The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12

3.
: vanguard, met eight companies Of rebel cava
~, charged them, routed them, pursued ther
miles beyond our reach, and returned in triumph
with sixty prisoners and horses.
Our trains had now passed White Oak Bridge
such an achievement, in such order, under th,
!. circumstances, might well be regarded wonderful
Inc retreat was most ably conducted. Unit
this day (Ronday) the enemy seems constantl,
TO have operated upon the supposition tha. oul
army was intending to retire to the Pamunky.-
Iney had been deluded into this belief by the
18th New York and 18th Massachusetts, regi
ments, together with part of the lst I'd, and
ON regular cavalry, which had been sent out to
Oid Church on Thursday morning to impress
tae enemy with that notion. (Par parenthesis-
s9ey retired safely to Yorktown, and are now at
Malvern Hill.) But Cur true object must nov
have become apparent, and it was visally neces.
sary to get the trains through before the eneny
could push columns down the Charles City,
Central and New Market roads. But until eight
O'Clock IN the morning we had no knowledge OF
any but the Quaker road to the point at which
we now waimed-Harding's Landing and Malvern
Hill, in Turkey Bend Sharp reconnaissance,
however, had found another, and soon our trs
nendous land feet was sailing down two roads,
and our long artillery train Of $50 guns, and
equipments were Numbering after them with flu.
rious but orderly speed So perfect was the
order-altbough to an Impractical eye it would
have seemed the confusion Of Babel-that the
roads were blockaded but two or three times
The topography Of the country had now become
such that infantry could march through the
| woods In parallel lines on both sides of the
trains, while White Oak Swamp fortunately pro.
tected our tanks from cavalry. .a
BATTLE AT WHITE OAK SWAMP.
At about ten o'clock General Mcclellan
pushed to the river, communicating with Com.
modore Rodgers, and had the gunboat feet post
co to aid 10 against the enemy. The case was
desperate, but it was relief to reach the river
where we could turn At bay with our rear pro.
tected by the James River. and TANKS partially
covered by gunboats Tidings, however, had
been received that the enemy was pushing
swiftly upon us in several columns of immense
numbers, apparently determined to crush us, or
drive US into the river that nigh They opened
fercely with shell upon Smiths division at
White Oak Bridge. After burning down the
mouse OF good secessionist and breaking his
leg, the enemy extended his line of FIRE and
soon engaged our entire rear guard, striking at
Slocum, who was guarding against a flank
movement designed to cut our column in twain,
Long before this our vanguard had debouched
from the road into the field before Turkey Bend
and our reserve artillery was powerfully posted
on Malvern Hill, magnificent bluff covering
Hardin's Landing, where our gunboets were
cIulzlng. Here was q glorious prospect
Though our gallant fellows were bravely
holding the fierce enemy at bay to GOV.
er the swiftly escaping trains, it was clear that
our troubles we're not ended. We bad again
deceived the enemy by going to Turkey Bend.
He had imagined we were marching to Newman
ket, destined TO point on Cliff Bottom road
near Fort Darling. 1t was not far away, and the
enemy was massing his troops upon us on The
left and on our Dew fIent-for when we arrived
at Malvern Hill, the wings of the army so Or
ganzed were reversed, Reyes taking the right
Porter's corps the left-as We faced Richmond.
Our line now described great arc and there
was fighting around three. .four.hs Of the peri.
meter.
Gen. Mcclellan who bad already communica
ted With the gunboats, returned from the front
to Malvern Hills, which were made his battle
headquarters, and dispositions for final emer-
gency we're made. Fitz John Porter was march.
ed from the valley under the hill to his post on
the western crest Of the bill, where he could
rake the plains towards Richmond. Our splen.
did artillery was picturesquely poised in fan
shape at salient points, and its supports were
dispersed in admirable cover in hollows between
undulations Of the bluff Powerful concentra
ting batteries were also poised in the centre, so
that, to use the language of Col. Sweitzer, "wel
clothe this bill in sheets of fame before they
take it." 1t was a magnificent spectacle You
frienQa 70 ho IN
roar of combat grew tremendous as the after
noon wore away. There was no time then nor
afterwards, to ascertain dispositions of particu-
lar organizations. They were thrown together
wherever emergency demanded. White Oak
Bridge, the Quaker road, Charles City road, the
banks of Turkey Creek, were enveloped in
smoke and fame, iron and lead crashed through
forests and men like destroying pestilence. A
masked battery which had opened from the
swamp under Malvern Hill, began to prove in.
convenient to Porter. 1t plowed and crashed
through some of our wagons and disturbed
groups of officers in the splendid groves OF Mai
| vern mansion. The gunboat Galena, anchored
on the opposite side of Turkey Island, and the
Arostook, cruising at the head OF the island
opened their ports and plunged their awful met:
al into the rebel cover with Titanic force To-
| wards sunset the earth quivered with the terrific
conclusion of artillery, and huge explosions -
The vast aerial auditorium seemed convulsed
with the corrmotion of frightfu! sounds. Shells
| raced like dark meteors athwart the horizon
crossing each other at eccentric angles, explod-
ing into deadly iron hail and fantastic putfs of
smoke, until ether was displaced by vast cloud
of white fumes, through which even the fierce
blaze of setting summers sun could bu: grim.
! " penetrate. The forms Of smoker masked
warriors, the CLEAN of muskets on the plains
where soldiers were dsengaged, the artistic or
der of battle On Malvern Hill, the wild career
of wilder horsemen plunging to and from and
across the field, formed q scene of exciting
grandeur. In the forest, where eyes did not
penetrate, there was nothing but the exhiliara
ting and e1hausting spasm of battle. Baleful
fires blazed among the trees, and death struck
many shining marks. Our haggard men stood
there with grand courage, fighting more like
creatures of loftier mould than men. Wearied
and Jaded, and hungry and thirsty, beset by al
most countless foes, they cheered and fought
and charged into the very jaws of death, until
veteran soldiers fairly wept at their DEVOTION