Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[556] having flanked Hardee when he arrived, Crawford hastily threw Fisher's brigade to hold the right, and advanced Colonel Kitchen, with two regiments to support the line on the left, but it was too late. He ordered the line to fall back to the crest of a hill. Here he extended it, and ordered the men to throw up intrenchments.

Old rail logs, and whatever was handy, were used, and breastworks soon prepared, after which Fisher's brigade was thrown across a ravine on the right, and nine pieces of artillery planted to sweep the ravine. Hardly were the men in position, when the rebels advanced their line of battle directly upon our line. Awaiting their coming until they were within one hundred yards, the Pennsylvania Reserves opened a very heavy fire. The rebel colors were shot down, and were not raised again; whoever had them crawled away with them. Twice they rallied ; were advanced; each time they were driven back, until the men lay down, when they commenced running back, and our line marched out of their works and took seventy prisoners, among them six officers. A very large number of the enemy were killed, among them a colonel; many officers, and three hundred dead were left lying in our front, inside of the line of skirmishers. Crawford lost a considerable number of men. Brigadier-General Ramsay was left on the field and reported killed. Colonel W. H. Kent, of the Sixth regulars, was shot through the hand; Captain Worth, of the Sixth, was also wounded; Colonel Tyrel is killed; Sergeant Thompson, of the Bucktails, who captured the battle-flag of the Fifteenth Georgia, at Gettysburg, was wounded and made prisoner.

When the attack was made upon Warren, Hancock was ordered, at eight o'clock last evening, to make a diversion in his favor. The order was vigorously executed; and after a couple of hours' of heavy cannonade was kept up on the rebel position by several batteries and six mortars, this morning finds our line in much the same formation as it had yesterday. The Sixth corps (Wright's) holds the right, then the Second (Hancock's); the Fifth (Warren's); and then the Ninth (Burnside's), which holds our left. The only portion of our force thus far, engaged to-day, is Hancock's corps, from whose front I have just returned.

The divisions of Birney on the right, and Barlow on the centre, advanced about six hundred yards, carrying the enemy's first line, which was held by a strong skirmish force. Birney captured forty prisoners, who proved to belong to Breckinridge's command.

There is hardly a doubt, however, that the position now held by the rebels in our front is but an advanced line, which they will hold as long as possible, for the purpose of gaining time to perfect their defences on the Chickahominy. On that historic line it is now fully expected that we shall, ere long, deliver battle. In the relative positions of the two opposing forces, this is the only field-fight we are likely to have outside of Richmond, and that its result must decide whether the rebel capital can be carried by a coup de main, or whether it is destined to become the object of a summer's siege.