The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-09
lContinued from FTrat Pnne ]

the White House. Preparations were accord
lngiy begun. Porter's command crossed the /
river without opposition. During the night, /
our bridges were blown up and the crossings |
were barricaded and defended. Reyes line. /
which was on the extreme left resting upon /
White Oak swamp was prolonged, and our /
artillery and transportation trains were or !
dered to prepare to move forward. That /
night, Gen. Casey was also directed TO des- /
troy all public property at the White House |
that could not be removed, and to transport /
the SICK and wounded to place of safety, to |
retire himself, and rejoin the army on james
River.
Friday night was thus actively and mourn
fully passed The troops were ignorant of the
status, and it was desirable to conceal the truth
from them. 1t was feared the elemy might
attack on Saturday, and every preparation
was made to resist successfully. Our defeated
right was disposed on Trents Bluffs where the
enemy crossing might be successfully opposed,
and by daylight our main body or supports,
after a severe night, resumed their original
position. The night of Friday June n, was
gloomy, but it was felicity itself compared
with those of Saturday, Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday
Saturday morning doomed upon us hotlya and
cheerlessly. Until o'clock not the sound of
hostile gun disturbed the dread silence The
profound stiffness Of morning became so
Impressive kilitb bu6 Gull report Oh q nnSE6b on
the borders would have been comparative hap
piness. About 9 o'clock this anxiety was re-
ileved by an awful eannonade opened upon
Smiths position from TIVE forts in Garnels
field, battery at Fitz John Porter's old posi-
tion, and another below it. on the left bank of
the Chickahominy, raking ais intrenchments
and compelling him to abandon the strongest
natural position on our whole line The fire
was terrible. / can describe its lines fairly by
comparing it with the right lines and angles Of
chess board. Smith fell back to the woods
few hundred yards and threw up bresstSorks
out Of range. The enemy, content with his
success, ceased firing, and quiet was not dis
turbed again that day. The silence of the
enemy was explained to me that night by q
negro slave who had escaped from his master
st headquarters in Richmond He said dis
patch had been sent by jackson to Magruder,
who remained in command in front of Rich
Inond, expressed thus: Be quiet Everything
is working as well as we could desired" Omn-
Gus words
/ now proceeded to Savage Station shall
not attempt to describe the sombre picture of
gloom, confusion and distress, which oppressed
me there found officers endeavoring TO fight
off the true meaning. Anxiety at headquar-
tiers was too apparent to one who had studied
that branch of the army too sharply to be de-
luded by thin masks. Other external signs
were demonstrative. The wretched spectacle
of mangled men from yesterdays battle, prone
upon the lawn, around the hospital the
wearied, hsggard, and smoke-begrim faces
of men who had fought yesterday, were con-
comitants Of every battle 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 there was shadow Of
leaf to protect them from broiling sun; a
hurry and tumult of wagons and artillery
trains, endless almost rushing down the roads
towards the new base, moving with sort of
orderly confusion, almost as distressing as
panic itself. But / venture that few of all
that fastening throng excepting old officers
understood the misfortune. Strange to say,
that even then, almost eleven o'clock, COM
munication with the White House by railroad
and telegraph was uuinter~r pted but soon
after eleven the wires ceased to vi
brate inteliigibly.
From headquarters long our lines.
The troops still stood at tue Ureastworks ready
for battle; but it was evident they had begun
to inquire into the situation. Some appre-
hensive Officers bad caught hint of the mys-
teries which prevailed. The trains were or
dered to move, troops to hold themselves in
readiness to march at any moment. So passed
that day, dreadful in its moral attributes as
day Of pestilenee, and when night closed upon
the dreary seene, the enterprise had fully be-
gun. Endless streams of artillery trains,
wagons, and funeral ambulances, 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. 1t was absolutely necessary
for the salvation OF the army ana the cause,
that our wounded and mangled braves, who
lay moaning in physical sgony in our hospi-
tails, 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 siivers soon, amid such scenes The
signature of age indites itself full soon upon
the smoothest 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
sleep again; no peace of mind for any who
realized the the peril of our country in those
blank hours.
At daylight, Gen. Mcclellan was on the
road. Thousands Of cattle, of wagons and
our immense train of artillery, intermingled
with infantry and great troops of cavalry
choked up the narrow road already. General
Summers, Heintzelman's and Fran kim corps
under Summers command had been left to
guard the rear with orders to fall back at day
light 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 Sedgwiek's line, they were not over
600 yards distant. The slightest vibration al
any point was apt to thrill the rebel lines from
center to wings. But fortunately, by sllillfu
secrecy, column after column was marched to
the rear-Franklin frst Sedgwick next then
Richardson and Hooker, and lastly the knight.
ly Kearney.
A mile had been 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 watchfal, had discovered the retrodgrade
and quick as thought were swarming through
our late impossible entsnglements, and came
Mailing our heels lie irasatioto. -e.-re.c.