Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 2

              yorltto^vw-fiitercstiiig Accoiint of tlie , Advance TI»«ir», a,n(l the Prospects.
;_ [Correspondence Daily Wisconsin.]
' Sjiith's Division, Fourth Army Corps, Siege op Yorktown, Va., April 21st, '62. —Our Division embarked on transports at Alexandria on the 24th, and landed near Fortress Monroe on the 25th of last month. From there they went to Hampton, which; is some two and one-half miles from the Fortress. Our neighbors, the " secesh," burned the village before they left it, and now there are only a few chimney stacks standing, to mark the site of that once^ pretty place. f
From Hampton the Division went tO^ Newport News, and from thence proceed¬ ed to Youngs' Mills. At that place our skirmishers met the retreating rebels, and after a slight skirmish drove tliera off, making them leave their comfortable, nsat barracks, and formidable earthworks. After leaving Youngs' Mills, and after a short march, we reached Warwick Court House, the rebels still retreating as advanced. After a short rest, we pro¬ ceeded onward, and finally pitched our tents in the woods about three miles to the right of Warwic"k. There the boys enjoyed a few days of exciting and dan¬ gerous picket duty—such duty as our gal¬ lant " Home Guards " would tremble to perform. The pickets of Hancock's Brig ade and those of the secesh being within close musket range of each other, every time a " rebel " showed his head from be¬ hind a tree, bang would go one of our ri¬ fles, which if the bullet would not wing him, it would gently hint that we were on the alert, and admonish him to keep shady. Of course they would return our fire, and in tact, were the ones who would and did commence it. Our boys would bear it until forbearance ceased to be a virtue; and in this w;iy a sharp fire would be ke))t up by both sides, uutil both parties became tired of it, when they would '• sus¬ pend hostilities "' for some time, and after a flag of_^truce with some peace proposi¬ tions, which would invariably end in this agreement, that " if you don't fire at us we wont at you," a representative from each party would go and meet each othei at the river, when they would have a quief chat, crack a few jokes, trade buttons or smoke together, before they would sepa rate. When either party wanted to re¬ lieve their pickets, they would leave the reserves and approach the line as quickly and quietly as possible, until within thir¬ ty or forty yards of a post, when the picket would be left to glide along dodg ing from tree to tree, until he reached his ! comrade. In this way the whole line of \ pickets would be relieved, and the utmost caution would be necessary for the men's safety. If a straggler approached the line of either party, the sharpshooters of the other would " draw -tiT'bead " on the doomed man, and the sharp crack of the rifle would be the only announcement of the almost certain death of one more vic¬ tim of foolhardy recklessness. Only two days since, a man belonging to the Second Vermont was shot through the heart, j while carrying dinner to some of his com¬ rades. A few days before, fJ; man belong¬ ing to the Seventh Maine had twelve bul¬ let-holes, (made by secesh sharpshooters,) put through a cracker-box, which he was carrying on his head—it contained food for his comrades who were on picket duty. Thus you see that picketing is very dan-
gerous spori, and "requires the utmost cai-e and caution.    It is  far  from  being the ^ same  here that it   was at  Camp  Griffin, * but  the  men like it more,  and feel glad , when their turn comes to watch Secesh on ; picket -and await patiently ¦ for the  ap¬ proaching battle, when our General will ] find willing  hearts and ready hands wil- ling to do or die in defence of   our glori¬ ous Union, and ready for  the word fight, which all are confident wU result in   a Federal victory.
Last Wednesday our division advanced and attacked the rebel works.    The result you have been   acquainted with  by tele¬ graph long before this.    Shortly after mid¬ night the enemy attacked our position and attempted to take one of our batteries, but they were greatly disappointed. Our pick¬ ets held  their ground and   poured  heavy volleys of bullets in their ranks sufficient to check them and alarm the camp.   The battery  immediately opened   upon them, together with some regiments which were to protect the battery.    The "rebs" finding it too hot, retreated in a  hurry across the river, seeking shelter behind their forts.— The cool i7npudence of Mott in  planting; his  battery within four hundred yards, ^ and in an open field,  in front of their rifle pits and two forts protected by woods and a large force of infantry, rather astonished them, and made them think it was time for one or  the  other   to  leave.    Wednesday morning   the   battery   again  opened  on them,   the position  being in  front of the dam above Lee's  Mill, where  the enemy had a large   force at work on their forts and in their rifle pits.    The object was to dislodge them from their works and if cir? cumstances rendered it possible, to ad¬ vance and  occupy their works.    Accord¬ ingly, about eight A. AL, Gen.  Smith or¬ dered out a party of  skirmishers from the the 4th Vermont  Regiment (belonging  to Gen. Brooks' 1st Brigade,) to advance on the one gun battery of the rebels.    Barr's New York   battery  was also   placed in position, and a heavy  fire was opened on the enemy.    The fire now  from both sides was very brisk, our sharpshooters doing a great deal of damage with  their unerring rifles.   On our side of the river is a very heavily timbered forest of  pine and low shrubs ;   through this the Vermont boys gallantly pushed their way until reaching the stream, and therethey halted and open¬ ed a deadly fire on the rebels.   Their fire was so accurate and fast, that very  soon, the working party, soldiers,  officers, and all sought   shelter  behind   their  breast¬ works.    More of our  artillery was now brought forward and   commenced   their deadly work.   The enemy answered with renewed vigor, the  skirmishers on  both sides joined in, and everything seemed to promise a general engagement.
The firing of our men was very accu¬ rate, much more so than that of the reb¬ els. While the firing was kept up so bus¬ ily, and when at its height. Gen. McClellan' rode up, and as the men recognized him, their faces lit up, and cheer after cheer rent the air, and the most intense enthusi¬ asm prevailed.
About 10 A. M., after more than two hours of hard and rapid firing, the rebel battery became silent. They could not stand the fire of our sharpshooters, for no sooner would a man show himself above
tery, and one'br two ot the skirmi.sti. wounded.
Though the rebel batteries were now silent none ot us thought that they would remain so should a good opportunity pre¬ sent itself. It now becanu; evident tliat & more decided movement was necessary; so after a short consultation hotweeu Gen* McClellan and Gen. Smith, three of our batteries opened on the enemy at a dis¬ tance of not more than 500 yards, and the fire from these soon brought the rehels to a sense of their position and gave them to understand that we meant iiusiiicis.-;. They replied rather warmly ior fifteen or twenty minutes and then became nilent again, probably with the idea that they would draw us on, (we were still of the opinion that they could use their guns it they wished,) we fired a few minutes long¬ er from our batteries when information was received by Gen. Brooks, of the '2d Brigade, that the creek could he forded. With this information, two companies of the 3d Vermont were sent across from our right to attack the left and rear of the enemy. This was done, two more compa¬ nies from the same regiment acting as a reserve. The stream was deeper than was anticipated, many of the men having to wade up to their necks in tlie water, and no sooner did the enemy perceive the intention of our men, than theirs in tlie rifle pits and the two regiments support¬ ing them, opened a galling and deadly tire on them, bnf'l^^ brave Green MountJiin Boys ruehedifiiQiigb^the stream, at everv step wading dccjfcr and deeper in tlu blood-stained water. Nothing dauntec they charged with a defiant yell on th( now panic stricken rebels, who precipi¬ tately fled from the first pit to the second, when they turned and poured anothejvol- ley'into the now thinned ranks of the brave Vermonters. The rcln-ls seeing ho few of our men rallied, and after a despe¬ rate struggle, a hand to hand conllict, the Vermont heroes seeing no reinforceinent.s arriving, were obliged to fall hiuk ami re- cross the stream in which the dying and I wounded were struggling tor life, some of the bodies just sinking, llebels and Pat¬ riots lying in deaths embrace, somi; with their life's blood fast departing, others , vainly striving against fate and all min¬ gled together in dire confusion, 'i'he scene was heart rending. Hancock's lirigailt! was within a stone's throw of the sutii'r- ers and anxiously awaiting orders to as¬ sist them ; the 5th Wisconsin had looked on in silence but could not go to their ajd. If they had been allowed to go they could have held the fort and relieved the gallant men who poured out their blood so freely in defence of their country. At dark the order to cease firing was given, ami two days after the rebels sent a Hag of trnei; asking leave to get their dead and allow-' ing us the same privilege. Firing ist kept up by our batteries at times and when we open on them again we will close the day bv sleeping in their works the same eve-> i ning- PiespectfuUy, Warwick. ^ __¦ ,  .   . >
FROM THE FIFM AVIS. REGIMENT.
Head Quarters, 5thlleg. Wjs. Vols.,) p No. 9 in the Field, April 21, 1862.    )
Cami"
FiiiEND Chase
• Since last 1 wrui'j
msen aoove ^ ^^^^^       j^^ ^    j^p i^o
the  parapet, than our  men  would pick ''^ i"" '
themoff- Up to this time there werethree*'Dixie."    We   are  now  located about killed and five wounded, of   Mott's ,bat-i^^^j^ ^^^ between  the  James and York