The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-09-06

AS o'clock the fight was raging along the
whole line terfcally. muskstry Ike Gaines Mill,
and artillery like Malvern Hills. There was not
ten minutes cessation at any one time for the
next three hours. We advanced not a step; We
retired not step.l SThe enginery Of war, men,
guns, and "vilainous saltpetre," seemed equal,
each side to the other. At o'clock Scheuck
was ordered back from the left, and the artillery
Of that wing fell back to the next eminence.
During the three hours, scarcely regiment of
the three corps on the field that had not beer
into the thickest. Promptly and skillfully, as
command would become exhausted, it would be
replaced by another, but only for q brief rest,
then to DO up and at it. These splendid "psssa.
ges of lines as such movements are technically
called, seem to me feature that ought not to
pass recommended. Gaines Mills would have
been victory had such movements been made
promptly and orderly. yae, s
The withdrawal Of the left was not giving M
Of the battle. Troops we're rushed to the right.
and redoubled onset made there. Again the
enemy was forced back. His left was swept
upon his center-we took him "endways" In
flank While the infantry fought those, our ar
tlery, eleven batteries in line, played stunning
", each gun pointed well to the left, that no un-
alucky she'll might harm friend.
: We could move the rebels NO farther than
their center. Ausketry in rolls, in crashes.
sounded out of the spot Of woods where our adj
vance was stayed; how tenaciously the enemy
held their ground cannot hope 70 adequately
express. How Schurs fought-ask any eye.wit-
ness Of the conduct Of bis men, led BY the orator
fighter, i
bis centre, but advanced upon our left It was
critical. a Is - ,
Opportunity, NcDowells corps appeared com.
ing to our relief Two bsigades iHatch's and
Doubledsys) Immediately met the ensmy's sd-
vance upon our left, and although suffering ter
ribly, stayed him until dark. E IS US
The day's work Vas ended. We held more
ground than in the morning, but not % much -
st night 49,, ~ ..a.,as5s q.a..
TIE FIGHT on sAsuRDAY. .,s..e q
Waking in my fence. corner sleeping apart-E
ment at daylight Saturday morning, I first
walked to the summit Of the hill % asoertaia the
position Of afaira Everything indicated re.
newal Of the battle. Already columns were
marching in every direction, men at the left
being brought to the right, and v;cs osyss, being
brought from front to rear and from rear to
mont, Generals With st.ffs and body guards ri.
ding over the field, each, Of course, with pur-
pose; but to an eye witness seeming, with the
other movements, like "cobfusion worse con-
founded" Every few minutes shell from our
batteries farthest to the left replied to % often
BY guns whose smoke clouded in the far west
srn horizon, made me question whether the enc.
my had not retreated. While my horse Wa
eating my hay bed, I had speech with several
Major Generals staff officers, and they partici.
pated in the fear that the enemy had sprung
from under our finger. @
The day wore away until noon, with contin-
nance Of dssultory Smelling ("bumin," the but
ternqt prisoners call it, Gen. Pope on horse
the whole time, giving orders, rapid and imper.
alive, each carried instantly BY q gslloping aid;
receiving reports from all parts Of the the field,
and never OBTAINING the messenger long for his
reply, from each eminence sweeping the position
with his glass-he Was evidently sscertaining
the position Of the enemy, and determined to
6ght if he stood or ifhe ran. @
The division commanders were seeing that
their men were provided with rstions, made q
difficult matter by the forced cross marchings OF
the week, which prevented Qusrtermasters
from knowing where to conduct trains. For
once red tape was summsrily cut, and rations
issued to every unsupplied regiment from what.
ever stores we're at hand. Ihesrd Sigel exclaim
that crackers were "worth % much q muskets"
Porter's corps had arrived ON the ground at
O'Clock from Manassas, making Eve corps
ready for action. The number of men compris
sASSS
er's division had but 2,44l men in the ranka, 30
terribly has it shrunk BY battle and disease.
In the order Of battle for the day Heintzel.
man commanded the right, Porter the centre,
Mcdowell the left, and Sigel, whose corps had
borne the brunt the day before, the reserve
At 10 Heintzelman advanced skirmishers into
the wood on the right Of the battlefield of the
day before, and found it only held by few
troublesome bushwhackers. Driving them back,
large numbers of wounded we're got of, and
passed to the rear.
! rode in with these skirmishers % far Is
deemed prudent. At any rate Igot upon ground
where the cofpses attested the fighting Of the
day before. First came upon bodies in blue
in blue mingled with those in gray and monde
script. That ground had been fought over. A
little further they were all blue and nondescript,
and there the bodies were thickest. Upon ground
that Judged to be not over half an acre, coun-
ted 80 bodies, dead and wounded. Advancing
further still, I saw Union soldier seized. not
ten rods from me, and carried of by bush whack.
srs. retired lin good ordsr) satisfied that the
enemys loss exceeded our own. At 2 o'clock,
BY the movement Of troops from right TO left,
Inferred that the positions OF the enemy had
been found In that direction. By this time our
line was different from that Of the day before
Our right was further advanced, and our left
vithdrswn, 90 that We fronted almost to the
sostb. At Bull Run, year ago, We faced ex-
actly south.
Eats O'clock Gen. Stevens attacked the right,
and soon after Gen. Butter6eld at the left The
enemys shells seemed equally distributed along
the whole line, and 1t each point Of attack be
met us with musketry. at
was at Gen. sigel's headquarters That
General WAS certain the enemy intended TO turn
enc or the other of the Aspks, and said We must
ascertain which, or the result was, at the best,
doubtful; for bis scouts had just reported that
Lee, with the entire remainder of the rebel ar
my, had come up and assumed command. The
scouts were correct. On Saturday we fought
the whole pehol ar,nv y 5as Est-