From the Richmond Dispatch, 6/3/1864
FROM OUR OWN
CORRSPONDENCE
Army of Northern
Virginia
Near Mechanicsville, June 2, 4 p. m. 1864
No general engagement yet and in my opinion none is likely
to occur very soon. Yesterday there was sharp and irregular skirmishing at
points all along the lines. About 3 o’clock Breckinridge outflanked the line
of the enemy’s skirmishers with the aid of Perry’s Florida Brigade,
capturing about 100 prisoners.
About nightfall the enemy charged Hoke’s lines near
Gaines Mill, forcing back Clingman’s North Carolina Brigade and gaining
possession for awhile of a good piece of our breastworks. Col. Colquitt’s
Georgia Brigade however soon came to the rescue of Clingman and succeeded in
repulsing the enemy and capturing some 50 prisoners. The force which Hoke thus
engaged were the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions of
the VI Corps.
The enemy tried their old game, massing heavy columns and
pushing them against a single point in our line, but as usual failed to
accomplish more than a temporary success. Our loss is not believed to be over
200, though largely more than this number are missing, but numbers of the men
are coming in almost every minute...
...This morning a reconnaissance in front of Mahone and
Wilcox near Atlee’s revealed the fact that the enemy had left, moving towards
our right...
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last updated on
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