The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-03-21

connict before Richmond, was inauguratcd. Smiths
Division, as soon as II landed at Hampton. sent
to the left and led the advance the Yorktown lines
on the James River road. 1t struck the enemy short
distance beyond Warwick Court-House. Here, on
the 9Th, eh and eth OF April there was heavy skir-
mishing with infantry aud artillery. Tho enemy
occupied strongly intrenchcd line protected by
stream. and no impression was made upon It.. Tho
Army feeling Its way into position in the woods
and swamps. Hancock's brigade on this occasion
was conspicuous, " having been dispatched to the
right, making Reconnaissance in force and develop
ing the enemy's lines In direction where the Union
line was not as yet complete. During the night OF
the eth Smiths Division moved stin further TO the
right, striking the enemy at Lees Mills This point
was believed TO be vulnerable to an assault. and,
under the direction OF General Mcclellan. the 10th,
the attempt made the line across the Peninsula
having then he made continuous. Tho attempt was
made after heavy artillery lre at short range, but
the obstacles were great and tho onemys position
too strong to he forced. In this engagement, although
the Vermont troops had the pnce Of honor and Of the
greatest loss General Hancock and his command were
conspicuous. From this time until the evacuation Of
the yorktown lines on the night Of the I'd Of May,
General IIancock's brigade in common with the rest
Of the division constantly duy In the trenches
or skirmishing with the enemy's pickets. on the
morning OF the 4th OF May, after heavy cannonade
during most OF the night the works OF tho Confed-
crates discovered to be abandoned. The dis
covery was made almost simultaneously along the
entire Union 1.-The from the York to the James, and
with the frst light there began race on every road
leading toward Richmond and great was the strife TO
see who should nEst come up WITH tho rctrcang foe.
At Williamsburg the Ccnfederates had constructed
another fortified line reaching from tho York river
nearly to the James. and running parallel to that
,t..ls 1T
series of rcdoubts mostly built along and behind the
stream, which running through deep ravine for
some distance, empties into the York. The centre
defense was powerful fort near Williamsburg,
mounting heavy guns. Here the enemy made his
stand. and by these works the Union Army, IN such
order possible, from the nature Of the pursuit.
found itself the evening Of tho 18th of May ehecu
ally stopped There was rain, mud INFINITE discom-
fort, apparent confusion, unquestionably no head to
the movements OF the troops, and as darkness settled
down over the bivouackng army there was anything
but bright prospect for With the dawn Of
the 5h however, matters began to assume shape and
the divisions got into their positions. Hooker made
his famous, bloody. and Intellectual struggle In the
fallen tlmbers before Fort Magruder. It gal
liant effort persstentIy made, and while rejecting
honor the division, resulted In nothing but heavy
loss. Early In the forenoon General Hancock obtained
pei"i''s'o w 'o''A'oi.'' '"o e"e"'' '.'' W."
WV "sa' '"'e,.os OH" WV "'.''o" .'s' &c
carefully feeling the encnys strength. Presently he
came upon an opening In the woods and before him
deep ravine, dam across II, and on the Oppo-
site bu rebel fottcation the continuation Of the
rebel left. glance showed the COMMUNICATIVE the
fort was not strongly manned. and by rapid move-
| ment might be forced. This was quickly done. The
.'ois P'"'e" "''''s ''o ""'N '''e. ''' o''' ''''
uroNe 'he enemy ""o vi Tue reuo"o'' "A ro"" was ""
wy ihProViseo up inc o'ah '"e ai'"ei! wasu'asse'
| acioss 'ne uap' WI" h""ooch 'o'"e" ITO "is'"'
III ING vi o''''e wi.ni" '"e enemy "uo VI 'o,''''
LUIS, anu "o'eu Az ohee vi 'pe W ''e oa'
ny whc" "e h"o a"Vahceu' s'i"'go' ""cn 'o""'" wv
reoei centre nj Fort Mesruoer' IL was masterl.
movement by one QUICK s''ohe "e h"u eo'hP'e'e''
turned inc enemy 'ei', anu uiess s'oPpeo ANU ose'
pa'h he "ou'u ienue' ."e "noie ieoe' nus ""e''ao.o
Inc enemy ie" oack slowly 'eofe MS au'ahce' u'.''
p position some Twelve nuhufed YARDS from for' MA
s'"'e' was ie"'ne"' rfou ''',s pun, sen'.e s'op
descended some distance toward me repe' centre
was hne pos'tioh TOT arti''ery WORK. ana hancoc'
sent MS TWO oatteiies SNORT Instance 10 tne IRON
with adequate support ana heavy artillery duel en-
sued. Inc position' however, was peri'ous one
HIS little command was iohs ois'ahce iro' any sup
| ports; an almost inPassio'e ra'he was between
anu tie rest oi inc uiVisioh anu inc army anu oeio
IL was an Overwhelming iorce' III TACT ''le "ho'
reoei army. heihioreeheh's "eie sehe io'' ou' non
| came Ahc o"y "oie o"' anu ''e P''''io" oe'"'''
critical; WITHOUT reimorcemehtsiI seemeo nauhess
attempt 10 hoio inc aaVan'age sa'"eu' WIN aue
quate support 'he ieoc' army was AZ ou' DC
tween these cohhieuhg views 'he 'eneiai he'u U
until nearly o CLOCK IN 'enei'
hancock ue'eihihea 10 "''hui""' an" iS'ue' VI
order to retire the batteries back TO the slope whef
| brigade
But the iynx-eyed rebel commander having fepni'e
HOOKER IN 'front.' ana reahzihg pefiecty the a"hgt
which threatened him with his left hank turned
made his dispositions with view OF utterly over
whelming Hancock. Inc ofaer 10 retire inc artiiief
had not been executed wheh' with tremendous hee'
the enemy debouched from Inc WOODS on hancock
right 'front.' and In TWO spiehaid hhes OF pa'tie !"
brigades OF Early troops moved on fancock's line
There was no sucli thing as retreat Then ketre'
meant rout' utter o'er'nro~. capture. "ha'e''
might he the ehect OF Summing ms grou retreat VIZ
the worst OF all possible eSpediehts. HANCOCK s1oo
his ground. Not altosether. inc enemy resardie
OF shell and hardly stoppinSto Tor canister swept arou
and almost cnveioped the artillery which oaiely q
caped Hom ioop III the revei auVahce anu went u"
the battery again on the slope The brigade, In pei
feet order hfing steauiy' SLOWLY Iet'eu before u
rebel advance. The latter came OH impetuous'y' hrh
and shouting 'Buii Kun buii Huh lha' nag
ours!'' AS they came slowly up inc slope hushe
with certain victory, Hancock se'zed the cppoitui
moment lie had oeensitt'ng close pehihu the centre
the line watching win ihpertarpaD'e coohess u
phases OF the s""ggie' ~ ~"s"o"Pie"e ho"'. W."
MS brigaae RESPOND III 'he presence Vi s"ch Owe
wheiming advancing "u,noe''' luz nsh' was
must he re'nempered' In inc open heiu. ~ was no
, at murderonsiy snort ra"se' mo thoush'' Vi VI
brave commander IN that cfisis NOBODY Knew Wh
no did all the world KNOWS Inc Ltt'e corporal
said to have watched n similar strugge' ana az q
crisis to have thrown hihseh headiohg across u
Bridge OF Lodi What hancock o'd was piece
, the same personal DARING. Das''he ioTw"r" OH
horse with mead pareu, swinging NIB hat anu sho"'ii
"FoSward forwaru for "od's SAKE forward
he showed hipseif among w men IN tne e OF patii
Forty yards away Was thc kroas ircguATy '"ape'
firing shouting repe' iorce. ~ seemou "aahesS 10
tempt to stop them. But DOT second ih,erVehed VIM
, the brigade saw ana recognized hahcock's p'azhi
form before them, and with shout that drowned u
cracking musketry, with lowered payohe's' aud WI
line DerfeCt though the men were parad