Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-31
Following the Flag.


Correspondent Of the Boston JopraDi for Ii,
fist two wears cf the rebellion Iii, letter.
were widely copied and universally admired, ano
probably, no army correspondent OF NV
England paper has more touched the heart @
the public than be- Carleton has, since
delivered several very interesting lectures, dc.
scripty3 OF battles and incidlns Of The Wa
for tbe Union. We he's also written book
which ricknor ami fields OF Boston published
a year silcc, called My Days aud Nights Of
the Battle Field " and the same publisher
have just issued E" Following the Flag, From
August 1861 10 November 1862 With the Army
if the Potomac" by the same Author. Bo,h
he books are Characterized BY vivid pc
turing, brilliant coIoTing, and graphic de
lueltion Of the s.rrins scenes Of army lie il
camp, On the march and in the fierce ,hock OF
laue. They arc designed more particularly
for boys, ami do not enter largely INTO detail
nor discuss general principles nor indulge H.
pIilsophicii and argumcntatiye writing, az
much az the author would have done has he
been making book for mature ntelle'ts Ye.
thsy have d living and stirring interest for tho.t
wh)c.n hard longer be jIs.iy called bjys -
except as we are all boys,-aud epectac.e3 at
we az younger eyes will turn away reluctantly
from their pages Following the Flag Las
brought 50 uyidly before us the Peuusular
clmplisn.and the first campaign in Maryland
th4t We cannot resis. tho temptation 70 copy
from it. Here is the short and thrilling story
OF
The BATTLE Of MALVERN
The battlefield OF July lst, 1852, bears ,he
pleasant name Of Malvern. IL Is on tle nor o
%. OF the james, An elevated PLAN near the
riyer, but declining gently towards ths north.
--dluded into corn ami wheat fields, b1rdere!
on tne east md wtst and south by wO0JtI r,..
woo Toe estate Is owned by d.. Carter.
Although 10 bears a name 20 pleasant, there
have been sad scenes upon those fertile fields
not alone the shock, roar, aud horror Of & great
bgte, but the low wall oil mothers for their
iniIuts, tosu from their arms and sold to slave
traders,--the agonlcs oi men under torture Of
the Whip, their l.sh torn and mangled by en-
uneeins master.
Was be a good master ? asked Of old
negro 40 City Point, in July, 1901
IN, -I-. tie was very ndd cir. He Was de
wussasl dat o5er was, sir lie was SO bad dat
we call him Hell Carter, sir. Cause We tiuk
dat tue Lord will ssnd him 70 do bad place one
ob dess days, sir lie 20 dere sure, sir.
The mansion is quaint old structure, bult
~ red bricks, surrounded by eluls, and Command
ilg wide panorama OF the james, oi The valley
ot tbs up faattoK, and the distant Richmond
hiIf,
Iae house was standing in the time Of the
Rogoluuon and WAS marked on the map Of
Cornwallis
Vest o Malvern are the Strawberry Plains
4 s.feam.e;, which rises lu the vicinity Oh b.en-
dale. courses to the james through a wooded
rayiue between the rAwberry grounds and
Malvern The bill is 50 sharp and steep and
hizh that General Barnard WAS able to plant
TWO nors OF guns upon the slope, and crown 10
with heavy slege guns. The tees iu the ra1iao
were tell d, aud rife pits thrown up. extending
along he western side and across the open field
towards the north, where the soEe OF the bill
shades into the level plain.
Eastward, the trees were ielod AMI their
branches lopped by the Pioneers. ltwasa strong
position, and these preparations made It i'm
preguable. Lse must assail 1t from the north-
wesj,--oyer the wide plain, exposed to the fire
OF sixty cannon.
p .ter's cops occupied the Favine between
Malvern AMI the Plains. COUGHS, kearney 3,
aud hojker,s dlyIs ons held the IRON towards
the north Summers and Franklin 5 corps held
the leis the Pennsylvania Reserves aud the
remainder oi k9yts' corps, the centre. The line
was semlclrculAr, and 50 well concentrated were
the Or ops, that reinforcement, II needed, might
BE- had witn little delay.
Ia the James River, tSo miles distant, lay a
DE, OF i've gunbolts, carrying heavy guns, r.
near uough to throw shellsupon the Strawberry
Plails
Inc Rebels advanced cautiously. jackson
Ewell, Waiting, and d. Ii. Hill moved dowr
the Quaker road, while Magruder, L.ngs;reet
HuAer, and Holmes came down the Richmond
road. Jackson d. IL. Hill, and ESell ap
pared ia front OF Couch Huger and Magru
der, 10 front OF Morrll's division OF Porter
corps, while Holmes filed through the wood
towards the james, along the western edge y
Strawberry Plains.
Although the distance from Glendale is bu
two and hall miles 1t was past ten o'eloci
before tue head Of Magruders columns appear
ed IN sg t. A. ?. Hlu's division when h3,
been 50 terribly shatter at Glendale, was lei
behind.
Masruder shelled the woods and advance
cautiously. There was pAterlng skrmish tit
through tue forenoon, with au artillery daei a
long range.
Noon lssed and there WAS no apparent dis
pos tion un the part OF the RaD5is 70 maze "a
attack They dreided the terrible tr. from Oh
numerous guns cleaning 10 The sun upon th
hlllsiio.
General Magrudar brought all of the clnno
into position winch could be advantageous
posted, and at Two O'Clock opened u rapid hr'
whch was replied to by She bltterns on th
hull ll3 threw forward his siirmshars AZ q
earlier hour.
Jackson moved forward q division upon Couc
40 hour later, but ii was hurled back in cor
fusion by the fire Of the batteries, and the daa
ly yolley delivered from the rifle puts,
Holmes, all the while, had been edgiHg /
wards the rNar to gam the rear of MoUlcna
but the enormous shells IRON the gunboot
which tore down the forests paralyzed bis g,
dieTs
There was q consultation among the Rel
commanders Lee had intrusted the commaI
in his centre to Magruder. His btieadler sc
erals did not want 70 advance over the plain.
" am unwilling to slaughter my brigade
said General Cobb, " but, If you ojmmAnd N
shall make tho charge II my last man falls
intend 10 make the charge, no matt
what IL costs sand Mlgrudor
The commanders went to their brigadeS ,mu
muring that Magruder was drunk, that il wou
be madness TO make the attack
Mdgroder formed hls line ia the woods A
mis- eAa'a brigade moved upon tho Union picl
lima md drovr IL h,rk A Al...... -. 4