Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25
WILLIAMSBURG.
a GRAPHIC STORY or THE BATTLE
or MAY 8, 1862.
secrstcd hy salem Dutoher and Endorscd'
by General Longstrcet--The Truth
of History.
Iron tho Augusta ga, chrcnicis.i

rfrom mo Augusta srh) thfu1iosoi
Elsors Chronicle: The truth OF history
can only be made manifest by participants
in its event giving in their experience DC,
fore time removes them from the scene 9.
action. The enclosed sketch (Which II ~
hoped You will kindly PUBLISH has been
written 10 correct some misapprehensiions
ahout the battle OF Williamsburg, Va,
which was fought on May D.. 1857, ana
opened the stirring campaign OF that year;
10 insure accuracy u has been submitted
60 General Iongstreet, the Confederate
commander. and the response OF that
distinguished officer, by his PERMISSION
accompanies the sketch. Accompany;
ing. also, Is the statement OF Colonel
Mitchell who was in the action as cap
tain Company A. Eleventh Virginia IN
San;ry, A. p. Hills brigade, Longstreets
division. Colonel Mitchell has contem-
poraneous history of the operations OF MS
Regiment in this and other actions. and on
RECOVERY of the document, now misiaid, II
Is understood will give some further &C
count OF this particular engagement. AS
no Georgia troops were cngaged-though
The Tenth Georgia Colonel Phinizy's regi-
rnent) was in the stiff skirmish of the eve
,,ine before. and on the 5th the Fifth
North Carolina, our gallant friend, Captain
5dge Ewes original command before ne
I" lined the cavalry" suffered severeiy-it
IS particularly desirable the real facts
should be known in this State. >. ID.
GAINESVILLE. GA, May TO- 1880.
.sfr. Salem Duicaor, augusta /:
Nv Dear Sir.-Your favor OF the sth IN
slant. enclosing account of Williamsburg.
Is received, and both have been carefully
read and considered. =.
Your account is n graphic illustration OF
the affair on our right, where the oa'tio
was really made Is as clear as any &C.
count of details of that battle that l have
read. and ! am pleased 10 say Is perfectly
fair
Farlv's attack against Hancock was
counter 10 my advice and was made after
tbe battle was over At best. it was only
The repulse Of a single brigade. in which
,ne snccessful party failed 10 pursue or
venture out from his stronghold, while on
our right we not only drove back the at
lacking parties, hut took apOrtion OF their
artillery and pursued the retiring troops as
far as was consistent with our orders as
rear guard With high respect, your ODE
dient servant, J' hoN"s nIhA'
Colonel Sdleyn butcher, AuJ,isto, Ga.
Dear Shiny recollection Of the battle
of Williamsburg agrees substantially with
your statement. II was certainly not o
drawn battle, as we took the enemy's posi-
fjon and his guns and remained on the held.
not leaving Williamsburg until the next
The loss in A. p. Hills brigade was great.
particularly in killed-the fatal casualties
being in unusually large proportion. ABOUT
half 81 COMPANY A. Eleventh Virginia regi
1nent. were killed and wounded, and the
regiment took two of the enemy's cannon
10 the right of the felled timber.
Yours truly. II. NJ. MITCHELL.
THE BATILE or MAY SIN.
Tif1ors Chronicle: In commenting in
recent issue Of your paper on some IN
nccnracies in Barnes's History of the
United States, Professor Derry instances
his statement that Williamsburg was q
Union victory. The Professor says this is
erroneous. it being, III reality, drawn bat
tle.
Permit me 10 say that the exact truth
of the matter is that the battle OF Williams
burg was Confederate success. -,
The occasion of the battle was this: The
Confederate army was on its march from
Yorktown TO its chosen field of battle near
Richmond. Mcclellan, at the head OF
vowerful army, was in hot pursuit. lie
had rs regiments of infantry, strong
force of cavalry, and some 2jO guns. Be
tween the two at Williamsburg, the ancient
colonial capital of Virginia. lay Long
streets division. stretched across the road,
with orders 10 keen back the Federal adj
vance until the Confederate army bad
made good days march. This duty the
division fully performed. Hooker's dlyl-
sion, kearnys division, and parts OF
smiths. COUGHS. and Casey's divisions
were, in turn, hurled against that line OF
FIRE, but all alike in vain. Not one single
Federal soldier in arms ever crossed that
line until after daylight next morning,
when Longstreet's division. having per-
formed the duty assigned 1t, was well on
Its way TO reioin the main body.
GLORIOUS RESULTS.
We took eight stands of colors and every
gun except one that the Federal artillery
tncceeded in bringing INTO action. so far
from being able 10 advance the Union
troops were steadily driven back, until at
the close of the day we were about one
mile IN the rear OF their original line OF
formation. The next morning after the
action Hooker's division wasreported as un.
1T for service and kearny's as IN need OF
reinforcements before IL could move. From
the staggering blows dealt his best troops,
Mcclellan was under the impression that
Joseph t. Johnston's whole army was IN
his immediate front, and did not move
from Williamsburg until the sth. Nor did
he make any further attempt TO harass or
impede our march. From these facts the
reader can determine for himself which
eide achieved the object for which the bat
lie was fought.
on our left there was no fighting until
date in the afternoon, when a brief but
bloody struggle occurred between Han
cocks brigade and part OF Earlys bri-
pade. Early failed 10 drive Hancock from
lbs position, but, on the other hand, the
Federal commander did not venture To adj
vance. From this encounter, which lasted
less than half an hour. though in that time
some five hundred men fell, the impression
NAV have originated that Williamsburg was
a drawn battle but II was upon our night
that the man and real action was fought;
Here division grappled with division, and
the fight ragged furiously from about III A.
II. till dusk. When II ended we had the
flags. and the cannon. and the field.
In saving that Longstreet's division not
only repelIed the Federal advance, but
Grove them back mile from their original
position, know whereof | affirm, having
been in this action from the beginning TO
the end thereof az soldier in Ambrose T..
Hills brigade (first. Seventh, Eleventh.
and Seventeenth Virginia infantry, which
took seven out Of the eight flags captured.
and was mentioned by the general COM
handing as long and hotly engaged IN the
thickest of the fight.
JUST BEFORE GOING IN.
The battle opened, to me at least, most
UNEXPECTEDLY. | had slipped out of camp
and was breakfasting with young lady,
when suddenly the ring OF teld-piece
changed close by upon the air. SEEING
inusket and equipments ! oolted out oil
doors A1as cereInOrsie and made for the main
street, visions of court-martial floating
before me. The sidewalks were full OF
;nfentry at double-quick, and artillery,
stan officers. and couriers were com
ing down the roadway at gallon.
Sorns one told me Hill was on ahead,
and, throwing away my blanket, ran TO
the head of the column. The command
ing officer could not tell me where my bri-
code was, and | kept on till cleared the
town. Here n group of staff officers were
directing the troops. and in response 20
my query one of them pointed out a
regiment Just disappearing behind some
piues on the further eide of the man road.
This road the Federals were shelling, and
1 began TO realize that my little escapade
had gotten me into q pretty serious pre-
dicament. II / crossed the road | ran
the risk OF being hit, and il i went back
into town 50 as TO work my way around
il was not likely | would find the
regiment again. and IL would be
hard work 10 satisfactorily explain
INV absence. A little observation, how
ever, showed that the enemy were hring
flowly and would not move more than one
or two guns in DOSitlOn. and determined