The lines.
Seeking needles in bundles of hay, would comparatively be a far less difficult task than any attempt to obtain positive information of affairs transpiring at the
Lines.
The difficulties of distance, fatigue in crossing and recrossing from point to point, and a thousand and one other taxes upon human endurance, would be forgotten in the forgotten in the pleasure derived from pleasing our readers, but the military authorities have a routed such an impassible barrier to our labors, that it is physically impossible to evade its effectiveness, or withstand the many annoyances incident to any attempts at free passage to and fro — hence whatever our labors may have been, the results are unsatisfactory and meagre.
On Tuesday night the enemy, across the swamp nine-mile read, attempted a surprise, but the
Mississippi pickets stationed there received them with military honors, and they scoldingly decamped expeditiously, leaving several killed and wounded.
Daily skirmishes occur at this point, but the unsuccessful trial of Tuesday has rendered things quiet.
Yesterday the whole line was remarkably quiet.
Our men stood, an usual, in battle-array in the open field, but the enemy would not accept the challenge, still thronging the woods, and contenting themselves with signaling from tops of trees, &c. Large bodies of troops are constantly moving to and fro on the
North bank of the
Chickahominy, and officers are frequently observed taking observation from prominent points.
The heavy cannonading of Tuesday afternoon, and an uninterrupted musketry fire which accompanied it from the (supposed) direction of Mechanicville, remains as yet a mystery.
The whole of our troops in that vicinity were on the
qui vive, and although feverishly excited, none can explain the affair satisfactorily.
It is asserted, however, that the
Federal, galled by
Branch's successful ambuscade, (by which he captured fifty-odd men of the 25th New York,) had returned to the scene, near Hanover C. H., (or
Ashland,) and with a much superior force, had re-opened the engagement, and out up our forces terrifically.
Per contra, it is maintained with an equal display of plausibility, that a portion of
Longstreet a division had passed the
Swamp, and engaged the foe near Mechanicville, capturing not less than one whole section of artillery!
This is improbable, however, as the
Yankees are in full force upon the north bank of the
Chickahominy, their white tents being picturesquely scattered over the landscape for miles around.
From the number and variety of reports, however, we are forced to the conclusion that
Branch's force was unequal to the task of repelling the odds against them, and though bravely contending for every inch of ground, were subjected to very rough treatment at the hands of the 15,000 men under
McDowell, and that his small brigade of 3,000 suffered severely.--The train last evening brought down thirty of our wounded, and some dozen of disabled Yankees.
When the train left
Ashland,
McDowell was within a mile of that place.
It is true that
Branch was eminently successful in the first attack in the morning, although defeated in the action of the afternoon.
From preparations going on around as for the past few days, we see that everything is being made ready for the great struggle now hourly expected, and from Yankee prisoners we learn that their attack is fully arranged for a very early day, and that, perhaps, before the close of the week.
Our chiefs were extremely busy yesterday — staff officers were in the saddle early and late — the baggage is far in the rear — the principal hospitals are filled for the reception of hundreds, if not thousands--stragglers of all grades are hurried to their regiments, and all simply wait for the word of command!
