We could see the rebel battle-flags above the slashing as the rebel troops advanced. The battery near the redoubt opened on them, but without effect. They fired wildly, throwing some of their shells into the ranks of the 92d New York, causing their retreat. There was now no force between us and the Confederates, a brigade strong, who dressed their lines at the edge of the wheat field, and recommenced their advance. Our battery fired one or two rounds of canister and then the men stood not on the order of going, but went as fast as their legs could carry them, leaving cannon, ammunition, horses and all, and the 85th Regt. to hold the position unaided.

We had taken position in the rifle-pits-standing in water from ankle to knee-deep. The Johnnies were in good shape, the field-officers, mounted, following close in rear of their line of battle. Our colonel and major had disappeared; our lieutenant-colonel was wounded, leaving the command to Capt. W. W. Clarke, of Co. B, who, cool as a cucumber and brave as a lion, ordered us to fire low and take good aim. The rebels advanced slowly, loading and firing as they came, and on the green field in our front presented a splendid mark. In a short time our fire had dismounted their officers and was having a terrible effect on their ranks. They began to find it very difficult to carry their colors, and when within about one hundred yards. of us they began to break up and lie down. In firing at a rest over the wet, soft bank of the pits, our guns had cut a channel that bore directly on the rebels, and with little pains we could make every shot tell. They were in fine range and not firing at us, for it was too hot for human endurance. They soon commenced running back, and pluckily tried to take their colors and battle-flags, but it was sure death to touch a staff, and they gave it up-leaving every flag on the field and seemingly twothirds of their number.

We remained there over two hours, and no other force appeared in our front while we staid in the rifle-pits, but we could see a heavy rebel column just out of range on our left, marching with arms at a right shoulder-shift, to take us and our forces in flank. We expected re-enforcements from Couch's division to hold our lines, but none came, and we were ordered out and retreated as far as our camps, and were then ordered back to the rifle-pits again. By this time all the battery horses had been shot down as they stood hitched to the limbers; the rebels

had broken our lines to our right and were some distance to the rear and right of us. At the same time there appeared to be no end of the Johnnies flanking on our left, the head of the column being far to the rear of our line. No re-enforcements coming, we were again ordered to the rear-every man for himself— and that ended the organized fighting of the 85th for that day. We got back to Couch's line as best we could, but we saw no fighting there except at extremely long range. The writer was near the right of the 10th Massachusetts when they received the heavy fire in flank from the troops that had flanked us out of our position.

CASEY'S DIVISION.

Its Gallant Behavior at the Battle of Fair Oaks.

May 31, 1862.

HARD FIGHTING ON BOTH SIDES.-GENERAL HOOKER'S COOL CHARGE FORCING THE ENEMY TO RETREAT.

GEORGE H. JOHNSTON, A. A. G., Naglee's Brigade.

SHALL speak of the 2d and 3d Brigades in a general way only, but of Naglee's brigade in particular. This brigade was composed of 104th Penn., Col. W. H. H. Davis; 11th Me., Lieut.-Col. H. F. Plaisted; 56th N. Y., Col. C. H. Van Wyck; 52d Penn., Col. J. C. Dodge; and 100th N. Y., Col. J. M. Brown. On the 24th of May General McClellan ordered General Naglee to make a reconnaissance from the "chimneys' near Bottom's Bridge by way of Williamsburg road, and, if possible, to advance to the Seven Pines, and to hold that point if practicable. Accordingly, Naglee's brigade, with the addition of two batteries

of the 1st N. Y. Artillery and Gregg's regiment of Penn. cavalry, pushed forward, but not without stubborn resistance. They gained a little from day to day, till on the 28th General Casey's division was about one mile beyond Seven Pines on the Williamsburg road. Our right extended to the railroad and beyond, crossing it at right angles between the fifth and sixth mile-post from Richmond. From the left of

the Williamsburg turnpike to the White Oak Swamp, Naglee's brigade was on the right, Wessel's in the center, and Palmer's on the left. This was the position of the division the day of the commencement of the battle-at least one-half mile nearer Richmond than was again reached during the Peninsular campaign. The fight opened on the 31st of May, 12 м. The first notice we had was the explosion of two shells in our camp— evidently their signal to advance. The attack was sudden, but not a surprise, for cars had been running all night on the Richmond end of the railroad, and Lieutenant Washington, A. D. C. on General Johnston's staff, had been captured the day before; these, with other suspicious circumstances, kept all, from General Casey down, constantly on the alert. We felt that some one had blundered in placing this small division of less. than 5,000 men in such a critical position. It was like a finger thrust forward into the fire to test its endurance. The enemy moved down the Williamsburg turnpike in solid columns, our pickets falling back till within a quarter of a mile from the first line of rifle-pits, where Spratt's battery of four pieces was posted, supported by the 104th Penn. Vols., 11th Me., 100th N. Y. (of Naglee's brigade), and the 92d N. Y. (of Palmer's brigade).

Here some of the hardest fighting ever known took place. General Casey says in his report it was the most terrific fire of musketry that he had ever witnessed. General Naglee says, "The air at this time was literally filled with iron and lead.' It was here that the bayonet charge was made by the four regiments last mentioned, led by General Naglee; so close were the combatants that Sergeant Potter, of the 104th Penn., was struck on the head by a musket in the hands of a Confederate, and two or three men of the 11th Me. were bayoneted.

Receiving no re-enforcements these regiments, with Spratt's battery, retired to the first line of rifle-pits. Here was posted the balance of Casey's 2d and 3d Brigades, and the battle was renewed with great fury; the four batteries of 1st N. Y. Artillery, viz., Lieutenant Hart's, Regan's, Spratt's, and Fitch's-performed splendid service. At every discharge wide gaps were opened in the enemy's ranks. We could have held them at this place had it not been for the fact that the enemy had flanked us on the left, and their sharpshooters were picking off our officers and men, and had succeeded in killing three or four

horses attached to every team of the batteries. Here fell many a gallant soldier-Col. G. D. Bailey, 1st N. Y. Artillery, who was shot in the head while attempting to spike some of his guns in the redoubt; Major Van Valkenberg, and Adjutant Hart, of the same regiment; Colonel Brown, 100th N. Y.; the major, 104th Penn., and Colonel Davis, of the same regiment, with many others severely wounded. Not a field-officer was left of Naglee's brigade. Disputing every inch of ground, we retreated toward the second line, Regan's battery firing up the Williamsburg turnpike at the advancing enemy, his guns being hauled by prolongs, all his horses having been killed. It was a close spot for Regan, but he succeeded in saving his battery. Here was stationed General Couch's division, and, with the assistance of one brigade from General Kearney, which had just arrived, an attempt was made to regain the lost ground, but it proved a failure, and the troops, by order of General Heintzelman, retreated to the third line.

The 56th N. Y. and 52d Penn., with a detachment of the 11th Me., were on the extreme right of Naglee's brigade, near the railroad, at the commencement of the battle, where they suffered heavy loss, their position having been flanked. By an order of General Naglee, what was left of the 56th N. Y. and a detachment of 11th Me. joined the balance of the brigade, near the second line, and fought with them through the remainder of the battle. When the order to retreat was given to Colonel Dodge, of the 52d Penn., he begged to be allowed to remain and fight it out on that line, as he did not wish to fall back, leaving his dead upon the field. For some time after he remained fighting against fearful odds until their retreat was cut off, and they escaped by passing through the wood to the left and rear, where they rejoined their comrades of the 1st Brigade, and retreated with them to the third line, the regiment being reduced to a little over 100 men. Naglee's brigade went into action with eighty-four officers and 1,670 men; of this number thirty-five officers and 603 men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. Up to this time, although large re-enforcements had arrived, the enemy had not been repulsed. They were first successfully checked by the "White Diamond" boys, under General Hooker, who marched up the Williamsburg road, deploying to the right and left in the field, in advance of us, as coolly as if on parade. They moved into the woods in