The National tribune., 1889-09-12

| ellis Corps, TO be Tepulsed in turn and driven
back over all the space he had won. Gen. Get
| ty, with division of the Sixth Corps was or
dered to the support of Crawford. Gen. Han
| cock, who was 10 miles away TO the left. was
ordered to hurry TO the scene of conflict, and
the remaining divisions of the Sixth Corps
were ordered to form on the right of Warren.
AN UNFORTUNATE POSITION.
The battle-ground was an unfortunate loca-
! tion for the Federal cause. A broken, sterile
! region, traversed by gulles and swamps COW
| cred with stunted pines and cedars, hazel
! bushes, scrub-oaks. sweet gum and dwarf chest
nuts, with the bushes dense as to be utterly
! impenetrable in many places. Various roads,
| little more than wood pa ms, crossed and re-
/ crossed here and there, but SO abounding with
! stumps and stones as to prevent the passage OF
artillery. Our comparative Ignorance of the
! place was another drawback. In advancing
on the right tho sixth Corps came upon ambush
after ambush, where the concealed Confcder-
aics would pour in a whitening fire aud then,
arising from the bush, retire in comparative
safety.
We observers knew little of these circum-
stances at the time, aud the phenomena of tho
! battle were sufficiently grand aud imposing TO
| completely occupy our attention.
About 3 o'clock the strength and volume OF
sound on the left was suddenly increased ten
| fold. And shortly after, rs if balancing the
wings Of battle, a terrible roar swept over the
/ center and right
Getty is holding Pegrams forces in check,
/ and Sedgwick has come TO the support of
Griffin. And now the inCcSsant cracking of
musketry, and occasionally the deeper bass Of
heavy guns on the left echo back the tumult-
/ uous din of the right center and right wing.
! The whole distance of the long line, more than
! five miles in extent. is now covered with
| snowy vapor-the smoke of the battle-while
underneath $1,000 muskets are opposing as
many more musIcts. and all belching forth
madness from out their dark thrOats in furious
and rapid succession. As the destroying ele-
ment fire. impelled by hurricane, with its
cracking timber and awful roar of blended
sounds sweeps over forest n city, so that
hsttle, the cracking of muskefry, the roaring
cannon, the screaming shot ana shell, mingled
with cheers aud shrielss, now swelling into
snblimity. again sinking, as If to gHther
strength, swept from right TO left and then
with renewed stroke and redouhrd fury broke
into one awful, dgaieming roar that poured forth
it, volume and belched its thunder for an
hour.
Shortly after 4 o'clock the roar of the battle
monster suddenly ceases in front, and in full
volume sweeps 10 the left.
HancOck's troops arc supporting Getty,
charging the Coniederates under Pegram and
Hays
Gen. Alexander Hays and thousands of other
BRAVE MEN HAVE TRoD THE "PATHs OF
GLORY"
yet victory is still Uncertain. The silence in
front and on the right is broken by the stroke
OF axes and falling timbers. indicating that the
lines are intrcnrhing. Then the full orchestra
Of war bursts forth anew Sounds of crashing
trees miugle with the mUsket's diapason, tho
treble OF charging columns, and the deep toned
cannon. The cooling shades OF night descend,
but the hot blood of the combatanis. despite
the bleeding thousands all around, still urges
on the struggle. Not tall soms hours after
midnight did the noise and fash OF the guns
cease 10 bee observable
By o'clock ~ ni. OF the 9th inst most Of us
were asleep the hill. but the poor fellows
over IN the trenches, among whom we thought
our other bAttalions might be, sat. musket in
hand ali night watching the enemy.
We were awakened about > a. IN. by n re-
ycilie ol muskrtIy in front of the Sixth Corps.
aud by the time the writer WAS on his feet
deaieHiug roar. mingled with yells and shrieks.
seemed 10 roll a majestic wave of sound
| across the center and along the entire left
wing.
Il seemed that both Gen. Lee and Gen.
Grant had ordered n charge at daybrezk. Tho
meeting OF these attacking forces had disturbed
The siumbsrs Of the ariiIierymen on the hill.
The contest seemed 10 be especially fierce and
bitter 0n the left Union cheers were frequent
aud vigorous in that direction, while the pc
I
tq.us then not unlike the. death knell Of n
S5rLh Sea savage. w0nld occasionally be heard
more distinctly ia that direction than else
whore. II WIS suggested thai this might 10
due 20 the fact that fresh troops were engaged
ON that side with lungs unimpaircd from yes
teriay's screechiBg. AS fact. however. Long
streets command bad not yet arrived and the
divisions OF the Second Corps under Birney.
with Getty, Of the Sixth, swept down tho
Orange plank with an impetus that Hills sol
diers were unable to resist. hurting them back
in utter rOut for moro than a mile. This was
the reason, probably. that the Union cheers
seemed TO increase as they grew more remote
aDd the Confederate yelis To die away until
they ceased altogether. Had that success only
been Understood and followed up the war
might have been shortened year. But the
Union columns being greatly broken In the
chase by reasons incident TO the capture of
C0nfeierates and the nature of the ground
aud kershaW's Division, Of Longstreets Corps
coming fresh into action, forced our left hack
again, 50 that no proper advantage was taken
OF this victory. Indeed owing 20 the with
drawai Of troops 10 the left aud the flank attack
Of Longstreet later in the day, The tables came
near being reversed.
Taking our coffee, and Observing what We
could Of the conflict, passed the time until
about IL a. m. when Fail in. First Battalion,
FO1rth Artillery" struck on our ears With
shoulders, our knapsacks and other equipments
hastily slnng we fall Ia and pass down the hill
| ~ n0gthwesteFly direction, entering the
I woods ia rear Of cur corps.
We're in for il now" says one.
No. says an officer; we're only going 10
| build parapet for battery"
Vel" says an old veteran, using G very
/ large adjective To make his remark emphatic
| Pm going 10 desert 10 some other branch Of
/ the service. We seem 20 be Jack Of all trades
heavy artillery, light artillery. infantry. and
now we are engineers. Next thing well be
cavalry.
Never mind. Jack, IL is all for the country"
/ says young fellow" whose patriotism was
| less critically disposed.
Before the old fellow could free his mind
| more fully, the command came:
Halt-front-ioad nj will-IOad"
Again VIC move forward by the flank. An
| instructive feeling Of awe creeps over us, as We
notice on every hand the rigid limbs and fea-
tures Of the dead clad ia gray and blne, lying
in all sorts Of positions. some indicating the
| agony Of the final struggle by their gtifiened
coBtortions and others with peaceful look, as IL
| merely asleep.
"Whizz! buEz!" 60 several bullets In our
vicinity.
| ITO be eOniiHHsd)
S0Hfhern Genienarinn1.
I'll. H.. n Efg.s