"on To Richmond."

Dkak Brother : ■;■■■.-■■'.. i u ArgUfe G.u.N 's Mi i.l. Y,„ ) Mflv SOih. 1Xiï- v On Mond.'iy last wc struck tents nd . moved to tliis place, wliicli is noar the ('hiokabominy, :i:id about sis miles from Ki'lii!iond. It is near tliis place that the 4th Michigan had tlieir skirmish on Saturday, and whore thry "corercd themselves with glory," and also, in tlie wwda of one of their field officers in response to tlie above quotation made to him by i onc of Gen. McCteiLAN' Aids, " Yes, ! and with mud and water, too." A number of the Ann Arbor boys visited our cainp after our arrival, among whom wcre Sergeants Bichardson and Davis; also Capt. DkPuy, who gave me a history of the skirmish. Thcro is no doubt that it was well done, and that they whippcd doublé tlieir own number, and on the ehosen ground of the enemy. 'In the raovement of the regiment they wcre under the neeossity of fording th; Chiokahorainy twice. On their return from the skirmish their wounded, as well as the wounded of the rebels, was brought across the river on their shoulders. A number of anecdotes wcre related to me of the coolness of the Washtenaw boys, onc or two of which I will give you: Whon Orderly Sergeant Iiinio of Co. K, of Dexter, was passing over the field, he heard a moan and a cry for help, Looking over a rise of ground he discovered a wounded rebel lying in a pool of water, and went to his relief, at the same time callhig ón some one to help him move the wounded man. Help came, they both threw down their guns and proeccded to oxtend aid to the wounded soldiür, he was removed to dry land, when the Orderly's attention was drawn to his assistant by his exclaiining, "títere is a d d Yankee, where is my gun." Inaio lookod up, saw beforc him a rebel, caught up his gnn, and responded, :'I am a d d Yankee1, surrender." The rebel gave up and the Orderly marelied him to his coinpany. Anothcr of our soldiers, in crossing the river, got caught in the mud, and for some time was unable to get out. Whilc in tbis position, fivc rebels stood on the shore firing at him, but without efi'üct. He finally got loose, reachcd the shore, drove the rebels froru their positions, and managed to capture threc out of the fivc. During Mouday night orders óaiue for us to march carly Tuesday inorning, ivitb two days ratfons, and with our overcoats and shelter tents swung over our shouldew. In the night rain set in, and Tuesday morning, at an early hour, and in a heavy rain storm, this whnle división was astir, getting readj fpr a mareh. Beforo many of this regiment could get anything to eat the order was given to " fall in," and off wc Btartëd in a rain storm, whicli is nothing unusual for us. For threc hours the rain continued to deseend, while the ground bogan to loossn, to mix, and soon became nothing more or loss than a large mortar bed. For miles we waded through mud and water up to our knees, and sometimos we would get uto a clay bed, where we could hardlj get out. At the time of leaving camp none of us kuew our de.stination, though I thought that we were to strike the Virginia Central Railroad, but at what point 1 kuew not, neither did I thiuk that we would reach it as soon as we did, and still further from my thoughts was the idea that this división was to fight and win two battles that day. About noon the rain ceasedj the sun came out, and the heat became intense. The command was now giveu to "halt '' and rest, and wc seattered into the woods. Hardly were we seated bcfore the booming of a cannon was heard in front, and but a few miles from us. Anothcr and anothcr followed in quick succession, and those by the rattling of musketry. We wcre hastily formcd and commeneed our march towards the firing. A short mareh brought us in sight of our battcry, when our brigade, by regiments, formcd into line of battle, and each in its turn disappcarcd in the woods, and made their way towards the scène of battle. Th is regiment lay here for some half an hour. Our situation was in a ravine a short distance in the rear and also to the left of our battery. Shells oceasionally burst ncar us, and onepieoc came singing down the road, feil in a few feet of us, and was picked up by one of the boys. While we were herc a number of wounded were carried by us. We soon moved on thro' a dense wood towards the field of battle. Before we merged from the wooáa the firing ceased, and the hurras of our men ahead, annouuced to us that the rebels had retreated. Soon we entered an open field, to the left of where the rebel battery had been plantod. They had retreated, leaving one brase piece. A number of dead lay near it, while the wounded were being carried ofl'. We moved j on, crossing a ravine where the rebel infantry had been stationed, entered another field, and halted within a short distance of the Virginia Central llailroad. The grouud over which we passed and near the raviuc, was covcred with all kinds of rebel clothing, paper, cnvelopes, &c. While hero a number of rebel prisoners were brought in. They were North Carolina volunteere. The order was once more given to march, and this brigade moved ou towards Hanover Court House, over which was floating the rebel flag. A miall body of rebels was ahead of us, but a few shclls ft-om our eaunon sent tliem at pretty quick time towards the Court House, and in a few moments aftunvurds the flag disappenred from the - On reaching the railroad all of our brigade, with the exception of this regiment, filed oft' to the right of the road, and movedon towarda the Court House. "re followed up the road for a half mik, when we filed to the left and book a OÓacae for the Court House. Wc were ibnned into line of bátlJe, and tlms uu wc went, over ditehes, tlirough üwamps, and over femjei", uutil y, e Btruck tlic wagon roacl running froin the Couit House to tlio railroad station, when the order was riviMi, " by the left flank, mareb," and I we marchad to the railroad station. Tl e rebels vacated this place so auddenly that thé] left a largc number of tents and two cars, partly loaded ; and the froight liouse was nearly tull of anuy supplies. Here wc again made a halt. PresenÜy Gens. Pouter aud Bctïjsrfikld came aloug, and gave our Coloncl orders to maroh lus regiment off to a camping ground. We had not proeeedcd far before eannon and musketry were hcard to the rcar and left of the battle field of a few hours before. It was evident that by some mcaus the rebels had got around on our left, and had attacked us in the rear. The rattle of musketry was quick and sharp, and the roar of cannon heavy. - It was ver}' evident that it was no play, aud that both partios were trying to do ' their best. We were now ordered off to the right, Company A was thrown out as skirmishers, and onward we went, through fields of wheat, across plowed grounds. over fonces and ditches, towards a wood where the firing was going on. We were closely followcd by our regiment, and the rest of the brigade fast followed in tlicir rcar. Now a shout was hcard in the direction of tlio battle ground. It was answered by our regiment, and on we rushed at a quickor pace. Soon we reachcd a wieket fence, I scrambled to the top of it, and looked over and saw that the railroad ran along here, through a grade of some ten feet in deplh, the banks of which were al most perpendicular. - Ihrówing my fect over the fence, and grasping my musket firmly, I let go, down I went, landcd all right, scrambled up the oppositc bank, over anothcr wieket fence and hurriod on. A swainp now laj before, into it we went, and at the ürst stop found oursclvcs up to the waist in mud and water. We pushed op and I teil yofc we were inighty glad when wc found ourselves once again on solid ground. Wc were now fast nearing th.; battle field, The smell of powdor was ve;-}1 strong, and the the woods were full of smokc; but on still wc went, and soon haltcd on the battle field, on tbc grour.d which had latei; been oecupicd by the rebels. No encmy WS8 to bc seen, wo had èotao up exáctly on tbéir left, thcy hcard us cominr, and cutting their knapsnr-ks loos?, thcy left in a a hnrry, no even s;) much as givir.g ua a cnance of rottin a firo at them. The Y'ïd Peünsylvania eamo on our nglit, and os the rebels brokc from the woods. salutcd thcin T.-itli a volley, when they made ofi in another difection, ard cntirely disappeared. The battle was w.'mi. 'oiitkr's división had nuirched twenty mile?, through mud and rain, with nothing to ent except a littlc hard bread, ancí had fought and won two battles that day. Night was now upon us, and darkness suvrounded us aa we marched back to the first battle field, where wc made and drank a hot cup of coffee, then threw ourselvos down upon our rubber blankets, our feet to a hot fire, our overeoats wrapped around us, and were soon enj.oyiog :; quiet sleep, from which we did not rise tül late in tlio morning. During the day a large number of priaonera were taken, and hey kept coming in on tlie next day, until tbc number in our hands amounted to seven huudred. l believe some onc hundred of their dead were buried by our men. We also took two picces of artillery. Our loss in killed and missing was about three hundred. The reguuents that lost the largest number in these battles were the 44th and 25th N. Y. The prisoners were mostly North Cavoliuians, and nearly all of them told the same story, that they were coinpelled to cnlist and light iu the Confedérate cause, and nearly all wished thcraselves at home again. Tlic following song was pickcd up on the battle field. Many who used to sing it now lie under the cold sod of Ilanover battle field :