[26]
In an upper room of the college our wounded of the Excelsior brigade were found.
The enemy had not time to carry them off, and very fortunately, for the journey to Richmond must have proved painful, if not fatal, to many.
Colonel Dwight, of the First regiment, was stretched upon a cot in the centre of the room.
His wound in the leg had been partially dressed, but he was by no means comfortable.
In response to the General's commendation of his conduct on the field, he stated that he would not have given up, but for the severity of his wound, and that the approbation of his commanding officer more than compensated for his suffering.
By the order of the General he was at once removed to a private house near at hand, and attended by a skilful surgeon.
The appearance of the college hospital was not at all creditable to its rebel keepers.
The floors, the stairs, the walls, and even the windows, were covered with filth, and we had only to open the pantries, or stroll in the yards, to detect as many distinct and well-defined stenches as Coleridge counted in the dirty streets of Cologne.
Medical stores and implements, fragments of furniture and clothing, broken crockery, cooking utensils, and kindred rubbish, was strewn all over the building, while the grounds, heretofore so picturesque and well-protected, which for their historic associations, if for nothing more, should have been jealously guarded, were a complete waste.
The fences prostrate, the stone gate-posts overturned, the sod and trees destroyed, and even the marble statue of Baron de Botetourt disfigured and begrimed with mud.
The houses lately occupied by the professors, and situated on either side of the college building, had been used by rebel officers, and profiting by their example, Gen. Jameson, now made Military Governor of the place, had made one of them his headquarters.
The General was highly complimented by the Commander for his prompt detection of the enemy's retreat and his early movement into the city.
The Ninety-third and One Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania regiments were placed upon patrol duty.
Every house in the city was promptly guarded, and there was soon an air of order and quiet in the streets which must have satisfied the people that the stories of the plundering and rioting of our army were but foul aspersions.
Victors were never more charitable and forbearing.
After looking well about the town, Gen. McClellan, having chosen for his quarters a large brick house on the main street, said to have been recently occupied by General Johnston, he there established his staff, and himself returned with one or two aids to the battle-field.
Graham's brigade and others soon arrived, and before evening thousands of Federal troops were encamped in and about the city, while a reconnoissance as far as the Chickahominy Creek, some eight miles beyond Williamsburgh, made by the energetic Averill, discovered no signs of the enemy but an abandoned magazine or two, several guns, many muskets and some straggling soldiers, who were only too glad to give themselves up and return to the city which their companions had so summarily left.
Mack.
Richmond Dispatch account.
Richmond, May 8.
An official despatch was yesterday morning received at the War Department giving intelligence of a severe engagement near Williamsburgh, on Monday, in which the enemy were repulsed with a heavy loss in killed and wounded.
They also lost twelve pieces of artillery and nine hundred prisoners. The fight lasted from seven o'clock to eleven o'clock A. M.
The troops engaged on our side consisted of a portion of the division of Major-General Longstreet.
An official letter from Gen. Johnston states that “a handsome affair” took place at Williamsburgh on Monday.
The enemy attacked our rearguard in great force, and were driven back to the woods about a mile.
Our latest information is complete upon the main points of the result of the engagement.
Our loss in killed and wounded was two hundred and twenty.
The Federal prisoners captured by our forces numbered six hundred and twenty-three, and the number of field-pieces eleven.
The extent of their casualties is not correctly known, but it is believed that their loss amounts to up-ward of a thousand in killed and wounded.
They numbered six thousand strong, and were deployed in a skirt of wood opposite our position, from which they were driven, subjected to a disastrous fire from the right, left and front.
The prisoners taken were yesterday on their way to this city, and were expected to reach here last night.
They were but a few miles from the city late in the afternoon.
They were marched by land under guard.
Among others killed or wounded we have the names of the following officers: Killed-Colonel Ward, of the Fourth Florida regiment; Major William H. Palmer, of the First Virginia regiment, (and son of Mr. Wm. Palmer, of this city,) and Capt. Jack Humphreys, of the Seventeenth Virginia regiment.
Wounded--Col. Corse, of the Seventeenth Virginia regiment; Col. Kemper, of the Seventh Virginia regiment, and Col. Garland, of Lynchburgh, severely.
Another heavy battle took place yesterday near Barhamsville, in the county of New-Kent, but with what result was not known, as the courier who brought the intelligence to this city left at twelve o'clock. The enemy landed their forces from gunboats (twenty-four in number) at or near West-Point.
The number engaged on either side is not known, but that of the enemy was supposed to be very large.
A general engagement of the two armies is expected.
The loss on both sides in the fight of yesterday was very heavy, ours believed to be not less than one thousand up to twelve o'clock. The enemy had up to that hour been driven back three times to within range of their gunboats.