The New York Herald Newspaper, June 3, 1862, Page 2

———E7E MCLELLAN'S VICTORY. Additional Details of ‘the Great Battle of Satur- day and Sunday. Important Operations in Front of Richmond, ‘yne Desperate Attaek of the Rebels on McClellan’s Right Flank. SPLENDID CONDUCT OF OUR TROOPS. What the Bayonet Can Ac- complish. The Army of the Potomac Takes No Step Backwards. ; Novel Use of the Balloon und Telegraph by Me‘lellan. “Some Things Can Be Dene as Well as Others.” Operations -of the Gunboats on the James and Chiekahominy Rivers. SKETCH OF RICHMOND AND VICINITY. OUR SPECIAL DESPATCHES, &., &., &e. ‘The despatches from General McClellan give us the particulars of # grand battle which took place on the last day of May and the lst of June, on the westside of the Chickahominy river. General ‘MoClellan states that the corps of Generals Sum- ner, H¢intzelman and Keyes had been engaged against greatly superior numbers, the enemy taking advantage of a terrible storm, which had flooded the valley of the Chickshominy, to attack his troops on the fiauk. General Casey’s division which was in the first line, gave way unaccounta- bly and disunitedly. This caused a temporary Confusion, during which the guns and baggage were lost; but Genewals Heintzelman and Kear ney most gallantly brought up their troops which ghecked'the enemy. At” the same time however, we suceeeded, by ‘great exertion, ir bringing across Generals Sedgwick’s and Richard. Son's divisions, which belong to the cofpa’ of Gen. eral Sumner, who drove ‘back the enemy st the Point of the bayonet) covering the ground with hi: Gead. The next morning (Sunday) the enemy at tempted to ranew the conflict, but was everywhere repulsed. Many prisoners were taken, amon whom were General Pettigrew and Colonel Long The enemy’s loss was considered to be enormous With the exception of General Casey’s division, the men behaved splendidly. } Later despatches, of an unofficial character, re ceived from the headquarters of the Army of th: Potomac, say that the importance and dimensions of the victory increase as they are hourly de veloped. The following correspondence, which, witho r usual respect for the orders of the War De partment, we have withheld from the public will explain many of the preliminary move- ments which have heretofore been unknown by them, and ‘which have resulted in this grand battle amd victory. It will be seen that General McClellan has, while sending along in front a brigade or o division asa feeler, ably sup- ported them within striking distance by others. fresh and vigorous and readyfor the fight. As the ebject has ‘been to some extent attained, and as the rebels have felt the force of the blows of those generals mentioned in this correspondence, there is nothing contraband now in its publication. We’ however, still exclude some valuable intelligence, as the result of the movements has not yet trans- pired. THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE GREAT BATTLE. Our Special Army Despatches. Robert and his Diana— Robert a Spiritual Adviser— Diana's Hope—Negro Ambition—Colonel Lee's Estate— Ite Condi a th aaa daa +» ie. Robert Meckum and his wife Diana are tho leading colored peopis on this plamtation. Their cabin is the Jargeat of about twonty negro habitations upon the es- tate. It has clay floor, except at the end eceupied by the chimney and fireplace, wheres brick pavement ex. ‘ends the entire width of the house. The lower part of the chimney extends across the end of the buliding like- ‘wise, and as one site upon this ample hoarth he may seo ® patch of sky through the chimney top by looking up- ‘ward. Several ohildren, grandchildren, and henge and chiekeus, share this cabin with Robert and nis wife. Diana ie eighty-throe years old, and was born and raised ‘upon the plantation, She has never been beyond ite boundaries. Robert was raised in Prince William coun: ty, and became the property of Colonel Lee by his marriago with Miss Carter, of that oounty ; and, on being transferred to this estate, Robert married Diana, who wasa widow. Colonel Lee in the owner of one hundred and fifty negroes, about equally divided between this plantation aad his farm in Prinos William. - Rober$and Dinas are representative characters, Ro- Dort is the adviser of the “people” of tho pinntation, in ‘doth spiritual end temporal affairs. Me is a Baptist, and ‘thas held religious exercises in his cabin for many years. Diana ts also pious, and hopeful of a heaven where there is no mere hard work. She sail to mo, ‘*Wo hab seon a heap ob ups and downs, crosses and como-backs, but my desire is unto do end.” When told that tho Yankees ‘would be very |i to kill Massa Les, sho replied very SEEN Dake Lord's wilt must bo done unto bin.” Diatia bad cover bows! Wovontale, and did pot Know what the word mows oat net even heard Of Wendell Philips ~ thet @ man hac heen bung for Mgliing ig the slayee, and Gedy remembered that bis a “a Joba qos fee arm Camp Bayors Ricsmoxp, May 26, 1863. Inciden'a of the Brilliant Affair at New Bridge—Heroic . Brotherly Affection—dn Impudent ‘ Secash” Pris- Brown. She was asked if the colored folks here ever entertained a hope of being freed, and replied, “Well, hab hear some say 20; but others said it would never be. A good many years ago de vessels used to ‘and get 9 great deal of timber, of dom vessels tole me, when I my daughter wassold away, that all would be'free; but omer dic» deny sc. I said in a formor letter that mest encamped at Kidd’s Mill. One brigade is two miles and a half distant from us. This is the brigade, under com- command of General Morell-until his recent promotion as acting division commander, to which the Fourth Michigan regiment, Colonel Woodbury, belongs, who were the heroes of the splendid skirmish yesterday at New Bridge. The praises of this regiment are now on every tongue, and if General Morell ever had reason to be proud of his brigade he has every reason to bo proud Of it now, and so he is. He is congratulated on every sido for what this one regiment has done, and what apy other regiment in the brigade would have done—such has been their training and sack their copiness and valor. And ‘the affair was a brilliantone, In my ac- count of it, which had to be written very hastily to catch the first departing mail, I was obliged to omit much of interest. Here is one incident that shows the self-abnegating spirit and earnestness of our men in action. The man Piper, the only ope on our side who was killed, has a brother in the same company. “Your brother bas been shot,” said an officer, ‘‘and if you want to see him alive, hurry from here to where they have taken him.” “J can’t eave here,” replied the brother, ‘‘Thave no no time now to look after dying brothers. My country thas the highest claim on me.” And this brother continued in the hottest of the fight during the two hours it lasted. He afterwards said that he had more than avenged the death of his brother. “I might have shot you half # .degen times,’ re- marked one of the prisoners, after the fight, to Colonel ‘come up. dis yere and de captain of T should lib to age de day when it nebber come. Two days ago Colonel Ingalls, who has chargo of the quartermaster’s department at thia point, came to Diana’s cabin and directed that her hus- ‘band should assemble all the able bodied negroes on the place and he would set them at work for the United States. The old woman was much excited, and ex- claimed repeatedly, after the Colonel had gone, ‘‘Dear lamb of God! I knew it would come. Now I know I hab got # Lord and Saviour, and I thank him.” Some of the negroes have gone to work in the quartermaster’s de- partment, but most of them prefer to engage as servants: to officers. It seoms tobe the heighth of their ambition to black ® colonel’s boots. The negro quarters here abound in children. One cabin has fifteen, nearly alike in age, and one of the matrons, who appears to be not more than forty years old, is said to bo the mother of twenty-four children, Diana says that the original Custis mansion was burned several years ogo, and that General Washington was married in it. The present building, called the “White House,” was built upon the brick basement of the former one, The estate is @ princely ones From tho bank of the Pamunkey river it extends fartber than the eyo can seo. A level plateau, comprising some seven hundred acres, bordered by a semicirole of undulating woodlands, ts under tillage. That portion on which wheat is grow" ing has been left unharmed; but the clover, which was knee deep and in blossom when we arrived, has been de- stroyed by our troops who are encamped upon it. It is 3 humiliating spectacle for the Southerners to see & has been for se many yeafs the property of the F. F. ¥. par eacellenco—the first family of Virginia, allied to the immortal Washington— trampled upon by invaders, in the teeth of those boasting legions who swore that no Yankee foot should profane the ‘‘sacred soil,”’ and who threatened to carry the war into the Northern States. General McClellan has taken ‘every procaution in his power to prevent marauding‘ Dut the occupation of a country by the bost behaved army in the world nevessarily inflicts great iojury upon property. Should Col. Lee return to tho White House, he would find his broad acres of clover trodden Into mud and dust; and his cornfields and orchards showing the tmprints of the iron heel of war. Tired soldiers camping upon wet ground have not sufficient respest for secesh rails to overcome the exigencies of the case, when it i§ absolutely necessary that Union pots should be made to. “Why did'nt you?’ asked the Colonel, with that coo! ness of manner for which he is remarkable. “T took you to be some damn common mounted order. ly,” was the response. _ ‘The coolness of Colonel Woodbury during the action: as also Lieut. Col. Childs, Major Cole and Adjutant Esrle, spoken of im terms of too strong commendation. They rode back and forth, giving and transmitting orders, anheeding the shower of bullets that came whistling about their heads. A stray Minie reins of the bridle of ball hit the breech rich plantation, .w Colonel Wood! Rorse. of Captain Spalding’sre wood part, but doing*go harm, | Captain Spalding, it will ‘ktown, in the left and & tellge of absence | him, which he reffaged to accept All the line officers,behaved gallantly as Wall as the men. Ford- ickahominy, eé'they did, carry- boxes aloft in their hands» firing by the enemy, mo words oan portray. im this connection, is ing and swimming the ing thelr musigetsand and that, too, in face of con! was an act of horoism and Colonel Woodbury, I may es modest as he is.brave. His friends have impor tuned him, 80 I am told, time and time again’ to allow his name to be presented for a brigadior generalship. ‘If I am promoted at all,’ his universal response has been, ‘ it shall not be through political in- fluence, but for deserving Private Drake, of Com) ment, one of the wounded ment, died to-day from the thought that Chase, of Company C, reported mortally sount, will not live the day ded are doing well, as also former are under the care of , and the latter under Drs. the same brigade—the general medical supervision boing in the hands of De. Wm. B. ‘The country between’ this place and Chickahominy swamp ts covered with forests, chequered with wheat- Selds, which would have afforded the opportunities to harags our army should we attempt to march directly to Rictimond. The rebels have wisely determined not to risk the Chances of being captured in Aetail while playing that game, and retired beyond the Chickahominy towards Richmond, whee they will ght or skedaddle, according to circumstances. ‘ General McClellan is fully aware of the difficulties of is position, and will move with due ¢aution, being de. termined to win. He will probably be outnumbered a Richmond, unless the government should reinforce him fan | an unnecessary sacrifice of life may be the conse @13 ce; but while he is at the head of the army thésol- uiers dream of nothing but victory, at whatever cost. juct on the field.” B, Fourth Michigan regi- the New Bridge engage- ts of bis wounds. It is wounded in my written ont. All the remaining w Camp Nzgr Tas Caicx agoxny, May 25, 1863. Th Chickahominy—Bottom’s Brilge—What They Are When Compared with Their Popularity—A Slorm—The Chickahominy Afler That—The New Bottom’s Bridze, dc. Like many another famous stream, ancient and modern, th Chickahomipy, seen and measured, falls far behind th» greatness of its reputation. Without intentional want © respect towards the things that the Southern confede- f cy sets store by, I must yet express my. opinion that ¢ © much-named Chickabominy river is a delusion, a hambng, e “sell,” and that it fin’t “‘shucks.”” Tiber has 4 sappointed many, but Tiber is Awide and muddy ditch & least. Scamander glorious in the verses of the blind old dan, glorious now no more—had water enough in it once 19 drown the nymph Endies. But alas for Chickahominy + disappointed more than these. It is neither s wide tad muddy ditch, nor bath it enough water to drown! wny nymph of my knowlodge, except such a nymph as Iphelia, or ‘‘one more unfortunate.”’ I did think thore ag wrong in the levity of our men, who, through all tho lays of this onward march, have spoken lightly of it as the Chicken-and-heminy, and, by @ natural transition, he Hog-and-hominy; bat I myself was in error, and “pow give my full consent téhave the aforesaid river « ‘“‘pames.”” Even the wrétehed darkeys of this vici- aityl are filled with contempt for it. They will not go ‘ve hundred yards up or down stroam in search ofa oridge bat they just wade through, and meet them baif smile away, and you would not know them. Broadway is more nearly impassable any day in ‘ebruary than the Chickabominy was to-day when some ‘egimonts went over. It is simply s brook that fnds {ts shady way througli the woods, and whose course cannot be traced in the landscape at any distance from it. Darkeys gay that it hasfsh in it; but Ihayen’t seen them, Perhaps they are either further usig down the stream than the point of which I now spoak, which is that where the river is intersected by the tichinond stage road and spanned by Bottom’s Bridge. Neither was Bottom’s Bridge a remarkable affair, but s mere country conventence placed beside a fora to give people the option of going over ary shod if they wished. It was probably blown up with about a pqamd and ao half of powder; but why the rebe's should have wasted even that small amount of the precious dust I cannot see; for thede struction of Bottom’s Bridge could not possi>ly detain us ‘The above was written at tem o'clock A. M.,aftera visit to the stream. Then the sumshone brilliantly and hotly; it was summer day, clear and intense, and tho little stream afforded # picasant refreshment to the horses that waded andthe men that washed init. It is now three O'elock P. M., and there is @ change. Since noon we have had @ shower, rather more than heavy. For half an hour the whole space, from our little out- look, seemed like the face of = cataract. Jess in drops than im masses. By way of conclusion, our horses were finely pelted with hallstones of the average size of hickorynts. Now everything is alioat, especially ‘he Chickahominy- Tho little rural stream that we saw to-day is gono— washed away, no doubt. We remember it as a thing that might have delighted the soul of Herrick, or any other post very moderately aquatic in sentiment. In truth, it did find ite way pleasantly and witha happy murmur around the roots of the old trees in brina fair” might bave chesen man: cosy place than its mossy banks to rest her wet fecton. Albeit, it was not so much like @ real river as like an expression of Birket Foster's fancy. But it is gone. In its place there is a wide, distarbed lake, that stretches up into the fields beyond either bank, muddy and turbulent, but much more respectable as ap obstruotion than the late Chicka- Dre. Clark and Cham! Churchill and W. ‘West or rum Cuicxamommy, May 26, 1862. Our Force Vigorous—What of the Rebels?—General Mc- Cullan's Plans—The While Oak Swamp, de. I date this letter as above, as it might not be expe- dient to give the precise location or extent of the force with which Tamat this time, beyond the fact that we are safely over Bottom’s Bridge, and the anticipated lino of defence on the Chickahominy found not occupied in foree by the febels. Still the country is such that each step must be carefully felt, and as each adygnce'fs made, the greatest care is necessary to make it secure. ‘ General McClellan has promised ‘there shall be no more Bull raps,’’ and he means to keep it. There is, no Woubt, @ much larger force opposed to us on the rebel than we cat bring . Mf any considerable portion ef our forces should manner that the onemy’s better knowledge of the coutitry wotld enable them to flank it, or epon masked batteries and drive them back, a reaction might occur in the rebel army that would make them truly formidable. Our people at home must curb their impatience, and be satiafied'with the assurance that, as long as General McCleilam can strango his own plans, there will be no pospibility of any reverse to our agms. He is nota eneral to hazard the lives of hie men and the fortunes ‘of his army upon a heidiong dash which, if si fal, is called ‘brilliant,’ or, unsuccessul, called, perhaps, ‘Heroic devotion” or foolfisndincss. His plans are all laid-with the utmost precisiog and certainty, pre- ferring to sacrifice the chance of a brilliant stroke to the certainty of a glorious conelusicn. Generfi Sickles rejoined his command on Friday, just before they took up their line of march from Baltimore Cross Reads. His advent was hailed with the liveliest enthusiasm, and officers and mon cheered till fairly hoarse. Whatever may be thought of him elsewhere, he certainly has the hearts of those now under his com- be thrown forward The announcement that tho battle of Williamsburg was to be faithfully recorded in tho Hiratp of the 24th was received with delight by the diyjsion under General Hoeker, who, not without reason, éomplain. that justice has not been @one thom and Kearney’s trdops in the ac- counts 80 far publighédof the doings of that day. ‘Bince the fight they seem almost to adore their geno- rals, and whenever they ride along the lines their ap proach is passed from regiment to regiment by tho heartiest cheering. Notwithstanding their severe loss at Williamsburg, they aroready for another fight,and, if occasion requires, will give as good an account of thom. solves as they did on the Sth inst, There, were afew qupiesof the Hzzaty brought into camp” this morning -oomteining the account of tho Williamsburg fight, What few wore brought here were snatehed up at twenty-five cents, and tho fortunate possessors wero offered fifty conts and a dollar for their copies, with few willing to take even that price. The White Oak Swamp proves to be not so dismaliy misamatic an affair as was generally supposed. It isa heavily wooded, andulating ground, with dry fertile knolls and marshy, swampy low grounds, affording sufl- cient bard bottom for » number of bypaths or roads traversing it im all directions. A steam sawmill is located near the centre of the swamp; and, from the quantity of fresh sawdust and slabs in the vioinity, pears to have done an extensive business recently. ‘The greatest activity prevails all along the lines, and ' te quite possible that, before this reaches you, the telegraph may announce the advent of the army into Richmond or a great battle. A fesling of certainty of success pervades the whole army—offlcers and men—and the army is im the best of condition for a fight. Omcxanompr, May 27,1862. An Important Letter Fownd—The Rebel Force tn thie Vi Everybody in camp is busy and boisterous just now, The shower is over and the sun is out. The mon emerge from their little shelter tents, scarcaly the drier for the cover; and ‘there are some that leapand some that dance, like troutlets ina pool.” We enjoy the shower now ag a glorious addition to the landscape; but a fow minutes ago it was nearly a desperate matter. Then might inquisitive eye, had it glanced through any one of seve- ral chinks in our tent, have observed a colonel, a major, a quartermaster, doctor anda spocial correspondent, each seated on an island of blanket and india rubber, absorbed in melancholy and intensely interested con- templation of ertain rivulote and pools that mace the floor of said tent deep and damp as the bed of the Iate Chickahominy river. But the waters wore assuaged and we are safe. Ono iricidont Of the storm, however, is worthy of remembrance. Half ‘8 dozen hailstones fornished us with the means to enjoy whiskey and toe as comfortably as it could have been done at a New York hotel. “Two hundred men from the Tenth Massachusetts and ‘Thirty-sixth New York regiments, under command of Lieutanant Colonel Decker, have built a good bridge which more than supplies the place of the bridge that was Bottom’s. At four o'clock P, M. Captain Spaulding, of the Fiftieth New York rogiment, came up with « bridge train and @ hundred men, and by nightfall had Apanned the stream with an “Austrian trestle bridge” ono hundred feet in length. Other bridges will doubtless bo thrown ncross, above and below, witout délay, and the river will be passable for the whole army at once, Two companies of the Massachusetts Tenth advanced ® fow miles beyond the Chickahominy to-day, Tollowing cio on the hee's of the revels as they rotire. Tt would tot bo like the Massachusetts boy not to hurry ‘hem @ little, so there was an exchange of shots, without toss In an abandoned camp of the enemy, near which one of our regiments rested, the following letter was founds torn in fragments. As it must have been written near the Place who.e it was found, it was perhaps never posted Doubtioss the camp at which {t is dated is tho one in which we found it, and the ‘hundred thousand” it speaks of must therefore be in front of us. However anxiously they awaited us, they left very quickly when Camr pry ry Fatanv—I received a letter ave written you before, but we were ata ainar naniigh ee Terai eats treat follored stand and are a enemy to attack us. off for we are about one think we cen whip the whole & pretty to time on ovr march. muck to euto and a licay of bara marehing to dow. ’ We 40 oat from oo evening until tho next oven- eit was two years of corn ty fhe Notwithstanding boys aro all in botter spirits Yankey army. We had Bad woather, not we fare so warily tl Lever saw them. NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1862.—TRIPLE SHEET. of sick " of the city of Richmond. On the 3ist of May the ae ge Seventh Massachusetts regiment was ordered to cross the iP RES s 8 2 : g cook, F dinag the re a On Saturday, 4 petite bi g Gerleral Nagiee took in this affair, but our division iene was two mites in the rear ab the time of the contest: and often. : ‘The Tenth Massachusetts was ordered to the field; letters don’s git to be also Thirty-aixth regimens of New York. i ‘eda ‘There was very heavy firing this aftervoon at about , . - ““F, J. Smith’s”’ estimate of their numbers one o'clock onour right. General Naglee, it appears, taken with some grains of allowance, likely tohave « very lively time of it. We are fully the fled before us seems to have divided and crossed the | “istance of two miles from. the firing, which was very Chickabominy at different points. It does appear pro- | heavy indeed. Weare expecting to move every minute, bable, however; that the question whether or no to | Therebels are trying to break through the right wing fight at this point was in debate with the enemy’s gene- | 82d come down on the railroad track. Se, sere 9 vals. Aocording to a resident of this neighborhood, a Bee © be nen aes lane apna Oo re large body wore tle attacks before along the track, but have always of rebels drawn up in line of bat peaten. Mogiee ta 4sinn Wale ” In the battle of Williamsburg, the first regiment of the 4 in | Excelsior brigade (Seventisth regiment New York Volun- aaaeee roan sGenared Gohan rea with this body, | ters) oat in killed and wounded twenty -iwo of its eom- Smith was also there, as well as Stuart, and Ma- panic ys ea gop bali gruder came as & visitor, or perhays to | Smmissioned officers privates. these body servant, who deserted poole: ahah ehuruie nye preene perma ter told the other generals “they might as sur- priser ayy aa surrender a pres eae brat the story of their trial and eon- page el das Pa £ dl Pret. | _ It i pre-eminently dye to the officers who died cofehat Davis, seen eed ahh oa field, because s regiment paar ae rain. at Crump’s house near night it disc! foes ight the west dey” Ou ‘Thureday ‘shia wie, Aoneene: Be: Saat ogi 6 wept on acroas the Chickahominy. ‘ i i " ! i lt & Ei B Fes§ the Another Storm—The Ravages of War—Poor Virginia— | the fruit of their labor was a regiment of ‘The March of Generals Couch and Cascy’s Divisions— | wore proud, which did honor to them, to itself Their Camping Ground, de. thearmy. That'the story should be told is also Monday afternoon a heavy northeast storm set in, and | the rank and file, who with patience submitted the rain fell steadily till late hour yesterday morning, | most severe discipline and labor, in strong rendering the roads through this miserable goil almost | much of the army, believing that by such sul impassable, and it must retard the progress of the army | they would become better soldiers, and better to aconsiderable extent. Still the word is onward, and | great cause in which they were engaged. How t! all diffguities will be surmounted, although time is neces" | wore verified, how well their discipline served them in sary toovercome them in @ manner to render success | the hour of trial, and enabled them torival the certain. The sun is bright and warm this morning, and | valor of the best troops of ancient and will soon dry the roads again and render them fit fer | shall now be told. When the division of travel. The next advance made by the army will be | opzoaite) Williamsburg, found iteelf engaged ‘nto Richmond, and you may expect at any moment to | overwhelming force of the rebels, by om hear of our being in possessionofthat city. A heavyfiring | a vigorous attempt was made to outflank “ ek i was heard on the right yesterday, but the cause or precise | the First Excelsior regiment, New York, ity is not known tous. Someone of the numerous | William Dwight, Jr.;>.was ordered {0 take pondents of the Hzraxp will, no doubt, be there to | and hold a position in the threatened flank. This, ° give you an account of the affair. Ment reyoved the Third regiment of the same brigade, ‘This portion of the army is passing through a section | and took upa position where it was partially, of Virginia whieh has not before been traversed by the |. by some felled timber. Hardly had the regiment got troops of either army, andithe contrast is most striking. | into line when Colonel Dwight saw. a regiment in line of For almost the first time since’ entering the State this | battle within sixty yards of him. He was about to order Army has seen cultivated fields. Here the gorn is plant- | his'regiment to fire, whgn one of hig officers said, ‘That od and ready for the hoe, The wheat, green and luxu- | is one of our own regiments.” Colonel Dwight hesitated riant,is just heading out, with promises. of an excellent } for a moment, knowing that Patterson's brigade had crop; the clover fields, dressed in their gayest bloom, | taken a position earlier in the day to the left of his own, and everything wearing the appearance of quigt and | and fearing a mistake. The Colonel of the rebel regi Peace. “How in comtrast with theappearance of thé lower | ment, for so it was, called out, “Show your colors.’* portion of the pemivsula!—thore the fences gone, thefields | This Colonet ‘ight did mot do. ‘Is that the ——— Jaid waste, cultivation suspended, the houses dilagidated, | regiment,” the rebol Colonel. Thon Colonel the gardens overrun and desolation written on evéry hand. Dwight ordered his colors to be displayed. Truly has Virginia suffered het perfidy to the | The Febel Colonel thon exclaimed, ‘You aro Union. Long years of toil wi negegsary to restore | prisoners.” A-partial volley from the rebel regiment the agricultural condition of the State, regardless of the | settled the doubt, and at once Colonel Dwight opened his financial, moral and political aspect of her affairs. fire. His regiment was armed with the smooth bore The blind zeal with which her citizens now sustain a | musket, loaded with buck and ball, and their fire, at this cause against which, when submitted to them, they | short range, was very destructive. 80 much so, that the protested at the ballot box, seems incredible; but there | fire of this, the first rebel regiment encountered, was ig no. denying the fact, the greater portion of the | almost silenced bya few volleys from Colonel Dwight’s people are doggedly devoted tothe cause; and, when | regiment. pressed for a reasch, can only find some miserable | The rebels, howover, immediately reinforced it with tale of what the Yankees intended to dotothem had | two regiments in front of Colonel Dwight. Though this they remained in the Union... Many of these stories are | force was in front, it soon became evident that a force so absurd that a docontly intelligent contraband would | oqually large was on theright flank of the First Excelsior, blush to be charged with being the author. and then was explained the rebel demand that the colors Upon the passage of the Chickahominy river onFriday, | be shown, and the rebel confidence that without a shot ‘May 23, General Couch’s splendia’ division was im ad- | the First Excelsior was a regiment of prisoners. vanee. Nearly a milo beyond the river the Richmond | Ag long as the ammunition of Col. Dwight’s regiment foad turns very suddenly to the north, and the Charles | held out, hismen, lying dows ain proteoting themselyesas City road rans away from it in a’mearly opposite dires-'| far as possible by the timber, maintained thelr firé. tion, As latter road ran into the rear of our ad- | Their ranks, however, were rapidly thinned. The arders vance on the other, it was necessary to guard it,aud Gen. | were to hold that position, and that position they held. Coueh was sent down and encamped on it at about a mile | They could hear the rebel volleys far beyond thetti on from the jutiction, and Goneral Casey's division following | their loft turning the ‘position. The fire of theenemy, behind, rested at the junction and’almost on the Rich: | steadily maimtained from threeermers regimentsin their mond rod. General Couch thus lost, to the intenso | front andon their right, ls described as , de- chagrin of his wholo division, the advance which he had structive and sweeping. The constant whirt of bullets so'recently gained and which he so well deserved tohave; | waslike the flight of some vast flock of birds of prey. for, when the corps again moved it was not counter- | Still, the constancy of the First Excelsior iment stoo! marehed, but moved on the Richaiond road in the otder | firm. That-fosition wasa key, anda their keep- in which it had lain, with General Casoy’s division first. | ing. The brave Captain Wijiird, of another regiment, ‘This latter, rch was begun on Sunday, atten A.M., | eamé up to Colonel Dwight and said té him, “No men and it was iBtended to half at the Seven Pines, a, point | can stand this fire.” “I amordered to hold this position,’’ within miles of Righmiond; but, owing te the na | said Colonol Dwight, “and, besides, retreat is itapoeiible; ture of the country this intenti®m was relinquished, and | worse than annihjlation.” “But,” said the Captain, and at the advance encamped a mile or more short of the | the moment & pallpassed through his bead and the seu" Pines, and made itself comfortable for tho" night. tencewas Uispoken. He was dead. The gallant Major The position in which the corps now rested was a very | Stevens, of the Third régiment Excelsior brigade, at this Pleasant one. ‘To the left of the road was an oxtensive’| time addressed Col. Dwight, to know whatihe thought of and dry pine forcst. In this Casey's troops were encamp- | the position and prospects. Col. Dwight told him that ed. On his front was an open plain, a mile in extent in | he should stay there, and that he must rely on General the direction of the road, and about half a mile wide in | Hooker’s saving him by clearing his Jeft. To the adju- the other direction. On the side opposite from the road | tant, who was going at this momest to Inform the bri. this plain was bounded by another thick wood, and be" | gade commander of ‘the condition things, tho gallant hind this wood, to the left of General Casoy, lay General | Major said, ‘‘ Teil Colonel Taylor ‘we will all die here or Coueh’s division. hold the position.”” * Arrangoments were begun as soon as the corps Tested Colong! Dwight before this time himself wounded tocarry out further orders, which were that the issn nite ou Cofoiel Farniiz: bad gone from, should have, days’ rations in their haversacks at | tho floid wounded in both thighs. Captain O'Reilly had alltimes, and that al and superfluous baggage | died gallantly early in the “action. Captain Brann had should be sent’ beyond the Chickahominy. It was evl, | died fighting with extraordinary resolution, and many dout that we were to march from this camp to battle | other officers were wounded. that is if there was to. bé a battle—and with this cenylc- Captain Bugbee, than whom a more heroic soldier tion all lay down to sleep. .F nevor breathed, now came to Colonel Dwight and inform- Un Monday, at an'early hour, word camo in trot the | od him of the small quantity of ammunition yet remain- pickets In front that the@nemiy wore advancing in force | ing, of the increasing numbers of the robols, and spoke, om the Richmondroad. Alf‘was in readiness and expec- also, of the frequency with which the rebel regiments tution, One brigade of Casey's division was sent for- were rolieved. Colonel Dwight acknowledged the facts, ward to meet them, and the remainder of that division | and Captain Bugboo went to his own post, woll knowing and all of Couch’s were hoid in readiness to move at a | that there he must dio, and at that post he mot his fate moment’s notice. Bat it was afalsealarm. Tho brigado 4 that went forward in such gay good humor found no \At this time every oMcer seemed a hero; but distin one and returned. Later, Gon. Casey’s whole division guished for their dauntiess bearing were Captaine was moved forward two miles further on the road to. | Price and Bugbeo, Lioutenants Zeigler, Miller, Howe, wards Richmond. GeB. Coueh’s division was then set to | Nolson, Hayner, Levick and Stevens. And many work with intrenching tools in largdidetajls,and that | a tale of gallantry could be told of the night and the next day (Tuesday) completed a line of | non-commissioned, from a resolute sergeant who Tifle pita all slong the front of Gen. Casey's late camps, fought nobly, to the private who went for the rebol fing, and also constructed several redoubts for cannon. Thes® | and died with his hand on it;and the regimental black- works made the position a strong one; but they werecon- | smith, who fought a if made of iron, and came Sut of structed more for their moral than material effect. With the fire as unharmed as his own forge. During this unequal contest Colonel Dw: endeavor. sidered the chances of the present advance as at best no ed, and, with temporary success, to penpals noe more than even; they gave the foe full credit for his cou- | fire. He ordered twenty men from each company to rage and made their arrangements accordingly. If des- spring from their position, and the regiment to cheer pite that they should succeed, very well; but in case of and shout loudly, directing the men who sprang forwara reverse thoy had something tofall back on and give tohalt and liedown after advancing a few paces, Im- them breath to ge forward once again. In the same ‘Modiately the rebel line wavered, and their fire coased, view intrenchments were thrown up near General Ca- and the regiment had a short relief from their unceasing ‘soy position. On Tuesday also three reconnoissances | and deadly volleys, This lasted only for a were made—one by General Naglee, with three squad- | few moments, when it was resumed. The rons of cavalry, on the cross road that runs from the shout and advance answered its purpose, Gress, with four squadrons of cavalry, on a by-rosd however, which was to gain time, and it was long before Richmond; and anothor, with eavairy and in. | the rebels regained the whole of their lost ground and Sau, support a Feed over by General Mc. 80 sorely pressed the devoted regiment. It is, however, Clellaa to examine mage tens, quite an ‘{ostructive lesson of the significance of Yankee Cuicrauomyy, May 29, 1962, cheers to the rebel mind, even when it is intoxicated 4 Skirmth—General Early—Dr. Brown, de. ‘by apparent superiority. The ammunition of his men ‘This morning at sunrise there was a skirmish on the | W®* °xhausted. ‘Take what ammunition you can from Richmond road, within four miles of Richmond, between | the dead and wounded; then fix your bayonets and Iie our advance pickets and a party of the enemy, thrown down,’ was the order. This was done. At Inst, and out, apparently, to resonnoitre. The enemy’s party num- just about at the moment when the reinforcements ar- bored three hundred, and was composed of a detail of | Tved, am order came from (he brigade cemman- fifty men ench from the Fifth and Twenty-third North | “* © fetreat. Colonel Dwight, as he turned Carolina, the Twenty-fourth and Thirtioth Virginia, and | hi® head, saw that the lime, which had been #0 the Second Florida regiments, and fifty from the Socond | !ng maintained by constant personal presence and ‘Mississippi battaitom. They advanced under cover of the the devotion of his officers and mon, had re- woods and drove in our outer pickots, but were driven | [Ved the order from another messenger from the off by the supports without difficulty. brigade commander, and that the right of bis line was Our lous was sovere for so amalla matter. Major John | *e*reating. He saw, too, that some of his men, under E. Keoley, of the Ninety-sixth New York, was killed, and | #%# Order to retreat, had tarned their backs to the ene- alson private of the same regiment, Several of the | ™Y- Fearing a panic and « disorderly retreat, he sprang @uemy’s men wore hit, and one left on the field wag | %P defore the line and said, ‘Fall back, slowly, with your brought in; be will probably die before night. From | {°*S to the enemy, in good order.” He had hardly Dim we learn that Karly'e brigade—the brigade beaten | *Poken when two bails strock bim; one cut his forehead, by Hancook at Willlamsburg—is encamped near us, and the other wounded his groin severely. He fell, stunned thatGeneral Karly has recovered from his wound and is'| *04 blinded by the flow of blood from his head. The in command. og First Excelsior regiment withdrew andor a galling fire. This corps advanced two miles to-day. The rogiment, it is said, withdrew. But how? In the Dr. Joseph B. Brown, lately Modical Diroctot of the | Morning, through @ long and muddy road, it had toiled, Rourth corps, has beon transferred to Franklin’s corps, | Sight hundred mon, towards the scene of its trial and He Is succeeiied by Dr. Frank Hamiiton. glory. For two long hours it had held mauy fold —_——: its numbers in chock, In the evening it moved ont trom Canp Wiirre Oar, May 80,1902. | the enomy’s fire wit ompty cartridge boxes and fxod Gen. Casey's Division Before Fight—Tne Bec+l ior Bri- | bayonets, numbering lors than four hundred (fective F gade, « men. Two of its fleld officers and twenty of its company Casey's division ie within apyen and a ball mites’ offcers had fallen, As this broken bat unconquered ‘band marched by Goneral Heintzelman to the rear, thé General and his staff uncovered their heads, and he bade his command give nine cheers for the First Excelsior “oldiers,”’ said General Heintzelman, “whew rebel hands. So were many of the wounded of his regiment and of General Hooker's division. ll thus captured were taken to the rebel hospital at Williams. burg, and, aa far as possible, their wounds kindly pared’ for by rebel surgeons, Next morning, as the rebels the amt {@ atthe door.” “In that case I give you my parole,” was the answer. He was left with the other wounded, and in a short time received a cordial Greeting from one of General Heintze!man’s staff. The General also visited him immediately, and General McClellan himself soon came to him, and, taking him by the hand, ssid, ‘Colonel, I thank you and your regiment for your gallant and heroic conduct.’’ ‘There is nothing to add to this story, save the state ment that Colonel Dwight’s wounds are now doing well under the care of friends at Washington. It may be justly claimed for Colonel Dwight and the Firat Exéelsior regiment, which that they “did'most signal service in as fought field as was ever known tp thia ¢guntry at least,’? ‘More 60,” a brave general, who commanded a brigade on that ‘gcc clon, and who we have already |, “than will be known except by who participated im ‘sovete battle.” © , ‘Composed of companies from Massach' ‘York, Now Jersey, Pennsylvania arid Michigan, the Exoel- ‘slor regiment belongs to country and its fame is theifs. This simple of thetr trial and of their con: 1s, perhaps, worthy to be known apd be remem by the States from which they came, ? 6 sees ” QRERATIONS OF THE GUNBOATS. es Naval Co: le Orr See ee he Deligh*fut on Jame Rivr—An Eatensive Plan. station and its Private Railroad—A Réel Battery—The Fleet at anchor—Redel rt Coming—Unsde Sentim-nt in Pelersbuip—Pante ond Destitutton in That City, de.ses,"\).\'\ ‘Yesterday eveniag the Island Belle, Cour de Lion and Stepping Stones ran alongside the Mi ta, fagship, and took in @ quastfty of @tores, after they pro. ceeded up the James river in the order named and anchored s little above Net Ys News till morning. At four o’clock we weig! anchor and stood up the river, in thesame order in which wedefy; but as the Cour de Lion is very’ slow; we soon her, and “during the passage Gp we had to slacken speed spill abead. At some, above Now- port's Ne ‘we arrived” opposite @ battery that. had. deen by the | rebels,-but | Over; the Stars and wére now ‘waving. be m our course, we affived at Jamestown Island, where the gunboat Port-Royal was lying, and aftera ‘boat from beg had communicated with us we proceeded on our way. The river nowhbegan tocontract in breadth, and the mogt; delightful scenery odme in view. Vast fields of growingapheat, alternated with dense clumps of © woodland and leyel |, gave way tohigh banks, overhanging the river on either side, while the entire country partook of an undulating character. Several resp2ctable farm houses were passed, ag were « fow comfortable private residences; but thore were no indi- cations of those sumptuous mansions aad imposing edifices that we have been taught to cemside?, as among the feudal appanages of the cescendants of ancient cavaliors of England, from whom the F. F. V. to ‘Dbedescended. “Anong other large plantations w9 passed was one belonging to a oo igs pee right bank of the river, some miles ‘This gentieman’s farm ts so extensive that be has & private railroad, with steam power on it, by thd agency--of which his produce ie gathered in to one common centre ie? thé Wharf, for shipment, while on the wharf ftself, or near by, there is, or waspagawmill, by which his wood is sawed up, @plit and made ready for the Northern market. How far secession has with those comfortable and enterprising arrangoments Tam unprepared to say, but certainly Mr. Allen’s fields look as green and flourishing as if war was not stalking over the land with desolating > tread. On the wholo, while the charms of nature on the banks of the James rivor are undeniable, we look in vain for those evidences of high civilization which crowd the banks of the Hudgon. ... ~ we" Pursuing our course, and passing sqveral places where white flags were fying, and eyen waved at us by both whites and blacks, we came upon a formidable fortifies- tion at a sudden bend of the river, where itedmtracts considerably, a few miles below this plate. Down by the river was @ water battory where, eight guns had been evidently mounted, and immédistely above, ascended by wooden ‘stairs, was , calcu'ated for several more guns; but the guns all taken away and we were allowed to pass in peace. ‘A fow miles farther up brought us to City Point, where we found the Wachusett, the Aroostook anil the Monitor, gigiotes lying. The Galena ts a li:tle way above. fissachuselis 1s near by,and is to take this Ictter down. A couple of schooners, besides these, z= the number of our fleet. ~ From one of the schooners the Island Belle, Ste: de Lion have recelyed several sheet® of bojloriron, to protect their pilot houses from mus ketry, from which I gather that we are to be employed in recornoissances in shoal water,for which our light draught, if notvoar invulnerability, fits us. Shortly after we reached here « train of cars arrived at the City Point depot from Petersburg. Immodiately a flag of irace Was holsted off tne wharf, and shortly after a boat boaring a white flag was sent from the Wachusett. The boat made a second trip, but T have met beta pb ‘oarn the nature of the communieation, { is sald these flsgs of truce are of every day occurrenes. Since writing the foregoing I have been on board the Wachusett and had an interview with Captain Smith, the commanding officer of the squadron on this river. Last evening two desertors from the rebels embraced the op- portunity while on picket guard to desert and goon Doard the Wachusett. They say they were long waiting for an opportunity, as are a great number of others, In fact, they know five hundred men in Petersburg who are ready to leave the rebel ranks, but the impossibility so many men deserting In a body without being ile ately missed and captured by a superior force prevents them, The people, too, entertain Union sentiments to an extent not generally suspected; but as cach distrusts his neighbor, all are fearful of speaking first, ‘The deserters give a fearful account of the scarcity or provisions in Petersburg and Richmond, In the latter city flour rose in one day from seven to ten dollars a bar- rel, with @ rapidly upward tendency. Almost everybody who could get away was leaving @ the greatest con- Thave learned, though not from Captain Smith, that the three vessels 1 have already named as having come up here to-day are to reconnoitre the Chickahominy and the Appatomox rivers. I suppose we will be sent a? the former. In either case we must prepare fer a fu- ailade; but, disagreeable as this may be, it is far better than carrying hay and borses. It was erroneously stated in the newspapors that the oMoers and boat's crew from the Wachusett that were fired into by the rebels some days ago had a flag of truce flying from their boat at the time. This is an error, as learn from an officer of the Wachusett. The surgeon on board Wiat vensel was asked to go on shore to visit a sick person. He consented, and as the boat was on an errand of mercy, which, it was erroneously thought, was generally understood on sboro, the white flag was omit. ted. Hence the firing into the boat and the lamentable resulte—killing, wounding and capturing. Tt is right to Give even the devil his due; and, therefore, if there are Any rebels who can be exculpated from any further fo- famy than simple rebellion, they ought to have the hene- fit of the whitewashing, such as it is. Usrrep States Sreamen Steere Sromes, { Ory Porn, James Kiven, Va., May 27, 1962. A Reconnoissance—Defiant Actions of the Rebele~The Stpping Stones Receives a Volley of Musketry from Rebet Bushwhackers—She Replies and Silences the Rebels, dic. ‘The Stepping Stones and the Coour de Sion have just returned from a reconnoissance a short distance up the Appatomox river, 4 narrow stream that rons past Pe. tereborg and emptios iteelf into the James river immo- lately above City Point. ‘The Stepping Stones (ook the lead, closely followed by hey conevety to enable ber to do which we slackesed toni gotatdortably, A MROrt distance from the mouth