Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-09


was terrible. 1 can describe its lines fairly
| comparing it with the right lines and angles
chess board. Smith fell back to the woods,
few hundred yards, and threw up breasswork
out Of range. The enemy, content with h
success, ceased firing, and quiet was not di.
turbed again that day. The silence Of the enc
my was explained to me that night by negT
slave, who had escaped from his master at head
quarters in Richmond. He said a dispatch ha
been sent by Jackson to Magruder, who re
NAMED in command in front of Richmond, ex
pressed thus " Be quiet. Everything is work
ing as well as we could desire % 0minou
words
now proceed to Savage Station. shall no
attempt to describe the sombre picture Of gloom
confusion and distress, which oppressed nj
there found officers endeavoring to fight Of
the true meaning Anxiety at headquarters wa
too apparent to one who had studied that brancl
of the army too sharply to be deluded By THU
masks Other external signs were demonstra
tive. The wretched spectacle of mangled mer
from yesterdays battle, the Wearied hagrard
and smoke begrimmed faces of men who haC
fought yesterday, were concOmitants of every
field, yet they formed the sombre coloring of the
ominOus picture before me. Then there were
hundreds who had struggled from the field
sprawled upon every space where theIe was
shadow of a leaf to protect them from broiling
sun; hurry and tunult of wagons and artillery
trains, endless almost, rushing down the roads
toward the new base, moving with sort Of or
DERBY confusion, almost sE Distressing as panic
itself. But venture that few Of all that hasten
ing throng, excepting old officers, understood the
misfortune. Strange to say, that even then, al
most eleven o'clock, communication with White
House by railroad and telegraph was interrupted,
but SO0D after eleven the lines ceased to Yibrate
intelligibly.
From headquarters passed along our lines.
The troops still stood at the breastwOrks ready
for battle but it was evident they had begun
to inquire into the situation. Some epprehen-
sive officers had caught hint Of the mysteries
which prevailed The trains were ordered to
move, troops to held themselves in readiness to
march at any moment. So passed that day,
dreadful in its moral attributes as a day of pes
thence, and when night closed upon the dreary
scene, the enterprise had fully begun. Endless
streams Of artillery trains, wagons, and funeral
poured down the roads from all the
camps, and plunged into the narrow funnel
which was our only hope of escape. And now
the exquisite truth flashed upon me. It was
necessary, for the salvation Of the
army and the cause, that our wounded and man
gled braves, who lay meaning in physical agony
in our hospitals, should be deserted and left in
the hands of the enemy. Oh the cruel horrors
of war. Do you wonder, my friends, that the
features of youth wrinkle, and that the strong
mans beard silVers soon, amid such scenes
The signature of age indites itself full soon
upon the smO0thest face of warriors and those
who witness wars cruelty. All, WELL another
night Of sorrow, without catastrophe. Officers
were on horseback nearly all night, ordering
the great caravan and its escorts No wink Of
Q IN Of min for nv vvhO
realized the peril of our country in those blank
hours.
At daylight Gen. Mcclellan was on the road
Thousands of cattle, of wagons, and our i'm
mense train Of artillery, intermingled with
infantry, and great troops Of cavalry, choked
up the narrow road already. Gen. Summers,
and Franklin's corps, under
Summers command, had been left to guard the
rear, with orders to fall back at daylight, and
hold the enemy in check till night. A noble
army for sacrifice, and some, oh how many,
must fall to save the rest The very slightest
movement from the front was critical At no
point along the line were we more than three
fOurths of mile from the enemy, and in front
Of Sedgwick's line, they were not over 500
yards distant The slightest vibration at any
point was apt to thrill the rebel lines from center
to wings. But fortunately, by slillful secrecy,
column after column was marched to the rear
franklin first Sedgwick next, then Richardson
and Hooker, and lastly, the knightly Kearney.
A mile had haen swiftly traversed when these
splendid columns quickly turned at bay. The
moment was most thrilling most trying to
stOutest nerves. The enemy, keen scented and
had discovered the rsTOgrsde, and
quick as thought were swsrming through our
late impossible entanglements, and came yell
ing at our heels like insatiate ssvsges. Full
soon our camps had hived countless numbers
and red battle began to stamp his foot Gallant
Burns was first TO feel the shock One Of his
favOrite regiments-BaxteI's Philadelphia Fire
been assigned to support a bat
terry. As the enemy advanced, it opened hOtly
upon them, but undismsyed, they pressed to the
charge. Burns held firm his men until the
enemy seemed almost ready to plunge upon the
guns. Then waving his sword, he ordered his
trusty fellows to FIRE. A basketful Of canister,
fearful volleys of musketTy, and all who were
left Of that slaughtered column of rebels fed
bowling to the rear Fresh masses poured out
and were sent surging back again until finally
they stood aloof, content TO watch and wait q
happier moment to assail that desperate front.
Meantime almost every vestige of camp turni-
ture which had been left in camp had been
examined by the enemy with disappointment
and rage. We had destroyed all we could not
transport.
Toward noon the line had retired several
miles and rested behind Savage Station to de-
stroy the public property which had accumulated
there. A locomotive on the railway was started
swiftly down the road, with train of cars, and
soon plunged mRdly into Chickahominy, a
mangled wreck. The match was applied to
stores of every description, and ammunition was
exploded, until nothing was left to appease the
rebel appetite for prey. Destruction was COM
plete, and the ruins were more tOuchingly desc
late amid the msngled victims of wars ruthless
ness, who laid on the hillside mourning the de-
parture Of friends with whom they had brayely
fought. Would that such pictures could be
sealed up In the book of memory, never to be
opened to the human heart. Many manly fel-
low has told me since that all human sorrow
seemed condensed into that one woful parting.
If it were ever manful to shed tears, men might
then have wept like Niobe Let US draw the
veil to hide wounds more agoniziHg than rude
weapon ever rent. Hundreds-I don't know how
many-were left upon the green swsrd and 10
our too limited hospitals, to wait the cold chari
ties Of bitter enemies.
The advance column and all the mighty train
had now been swallowed in the nav of the
dreary forest. 1t swept onward, onward, fast
and furious like an avalanche. Every hour o.
silence behind was ominous, but hours was
precious to us. Pioneer bands were rushing
along in front, clearing and repairing our single
road; reconnaissance officers were seeking new
routes for haven of rest and safety. The enc
my was in the rear pressing on with teartu
power. He could press dOl0n faHkl0GTd to 0ul
front, cutting off our retreat. Would such b
our fate7 The vanguard had passed White Oah
bridge and had risen to a fine defensive pcs
Aanked by White Oak sWamps, where part o
the train at least could rest. How sadly th'
feeble ones needed it, those who having suspect
ed their friends were about to abandon them
trusted rather to the strength Of fear to lea'
them to safety, than to the fate which nigh
await them at the hands of the foe. But tn
march was orderly as upon any less urgent day
only swifter-and marvellous, too, it seemed tina
such caravans of wagons, artillery, horsemen
soldiers, camp followers, and all, should pres
through that narrow road with so little eOnfu
sion
Two miles beyond the bridge the column sud
denly halted. A tremor thrilled along the line
A moment more and the dall boom of cannon
and its echoing shell fell grimly upon our ears