ter; Lieut.. Col. Cole, Chief Conmissasy
d Lttut. Col. Alexander, Chief Of Ordnance
4 sureten Guild, Medical Director Col. L.
'e and 11eut- Col. Haryie, Inspectors G.nefa]
and L!eut. Col. Stevens, thiet Engineer, o
tended increasingly to their s:Feral depar
u 1ucnts. To the whole medical corps Of Il
D. amy. retusn my thanks for the care and a
l. tion bestowed on the wounded.
n OPERATIONS or THE ARxS, THoM n1cD1oN
ID TO THE BATTLE OF CEDAR RUN.
70 After the retreat Of General Mcclellan
e Westoyer, lis amy remained Inactive !
u I'd By brigade Of cavalry, and preparation
y made to resist renewal OF bis attempt up1
e. Richmond from his new base.
T In the meantime, another Federal arm
D. under Major General Pope, advanced sou:
r ward fom Warrington, and crossed the Ra
u pahannock, IS Il TO SEIZE Go.aonsvil1e ~
70 move thence upon Richmond.
le The enemy also appeared in force ut Ere
ls erickaburR and threatened the railroad fro
2 Goldoneyille to Richmond, apparently Il
n the purpose Of cooperating With the NOV
g. ments Of General Pope.
| %hn cd 1f ha al =
ID strain, as far as possible, the atrocities whit
ae he threatened to operpet1ate upon our defenE
lees citizens, Gtnerul Jackson, with his ON
z. and Ewell's division. was ordered to p1ocet
~ towards GoKdcnsril1e, on the 18th Of Jul
y Upon reaching that vicinity, be ascersa'nt
TO rior to his own, but the uncertainty that tht
n. surrounded The designs Of General Nc Cte1la
OF render it inexpedfent to reinforce hin fro
be the army at Richmond he was detected !
&c observe tie euemy'e mosemcnts closely,
IN a>ail himselfof any opportunity to atta<
& iesd should the progress Of General Pope pl
b. It in our power to strike an eGectual bio
~ without withdrawing the troops too lol
q, from the defense Of the capital:
y: The enemy at Nestoycr continuing to ma
OF Hest no intention CT rGsuming active opea
r reached the Rspidan. Central 4. P. Hill, vi
70 his division, was erdesed, on the 9th of Jul
r. to j in cen. jackson. 1t the same time,
"a cIder to keep Mcclellan stationary, or,
40 possible, to cause him to Withdraw, Genee
ae b. II. Hill, commanding south Of James RI
~ er, Was directed to threaten his communlc
en tions, By etizlDg favorable positions belo
a. Westoycr, from which 10 attack tue trau
he ptrts IN the river. That officer selected Co
= GINS Point, opposite Westaves, and the co
ne duct Of the expedition was committed
r BrigadIet GtncrM Frtnrh.
d. On the night Of tho 31st, Gen. French, a
IS ccmpanied By Brlgadier General Pendleto
=, Chict Of Artillery, placed to1ty.threa guns
n: position within range Of the enemy's shi
ed ping 10 the river, aud Of the campa on I
ed. north side, upon both of which fire y
n opened, caussIg ccnste1uat1on, and lnflictrl
vc serous damage. The guns were Wlthdraq
n, before day ybfeak, with The loss Of one kill
| },,y 4hn o}c md