The New York Herald Newspaper, July 4, 1862, Page 1

aati THE NEW YORK HERALD ees: WHOLE NO. 9429. ~ WOLELLANS ‘ OPERATIONS, SIX BATTLES IN SIX DAYS. (Minety-Five Thousand Union Troops Op- - posed to One Hundred and Eighty- * ~ Five Thousand Rebels. Splendid Military Achievements on the Chickahominy, THE BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMP, The Famous Rebel General Stonewall Jackson Killed. Terrible Charge of Heint- zelman’s Corps. The Battle at Charles City Cross Roads. The Union Generals McCall and Rey- nolds Wounded and Taken Prisoners. Serious Loss of Cannon . and Baggag “The Brilliant Action of the Gunboats on Monday. @ur Army Safely Located on the Banks ef the James River. ‘Tho ‘Battles of Peach Orebard, Golding’s Farm, Savage's Station, Gaines’ Hill end Beaver Dam. @he Rebel Goneral Barnwell Rhett and the Rebel Colonel Lamar, of the Wacht Wanderer, Killed, ae, &e., bo. CORRESPONDENT’S ACCOUNT, A fearful crisis in the history of America is past. at ent the Army of the Petomec ts safely sheltered upon ‘Ge banks of the James river, and we are permitted to Present some pcoount of its bold, masterly and unprece- ented movements. Six dattles have been fought, and @areo hundred thousang men engaged. Twenty to @irty ‘thousand of there are dead or Dieeding ‘@ttestations of the valor or Gerperation that,animated @em. A retreat, or rather « strategic mevement, ‘bas wansferred the aceve of operations from the Chicks. Bomiay te a distant point, and all speculations base! ‘pen previous positions of the grand army are as vain as ‘the conclusiéns based upon its present are bewildering. We know that the army is cafe, It has won great vic- ferien, though outnumbered by an enemy twico its Guperier, and holds ite columns intact, the spirit of its men still invincible and the faith of its officers uncon- querable. If ever the nation should thapk God it shou!d ‘Ve at thie time, ‘The particulars of the battle of Friday are in part known. Whatever may have been designed er whatever may have beon necessitated in the vacation of the north ‘Deuk of the 7, it was at least certain that said non-ccoupation would compe! the evacuation of ‘White House und the York River Railroad, and therefore edlige a falling bac to the James river, as a new source @f eupplies and & new base of operations. 4 COUNCIL OF wan, Maadquarter tents were moved from Dr. Trent's field, @m the bank of the Chickahomiay, to Savage's station, a alle and a half distant, at dusk on Friday. At night, a» the several brigades came over the bridge and clusterct, om the borders of the swamp, a single tont dotted the hallleide, and ia thie sat General McClellan. At eleven @cloek ® counc!! of war was called in front of this tent, Gnd the several corps commanders, the Commander. tm-Chief and bis aide, tho Prince de Joinville, the General of Engineors, with other trusted and faithful counsellors, congreyatod. A large fire had been lighted just beyond the arbor, and the blaze of the Sighted knots Hit up the feces of tho military men with tm They ratina sort ofa bor that hod formed a ya. Gillon for one of the to..\: rence was very Jeng and earnest. Do (iat eouneil—the first eatled 6m tho Meld wines tih> begiootug of the war-—Gen, MoCiellan presented his pious o* rowing Jamop river, — wp THR NPTRRAT TO TR 188s MIVTR. Sian EOD te. eo Fomer f 4 once that the army amen Wa. “S858 mtent she tovmg wont wea to move, and during Friis, ; ta long and winding array towards Savage's Mace! { whence they took their way ovor tho hills to the Wil- Hamsburg road, aud thence to Witte Oak Swamp. Next morning the procession con.nued, and the large siege Pieces that had reached White House the previous week, Wont passing wong, with ambulances, batteries and pontoon tralns—all orderly, aa if moving in fartherance ef the cherished plan towards the city 6f Rich- |. There wan a degree of oslerity In their advance Ghat only those acquainted with the state of things could remark, and (he quartermasters had faces a little aux- fous, though they said nothing. That it takes much patience to await (he tardy marchof anarmy all know @ven when the treops are froe to co on in advance We teams follow ieiaureiy; but when tho teams take the ht of way. blocking up every foot of road, sticking in the bogs and upsosting down the hills, tho march is in- Geed devious sri c.stressing, Such was the case with Our route on Lhe several marches of Sat , Sunday fend Menday, when tho todtum was more than usually Qpperent because of ofr anxiety to go forward. TUE ORDNS TO ABTAEAT. Tt was generally understood at daylight on Saturaay also that the army was to ovacuate its line of entrench woents, Todo this with the requisite procipitancy*it was necessary to movo only tho most essentin} bagcago, and leave belind rything that was ponderous or balky. The oMicera were given to understaud that they faust discriminate between neorssaries and luxuries, and the sick told that ambulances could be granted to very few, aay. The wounded wore told vo bat the Bilenco waa ominous to them, o8 it foretold thein left on contested ground in the hands o heartless traitors, while the army abould be receding, column by colume, « ward the remote and dowbtiul Jamos, ‘Le soepe ca Wiat me- Morable Saturday morning can never be forgotton White House resigned, our suyrly dover cui @ part of NEW YORK, FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1862. M’CLELLAN’S NEW Fi:LD .OF OPERATIONS. The Line of March to the James River---The Battle Fields of Monday and Tuesday, June 80 and July 1, 1862 ESIC REEKE GOODESICRESS % \ Late Ww our line of earthworks deserted, and the army grouped tentless and expectant, in the open ficld, sleeping after the labora of the battle. Hundreds of soldiers were Limp> ing bither and thither, their arms in slings, asking for their regiments. Hundreds of ethers started upon pain ful and almost hopeless pilgrimages to the James, whore they fondly believed tho Union, gunboats to be, and felt that under their watchful ports there would be rest, safety and shelter, Tho long liccs of fevered, staggering people struck ont for the river, and many a drop of vicod spattered the sand sa they filed through brook and wood, over bill and dale, nerved by the certainty that every footfall ensured more di- poctly their deliverance, Some of the wounded hobbied ten miles the drst Cay, upon crutches, and we saw one man with a ball through one bipand the other ankle broken that kept up with an ammunition wagon through eleven hours, The ambulanees were crowded with men Unlil the sprivgs bent flat upon the axles, anda very common matter to see Was several wounded men silting in the tail ofthe wagon with bicody feet dripping upon the steps. Ali day long the wrgons went out in foggy files, and the troops sauntered toward the same ultima thule. Great siege guus and greater pontoons went ring ing in the cortege, and horsemen, toamsters and negroes vied with each other in cursing and swearing. @aTCRDAY NIGHT ON THR FELD. Very Cow slept on Saturdsy night; for the issues of the dawn caine upon many with aheary forebodiog, and that solicitade for the army and Its General tact every individual felt pressed home with a bitter premonition of dangers to come, It wap said that the enemy had pushed a groat columm between us and the james, aad that when we reached the river itecif Beauregard wou'd ve found there, backed bys hundred thousand mep to iuterpose between ue and (hs gunboats. It rained a Wife during the night and moistened the dnsty ground. By three o’eiock in the morning the rebel prisoners had been marched off by Major Willurd, the teams at lead- quarters were on their way, aud before five o’ciock the General and suite were in the saddle, dashing acroes thy epeb buiintry, turning for a moment their ogee from a to Gx them again more tenaciously upon Riehmou- eat i another and botter stand psint. Wo loft & largs number of woundod in the hosyltal'at Savage's, pert, s & thou, sana and more fn all, and éhese toon experienced a aocond time tho bloody greeting of the enomy, ae ne Whe Paiile of Peach Orchard. At daylight on Sunday onr whole line of earthworks had been dosertod, and our artillery removed a inilo to the rear. Here ft was juliciously disposed, (ne batteries macked, and the infantry covered by thickeme ses of woods, The spot was a part of the batue ground of Fair Oaks, Unt it is dorignated ac Poach Orchard Station. ‘At daylight the enemy came eastward on the Williams. burg road, one column Advancing down tho railroad. They openca from two batieres on the left; but their Mr ing waa awkward and jneffoctive, as likewiee thoir mus- ketry, which was close and mig) have been invore seri- ous. Whon thoy reached a line of march, about threo hundred yards from our front, the whole terrible fire of our cannon burst upon them. They staggered, wut be- fore the full effect of Our discharge was discernible the pleces rang again and their columns were foarfuily thioned. For a half hour our fire was so close that it seomed the perpetual echo of @ single deafoning report— acontinaous biaze of flame and ball, to which the Con- fedorates replied febiy, but with some show of deter. mination, Gen, Sumver rode in the thickeat of this fight, and the gallant brigade of Meagher was like a wall of shamrock. Indeed Richardsen’s division vie with Sedgwick’s, and Heintzeiman's troops were uot be ., %, . Y, yy, . $ ~ 7 ines 37” BATTLEFIELD NEW B FY JUNE 27 YagRIDCE oF iuhe' ¥ Ea x MIOCENE: CUE RACETISN ANIMANY BRID Nae actin, \ ‘ > ala ld alan ll, SMA) sun Willy, Ops SHIRLEY FERRY, ETERSBURG. & not less than one thousand five hundred, Tho efforts of the eneiny to overresch uson the left were made fu- ti'ely, for we took pains to cover our line of general re- treat along the Williamsburg road, by deploying our left along that road toa creek that crosses it more thana wile in (he rear of Savage’s, Thoy endeavored to charge through the brigades of Burns, Dana aud Gorman; but the steady fire. of such regimente as the Mas- sachusetts Twentieth bailed them in that re- gard. Having held the piace until, in the judg- ment of the geuerais,our teams, heavy artillery and ambulances were far across White Oak Swamp, our troops fell back leisurely to the neighborhood of Savage's Station, and again drew up in order of action, The fight of Peach Orchard—for #0 it will be called-—was a decisive victory to the Union troops. It was fought with a smal; force, agninst immense oads, and in the rear of the main army that was cvery moment receding. To conduct an action so manfilly in yiow of these yloomy facts argue’ very akia to invuloerability. The large figure of Gene- 1 Sumner, with his long white beard, handsomely montod and followed by a dashing stuf, is a feature of this fight that will be forever imprinted upon the minds of his coldiers, When they saw him gallopping down the lines they cried: “Here eomos the Old Bull, boys; give him threo ebeors!” gnd fought with renewed enthusiasm. The conduct of General Dana is universally approved Cool, steady and valorous, he exhibited in this action the great self possession that marks him in daily Nifo. Colonel Sully, @son of the distingulebed artist, was acting 08 General of Gorman’s brigade during a part of the battle, He also wou encominms for his general- ship. The Battie of Savage's. ‘The battlo of Savage’s was more sanguinary. It com. blll NZ > lil Y “PRINCEGEORCE! COURTHOUSE QUA allay... oil, wie Tinges to pieces, The Fighty-oighth, Sixty-third and Bixty-ninth participated in tnis gallant act. It was here that the brave Col. Pierce, of the Twenty-ninth Massa- chusetts regiment, formerly General Pierce, of Big Bethol fame, Joat an arm. 1¢ was taken off by a sotid shot. . ight came on, Dut put no end to the carnage. The steady roar of cannon, and the sharp, quick ring of musketry, now bursting into velleya, now degenerating to that rasping noise mado by file firing, lied the whole air. The darkness was lit ap by tho fitful dashes, and, to complete the awful picture, the woods wei five by bursting sholls, and conflagration paint terrors on the sky. _ THE REBELS FMA INTO OUR HOSPITALS. Ta the battle of Savage’s the rebels fired into our hos- Pitals repeatedly, although admonished by the custom Ty red flag, and afterwards by @ white flag. Deaf to al appoals for forbearance, they continued to uurl morsen” OT a U Z Siffe "POWHAT TA LOWPOINT, reek, our teams whitered all the hills on the southern side, aud the woary soldiers, having torn up the bridge, laid themselves down to rest. It was now eight o'clock om Monday, a day arid, dusty and closer than tho panting but indomitable Northerners could well endure. Many of them wore hungry; the water in the Swamp was such that the stomach turned at it with loathing, and the wounded bobbled here and there with dry eyes that soemed to plead for rink, White Oak creek runk through @ belt ofgwamp timber, precisely as the Chickahominy flows through ite entompassing morass. The creek is not more tha. four or six feet and had been made passable by the engineers; brigade, who built a good corduroy bridge across it. A strip of bottom land lies on both sides of the swamp, and on the north side a steep hill, crowned with a farm beuse, formerly tho headquarters of Gen. Casey, had beou encircled by our own troops with a line of rifle its, Au abatis also stretchod deross the bottom land. Be- gors of death among those already past their vengeance, and the wounded were compelled to lie tmmovably and Toceive the quietus to their sufferings from the hands that bad already maimed them. A few had limped away yond the stream the country was rising, and two farm houses ‘ey opposite exch other at a little distance, where some of our officers stopped to rest and refresh. Beyond the most eastorn house ran a small creck, sup- from tho hospitais, but were shot down whenever they | ported by a thick wood. This tvas the right of our new were discovered by the bloodthirsty foe, THY LOSSKA AT BAVAGE’S. The battle of Savage’s was much heavier titan that Peach Orchard. We im addition to our wounded— hig brigade, consisting of the Fifth Wisconsin, Sixth Maine, Forty-third New York and Forty-uinth Peinsy!. vania, Gel Brooks and Davidson lay close in to allof whom fell into tho porscesion of the enomy—from | Hancock, and the bottertes of the division were com: seven hundred tea thousand men, the greater part of manded by Captain Ayres, formerly of Sherman's bat- whom were killed and wounded, Most of the wounded | tery. Genernis Sumner, Hetntzelman, Porter and, fo aud all of the killed were left behind, as ave had no means of transportation for them, and the exigen. cy of the army would not aliew of delay in walling the tardy movements of the wound- ed. The ecusmy iost severely, and several of hie caissons were blown up by the effectiveness of mended abont five o’cleck in the afternoon and lasted till [eur firing, Dnring the several parts of the action we @loven o'clock at night. The rebels, when we had fallen back from Peach Orchard, filed, with large reinforee- monts and additional batteries, as woll as with sovdray Aquadcons of cavalry, towards Several roads levting to the Chickabominy, and, coverod by tho thick thnber, wore enabled to remain coucealed until they had re chod Qybort field thay stretches from Savage's to a dense belt of Woods in the dirsction of the farme of fr, ‘Trent and Mosera. Mickey, Dudloy agd Coteh, Sutdeviy ap- peating but of thd edges of the timber, they opened with rifled caunou upea our forces, drawn up in full view to the south of the railroad, Directly they rau out three batteries to commanding points in the wheat feld, and opened a rapid enfilading fire of shelf’ and grape. This was at Oret @0 staggering that our mon could uot form, nor our artillerymen bring their battories lute service. Tho 106th Pennsylvania regiment was soizod with momentary panic, but soon recovered and did good service. The frat named lost ia the beginning of the fight a trundred killed and wounded men, and a regiment of vevel cavalry galloped in and drove the regiment off, so that (he wounded had to be resigned, In the mean. time ® rebel brigade wan observed stouving down to Uk right, as if with the design of fauking our troops by roaching a position on tho Willinmsburg road, Orptain Pettit at once planted (wo guus on the railroad ond swept the column with grape and canneter, until it went back to the woods npon aran, Some of the sharpest infantry Richardeon’s, Hooker's, Kearnoy'# avd Siniih'e divivions engaged with, various sures, “he rebels eame dotor- miuediy across the floli, fring as they advanced, nti, Gouoral Sumner erderid cur troops up at doubio qnick to a chi go, About four thousand of thew went of at ones with # that might have roar hindhand in the rapidity of their discharges aud the atoadiness of Welt bebovior. The whole Obt, though it Jaated (vom elghtotetock A. M. to twolve, was like one imeident, and it Lorminnted ¥ ith @ loes wo our side of not more ban one hundred ond fifty men, the rabele ar drowned the musketry. Tho rebels | os mn for # moment, and then fell back to the rear sale Dotteries, Meaghor » brigade, however, succeded in charging right up to the guns 0° @ Virginia battory, two of which they Bruled off, spiked,and chopped the ear. fighting of the war ensued, in which paris ofSedgwick’s, | took not less than five hundred prigoners, but were com. gelled to let them go for the same reason that operated in | the caso of our wounded. FALLING BACK PROM SAV AG The weary but still resolute soldiers received ordera at midnight to fall back rapidly from Savago’sncroas While, Oak Swamp. The enemy waa making furtive attempts to overreach thera tu this respect, and it was likely to bes | woo ule creek. 1 ecine a tight raco between the rebels and Unionists as to ty, and succeed in placing tho swamp betweon our. ‘eg and thom, our retreat would be almost inevitably ff, and almost the whole army butchered or eurren- Although every soldier and officer (alt this dreadful alternative so lose, mo one acted | otherwise than as a Northerner and ® man, | There was no murtaueing, uo flinchirg, no ? ee | dered. comparing opinions, the steady tramp of battaltons, and now aud then tho gritting of teeth, or the bard drawing of a breath to indicate the bitterness In the hearta of sil, Tied some lost spirit supplied the torch, there was the { royuisite Ore in the whole army to rush headlong upeo jmmolation at Richmond, and oud the campaign with hovor if not with cousummation, At dawn vii had ronched the swamp and the enemy was coming on be- hind, | whe Great Battle of White Oak Sw ‘Tho eu my follotved us hard toward Whito Oa tho fattht 1 (ollows of Heinteelman, Sumner and Fra | protea ing our taggard baggage and artillery. Thos mp. BD, i J, werd compelled to keep ta Hise of bitile across | eared the co: test, and although in éach case some of tite coantry along tha whole extent of the retrost, fir | our beat and os Voloved, soldiers bis (he dust, th . ay was forever ondenvuring iw Lulu ur ape. the | a Tho cannon firing won 2es~ vght and the Noiwithstanding this, eur march the deepe 4 and elogost of war, extibited no symptom of baste or fear; thet ne | oa duly bat not rlotousby, amd wien fnetiy to jos wagon end canon went Dlashing throug tie undue Lastening, only the subdaed talk of gulliers | Ma | + nig men mp to close qn ! fact, all, the wpole of tlie army, excepting the oorpa of Keyes andan immense number of stragglers that had pushed on toward the James and could not be rallied in time to be of service, extended the line of battle upwards of four miles to the left, bordering the whole distanc: upon the swamp, wich battories ranged wpoa every com- manding hill and astrong picket situated at Charice City Cross Roada,whore, it was shrewdly expected, the enemy would attempt te come out inforce from Richmond, * Hancock's position waa a strong one, and it would have taken @ strong onomy to dislodge him, The fire commenced at this point on Monday, when the bridge that the eng'neers hind consirticted for the passage of our army, Raving subserved its purpose, was removed from slously the railroad bridgo haw been burned, thW culverts blown up, anda fot of euper- which should first cross the creek and gain the high | qyoyg ammunition and cumbrows baggage run by train grounds on the other side, If they should be more | into ene Chickahominy, He appeared on White Oak Swamp in strong force, and directly opened from some twenty masked batteries, that biew up several of Captain Mott's caissoas, diamount- cd his pieces, and raired a habbud generally among toamaters, wageners, cennoniers au@ infantry. ‘The ‘Twentieth New York at this time made their celebrated prarpede, for which, nextday, the Provost Guard, by order of General MoClelian, picked them up and took thom to veadquarters like so many © Tprits. However, very fon our light batteries recovered thomesives and vigorously rosponder! to the enemy, who was goon at @ perceptible disadvaning®, #0 far as ag. anracy and effect were concerie!. Our infantry, too, fe't in fine. y to mupport tlio batteries cr meet half wey any pt rebel infantey to ptsh kerose the creek. Thus the battle greesed tll late in the afternoon with serious lose Wy both sides—more wounds from cannon shot porhips resulting than at any other timo ta any battle, The rebels made some cesperate ofvrts to cross the ere but General Smith brought s with thes whonever they ghee stomn y flo exces tos ay can mar Roe wid cont rom ENE “a The canuovadir { ye wih PRICE TWO CENTS. earful effest among our baggage and artillery teaus. «had, however, prevented the enemy from crossing ‘swomp im eur front, and fondly hoped that he woulé ‘Buble to pierce its fastnesses at any other poimt of our right or left, That this hope was il} founded was@oom tea'ifled by the appearance of the enemy in great fore} at Jbarles City Croas Roads, which lies about four miles ftom White Oak Swamp, due south, and about # mileand @ Lalf or two miles from the James river at Turkey Island Bend, He had advanced direct from Richmond eight brigades, the firet under command of the redoubtable General Henry A. Wise, and when discovered at the Cross Roads was endeavoring to work quietly down the river road between our trains, oar wounded and the army. Twe such attempt might have been succes: ruin and confusion would have ensue Keyes wereordered up to repel these r (reops of the former still suffering fro Friday in so great a degree that muipyr organization at all and many brigades mental organization, At five o’clock | enemy, hidden by woods and the swell the firing from musketry aud field batte tense. The robels did fatal execution some of our most valuable officers fal) be. -, dying. The reports of ordnance had now been hear. - many days that such chaos seemed the normal condition of nature, and painfully the battle weaton. It was scarcely an enthusiastic fight, for all the remance of battle had worn off by reason of ite monotony. ‘Ihe men fought well, however, though half dead with heat, thist and wonriness. Some bfoke for the river and plunged im the cool water for an instant, then, emerging, rusted back to the fray and fought like lions. Fresh troops and superior numbers seemed bearing the tdo of battle aguinat usat five o'clock, and the fateof the army bung trembling in the sunset, when a new ad> yooate—half of God, haif of man—came to our relief, ‘THE GUNBOATS OPEN FIkR, About five o’clock in the efternoon the gunboats Gale pA, Aroostook and Jacob Bell opened from Turkey island Bond, in the James river, with shot and shell from their immense rifled guns. The provious roar of field urtiliery seomed as faint as the rattie of musketry in comparison with thes ters of ordnance, that literally shook: the water and strained the air. The shells seeme:l to be supplied with eight second fuses, and a cousiderable Interval elapsed between the shoek of the report aud the subsequent explosion ef the sheils. They fired about three times a minute, frequently a broadside at «timer and the immonze bull of the Galena careened as she ‘lelivered ber complement of iron and flame. The fire, few shots went wide, but tbe man in the Galens’s topmast lockout signalled the proper elevation to the guns, sad soun thoy threw among the serried rebels on the hill their ponderous obti- gations, that eut down whole ranks, spreading cen- fusion, desolation and dismay. The fire went on with the came fatal offeeis, making music to the ears ef our tired men, and consternation among the exultaut and © dlvodthirsty traitora. They-already confident of cons ojuding their work and driving us into tho James—be- gan to reel and grow uneasy. Their fire pereeptibly Giackened; thoir ranks seemed slow to close up when the naval thunder had torn them apart; disaffection and disaprointment had already seized upon them, and every deep tocsin from the Galena added ite impetus to the prevailing dread, when HEINIZELMAR CHARGED ! The whole corps ef this famous warrior, couf- dent that @ recovery of the fortunes of the time could be made, prepared to give another great effort to retrieve the fortunes of the dey andthe cause of the country, Waterloo did not know such a charge of horse and foot, while our batteries upon tho hill tops far and near played incessantly upon the foe. . Signals were given to the Galena to cease firing when this advance was determined upon, the Galeus having alreaty hauled off. This was done by couseeutively placed signal officers all the way from the point of battle tothe banks of the James river. When the thunder lulled and the groat ship rested aftor her labors, Heint- zelman made a little appeal to his generale, telling them that in the dash about to be made their confidence aud courage might not only save the army, but do seme- thing towards avenging the great namber of loyal mem who had fallen in the several fatal encounters. ‘Tho soldiers, poor, heroic, jaded feliows, responded with rit (bat nuet have come from hungry hearts,and suon (ne grand corps of Heintzelman was in tine, with the gauat, gray figure of its commander galloping dows tis columns, The euemy anticipated some much dash, for they directed their dire upon this part ef she line—if possibie—more concentratediy than ever. Then Heimt- zelman passed down the order, und like the surging of & sea long embosoined in a plain the column moved, slow» ly, certaiuly, vigorously belching fire. and ball at every” step; but never halting until they came so close tothe rebels that they might have halloed the names of enghy man to man, across the little interval, The latter came up bravely to the offered combat; but there was ade structivencss in our fre and @ veheme).ce in our tread that they could net withstand. The fiery brigade of Meagher edged up gallantly on the right, using the musket right seldierly, and Geucral Sickles? Excelsior Brigade, already fearfully cat up, went invo the action jike @ battalion of fresh veterans. The brigade of Hooker was ably load by that distinguished officer, and Genoral Kourney eeemod ubiquitous, as screamed his orders here and there, siways urging men on to the foe. The brigate of General Grover, im- cluding some Massachusctts regimonts bebaved finely hore, but the whole corps was unit, and Heintzlenaa was its genius. Pushing ateadily ahoad, defying all efforts of the enemy to broak or turn ite the carpe had at last the satisfactionof seeing the break and fy in confusion to the swamp,; totally dispirited. repulsed. We took im this engagement over two thonsand prisoners, but as our object had been gained ia covering our advance to the James’ river, it. was decraod of sufiletent Importance in view of the risk to ba encountered inholding possession of therm through the night, A large number er these prisoners, however, re- main on our hands, and will serve In ome sort to console us for the loss of very many of eur own. . ‘TR LOSSMS AT WHITE OAR WMP, ‘The battle of White Oak Swamp was scarcely second, to that ef Gaines Hill in point of lossen cf life, wounded, and prisoners, We undoubted!y sailered lees than the anemy, who was literally butchered, but car own loss tng nevertheless, enormous. We lost all of Mott's battery, wut a single gum, the whele of Raudsll’s battery, one, gun, we believe, of Captuim Ayren, aud several others im various paris of the fleld. We could not have lost im Killed, wounded and prisoners, less than wo Uowand: five hundved men, and our loss may reach twice thas amouut. But we gained our point and mare the J river, dorpits ali (Re enemy's aitomp's to cub us off there from. Tm falling 0 do this he suffered the re treat, whorens in the pitch of battle we beat him back with immensé loss, and so érippled that he w ) bor unable or unwilling to frea gun next day. gunboats Aronstock and Galena are entitled tothe mess unbounded credit. ‘They came into agtion jast at the right time, and did first rate service, The rebcls have so long held our gunboats in awe that thoir mere pre- senco will produce & pants among them. ‘HB JAMES QERN BY THR SOLDIERS, © ‘The region of the James is bigh, hilly, and Donntifully marked by nature with all that vogetable opulence oa supply, The ripe wheat feide, and the long, wary stretches of clover burst like @ vision in fever upon the weary oyes of our wounded and footsore. Some foib dows by the banks of the river, and lapped the bright water like dogs ; oshers fell upon the margin and wept, Gen, McClellan's tent was pitched by a besntiful farm~ house at Cummings’, wharf, near Great Turkey Band, jant on the bank of the river, He wrote his despatches hero and sent thom off by the seep, ing Stones, in eo of vho French Prince de Joinville, the Duke de fd tho Count de Paris, The General spent part of afvern on on board of the Galena, and as be passed along ded banks in the Commodore's barge, all the pth to the haggard wounded, cheered hin Nostily, He doubtions alept poncetully that night, baring army and placed it in a new, more secnre and jont position. Tn addition to the loss of our reported wo als: lost reveral of the lars that had reached the army only 4 few day pefore the action of Friday, A nember of them wee epiked, however, and render ot uselecs for ali time to comes P RIN OPINIONS OF OFR eon ne. silting in the sharly grove of & quaint old Wire las