The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25

Gen. Abercrombie, with FIVE regiments, was
at Fair Oaks, instructed to hold the position
at all hazards. Here fell Gen. C. Devens,
severely wounded - while of the 6lst Pa,
Col. Rippey, Lieut-Col. Spear, and Maj.
Smith fell dead, ana 81 of the line officers
were either killed or wounded, and near this
point, at sunset, Gen. Joseph Johnston, the
rebel Commander-ili-Ch Chief, was struck in the
side by a she'll and badly wounded. breaking
two ribs in falling from his horse, so that he
was disabled for service'for several months
Gen. G. w. Smith succeeded him in COM
mand, but he was sobn disabled by paralytic
stroke, and removed from the field. One of
the last rebel charges on this part of the field
was led by Jefferson Davis in person.
Hearing vaguely of trouble on the left,
Mcclellan, still at New Bridge, had ordered
Sumner, who had Sedgwick's and Richard
Couch and Sedgwick, with the advance,
reached the field on our right an hour and q
half before sunset, just as the triumphant
rebels had turned COUGHS left, interpreting
between him and Heintzelman (who in coming
| up had swayed to the right, with intent to
sever and defeat our two corps on the south
of the Chiekahominy.
sEDGwICK IRRESISTIBLE.
| Sedgwick, advancing rapidly, interposed at
the critical moment, and, forming in line-of-
battle in the edge of the wood, with large
open field in his front, commenced q fire of
canister from his "a guns on the head OF
the enemy's advancing column, which stag
gered it, and then moving forward his whole
division in line-of-battle, he completely swept
the field, recovering much of the ground that
had been lost.
At nightfall Richardson's Division, having
also crossed over, came up on the left OF
Sedgwick, connecting with Biiney's Brigade
of Heintzelman's Corps on his left; thus max
ing all secure in that quarter.
At p. m. Abercrombie, farther to our
right, still desperately fighting, had been
compelled to give ground, and seemed about
to be envelored by an overwhelming force,
| when the long expected succor arrived. Cor
mans Brigade, leading Sedgwick's Division,
deployed into line-of- battle along the crest Of
| hill in the rear of Fair Oaks, and advanced
down gentle slope to the field where Col.
COchrane's U. S. Chasseurs and Neilrs 23d
Pa were fighting against heavy odds
At this moment furious enflading fire Of
musketry was received on our right indicat-
ing an effort to turn us on that flank and re-
peat the sharp lesson of Casey's disaster.
Gen. Sedgwics instantly directed Gen. Burns
to deploy the Goth and I'D Pa. to the right,
himself holding the list and 106th in support
of German.
The rebels attacked with great fury, stam-
peding two or three battery teams SO that for
q moment our lines seemed to waver; but
Burns's calm, full-yoted order, STEADY,
men, steady !" evoked q laundering cheer,
followed by volley after volley of musketry,
under which the enemy advanced steadily,
and were charging Kirby's battery, when he
poured into their close ranks murderous fire
OF canister, which sent them rapidly to the
woods in their rear.
REBEL EFFORTS FRUITLESs
Meanwhile Dana's Brigade had come into
line on German $ left, and the rebels renewed,
as darkness fell, their attempt to outfank our
right, extending their left farther and farther
but in vain. Gems. SIMMER Sedgwiek Dana
(whose horse was killed under him), Burns
and German each excrted himself to the ut
most TO animate and encourage their men.
Dana,s wing was gradually advanced as
the rebels extended their left, and the battle
swayed more and more to oar right, until our
line was nearly at right angles with that on
which we had been fighting two hours before.
And thus the fight ragged on until after
o'clocH, when the rebels des.sted and fell
back, leaving us in undisputed possession of
the ground whereon1the final struggle was
made. d.
Summers heavier artillery had been left
stalled in the swanps of the Cnickahominy,
as his infantry hurried forward to the battle.
1t was extricated during the night, brought
forward and properly posted by morning,
when Gen. Mcclellan also had arrived, but,
alas without the corps of Fitz-John Porter
and Franklin, which, could they but have
come up on the New Bridge road during the
night, might have converted Casey's demoli-
ton into rebel overthrow 1t does not APP
pear that even an attempt was made to bring
them forward