, 1864-06-10
THE WAR IN VIRGINIA.
Colonel mcKeanss Heroic Brigade
We find in the New York Times the toll
lowing Interesting incident OF Friday's great
battle In Virginia:

We find in the New York Times the iol-
lowing interesting incident of Fridays great
battle In Virginia:
I am about to narrate an incident which
VIII make draft on the faith Of the reader
even greater than did the assertion that por-
tiOns Of our line held their position within
ffty yards Of the rebel works-an1 that ia,
that one portion OF our line retained I'LL day
a position within fifteen yards Of the rebel
Col. Mexican, brigade Of Gibbons division
Of Hancock's corps, and numbering about
eight hundred men The conduct Of these
eight hundred Is Ms splendid stroke of hero
Ism ~ cVer lit up the story of "the glory we
call Greece and the grandeur We cali Rome"
their line, within fifteen yards of the enemy,
and all his force could not dlslodge them.
Repeatedly, during the :day the rebels form
double columns OF attack to come over tho
work and atsail them, and tho officers cou1d
be heard encouraging their troops by telling
Of thcm-come on-',' But the moment the
rebels showed themselves above their para
pet line Of fire flashed out from behind the
rarthen mound where those eight hundred
heroes stood In new ThermopylR, and many
rebel threw up his arms and fell prone un-
der theiE swift avsnglng bullets: lsts, :,
tious as the deed itself-for while the rebels
dared not venture ont to ossail. Mckean's
mcD, neither could he nor his men recedo
from the perilous position. He could not
get back to ns-we could not 70 forward to
linn. In this dilemma the ingenious device
was bit upon Of running ''sap,n", OF zigzag
trench, up from our lins to bis. IN this way
n working party were able TO dig their way
up to where they lay, begrimmed with pow
der and worn down with fatigue, and few
hours sgo they were brought safely away.
GAIL that were le5h Of them, left of eighr hum
dred!', but Mexican, their gallant leader, he
came not away aliye. Since eleven In the
morning be had latin behind ths buiwark bis
yulor defendcdAa corpse. While standing
up, preparing to resist rebel assault, he fell,
pierced BY the bullet OF d sharpshooter, and
after living for an hour or two in agonizing
deatl.fn, life, begging his staG officers to put
an end to bis misery, his heroic soul for
sock the turmoil Of this weary, warning
world.
There were other scenes along those lines
drawn 20 close up to the enemy not so grave,
and Others Of grim kind Of jollity. For
example, man would sing out from behind
our breastworks the signal Of attack, s'For-
ward, guido CENTER" Whereupon the rebels
plainly bearing MI that was said, would start
up from behind their parapet, and our men,
just peering above their pits, and "drawing
. beaa' on the uprising rebels, would bring;
patched with unerring aim Or, again, one
Of the rebels calling parley, would cry
out: ttYnnks, ain't 1t about your time to
cook coffee " ."Ycs," replies Yank. tsThen,'''
rsjoIns Mr. Rebel, ''lf You won't shoot while
make my johnny cake, won't shoot while
you make your coffee" Whereupon the
culinary truce was observed with ecrupu.
yisaged war, Of time, smoothes his wrinkled
fncH