Year: 1862

/


last two weeks on account of Gen. Mcclellan


making strategical movement, and changn,


the front of his army.


On the 23d of June, (Monday) Mcclellan en-


gagged the enemy on the right and drove then


in, when he commenced changing his position


before Richmond. lie had three DAYS hare


fighting. There was great loss on both sides
When the army fell back over the Chickahomi


nyriver, we made another stand, and had two


days heavy fighting there, while the main army


was still moving on across the White Oak Swami


where we were encamped. This point was on


the extreme left wing of the army, On Satur-


day, the 2Sth, division got orders to move


across the swamp. All was ready We moy-
ed off, for the other side of White Oak Swamp,
in the direction of James river, on the Charles
city road We were marched about three miles
the other side of the swamp where we were
thrown off the road into camp, 10 await the
coming on of the balance of the army, as we
were to be the rear guard of tile army from this
point. "Not the rear guard of the imperial ar
my Of France" but the rear guard of the grand
army of the Potomac. We passed the night
quietly, excepting the tramp Of troops moving
Sunday morning came and with it was a little
excitement for Sunday morning. A squadron
OF cavalry had gone down the road piece, re-
connoitreing, when they were attacked by 400
rebel cavalry which brought them into camp 'sa
Jumping" They came up the road after our
fellows like pack of fiends, yelling and halo
ing until they rode on a snag that was in the
way. We had two masked batteries planted
down the road piece, and just as the last of
our fellows got past them and the front files of
the rebels came up, the cannoniers let loose on
them with kpe and canister among Them 1t
made ''a Settlement" you better believe. They
killed about % and took s prisoners. Among
the prisoners was one major and several other
officers. The major was leading them. The
major was wounded so badly that he died short
ly after he was taken The balance of the day
was quiet, except fellows looking through regl-
ment after regiment for friends and relatives as
they passed along.


The reserves came up at last, and / had the
pleasure of taking by the hand Alj't. Gather,
fans 1 qqE Was tqNn Nsnahy tRsS Ii one OF s s6a
before Richmond He looks well, and makes a
good appearance as an officer.


On Sunday night, about II o'clock, we took
up our line qisparch again onward towards the
James river I'VE were all night and until 9
o'clock next morning, making a march of eight
miles Our progress was so slow on account OF
getting the heavy artillery along, together with
the baggage trains.


Monday, the 30th day of June, our rear guard,
or rather part of it, the division behind us,
was attacked, when severe battle took place
again. The rebels followed us up They could
travel much faster on account of having no bag
gage trains or any thing to bring with them
We were all run into hne of battle again and
kept standing all day. The fight was awful to
listen TO. The gun boats got range off of the
river and just belched shells and canister into
their ranks There was perfect slaughter of
them. That night our company was sent out
on picket. We had only 10 men with Lieut..
Conley, Serg't. Lawrence and myself. There
were two other companies sent ont at III, O'Clock
that night to support os, but nothing occurred.
The next morning there was whole brigade
sent out to us. The place was on big road
into which great many other roads led. 1t
was q splendid place for flank movement, il
it had not been watched closely. About nine
o'clock we were drawn quietly off. There were
only two regiments LETT in the rearfrom this
pont-ours and the 95th New York. During
this time it had rained very hard, and the mud
was knee deep. We had nothing to eat for 4S
hours. but two crackers. The teams were stick
ing in the mud when we caught up, and we'had
to heave ont crackers, salt, pork, sugar and eve
ry thing else to get them along to keep the trains
from being cut off by the enemy Some places
they could not get the empty wagons along
When we came up to where all the trains were,
we halted The 85th was in our rear when the
fbao a1,I bpOap throw
some shells. whereupon they got up and s'ske-
daddled" The next thing we knew was Gen.
Wesel rode up and ordered the l0lst back to
take their place They were Just making the
mud fly in their ''skedaddle. Capt. May, who
is acting Colonel of our regiment, in absence OF
The Lieut.. Col and Major, left faced the regl-
mant, and marched us back again through the
mud about one mile, where we formed our line
cf battle along the road. While we were maEeh-
ing back an artillery officer rode up to our COL
and wanted to know what regiment that was
that run. Said they would have let the enemy
take his battery of two guns that was support
inr them We had to stay there all that day
and that might and the next day until 0 O'Clock
at night. We could see the enemy all the time,
in shooting distance, but were not allowed to
bring on an attack Gen. Wesel was in great
sweat about us, to know how we would get out
of the snap we were in, and he was afraid to
send up rcinforcements for fear of bringing on
an attack, and did not know how to get us out,
for we were surrounded on all sides except ono
corner where we had to come out under cover
of night along fence where the mud was knee
deep Gen. Wesel gives our acting Col. great
praise for getting us out Of the snap. Captain
May makes as good, if not better Col, than we