Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-09
characters escape the scrOtiny of the keen.

Nothing, indeed, could be more striking
than the contrast presented by the two
commanders, as they stood In consultation
on that bare hill, With their faces turned
RiUhmond.ward. The small form with the
slight stoop in the shoulders, sunken grey
eyes, still, reserved demeanor, impassiVe
face and chin as of Q bull. dog or close set
steel trap-that 10 Grant, the tall figure,
with the nervous, emphatic articulation
and action, and face as of antique parch-
meut-that is Meade-and the antipodes
could not bring togetherA greater contrast.
Whether it was that Gen. Grant himself
was in doubt as to the path which should
be pursued, or that he felt the need of
seeing for himself the actual situation-for
from our point of vision everything was
hid by veil Of Woods-T know not, but
he suddenly mounted his horse, and rode
rapidly down ian occasional shot or shell
passing over his head and falling around
US ct headquarters) to the headquarters of
Gen. Hsncock, and afterwards TO those OF
Gen. Wright; and when he came back it
was plain there would be no renewal of
the battle, for we all rode leisursly back to
the old camp occupied the night before.
This was noon and though the white
heat Of battle had died out, there were
still spirits of fight along the line, aud Vig-
orons interchange Of FIRE from the hostile
batteries. Such rencouuters were ineVita.
BILE from the unparalleled closeness of the
opposing lines. This was particularly the
case on the left, where there were points
at which the rebels and our own men were
divided but by narrow neutral interval
of fifty yards. AS the possibility of our
troops occupying a line in such proximity
to the enemy's works may not be clear, l
aYtll lrfFn nfa I.,N
intrenchments in front of Barlow's and
Gibbons divisions had, with fault of en-.
gineeriug Of which the rebels are not often
guilty, been drawn on the TedrpGrd slope
of the crest and thrown too far back, so
that after the repulse Of our men, the mo.
ment they had fallen back over the ridge,
they were partially under cover, and here
the sharpshooters were able to keep the
rebel heads down long enough to allow
portions of our line to protect themselves
with improvised parapets, which they held
all day.
This explanation is the more needed,
because am about to narrate an incident
which will make draft on the faith of
the reader even greater than did the asser-
ton that portions of our liue held their
position within fifty yards of the rebel
works-ahd that is, that one portion of
our line retained position all day within
fifteen yards Of the rebel works. This he
roic band was the brigade of Col. McKean,
brigade of Gibbons division of Han
cocks corps. aud numbering about eight
hundred men. The conduct Of these eight
hundred is as splendid stroke of hero
ism as ever lit up the story of "the glory
We call Greece and the grandeur we call
Rome" Through the live loug day these
haI hnfR nil sc
the enemy, and all his force could not dis.
lodge them. Repeatedly, during the day,
the rebels formed double columns of at.
tack 70 come over the work aud assail
them, and the officers would be heard en-.
coursging their troops by telling them
"there are only four or FIVE hundred OF
them-come on" But the moment the
rebels showed themselves above their par.
apet line of FIRE flashed out from behind
the eArthen mound where those eight hun
dred heroes stood in a new ThermopyIs,
and many a rebel threw up his arms and
fell prone under their swift.avenging bull
lets.
The sequel of this bit of history is as
curious as the deed itselE-for while the
rebels dared not venture out to assail Nc
Kean's men, neither could he nor his com.
mand recede from the perilous position
He could not get back to us-we could
not go forward to him. In this dilemma
the Ingenious device was hit upon of ruu-
ming "sap," or Zig-Iag trench, up from
our line to his. 1n this way q working
party were able to dig their way up to
Where they lay, begrimed with powder and
worn down with fatigue, aud q few hours
ago they were brought safely away. "All
that were left of them, left of eight hun
In hai Ia lRn
he came not away alive. Siuce eleven in
the morning he had lain bshiud the bal
Wark his valor defended corpse. While
standing up preparing TO resist rebel as.
sault, he fell, pierced by the bullet of q
sharpshooter, and after living for an hour
or two 10 an agoniEiug death-in-l life, beg.
ging his staff officers to put an end to his
misery, his heroic soul forsook the turmoil
of this weary, warning world.
There were other scenes along these lineu
drawn so close up to the enemy not So
grave, and others Of grim kind of jolity.
For example man would sing out from
behind our breastworks the signal of at.
tack, Forward, guide centre," whereupon
the rebels plainly hearing ell that was said
would start up from behind their pArapet,
and our men, just peering above their pits
aud "drawing a bead" on the uprising reb.
els, would bring macy one down with g
bloody gift dispatched with unerring aim.
Or, again, one of the rebels calling party
would cry out: "Yanks, amt Il about your
time to cook coffee 2" s.Yes," repIiet
Yank. "Then," rejoius Mr.. Rebel, "if you
won't shoot while make my johny cake
won't shoot while you make your Coffee
Whsreupon the culinary truce was obserV'
ed with scrupulous fidelity. It is in such
ways that grim visaged war, Of time
smOoths his wrinkled face. a.T.r..
REBEL NIGHT ATTACK.
The hours of afternoon passed away
with no more of action than is indicated
| in the nraHioua recital: O'Clock. the f,