From the North.
the battle before Richmond.
We received last night copies of Northern papers as late as Tuesday, June 3d, from which we make up a brief summary.
It will be seen that there was a difference of opinion at the North as to whether the late battle near this city was a Federal tory or defeat, though the reporter of the A ciated parts endeavors to make it appear that the "rebels" were routed at every point.
The two days' fight near Richmond.
[Army Correspondence of the Ass ted Press] Hdg's or Gen. McClellan, June 2 P. M
Two days of the battle of Richmond have been fought, on both of which our troops have been victorious.
The loss on both sides was heavy.
The battle was opened up the enemy making an attack on Gone al Casey's Division, encamped near Seven Pines, on the turnpike leading over Bottom Bridge, and within seven miles of Richmond.
The attack was made about 1 o'clock, on Saturday afternoon by General Hill's division, composed of five Rebel brigades, the troops being for the most part from Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.
The fight here was disastrous.
General Casey's troops were forced to retire before super numbers, leaving all their camp equipage and two batteries.
Colonel Valley, in endeavoring to save his batteries, was killed, Some of the troops in this division from New York and Pennsylvania behaved very badly.
Many of the officers were killed and wounded in endeavoring to really their men.
General Heintzolman, on ascertaining the result, ordered forward a portion of the divisions of Generals Kearney and Hooker to regain the day. General Kearney's men, on being brought into action, charged with the bayonet, driving the rebels before them like sheep, and regaining all the lost ground — about half a mile — when, night coming on operations were brought to a c ose
Gen. Sumner's two divisions — Sadgwick's and Richardson's — crossed the Chickahominy about 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, taking a position on Gen. Heintzelman's right.
Here they encountered Longstreet's Rale's and Huger's divisions, the flower of the rebel army.
The fighting was desperate, every foot of ground being hotly contested, but our ldiers were too much for them.
The enemy would stand manfully at a distance of sixty yards and receive the fire of our troops, but they were afraid of the bayonet; and in every instance that our men charged.
they were Victorians.
These two divisions did nobly, driving the rebels at every point until dark.
The enemy's loss here was very heavy, many of them being killed by the bayonet.
Gen. Pettigrew, of South Carolina, was taken prisoner, and we had about too other prisoners.
Opinion of the press.
[from the New York Tribune, (Editorial,) June 2d]
the Levered before Richmond.
The news from the army before Richmond, which we publish this morning, though not strous, is not cheerful.
To be surprised again by a superior force, if not an evidence of a want of careful general ship on our side is, at least, a proof that the enemy is ever vigilant, and never permit an opportunity to escape when he may strike an effectual blow.
To a wary General, a dark night or a time of violent storm in the moment when he would be most likely to attack an inferior force, cut off by a running stream and a swamp from immediate assis It was such a moment that was chosen for the attack on Saturday, on a portion of Gen. McClellan's army on the Chickahominy.
The mistake seems to have been committed on our side — by no means for the first time — of so placing our troops as to invite such an attack.
That succor finally arrived, brought forward with great difficulty that the enemy were at length repulsed at the point of the bayonet; that they renewed the attack the next day without success; and that in all these operations their loss probably was very great do not alter the fact that we were at first beaten, with the loss of baggage and artillery that the ground was wn with our dead and wounded; that only by great exertion and the most determined bravery, we were saved from a signal defeat, that o division was overwhelmed by superior numbers, and is convicted before the country, by the Commanding General, of want of very.
*** We hope that there are extenuating circumstances, and that the event will show either that the surprise was one which could not be foreseen and guarded against, or that Gen. Casey's division Light as well as men could in their position; we never are compelled to acknowledge a reverse, with all its demoralizing effects on one and encouragement on the other.
Why this happened time will show.
Brigadier-General Casey regular army officer, and had under his command three brigades.
They were originally composed of a brigade under colonel vis, consisting of the 10th Pennsylvania, 11th Maine, Pennsylvania, 51st New York; and Col. Berdan's Sharpshooters; a second under Col. Tidball of the 52nd New York; the 85th Pennsylvania, and the 93d Pennsylvania; and a third, under Col. Aften of the th United States infantry, the 85th New York, and 17th New York, the 83rd New York, the 64th New York, and 4th United States Infantry--Whether this was, still the constitution of the Division at the time of its defeat, we, of course, do not know, but presume it has not been essentially changes.
We trust that details yet to come may extenuate the disgrace that seems to have fallen upon it.
The New York Times, on the contrary, speak of the battle as a victory; and McClellan, in his dispatch, me ly says of the fight on Sunday; "The enemy was everywhere repulsed" He admits, however, that the battle was a "desperate" one, with heavy loss on both sides.
A ta gram from Washington states, on the authority of unofficial dispatches, first, that the battle fought on Saturday and Sunday resulted in a victory for the Federal arms; and secondly, that "the importance and dimensions of the victory increase as they are hourly developed."
A Baltimore paper says: ‘
Lieutenant Davis has succeeded, after some difficulty, in establishing communication between the land forces under General McClellan and the gunboats in the James river, below City Point.
He describes the Galena as being so much cut up with the enemy's shot that she will be obliged to go into dock for repairs before she can be brought into action again. ’
From the Valley of the Doar
The following Federal account of affairs in the Valley probably contains the usual amount of misrepresentation: Washington, June 2--Information was received at the War Department this evening that General Fremont had encountered and beaten, near Strasburg, yesterday afternoon and this morning, a part of Jackson's army, which is in full re Fremont's Headquarters, Near Steasburg, Jane --General Fremont, with a strong column, left Franklin last Sunday, and by rapid forced marches crossed the Shenandoah Mountain ranges, Marching nearly one hundred miles over difficult roads, with but little means of transportation, and no supplies in the country. This morning, when five miles from Strasburg, over Jackson in full retreat with his whole force on the road from Winchester to Strasburg. Col. Chisevert, commanding the advance brigade, came upon the enemy strongly posted, with artillery, which opened as soon as the heads of his columns appeared. General Fremont brought his main column rapidly up and formed in line of battle, but Jackson declined to light, and, while holding Colonel Chisevert in cheek with a portion of his troops, withdrew his main force, and continued the retreat In the skirmish, five of the 8th Virginia and two of the 60th Ohio were wounded. The enemy's loss is unknown. Twenty-five prisoners were taken by our cavalry. Lieutenant-Colonel Dowsey, of the 3d regiment Potomac Home Brigade, in a skirmish on Thursday morning, drove a large party of Ashby's cavalry through Wardensville, killing two and wounding three.Strasburg occupied.
Near Strasburg, June 9
--Gen. Fremont's advance brigade, under Col. Chisevert, occupied Strasburg last high without resistance, Jackson rapidly retreating before our forces.
A midnight reconnaissance three miles beyond Strasburg on Sunday night came upon a rope barricade and amo of Jackson's rear guard.
Our men retired successfully, however, with the loss of only three wounded.
Col. Figgetmentel of Gen. Fremont's staff, with only fifteen men brilliantly charged and put to fight a bony or cavalry commanded by Ashby in person.
The loss in Gen. Banks's army.
The Albany. (N. Y.) Argus says: ‘ The loss in the disastrous defeat and flight! of Gen. Banks will, it is feared, prove very heavy. No official account can yet be obtained, but by roundabout ways something of the extent of the loss can be gathered. A dispatch sent to Montpelier, Vt., states that three hundred of the Vermont cavalry, mostly from that neighborhood, are missing, including Major Collina, Capt. Bean, and lieutenants Wurd and Danforth. In company A, Capt. Platt, five men only have escaped. These are Captain Platt, Lieutenant Edwards, and Corporal Grost, Reyncids and Whippie, all officers. The loss of stores will also prove to have been very great. The Pittsburg Chontole learns that it will amount to at least two millions of dollars. Its correspondent written in a private letter: "There has been an immense loss, but it will not do to put on paper. A portion of the supply frail was cut off, wagon burned up on the road, large quantities of stories and forage destroyed, and in crossing here (Williamsport) there was great loss of stores" In fact, as new accounts are received, the fight appears to have been more and more disastrous to life and property. ’The evacuation of Corinth.
[From the New York T une, June 2. A telegraphic dispatch from our correspondent at Caniro gives us later news from forinth. As it is approved by the military supervisor of the telegraph at that place, it may be received as, in a sense, official. From it we learn that the retreat of the Confederates from Corinth was conducted in perfect order; that they left nothing whatever behind them; that the forces have been, according to the statements of the inhabitants, moving for about a week, their provisions having gone some days before and that their numbers were much leas than has been generally supposed. This latter point, however, may be matter of mere conjecture, or may be purposely misrepresented by the people — Why the evacuation took place, whither the enemy has gone, what is to be the next movement of Gen. Bulleck--on these points we have no further light.Dispatch from Gen Halleck.
Washington, Jane 2
--The following dispatch has been received at the War Department, in reply to an inquiry from General Meigs:
If Beauregard has been at Richmond, others have forged his signature, as I have received letters from him about exchange of prisoners nearly every day for the last fortnight.
The evacuation of Corinth commenced on Wednesday and was completed on Thursday night, but in great haste as an immense amount of property was destroyed and abandoned.
No troops have gone from here to Richmond, unless within the last two days. 