The National tribune., 1891-06-04
THE BATTLE MONTH.
Continued from Ist page.J

Numbers were of no avail here. Our troops
were 20 deep in many places, bat all form
atiOns were gone, the fog and mist still over
hung the field and there was no time for
rally or realignment. Our folks made the
best head they could. Those in front met
the onset Of Gordon's fresh rebels with
vOlley for volley, OF with the cold steel, as
occasion required, but there was that fatal
lack of cohesion always incident to mingled
masses of soldiery, no matter how victorious
the moment before, and the result was that
GORDOS's ONSET PROVED CONCLUSIVE.
1t must not be imagined that Gordon and
his men had a walkOver," confused and
disOrdered as orr lines were. On the con-
trary, their attack was at first met with the
sternest resistance by the troops in our
fragmentary and dismembered front, and
Gordon himself says that for some time il
was a doubtful battle, even with all the odds
of formation in their favor Without Cor
dOn's testimony, the fact that the COnieder-
ate army suffered nearly One-third of its
total casualties in killed and wounded in
the hour during which they checked the adj
vance of the Second Corps-Out OF nearly
two weeks of almost continuous battle
about SpOttsylvania--is sufficient evidence.
In later years, in calmer times, and with
the light of official reports from both sides
before u.s. 1T is q study Of wonderful interest
to speculate impartially what might have
happened if; and the temptation 10 50
speculate IS almost irresistible 20 any man
who views war in its true light, and battle
from the manly point Of view-that is to
say, the cOOl-headed and cold blOoded one.
For this reason | shall claim the privilege
OF analyziug what might have happened at
that moment if!
For example, let us suppose that Gordon,
instead Of making his counteT-attack and
forcing a new fight on our own ground as
we held it then, had fallen back into their
retrenched line and had there awaited our
renewed onset? This would have given
Barlow, Birney, and GibbOn time to reform
their disordered columns, already flushed
with victory, besides being
SAVAGE FROM THEIR PRIvATIONs-
1t would have given Wright time to rein
force them with the fresh, vigorous, and
jealous divisions of Russell and Getty, Of
the Sixth Corps. There would have been,
of course, luIl in the fight of two or three
hours duration, but when the battle began
again il would have been the beginning of
the end because, with their center already
broken, the two wings of the rebel army
could have had but small chance of recon
centTatiOn against new attack by the Sec
Ond and Sixth Corps in conjunction, while
their left was held as in wise by our Fifth
Corps, on the Brock road, and their right
menaced By our Ninth Corps, On the east
front of their works.
Under these circumstances it seems neces-
sary to consider this bold and ferOciOus
counter-attack by Lee, with GordOn's Di-
vision and such other scattering troops as ne
could get hold of, as n stroke of undeniable
military genius, which was not only worthy
Of better cause, but which must also al
ways be source Of pride and admiration to
all Americans, as common cOuntrymen Of
the great soldier who did it. In my iudg-
ment the Army Of Northern Virginia, and
with it the rebellion, had but a few hours to
live when HancOCk's troops reached the Me
Cool House, if the attack had been carried
To a logical conclusion and the only thing
that could have stopped it was the counter
attack so promptly planned and ordered by
Lee and so resOlutely executed by Gordon
and his men.
In order that the situation may be clearly
understood, IL is necessary to say that
NO TIME WAS WASTED
in the early morning Of the 18th Of May. 1t
was the fastest fighting" ever seen on so
! large scale. The Second Corps made its
assault at 4:30 a IL the rOut Of johnson 3
Division and capture of part Of it was COM
| plete AT $50; at a. III. GOrdOn's counter
attack was on, and before a. m, or at
| least by that hour, the rebels had practically
retaken the Angle.
The whole affair, so far as the Second
/ Corps was concerned. was SD sudden and the
| turn OF the tide occurred so quickly that
| Wright did not have time to come in with
/ his two divisions Of the Sixth Corps, and
| Warren was not ordered to assault on his
/ part of the line until the Second Corps had
/ been forced to abandon all, or nearly all, OF
/ the ground they had taken inside the Angle.
/ Thus, finding themselves unable TO make
/ head against the vehement attacks Of Cor
/ don and his supporting brigades-whieh
nearly doubled the strength Of his own di-
| visiOn-the troops of the Second Corps re-
tired and took cover Of the outer face Of the
works they had carried. Gen. Humphreys
says that Barlow left a skirmish-line in
the woods which lined the East Angle on that
(east) side of the AIeCOOl House, but there ia
no record Of any considerable force of ouI
troops remaining inside of the captured
works after $50 a. IN.
1t thus appears that, notwithstanding all
the pains that had been taken to secure
general concert of attack, the SecOrd Corps
had been permitted 10 expend its power, "a
arrive at the threshold of great and posi-
bly, conclusive success, and then to be- hurled
back from it before any other attack was
made or any effective support could come
up. That is to say, the
KEY OF THE REBEL POSITION
had been gained and lost again in three
hours
Between and 7:3O a. m. Wright received
orders TO reinforce or relieve the exhausted
troops of Hancock. Obeying promptly, be
advanced Russells and Getty's Divisions in
the order heretofore described. But when
the Sixth Corps men approached the works
they found the Second Corps outside instead
Of inside, and relieved them in that position
Wrghtis orders TO advance had involved an
intimatiOn-tO say the least-that Han.
cocks troops were still holding their own
But when he arrived at the point of contact
Wright found the rebels in possession o.
their works again. Not exactly cOmpre-
hending such situatiOn-in view of the
information that had accompanied his orders
Wright instantly ordered Lewis A Grant.
and Bidwell's Brigades, of Getty's Division
and Uptons Brigade, OF Russells, TO retakt
the West Angle; they relieving the disOr
dered troops of Barlow and Birney by the
same operation.
Il