The rebels had been reinforced as late as five o’clock, and it was expected that General Johnston would command them in the morning in person, but the opportune appearance of the Federal reinforcements, together with the successful movements of General Hancock, created a panic among them, and they fell back on Williamsburg, and commenced their hasty retreat from that place. At two o’clock on Tuesday morning the Federal forces began to move. As they approached Williamsburg they found the way clear, and on coming up to the city the rear guard of the foe were flying on the road toward Richmond, leaving the town to be occupied by the Federal troops. General McClellan appointed General Jameson Military Governor of the place, and the troops marched through the main street of the city to the homely, but glorious and soul-stirring strains of “Yankee Doodle.”
The houses, churches, barns and stables were found filled with the wounded of the rebel army, as well as the Federals whom they had taken prisoners. It was a sad, heart-rending scene, those brave soldiers mangled, dying and dead. The Federal troops immediately commenced the work of burial, while the surgeons found incessant occupation in the discharge of their duties. The battle field presented a frightful scene of carnage, and several days passed before all the dead and wounded stragglers were found in the woods and among the underbrush where they had fallen.
The loss of the Federals was about 500 killed, 1,600 wounded, and 623 prisoners. That of the rebels was somewhat greater in killed and wounded. Five hundred prisoners fell into Federal hands. Some hundred of the rebel dead were buried on the day following the battle. Lieutenant-Colonel Irwin, of the Eighth Alabama, formerly United States Senator, was found dead on the field.
Thirty-five regiments of the rebels were engaged in the action, that number being represented by the wounded men left after the battle.
BATTLE OF WEST POINT, VA.
May 7, 1862.
West Point is the name given to the landing-place at the head of the York river, which is formed by the junction of the Pamunkey and Mattapony rivers, and is thirty miles above Yorktown.
After the evacuation of that place, and the entrance of the Federal troops, the Union army proceeded in its advance toward Richmond by different routes, as already detailed. One column marched by the land route, under Heintzelman, Sumner, Hooker, Kearney and Keyes, while General Franklin led his corps by transports up the York river to West Point, leaving Yorktown at nine o’clock, on Tuesday morning, May 6th. The banks of the river presented a fine appearance, and white flags were displayed from many of the houses. The house of Mr. Bigler, a firm loyalist, was almost covered with an immense flag, bearing the stars and stripes, while one of the ladies of the house waved the beautiful emblem of peace along its folds, from one of the windows. The rebels had set fire to a valuable mill belonging to Mr. Bigler, and its ruins were still sending up great clouds of smoke into the air, a lurid witness of the destruction which had marked their progress. The army arrived at West Point about two o’clock, P. M., and commenced its disembarkation.
In consequence of the shallowness of the approach by water, it became necessary to use pontoon boats and scows to facilitate the landing. Operations were therefore slow; but the troops were landed by midnight. The rebels did not dispute the landing. Pickets were immediately thrown out into the woods in front, the roads leading to the landing-place examined, and trees were thrown across the roads. The pickets were occasionally engaged during the night, but only two or three of the Federals were lost in these irregular skirmishes. The night was spent in active labors and in jealously watching the movements of the foe.
At half-past three o’clock the next morning, the whole division was under arms. At six o’clock information that the enemy was approaching was received, and the troops prepared at once to meet him. The Gosline Zouaves, (Pennsylvania,) New York Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Thirty-first and Thirty-second, and Maine Fifth were ordered to take the advance; the New Jersey brigade following them up as a reserve. The Fourth New Jersey having in its front a marsh, and immediately on its far side a piece of woods, from which the enemy could fire upon it with advantage, Colonel Simpson ordered his fine body of pioneers to throw a bridge over the creek. This was the work of a few moments, and his regiment, by direction of Colonel Taylor, took possession of the woods, and were strongly posted behind a ravine, ready to deliver a telling fire upon the rebels, in the contingency of the Fifth Maine, immediately in front, being driven back. This contingency, however, did not occur.