The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-06-18
ESTABLISHED
n11RLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE
"A PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING,
BIZ G. DU n H A n. 4~
TERMS:
From Grants Army.
HEADo'Rs ARMY OF THE PoroMAc, Coal !
HAREoR, NEAR THE HBCHlcKAHoMINY,
Friday. June 80 p. n.


little over an hour, should take its place
among the battles Of the war; but viewed
in its relations to the whole campaign, it
il, perhaps, hardly more than a grand re-
oonnoissance, however, which has cost Us
not less than five or six thousand killed
and wounded.
The object Of the action was to force the
passage Of the Chickahominy, on the north
side Of which, and covering the roads to
Richmond. the rebels had planted them
; selves in fortified line. What we have
done is to feel this line by vigorous at
tack, in which, though gaining some tenn
porary successes, and at one or two points
actually carrying the enemy's works, we
have on the whole, reached the conclusion
that any victory that could here be won
must cost too much in its purchase. / do
not say this as speaking with any authority.
but only as recording the general convic-
ton Of the army. Such conviction, how.
ever, when the common judgment Of such
men, rs have to-day led their lines against
the enemy, is apt to be OF itself authority,
and hence think may safely predict that
there will be no Teneacal OF the assault or
the lines Of The Chick0hominy: that we must
look to the resources of strategy to plant
this army in position where, being at less
of a disadvantage, its valor will have bet
ter promise of adequate reward.
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Oodt l1dLOCI pSilIS scCutt0 Wy l0c uCl1CII
of Wednesday, Gen. Undetermined to
give battle the day following, for the pur-
pose of essaying the passage of the Chicka-
homihy. Accordingly, during the night.
Hancoek's corps, which, by the previous
withdrawal OF the ttn corps, held the right
of the line. was moved and took position
on the extreme left; and early on Thursday
the headquarters of Gems. Grant. and
Meade, which had been in the rear of the
right, were transferred to the rear of the
left and established at Coal Harbor. It
had, as have said, been designed TO give
battle on Thursday; but Hancock was
compelled to fight his corps into position,
and his formation was not completed until
afternoon. The attack was then ordered
for O'Clock in the afternoon; but thun-
der storm as heavy as that which swelled
the ChickahOminy on the day before Fair
Oaks, set in, and the order had to be coun-
termanGed.
The hour of attack was then fixed for
4:3O o'clock this morning. Had Gen. Lee,
under these circumstances, emulated the
conduct of that Union General whose chief
glory is to be thought well of by the rebels,
and planted his army astraddle the Chick
ahominy, as Mcclellan did, the storm
which swelled that stream yesterday after
noon might have given Gen. Grant an OPP
he would have improved. But while the
rebels praise Mcclellan they do not imi-
tate him. Lee had his entire force north of
the Chickahominy, and the only result of
the delay in the attack caused by the rise
in the river was TO give the enemy, who
had by this time discovered the disposition
Of our troops, the hours of night during
which to perfect his defensive preparations.
THE SITUATION AT A. NJ, FRIDAY.
In saddle at 4o'clock fn the morning,
the gray light of dawn is struggling thro'
q thick envelope Of clouds, and light pat
tering rain is falling. Our men still lie be.
hind their breastworks, worn out with
the work Of the night; the rebels, too,
lie oehind their entertainments, and only
the sleepless pickets peer with wary eyes
forward through the dusk of the woods
III is still as the grave, yet in thirty min
utes. the storm Of battle will burst forth
along a stretch Of six miles. There is but
time to take glance at the lines. Here on
the left wing of the army is the corps of
Hancock (the 2d) connecting with him on
the right, and forming the left centre, is
Wrighi's, (the 6th;) then Smiths, (the 16th,)
which holds the centre; next comes War
rens, (the 5th, which forms the right CEN
tire, and then Burns'de's, (the 9TH which
holds the extreme right. Our line runs
almost parallel with the Chickahominy
and from one and half 70 two and 9 half
proach nearest the river, on the right we
are somewhat retired. Hancock, holding
the left wing, rests across the Dispatch Sta
ton road, THAT il, the road leading from
Coal Harbor to Dispatch Station;l our right
is across the Tolopatomoy. The rebel
front is formed Immediately in front OF
the Chickahominy, in three lines, two
lines of battle and skirmish line, on an
irregular line to conform with the woods
and ridges and swamps of the ground. Be-
tween the two. armies is low, swampy
region, whose dark hollows will soon be
lit up with the fires OF death. Suddenly
from behind the rude parapet there Is an
upstarting, noiselees springing TO arms,
the mufiied commands Of officers forming
the line. The attack was ordered for 4:3O,
and it may have been Eve minutes after
that, or it m0y have been ten minutes, but
it certainly was not later than 4:45 when
the whole line is in motion. Skirmishers
are thrown out, and presently meet the
enemy's pickets, as We learn by the smart
rebels respond, and in moment the dead.
ly conflict is joined.
THE MINUTES OF HISTORY.
The metaphysici2ns say that time IS
naught, is but = category Of thought; and
think it must be 30, for into ten mortal
minutes this morning was crowded an age
Of Action. Ten minutes Of the fgment men
call time, and yet that scant space decided
a battle. There are thousand details, ten
e~~S~e~~-
il this, that this first rush of advance car
ried our whole front butt up against q line
of works. which we were unable to break
through, or, breaking through were una
bic 70 hold. Conceive Of this in the large
the fierce onslaught amid deafening vol
leys of musketry and the thunder OF artil,
lery, and the wild, mad yell Of battle, and
see the ranks mown down, and the lines
break here and there, and the sullen OBJ,
stins;e M retreat, every inch contested, IS and "a
we shall then be able 70 descend TO some OF
the points OF action as they indivlduahze
themselves along the lipe.
THE LEFr-HANcocK's CORPS.
Hancock held the left of the whole .ine
of battle; and sf his three divisions, Bar
low he'd the extreme left OF the army.
tnat OF Uibbon vas drawn on the right OF
BaI.ow's, while Birney's division. was
neld IN reserve. Of the four brigades Of
BaTiow's s division, brooks had the left and
Miles the righ.-each brigade in double
line Of battle. Smith, commanding the
lrish Brigade, was placed in support, The
Lett WA protected ~ refusing 1.-THE 81