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distance being maintained on either side.
Mahone's brigade was brought up to the aid of
Pryor, and
Howard's to that of French ; and finally
Meagher's Irish regiments went to the front, and a desultory conflict was maintained for some two or three hours, during which
Gen. Howard lost his arm and had two of his staff wounded.
The Rebels at length desisted, and retreated unpursued.
Their reports assert that they made no attack, but only repelled one.
The Rebels remained through the day in quiet possession of
Couch's and
Casey's camps, sending off muskets, tents, and camp equipage to
Richmond ; following themselves after nightfall.
Johnston says that
Smith did not renew his attack on our right, because of his discovery of strong intrenchments in that quarter, which he had not seen the night before.
It is certain that he was not disturbed by any demonstration on our part, and retired wholly unmolested.
Ten days later, we had not recovered the ground held by
Casey's advance on the morning of May 31.
Johnston reports the loss in
Smith's division at 1,233, and in
Longstreet's
1 at “about” 3,000; total, 4,233; saying nothing of any loss sustained by
Huger.
Among his killed were
Gen. Robert Hatton, of Tenn. ;
Cols. Lomax, 3d Ala.,
Jones, 12th Ala.,
Giles, 5th S. C., and
Lightfoot, 22d N. C.; while, beside himself,
Gens. Rhodes and
Garland, with
Cols. Goodwin, 9th Va., and
Wade Hampton, S. C., were wounded.
He also lost
Gen. Pettigrew and
Col. C. Davis, of
S. C., and
Col. Long, taken prisoners.
He claims to have taken 10 guns, 6,000 muskets, and “several hundred” prisoners — an expression which the number of our wounded who fell into his hands must have fully justified.
He probably took few others, and no officer of distinction.
Gen. McClellan reports our total loss at 5,739,
2 whereof 890 were killed, 3,627 wounded, and 1,222 missing: some of these probably dead, and others left on the field wounded, to fall into the hands of the enemy.
Among our killed were
Col. G. D. Bailey,
Maj. Van Valkenburg, and
Adjt. Ramsey, of the 1st N. Y. artillery;
Cols. J. L. Riker, 62d, and
James M. Brown, 100th N. Y.,
Rippey, 61st, and
Miller, 81st Pa. Among our wounded were
Gens. Naglee, Pa.,
Devens, Mass.,
O. O. Howard, Maine, and Wessells;
Col. E. E. Cross, 5th N. H., and many other valuable officers.
Considering that the bulk of the loss on either side fell on regiments which together brought less than 15,000 men into the field, the admitted loss is quite heavy.
Keyes's corps numbered about 12.000 men present; of whom 4,000 were dead or wounded before 5 P. M. of the 31st.
Perhaps as many had fled to the rear; yet
Gen. McClellan's dispatch to the War Department, written so late as noon of the second day, in saying that “
Casey's division gave way unaccountably and discreditably,” is indiscriminate and unjust.
A green division of less than 7,000