The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-01-12
MALVERN HILL.
At the Spot Where McCiel-
Ian Cried "Halt,"
HAnd the Green NJ eadows Were
Gray with COrpses,H
! Detroit Free Press ]

the south, 1t is two miles away
over ravine, hill and thtoket, and
yet i: seems almost at your feet. In
that bend lay the gunboats which
helped save McClellan's army. Thir.
ty steps in rear of the house is q
natural sink, the beginning OF a
deep ravine which runs into Deep
Bottom. The bottom of this sink
is solid he'd Of mari. In taking
out mari they have taken out over
fifty cannon balls and unexploded
shells, and there are more TO be dis
covered. The trees are broken aud
spliptered aud a thousand bullets
have been picked up along the steep
sides. To the southeast, on a clear
day, the eye can discern Harrison s
Landing, which was Mcclellan g
haven of safety. To the northwest
is the Crews farm. across which the
Confederates surged as they came
to the attack, and on which blood
poured out until the quiVering earth
would drink no more. To the south
and west is forest-below me is the
road Leading to Richmond by way
of yEruna Grove. Between the hill
and the road, where Porter was posi-
ed in reserve that day, is a field Of
ripened corn. To the right of this
was a meadow. To day it is a tan
gled wilderness of shrubs and vines.
The ola brick house has 3 story OF
its own. -Four hundred and thirty
nine grapeshot and bullets hit the
bricks that day, and thirteen can
non halls left marks which only the
trowel can efface. Here IN the yard,
under the shade of trees, the sur
geons worked, and as they piled saw
and knife, crest branches fell upon
them from the tree tops. Shell and
ball and bullet are lying In the tan
gled grass, and the rank weeds hide
rusting swords and broken bayo-
nets. Malvern Hill is singular
spot. 1t is an almost level plateau
of ground nearly two miles long
and about a mile wide. On til
river side the banks are too steep
to climb. In front, or towards Rich
mond, the ground slopes away like
q lawn, and a creek winds in and
out and furnishes with it's banks
natural cover for 10000 men. Nc
Clellan had fought the battles OF
Fair Oaks, Williamsburg, Gaines
Mill, Peach Orchard and Savage
Station, and here.was his last stand.
Supported by the government he
could have captured Richmond.
Refused that support Lee struck
his exposed right flank and hurled |
him back. Mcclellan plan for the
investment of Richmond included |
McDowell's corps. With it he had |
the equal strength of the Confeder-
ates and could complete his circle.
Without it. he was outnumbered and
exposed to a flank and rear attack
just the attack which Lee made.
eff McDowell's corps comes up
Richmond must be evacuated" said
General Lee.
eff it does not come up We will
bag McClellan's whole army" re
piled General Jackson.
And so the retreating Federal |
army at last reached Malvern Hill |
Every day had witnessed a bloody |
battle, and every night a long march.
Mcclellan had been sacrificed, but
he was doing what scarce anpSber
general in the world had ever done
victories in a retreat.
Each battle was begun by the Con-
federates with the feeling that the
Union army would be cut to pieces
and. captured. Each battle ended |
in victory for the men in blue. If
Mcclellan reached City Point his
army was saved. Therefore, as he
reached Malvern Hill, on his retreat,
the Confederates made one last, des
perate effort to crush him. And,
too, as Mcclellan reached |
that grand battle-ground, he deter
mined that the foe who had so eX-
ultantly pursued his trail should re
celve bloodier check than had yet
been given his legions. There were
four roads by which the Confeder-
ates could pour their troops against
McClellan's left. Sixty cannon |
were massed to strengthen this flank.
On the crest on which forty OF these
guns beloved thunder that day a |
farmers boy is dragging in fall |
wheat. Further 20 the left, where
the other twenty added their flame |
and smoke, there is a tangle of
weed and briar and brush. AS Nc.
Clellan sat on his horse that day on |
this crest his eye could take In his
whole semi-circle of battle and |
count 300 cannon with their black
muzzles to the foe. Down under
the crest of the hill, behind knobs
and ridges and the banks of the
creek, were four brigades OF FEEDER
ais. Before them were the fields
and meadows of the Crews farm.
Behind these fields were the dark
pine woods in which the Confeder-
ates were massing. Above these
men lying in ambush were the sixty
cannon, each gun having a plung
ing fire on the plain. All night long
Sykes and Morell and Couch and
Hooker and Kaarney and dozen
other heroes had been busy, and as
morning came little further was
needed. A few guns were shifted.
lines dressed, gaps filed, and in the
full glory of the glorious summer
morning the men waited for the
fury of the storm to burst. A death
like silence fell upon the army as il
waited. Here for the first time
since the sudden and overwhelming
attack in the swamps OF the Chicka-
hominy there was eXultation in the
hearts of the men as they stood in
battle line The humblest soldier
could see that attack meant defeat,
no matter what the force. COUGHS
division was hiding at the foot of
the plateau, eager for the fight to
open. Further mp were the grim
CANON. Beyond these the blue
lines and the dropping flags. Hunt
ed and bounded. the victim had
turned 81 bay, Betrayed and aban
doned, he was going TO prove him
self more than match for the hosts
of Lee, jackson and Magruder. To