The Dickinson press., 1888-03-24
A VIRGINIAN VICTORY.
THE BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL
DESCRIBED BY A PARTICIPANT,

" III <ADDut -IItkllOnC n
Brave MISUNDERSTANDING Through the
Observation-Disclosures Back with Terrible
Slamghter-Ihc Night After the Battle.
About t i'll the afternoon our brigade (Ma-
homes, which had been slowly marching
along the Quaker or Willis church road in
the direction of Malvern Hill, is halted. a
few PAGES ahead OF us waSa luslling looking
general officer. mounted and sIlenlidly uni.
formed. with alarge rctinuc of staff officer.
and coulicrs. Gen. Malone rode up to thi.
officer TO receive his orders. Just mt this
time Il solil shot fired from II gun of n
Federal battery near Crews house. now con-
ccs,led from our view by an Intervening body
of woods, came skipping along, nearly spent,
narrowly missing the group of officers and
c%ouh'icrs and passing through our ranks,
opened for the purpose, as we saw it bound
ing slowly oward us-a reminder that tho
enemy was near at hand. All around the
open field, through which this shot, camo
bounding toward us, were picces"t artillery.
Gen. Magluder prae:rl Zen. Malone to
charge the enemy's batteries along with Gen.
Wright. The men in the ranks understood
this order to he TO charge the battery that
fired the shot, which, like Il gauntlet thrown
down, seemed to challenge our assault,
lii a few moments We arc in motion, form
Ing Il line of battle with our faces in tho
direction of the Federal artillery. = hose fire
seems now to increase. Between lis and the
enemy intcrvcnes the body of woods referred
to, and we saw nothing OF them as we move
forward. a hundvedor two yards of forward
movement brought us into these woods, Il
body of large chestnuts and oaks. Through
the tops of these tall trees, far above our
heads, the shot and shell OF the Federal prtil.
lery howl and crash, putting II, in constant
danger of injury from falling fragments of
huge limbs of trees. But OH we went until
we reached Il ravine or gully, along the bot
tom II which ran a small branch. Here We
haltcl. ravine wasa brigade of troops.
all sitting with their backs to the wall of tho
gully next to the ellc,av, seemingly secura
from danger, ensconccd, as they were, in
what appeared to he comparatively q bomb
proof, an! booking far more comfortable than
We felt under an order TO Charge Il battery
and ON our way to execute this order, Tho
occasion of or temporary halt just here was
an examination as to the route by which it
would BE- hesi to go forward.
We We're now very close to tho enemy. At
the foot of the hill upon the table ground
McClclla2s army awaits our assault, so close
that We feel tiie vibrations of the earth Mt
eacli discharge of the Federal guns. Not 800
yards interviewed between us and these guns.
the slope of the hill, however, perfectly pro.
tecting us, We being now opposite to the ex-
tle!ne left of the Federal line of battle. To
our right in a beautiful field, the meadow
mentioned ~ ten. Wright, with its yellow
shocks of recently harvested wheat, arc sta
TONED the Federal silarpshooters, against
whom We have been warned. Posted behind
the shocks of wheat, they SEQ IFS, but we call
not SEQ them, while they pick off our men as
they come up to take position i'll line of battle
at the foot of the hill preparatory to the i'll
tended charge.
AS | marched along to this position Hooked
over toward the woods on Turkey creek,
skirtin- his meadow. The prospect was
beautiful: everything III that direction saw
so tranquil that clear sularler afternoon, in
striking contrast with the harsh notes of
war, The crisis was now at hand. Gen,
Malone, Selling the colors of one Of nur
REGIMENTS, commanded us to move forward.
w" rush up the slope of the hill toward the
enemy, yelling at the top of our voices. just
ncar the brow of the hill ] caught a glimpse
of -four artillery horses llitche;l to IL gun, or
toa %c1isson, dasling away at full speed. My
heart leaped with joy. The enemy are fly
in-' Their artillery and infantry arc routed!
W. are victors without firing a gun. But |
was terribly mistaken. l saw only those
foEr' horses in fight. No men, no other
horses drawing pieces of artillery, no i'll
t%a:.try!, are flying.
Our line of battle was allowed to oct we'll
upon the hill, when the enemy's infantry,
Stationed not more than one hundred and
IL. -, go. 4 ,.. l,,,,1 80 -,,,l -, r-.I r --1
III IL artillery in tho rear of the infantry,
$! !ienly opened upon us with terrific fur,g-.
Oar men We're driven back with terrible
loss, but only to gain the protection of tho
brow of the hill, there to rally and return to
the charge. Tic cncmy's infantry line
meanwhile seemed iminovable. 1t stood as
if at dress parade. Soon, however, dense
volumes of smoke considerably obscurcd
their line. but there were the red flashes of
lii" guns and the crimson looking Federal
colors floating over the dark line of men
plainly visible.
Every ie" minutes a column, Il regiment
ortwo. would move steadily forward i'll line
OF battle toward the enemy, cheering us
they advanced. Then there would be tho
deafcniny roll of musketry md in a few mo-
ments all would be hidden from view by
smoke. On the occasion of one charge my
oJc' were upon the advancing line when it
received the fire of the enemy. The poor
fellows rcelcd and fell, it seemed, by the doz-
chs. Tho line, broken, was forced back to
seek shelter under the brow Of the hill. In
Il few minutes the men rallied, and returning
to tho charge met the same fate. This was a
fair sample of the many charges made during
the afternoon.
About sunset an advance was ordered, and
we moved forward to the next hill, some
sevcnty-fivc yards i'll our front, Col. David
A. Weisiser, the colonel of our regiment,
gallantlv leading it in the charge, and from
this new position we opened fire upon the ell
envy. Night co.aing on, some of our men
actually got in among the enemy before dis
covering their position, so close were the
contending forces OH the extreme right of
our line. The firing was kept up until 8
o'clock at night, when both parties, wearied
with the fight, seemed to cease firing with
consent. Soon after the firing ceased lclm-
bers of the enemy could be seen in our imme-
diatc front, moving about with lanterns in
their hands, looking after their dead and
wounded. The cr-st of the hill where we now
were was held by a hin line of battle, con-
sistinS mainly of the remains of the depleted
brigades OF Malone and Wright.-George S.
1..-- = III m IN =. M