National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-28
GAINES MILL FIGHT.
CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE.
4 Gallant Stand-Seenes and Incidents-How the
Union Front was Br0ken-Falling
Back-CloSe of the Contest
Forces Engaged.

WlOte army uepenucd upon MS maintaining
his position and he felt that he must hold it at all
! h yards, whatever the odds against him.
As yet no trace of Slocum was to be seen. Near
the Union commander, sitting upon their horses,
uumovcd by bursting shells and flying bullets sat
! the Prince de Joinville and his nephews, the Due
de Charities and Count de Paris, volunteer aides
| upon his staff for the occasion. The Count, be-
| coming alarmed for his uncle's safety, rode Up to
| Porter and begged him to send the Prince beyond
| danger. Porter, who had been contemplating an
| othere ToCtto secure help Immediately dispatched
him to Mcclellan with a message stating his needs
andhc departed, notkrowing by what influence he
| had been sent instead of younger and more ac-
! tive man. Hurrahl Slocum has come at last!
About half-paSt four in the afternoon his division
crossed the bridge, where he was met by aides
from Porter, who directed his troops to positions
| where their services were most needed.
| THE NEW JERSEY BRIGADE,
consisting Of the First, Second, Third and Fourth
Regiments was moved to the assistance of Rey-
nolds and Seymour; the Sixteenth, Eighteenth,
| Twenty-seventb, Thirty-frst, and Thirty second
New York, Fifth Maine, and Ninety-fifth and
| Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania were assigned to
ss7cng hen the line on different parts of the field.
In half an hours time all were in
the midst of the conflict The three or four
batteries which accompanied Slocum also went
into action and did splendid service, especially
j.
| another determined attack was made upon
the Union left and centre. The foe succeeded in
making their way nearly to the foot of the slope
before they were checked. During the assault the
Thirteenth New York captured the flag of the First
Tennessee. Of Lo2s,strcet's corps, and the Twenty
second Massachusetts took q similar trophy from
an Alabama regiment. Six o'clock. and then the
tide OF battle extended from The Chickahominy to
| the extreme right in rear of Coal Harbor. Two
/ s1l- e
evcr?' asked the men of themselves and of
each other. All, no. 1t had already
gone out for many gallant SOUL Night was
destined to come to all, one way or another, by
and by. At about half-past SIX while contending
with the gray masses in front shower of bullets
from the left and partly i'll their rear swept through
the ranSs of Moreli's First Brigade. The enemy
had forced passage between Buttcrfeld and the
river, and had fanked the Union left. Meade
doubled back upon Butterfeld, Butterfield's
troops upon those to their right. Then the whole
LEFT SWUNG SLOWLY OUT
of the timber and up the hill. There was no order
TO retreat given: nor was there any unusual haste
manifested in getting back. The continuity ofthe
Inc was not broken but DETECTED toward the east
% that it rested dagonally, instead of transversely
across tne valley. The men had simply yielded
hut doGgedly, 10 overpowering numbers. Just
when The situation was most critical, Major
Whiting, With five companies of cavalry,
presumably acting under orders from General
Cooke, succeeded in accomplishing that which
the rebels had been striving ali day to do, but in
vain. Charging from the rear. riding over the
Union guns and gunners trampling down the in
fantTy, the horsemen created temporary panic
which well-nigh proved fatal. The line,
already strained to its utmost, was broken, and
by those who should have assisted in
strengthening it, Meantime Meade and nearly the
whole of Morells division had yielded. In the
ravine, where the first brigade of the latter was
located, the smoke hung so dense and low that in
the deepening shadows of closing day it was diff
cult to distinguish friend from foe. though but a
dozen feet apart. When the men started up the
hill 10 their rear the rebels were close at hand.
coming up the ravine from below and Laundering
over the breastwork where they had lain. The
scene that met their gaze as they reached the
upper edge Of the timber was
TERRIBLE. YET GRAND
Between them and the Adams House, less than
half q mile to the eastward stretched broad,
elevated plateau. swept from the right, left ana
rear by the enemy's fire, on the farther side of
whic the Union troops were forming second
line. in rear of two or three batteries. Nearer by
in the edge Of the wood fringiug the ravine sew
eral batteries Griffin's and Weeden's among the
number, yet held their ground. One or them was
supported By perhaps fifty soldiers from different
regiments, lit was as safe there as at any other
point, Stragglers and slightly wounded men.
The foe swept up TO the guns. Down went many
OF those who strove TO stay the advancing
viii rlwind. The enemy were within twenty feet
OF The muzZlcS of the pieces when the command to
Timber up was given. parting salute of grape
and canister. and then four of the guns were
dragged off, partly by hand, just in time to save
them from capture. Two were abandoned, and
those only because there was not horse nor men
enough left to move them. Midway between the
timber and the new line upon the bank of small
rivulet
SAT SOLDIER
of the Ninth Massachusetts (ITish) Regiment, hat
less coatlesS and smoking a short stemmed black
pipe. He was dabbling his feet, which had |
been struck by a shell and made to resemble tw9 |
bloody sponges in the water, turning it to bright
crimson. As little group of those who had stood !
by the battery passed him. he called out to one of
them, "Arrah, Cap! Did yes liver see biied Irish
man the loikes ov me?' The day seemed lost |
altogether. Porter had called for additional help
and anxiousy looked for it. He sent the Count de
Paris to hasten forward the needed succor. The |
Count rode across the field and down toward the |
valley. On the very crest of the hill, where it was
almost certain death to Gnger, he turned, rose in
his stirrups,
MADE A GRACEFUL SALUTE
to his chief and disappeared. About shutdown |
French and Mcagher, the former with the Fifty |
second, Fifty-seventh, and Sixty-sixth New York, !
and Fifty third Pennsylvania, the latter with the
Sixty-third, Sixty-ninth, and Eightyeighth New /
York Irish brigadel, arrived. General Porter |
placed himself al the head of one of Meaghers |
regiments and led it forward. Suddenly a BODY of |
the enemy appeared not two hundred yards dis
tant. The general and several members of his staff
were between the two lines. The Irishmen halted, |
delivered two we'll directed yolleyS into the rebels
who fed and were pursued into the timber from |
whence they had issued. As by a |
miracle, the officers remained unframed
The appearance of two fresh brigades enabled the |
Union commander to reconstruct his line, which |
he did by carrying out the formation already be-
gun upon the high ground overlooking and COM
handing the bridges Sykes, whose front had re-
manned unbroken, was drawn in from Coal Har-
Dor, and, facing northward, was joined on his left
by the remnants of Morells troops, facing west
ward. French and Meagher were in the valley;
Slocum's men wherever their strength was most
required While taking part in the movements
indicated
THE COLOR sERGEANTs
of the Thirteenth New York, of Morell's division,
both wounded, became separated from their regi-
ment. In attempting to rejOin it they were inter
cepted by body of rebels coming up the bed of
a deep but narrow rav.ne. They were ordered to
and started first to the rear, but were
cut off by the enemy rapidly approaching from
that direction. Just when it seemed as if
themselves and colors must become cap
tured property" an artiUeryman scrambled
up the opposite slope. "Hellol" shouted
one of the sergeants; where do
you belong?" "Grifin's battery" came back the
reply. Then take these colors and give them to
the Thirteenth New York, or be id to you" The
flags were thrown across, gathered up and borne
to their proper owners just as the sergeants were
made prisoners of war. At nine o'clock the fight
ing ceased and found the Union troops nearly half
mile in rear Of their position of the morning and
with loss of about 90OO out of So OO0 men nc!ud-
ING the nir,fnrcsnnents from over the riarA an,