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Porters orders were: “Fight them to the last extremity.
Don't fall back till ordered.”
Two miles now intervened between the ground where the skirmish opened and where Colonel Porter stood ready to receive them, yet the rear of our column had scarcely reached Baltimore Store when the rebels, by another road, dashed upon Colonel Porter's command, hoping to cut it off; but the gallant Colonel had received his orders and knew his duty.
The attack was repulsed, and, true to their system, the rebels, instead of musket and bayonet, again plied us with shot and shell, while their perfect knowledge of the country enables them to move from one point to another with almost magical celerity.
General Keyes now rode to the front, and Colonel Porter and Colonel Grimshaw were withdrawn from their positions.
Their line of retreat was a divergence from the line of battle conceived for the occasion.
Our troops fell back in the direction of the New-Kent road, and were most persistently and hotly followed up by the rebels, who shelled them every yard of the road.
The design was to draw them after our retreating forces until they came in front of our line of battle, now drawn up in a most advantageous position upon the very ground occupied as headquarters.
Our right was toward the woods, and the line of retreat and pursuit, while facing the woods, was a strong place, which the falling night completely shut out from the view of the rebels.
The latter force had most positive orders not to fire a shot or in any way to expose our position.
In the mean time Grimshaw and Porter skirted the large field on which our line was formed, Captain Fagan, of the artillery, and a squadron of cavalry, under Major Candless, protecting their rear, Captain Fagan sending a random shot occasionally into the woods.
The General's plan was working admirably; the retreating forces were now traversing the road in our front, the enemy's shell tore through the woods on their right or passed over their heads, and in a few moments more we hoped to have them before us. Captain McKnight's battery was on the right of our line, ready to fire upon them; a strong force, directed to cut off their retreat by throwing itself into the woods, was on the spring, when, strangely and perversely enough, the rebels ceased the pursuit just at the very point or turn of the road, their occupation of which would have left them at our mercy.
The most exciting few moments of my life passed here, while I looked upon the deadly disposition of our forces, and hoped, with a savage hope, for the accomplishment of our purposes.
But no; the rebels suddenly ceased firing and halted in their pursuit.
In vain was our net set for their catching, even at the moment we deemed their entanglement most certain.
General Keyes was at first delighted, thinking that perhaps they were closing up for a dash upon the road.
My own and the feeling of those near me favored the same idea.
Whispered. orders for the strictest silence passed down the line, and all was profound quiet, save the chirping of myriads of insects, before almost unheard, but which now burst painfllly and spell-like upon the ear. After a few anxious minutes, the silence was first broken by General Keyes himself, who remarked: “There is a regularly trained soldier opposed to me there, whoever he is.”
Whoever he was, he halted at the right time, and we heard no more of the rebels for that night.
We unfortunately left some eighteen dead and wounded men in their hands, Dr. O'Reilly having just carried off eight wounded men, who are all doing well.
an anxious night.
Very little sleep was enjoyed at headquarters that night; and although General Keyes had but an hour or two previous to the firing in front made his headquarters at Dr. Tyler's house — a relative of ex-President Tyler--he preferred to remain on the field till morning.
Colonel Porter, who commanded a brigade, occupied Dr. Tyler's abandoned house as headquarters--Colonel Grimshaw holding the advance and protecting our front.
Before dawn this morning (Friday) Captain Howard, with a strong body of pioneers from various regiments, visited the outposts and barricaded all the roads debouching upon or contiguous to our lines, strengthening our position very much.
Colonel Suydam, Adjutant-General of the corps, arrived in camp last night.
the captured Quartermaster.
The name of the quartermaster captured by the rebels on the march is Morgan Kupp, of the One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Pennsylvania regiment.
He was detained on duty at our rear and had not yet joined us, but was hurrying forward when seized.
He is very highly spoken of indeed, and his loss is much regretted by his brother officers.
Sergeant John Jones, company H, Sixth New-York cavalry, who was fired at by a bushwhacker when in pursuit of Mr. Kupp and struck in the belt, received no injury from the shot.
He, of course; feels happy at his luck, as who would not, and retains the slug, which remained in his belt, as a memento of his escape.
Richmond Dispatch account.
Richmond, June 29, 1863.
For a city besieged, Richmond presented a very quiet and composed appearance yesterday.
The sky was overcast, and the day was not a very cheerful one; but nothing seems to dampen the spirits of our citizens.
The men generally seem to have become possessed with the idea that they are regular troops, and have been in the army since the war commenced.
They obey the summons to the militia with the promptness, coolness, and that imperturbable stolidity which characterizes old soldiers.
The ladies, too, deserve as much credit as the men. They are the commissaries of the militia, and prepare the inevitable rolls with legs of fine chickens inserted, and the sliced ham, with which the married men particularly are well supplied.
The single men are, of 