The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-10-08


hams fire, and so vigorously as to cause his sud-
den withdrawal Stewart, with his cavalry,
makes threatening demonstrations, and General
Doubleday is deployed on Meades left to check
him.
Franklin instructs Gibbon to support Meade's
right, and again the column moves forward. To
meet the attack General Lee has arranged Jack
sons corps in the woods at Hamiltons, with A. p.
Hills division in front, Early's and Taliaferro's
divisions composing the second line, and d. n.
HllPs division in reserve, The division OF A. i,
Hill forming the advanced line, was composed OF
the brigades of Archer Lane and Pender. with the
brigades of Gregg and Thomas directly in their
rear. AS Meade neared the enemy's lines the fog
suddenly lifted giving the Confederate artllerists
a clear view of our advancing lines Three bat
teres-those of Wooder, BraXton. and Carpenter
that had been pushed out on the skirmish line
in front of Lanes brigade, and the five batteries
of Leutenant-Co Colonel Walkers command opened
on our ranks, using shell and canister, damaging
our alignment considerably; but Meade pushes
on, the four light batteries of the Reserves reply
theoretically. General Smith Badly, seeing the
trouble from afar, directs the fire of his Sixth
Corps guns upon the three batteries trst-named,
and compels their withdrawal The cloud of
skirmishers that cover our advance strikes and
drives in those Of the COnfederates.
The battle wakes hot, but Meade, obliyious to
the roar, impetuously pushes on with great
crash our infantry strike that of the enemy; the
fighting for few moments is extremely earnest.
Our men vie with each other in acts of noble dar-
ing. Many prisoners are taken and one regiment
the Nineteenth Georgia-is captured entire
Corporal Jacob Carl of the Seventh Reserves tear
ING from the hands of the cOlOr-bearer the flag of
that regiment. Our men drive Lanes brigade
back across the railroad into the woods, and
crushing through the interval between the bri-
gades of Archer and Fender flank both their lines
and compel them to fall back, then up the wooded
crest with rush so sudden that General MaXey
Gregg, the Confederate commander on the second
line, cannot believe that the advancing troops is
the Union line, and falls dead while trying to pre-
vent his South Car0linans from firing upon us.
But his men pour whitening fire into our line.
Atthis moment the divisions of Generals Early and
Taliaferro sweep forward at double quick, strik-
ing Meade with irresistible force and oyerpower-
ing numbers, enveIoping his TANKS and endanger-
ing his whole command. The situation becomes
most critical, the surroundings awfully grand.
The woods echo and re-echO every shot until
the roar is appalling Great shells go screaming
through the forest, cutting down giant trees, and
the crash Of the falling timber adds to the deafen
ing sound. In the midst Of the tumult the Re
serves fall back and are soon out again on the
open plain In one short hour our men had
known both the thrilling ecstacies of victory and
disastrous defeat. Meade halted after recrossing
the railroad and reformed the division, but he was
not allowed much time to rest. Early pushed
after him and the brigades of Atkinson and Hoke
struck with vigOr at the shattered ranks, forcing
him to fall back rapidly and with some confusion.
Franklin, foreseeing the difficulty, had ordered
Birney's division to the front, and just in time he
arrived to check the advancing enemy and save
what was left of the Reserves
While Meade was moving on HamiltOns
the troops in the city were prepared to strike.
Under arms listening to the sounds of the fight
on the left and waiting patiently for their turn
to share in the strife General Thomas Francis
Meagher, mounted and surrounded by his staff,
addressed each regiment of his the Irish brigade,
and in burning, eloquent words besOught the men
to uphold in the coming struggle the military
prestige and glory Of their native land. Then
green lockwood was culled from a garden near and
Meagher placed a sprig in his Irish cap. Every
officer and man followed his example, and soon
great punches of the fragrant shrub adorned the
caps of every one. Wreaths were made and hung
upon the tattered flags, and the national color of
the Emerald Isle blended in fair harmony with
the red, white and blue of the Republic At
nOOn Meade not having yet reached Hamiltons
General Couch ordered French and Hancock to
the assault. French moved first, closely fol-
lowed by the superb. AS we wheeled into the
streets leading towards the enemy we were in
full view of the frowning heights, and the march
position that we were expected to carry and
though not yet clear of the city we felt the
pressure of the foe, the fire of whose batteries
concentrated to crush the heads of our column
as they debouched upon the plain. Solid shot,
fired with light charges ricOchetted on the frozen
ground, carOmed on the pavement and went tear
ing through the ranks, traversng the entire
length of the streets, bounding over the river to
be buried in the opposite bluff.
Shells began dropping with destructive effect.
One striking in the Eighty eighth New York
placed eighteen men hors du combat. | will ever
remember the first one that burst in my reg-
ment-wounding the colonel, cutting off the head
of Sergeant Marley, and killing two or three
others. was struck by the instantaneOusness
Of the deaths The pOumO had halted for