The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-19
DIXIE'S LAST
LETTER FROM RICHJMON.D.

Special Core spondenee of the Grenada Appeal
RICHMOND, July I, 1921 have been upon
the battle field of the Both of June and 1st of
July, but have no power to describe TO you the
condition of%he country or the evidences pre-
sented to the eye of the terrible conflict that
ragged there. For five miles along the road
pursued by the two armies the surface of tie
earth Ia strewn with tattered blue coats, KNAPP
sacks cut to pieces, broken canteons, empty
cartridge boxes, and dirty military caps; the
fences are down; the trees, riven and blasted
by the shells of the artillery, impede the way
with their fallen branches; the houses are
riddled in weatherboard and single roof;
here a broken caisson stands in the middle of
the road, there the fostering carcass of dead
horse poisons the atmosphere with its exhala-
tions, while on every hand the blighted crops
of clover, corn, oats and wheat tell of the
ravage which twenty -four hours of warfare
accomplished. Perhaps the most awful strug.
gle of the whole war was that of Tuesday, the
LIST of July, of which wrote you SO hurried
and inaccurate an account that desire to
recur to the engagement at this time, 10 mako
even the imperfect and unsatisfactory outline
of events presented in this correspondence
somewhat more full and truthful with regard
to it. 94
The enemy flying before our victorious
troops had reached on Tuesday afternoon an
elevated plateau of land, some sixteen miles
from Richmond, and not more than two miles
from the James river, where they availed
themselves of q strong natural position to make
stand Between them and the pursuing
Confederate column lay, immediately in tkeir
front, an open space nearly level, about twelve
hundred yards across, planted in corn which
was scarcely more than ankle high, and edged
by q deep, dense wood, out of which the Con-
federates must necessarily advance. -Four
powerful batteries of six guns each were at once
placed so as TO sweep the entire plain. About
half-past five o'clock regiment of Gen. Ma
gruder's division, thrown out as skirmishers,
coming upon the open ground, met the heavy
fire of the enemy, and fell back to their main
body. This force was drawn up in the woods,
ready at the proper moment to charge the en-
emyis batteries The Purcell battery had been
already ordered to takesit position In front of
the wood, and had opened brisk cannonade.
when q column of not more than Eve hundred
men rushed forward from their place of con-
cealnent at double-quick across the cornfeld
and reached q point probably about one hun
dred and fifty yards distant from the guns OF
the Yankees on our extreme right 1he nre
had now become terrific. a perfect tempest
of iron broke over the field, and, to add to the
/ horrors of the scene, immense projectlles from
the enemy's grnboats on the river began to
| fall around the combatants.
1t is remarkable that not one of these explo-
sives did our troops any injury, and not more
/ than half dozen of them burst at ALL Just
| behind the Yankee batteries was handsome
mansion which will be known in the official
reports as aCrew,s House. Here one of the
/ largest OF the shells thrown By the gnnboats
exploded with the most fatal consequences to
the Yankees, killing seven men instantly, and
tearing a-gun carriage and even the brass