Year: 1862

which had previously bore the brunt of
the battle moved steadily back and in
good order, carrying with them their
wounded and dead.


The enemy made fierce attack on
the reserve, but cannon were posted at
various points of the route by which
they were retiring towards the Chicka-
hominy, which occasionally poured in
shot and shell upon them, and checked
their movements and enabled the troops
to move back in the most admirable
order. AT one time in this retrOgrade
movement the reserve force of Gen.
Sykes charged on the enemy with the
bayonet and drove him back nearly o
mile. In this charge the gallant New
York Fifth and Col. Hendricks New
York Tenth drew the plaudits of the
army by their steadiness and bravery,
IN which they, however, lost about a
hundred of their numbers, whose bodies
it was necessary to leave on tho field.
Cheers went up along our whole lines
at this gallant repulse, which was at 8
O'Clock in the afternoon, and the enemy
did not again renew the attack during
the balance of the evening, but turned
his columns down toward the White
House, which seemed to be the haven
Of all his hopes. The division of tho
enemy dispatched in this direction was
estimated at from twenty to thirty
thousand, cavalry, artillery and infantry.
They started down at o'clock on
Friday afternoon.


The advantage of Gen. McClellan's
new position is well stated by the N. Y.
Times in the following:


With the Chickahominy in his rear,
Mcclellan may bid defiance to any at
tempt of the rebels to outfiank him..
That swamp can only be crossed by
the bridges which he commands; and
every one of them can be so held with
artillery as to render transit utterly inn
possible. Why the rebels should have
originally abandoned SO splendid line.
of defence, seems inexplicable. they
could easily have held it against the
whole army, and compelled us to ap-
proach Richmond from some other
direction. They have now given us
the full benefit of its strength. Resting
upon that, McClellan's right wing and,
rear are perfectly safe. With his left
resting on James River, his front
strongly fortified by redoubts and earth
works, powerful train of mortars and
heavy seige guns on the spot and ready
for operation, he can easily reduce Fort
Darling, remove all distractions from
James River, push our gunboats directly
into Richmond, repel any force that
may attempt rescue, and thus bring
the campaign to brilliant and success
ful close. How rapidly he may be able
to do this is a matter of secondary i'm.
portance. That he aciW do it, and that
his recent change of front gives him
the means of doing it with absolute
certainty, we think there can be no room
for doubt. ~


The Herald explains why Gen. Nc
Clellan came to stop at the swamp on.
the Chickahominy:


Gen. Mcclellan, in the outset, in ad-
vancing up the peninsula, was CON-
PEELED to locate the base of his opera
tions on the north side, because tho
James River was then held by the
Merrimac and other rebel iron-clad
steamers, supported by numerous forts
and land batteries. These have all
since been cleared out up to Fort Oar
ling, point within seven miles of
Richmond. So that these apparently
damaging battles of Thursday and
Friday last were but the anticipated
accidents of the great achievement of
swinging round the base of our opera
tions from the Pamunkey, twenty miles
north of Richmond, to the James River,
and almost within striking distance Of
the city. -