At half past 12 A. M., General Sumner, having united his forces with those of General Franklin, assumed command. It was about eleven o’clock when the rebels first made their appearance, and commenced their attack by throwing shells into General Sumner’s lines. Orders had been given to Generals Sumner, Franklin, and Heintzelman to hold their position until dark: the latter was ordered to hold himself in readiness to retreat as soon as night fell. Sumner’s and Franklin’s commands were drawn up in line of battle in a large open field to the left of the railroad. General Brooks with his brigade held the wood to the left of the field, bearing himself with true soldierly heroism, and though wounded he retained his command. At 4 P. M., the rebels attacked on the Williamsburg road, but were gallantly met by the brigade of the brave General Burns, supported and reinforced by two lines in reserve and by the New York Sixty-ninth, Hazzard’s and Pettit’s batteries again doing most valuable service. The conflict continued to rage with unabated fury till eight o’clock at night. The enemy deeming their force irresistible, came dashing down now upon this portion of the line, and then upon that, but were invariably repulsed at every point, often with severe slaughter. When night closed upon the combatants the Union soldiers remained unshaken at their posts, and the rebels were driven from the field, with broken, disordered lines, from their unsuccessful conflict. Under cover of the darkness these indomitable men, after their hard day’s fight, from which they had gained only the ability to retreat, fell back, resuming their unsatisfactory march, and crossed the White Oak Swamp in good marching order before the morning’s dawn. By the morning of the 30th they had crossed White Oak Bridge and burnt the bridge after them, General French, with his brigade acting as rear-guard. The scene along the line of this precipitate, and apparently unnecessary retreat beggars all description. Notwithstanding every effort made by General McClellan, and his personal staff, the roads were blocked with wagons, and the greatest difficulty was found in keeping the trains in motion. The following is an extract from General McClellan’s official report, and gives in few words an accurate description of the state of affairs in his army at this point: “The engineer officers whom I had sent forward on the twenty-eighth to reconnoitre the roads had neither returned nor sent me any reports or guides. Generals Keyes and Porter had been delayed—one by losing the road, and the other by repairing an old road—and had not been able to send any information. We then knew of but one road for the movement of the troops and our immense trains. “It was, therefore, necessary to post the troops in advance of this road as well as our limited knowledge of the ground permitted, so as to cover the movement of the trains in the rear.