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They were almost daily moved from place to place, evidently with the view of getting a knowledge of the country.
The prisoner was a very intelligent young fellow, a corporal, who had served some considerable time in the rebel service.
His uniform was quite new, a bright blue loose jacket and blue pants, with gaiters chasseur de pied fashion.
After a brief examination of him, General Keyes had him and another prisoner found on the march, and who also had the rebel uniform on him, sent down to White House.
At an early hour the succeeding morning the troops were all in motion.
General Keyes determined, from the information he received of the strength of the enemy in his front, and from the fact that during the night the rumbling of artillery on the march was heard on our right, to get his command clear of the network of roads branching from the Chickahominy, and which, within a mile or two of one point, converged on his position.
He therefore fell back, and after a short march a favorable position was chosen for his purpose, and here the forces were halted and disposed of somewhat similar to the day before.
The General's headquarters are at present at a place known as Tallowsville, four miles' south of the White House, and within a mile and a half perhaps of Baltimore Store.
Our pickets, however, extended as far in the front as the ground occupied by us in the morning.
Baltimore Store, the grand debouching point from Bottom Bridge, and the key to his position, if he has left an entering wedge at all, is held by the brave Delawares, the Fourth, under their gallant leader, Colonel Grimshaw.
This may be considered the post of honor and of danger, and no men in the army are more deserving of the honorable recognition of a commander for bravery and zeal in the cause for which they fight than the Delaware Fourth.
Our future movements will be altogether determined by circumstances.
I may say, so far as I have had opportunity of ascertaining, that General Keyes has no desire to bring on a general engagement with the strong force that is evidently close before him, with the advantage all on their side, and all the disadvantage on his. Brave, skilful, and calculating, he is performing the main object of the expedition in holding a strong force in his front, and thus weakening the enemy at the point to be struck by General Getty; but while holding back his force, and declining to follow the enemy into unknown ambuscades, he is anxious to draw them out and give them a taste of his mettle.
General Keyes's headquarters are at Mrs. Green's farm-house, about a mile and a half from the advance under Colonel West.
The locality is known as Tallowsville.
The position is a very central one, in the midst of his forces.
Since selecting it he. has not been a moment out of the saddle, as he imposes upon himself the duty of visiting every post, and assuring himself against surprise by the watchful foe that swarm in the woods around him. It was not till near two o'clock this afternoon the General returned to or rather took possession of his new headquarters.
About six o'clock this evening, the fire of musketry, quickly followed by the loud report of artillery, called the General and staff to their saddles.
Leaving orders with colonels of regiments as he passed along, he dashed to the front and on to the field of the previous day's encounter.
On the road we met some of our forces falling hastily back; but without inquiry the General rode on till he joined Colonel West, commanding the advance.
From him he ascertained the following particulars: It was deemed proper before night came on, to scout the woods commanding our position, and Colonel West sent out skirmishers for that purpose.
One hundred men of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth New-York were selected for the duty, to whom were added some forty volunteers.
A section of Minks's battery took up the same position it occupied on the previous day, supported by the remainder of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth regiment.
The skirmishers passed down the road past the woods on the left, some cavalry skirmishers guarding the road.
They were thus between two woods, with but a small open space on their right.
They had proceeded some two hundred yards when they received the enemy's fire.
After some exchanges our men were withdrawn and a new line formed, the reserves and supporting bodies moving up. Again the skirmishers advanced, but had not got more than a hundred yards, screening themselves along the wood, when the enemy opened upon our two guns and line of battle from a masked battery.
Minks gallantly returned the fire, maintaining his position for about half an hour, when the weight of the enemy's fire compelled him to fall back.
The enemy continued shelling us for some time longer, preventing the doctor attending to the wounded on the field.
Our losses were eight skirmishers--one killed in the woods and six wounded, two seriously, four but slightly.
The casualties to the battery and supporting forces I could not ascertain, for it was now dark and the continuation of the fight or the renewal of it on our side had to be put off till to-morrow.
The following are the names of the wounded skirmishers: John Geerer, company K, neck, badly; Jacob Van Wickley, company F, leg; S. B. Howell, company H, scalp wound; Oscar Lockwood, company I, lower jaw and neck, badly; Corporal Louis A. Le Blanc, company D, leg; Denis McCabe, company I, mouth — all of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth New-York.
To-morrow I expect a severe engagement on the same ground.
General Keyes must fight and dislodge the enemy from their position in front, or himself fall back to White House.
headquarters Fourth army corps, Baltimore cross-roads, July 3, 1863.
In my previous correspondence from this point I had but time to state the fact that the gallantry of Colonel West, commanding the advance, had, 