Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-05-30

james river at the precise time when the
transports laden with provisions and stores,
together with the hospital ships. which BY a
wise foresight had been ordered up ten days
before. arrived there, from Fortress Monroe.
Meanwhile, az had been expected, Frank.
lin aud Sumner had been sharply attacked at
" hite Oak swamp. where tho confederate
generals bad brought Up large foses sl ar.
iillery. They retired step by step. Later in
the day, Heintzelman was also attacked on the
cross roads. There fight took place in the
woods with varying success. McCall's di.
vision suffered greatly and lost it's comman.
der, who was made prisoner Generals
Hooker and Kearney. coming to his assis-
lance, repulsed his assailants, and inflicted on
them heavy losses. Finally, last attack
made on Porter's corps failed completely b..
fore the combined FIRE Of the field artillery and
the gunboats. The position occupied by
Porter. at a place called by some Turkey
Bend, and by others Malvern Hill, was su.
perb. 1t was an elevated, open plateau
which sloped gradually toward the roads by
which the enemy must debouch. The left
rested on the river, where lay the Galena and
Monitor. and the feet Of gunboats. The
Federal army had therefore nothing to fear
on that side. and consequently had to guard
only one Of their TANKS, easily defended by
earthxorks and abattis. On thu evening Of
the 3O,h, all the divisions were united in this
strong position the entire train and the siege
guns were sheltered there. Finally. the
army was in communication with it's trans.
ports. and sure Of it's supplies. The great
and bold movement by which it had escaped
n great danger. and exchanged au indefsnsi.
ble base Of operations for another more secure
was accomplished; but after 40 long an effort
the troops were exhausted for FIVE days they
had been incrssantly marching and fighting.
The heat had added greatly TO the excess Of
these fatigues many had given way under it;
some were sun-struck others left the ranks
and joined the great multitude Of sick and
wounded who followed the army as well as
they could, and presented most lamentable
appearance. 1t ia true that during the course
of this difficult retreat there had been mo-
ments Of trouble and disorder; but what
army, under similar circumstances, could
wholly escape these This fact remained.
that, attacked. in the midst of a country that
presented nothing but difficulties. by forces
at least double its own, the army OF the Po.
tomac had seccceded in gaining position in
which it was out OF danger, and whence. had
it been sufficiently reinforced. and had the
concentration of the enemy's forces been met
with like concentration, it could have sovn
| resumed the offensive.
As we have just related. each of its neces.
sarily scattrred parts had for FIVE days had to
resist the 64rcpst attacks, and had done il
| vigorously. Now that it was all reunited on
the drclivties of Malvern Hill, perhaps the
confederate army. also reunited. might resolve
to make last effort against it. Accordingly,
on the night of the 30th of June, General
Mcclellan made thu necessary preparations to
give that army good reception. He placed
all his guns, at least three hundred. in battery
on the heights. SO arranging them that they
would not interfere with the fire of the infa,l-
try along the sort Of glacis up which the as.
s,iants would have to advance unsheltered.
10 the fire of the artillery WE'RE to ba added
l00.pound balls from the gunboats. which. as
on the previous day. were ordered to flank
the position. 1t was madness to rush against
such obstacles. However, the confederates
tried it. Several times during the day. on the
lst of July, they tried to take Malvern Hill.
but without for a single moment having
them a useless butchery. Their losses were
very 6te0ts tuOec VI sno : CeueINI0 tilHStI6.
This success WINS duo to two causes tirst, to
the happy foresight Of the general who. not
wiihstsnding all the hinderaDces presented by
the nature Of the soil to his numerous artillery,
had spared no pains TO bring it with him
and, secondly. to the 6rmness Of the troops
whom he commanded. Men do not make such
campaign as they had just made. nor pass
through trials such az they had just passed
through. without becoming more or lees Injured
to war. If their primitive organization had
been better. the survivors Of this rude cam.
paign. do not fear to assert, nigh. have
squaled the first soldiers of the world.
On the evening Of this last battle. the ex.
haustrd enemy retired. to rsapp~ar no more.
and the army Of the Potomac took up its po-
si,ion and sought rest at Harrison's Bar. a
place chosen by the engineers, and by the
Navy as affording the best facilities for defense
and for receiving provisions. The campaign
against Richmond was ended. without sue.
cess, but not without honor. Honor was
safe but those who had counted on succ~ss
for the speedy reconstruction Of the grpat
American Union in burst Of generous and
patriotic conciliation had seen their hopes uu.
fortunately vanish.
Here rest. / have andeavored in this
narrative to depict the character at an Ameri.
can army to make known the peculiariiiss
Of war in countries 30 different from ours, and
the difficulties Of every kind which have to
bs encountered. have given with equal
frankneas my favorable and my unfavoraLls
impressions. The good have met with
has often filled me with admiration; the evil
has never weakened the feelings Of ds~p sym
pathy which ] entertain for the American