Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-31

Xu0 40AN44M&&S
Richmond. he spsat his time and gave hIs
kcst amer xios 10 the improvement ana ois-
si,,i,na ~ hfs now command ana WIN
Skst suecess he labored. and 70 what state
81 clYicioncy hs brought It. lot its record
speak.
,vcosp or DAZZLING AcnrxyExEsrA
rhs record Of tho Light Division" OF
chs xrmv OF Northern Virginia. with ia
b mi achievements. would ill volumo.
Active. yiailsut, ever ready, never taken
bv surprise; swift, dashing. yet stsaay ana
unfiinchipg under the most tryius carv VA
irg fresh laurcls to it, crown OF victory
and wrrathing new chaplets OF glory fo1 It's
cosrmander. Mechanicsyillc. Cold har-
h,r Eraser's Farm. elaughter's Mountain,
Sscond Msnassas, OK Hill. Harper's Ferry,
ShsrpsburQ. BotoIIeY's Ford. Castlcinan,s
Ferry. Fredericksburg. ChanceiIorsviiie;
besides many combats ana ekiimisncs "
less note-all fought IN the snort sp1cy VI
eleven month-smske recora OF uannd
achievements. which cannot oo So'P"'''~
in the annals of warfare. ,u
Time will not permit us to dwell upon
tbese events. but at Mcchanicsville ana
Reo Dam creek, on the 26th OF june,
Hiii's division began the series OF battles
known as the Seven Days around hich-
moni and bore the brunt o. those plooay
affairs. The division foughtsgainss 1esr,
ODDS. strongly posted. and achieved sue
cos. Init with heavy loss. At Cold har-
bor on the nth, Hills Division was again
hnrled AGAINST the Notifications OF the enc
nv behind Powhite creek, ana LOT Two
hours sustained the unequal conflict, psine
ass,n and again repulsed, and as often re.
pewing the attack, dashing In VAIN aga
the impregnable position, until Old tne iai
left il heard the roar of musketry ano inc
r;ng,no cheer which announces that the
hero of the valley and his foot cavalry
have gotten into position and that tho
crisis Of the day il at hand. IDen ea'ueI-
mo bis decimatcd but undismayed Dat
taiions he hurled them once more against
the fortihcations with Irresistible iorce
and dislodged the enemy,
Speaking Of this battle, uenetai Ley
said: Hills single division iougnt Win
tns ,mpetuous courage Tor which tnat
of;cer and his troops are distinguished"
AZ savage Station on the Goth the rear OF
McClellan's retresting column - forced 10
Grbt and here again A. y. Hills command
bore the brunt of the day, suffering heavy
loss. -, Ioot,or
| 6rst showed General Pope front view OF
Confederate troops; A. I. mn retriever
AZ Second Manassas the Light DIVISION
was IN the forefront of the battle" and
contributed largely to the success OF the
movements OF Jackson's Corps.
A. Gharusburg General HIPS march from
uarner,s Ferry. his timely arrival upon
| the field, his prompt and vigorous a,sSui'
upon the victorious columns OK McCieliah
saved the Army OF Northern Virginia from
| q serious disaster, -, A.
tion as to who should be his successor was
neanxiously asked by the army and by
| the country. Great events were at hand,
| and soon the invasion of the North was 10
he undertaken. All eyes turned 10 Gene
rails Ewell and Hill as the most worthy 10
succeed the immortal commander OF
the Second Corps. The reinforcements
sent to the army made 1t adyisa.
| bic in the opinion OF freslueht
Davis and General Lee to DIVIDE the
ARMY of Northern Virginia into three
corns instead of two. and on the recon.
mendatiop of General Lee, General Eweu
and General Hill were, In June, 1858. pro-
NOTED 10 the rank of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
and Hill was assigned TO the command oil
the Third Corps, composed OF the DIVISIONS
nj Heth. Anderson. and Pender. from
that day until the day of his death hlil
was ever by the side of General Lee MS
trusted and efficient neuten1nt'
PROM GETTYSBURG TO FIVE FORKS.
The necessities and casualties of wal
| called Longstreet and Ewell away from
| their great chieftain, but Hill was ALWAYS
a, bis right hand IN council and IN action
| 10 this larger command General HI
brouobt the experience and the prestige OF
| success gained as a division commander
From this time forward the LIE OF A. Il
| Hill is written IN the history OF that ianou:
corps and is too well known to be detailed
| here. .oeo l.. r;,.0
| rorts in March. 1865. it is record of unceas
| inc activity, slcepless vigilance. and OF grea
battles At Gettysburg he met and re
nulsed the CORPS of Reynolds and Howard
| and cnptured the town. On the retreat
from that disastrous field his corps held
| The post of honor and danger IN rear ano
nearest the enemy. "a, !.
| No task which falls to soldiers LOT Ii
! more difficult to fill than to cover the re
treat of q large army. with Its trains hnc
ARTILLERY. Itrequres the most sleepless anc
nntiring vigilance TO avoid surprise, the
| coolest courage 10 face sudden and un
looked.for emergencies. and the faculty o.
! inspirirg dispirited, dlshenrtened, ane
| oyertaxed soldiers with confidence ant
courage. How well General Hill was nttet
| TO perform this difficult task the rssuI
proves. The entire army, with all its pag
| cage-trains and artillery, was prougn
| safely across the Potomac, and the pur'
suing army was not able - deliver one
single telling blow to tho retreating Con
iederate5. ,,,.:;,
General Hills Corps. like his old division
| yns ever in motion, always ready 10 narci
at moments notice. always IN the hsht
and always giving a good ACCOUNT
itself.
Courthouse. Cold Harbor, JerusaIeu
Plank Road, Reamss station, tue Crater,
Weldon. Hatcher's Run. Petersburg; and
many other combats and affairs speak tn
deeds of Hill and his brave men. ,,.,,,
During the siege of Petersburg hiiI'
Coros was on the right of the army. whlcl
was the exposed flank and which ~ wa
General Grants constant aim ana ooJec
TO turn in order to cut General Lees com
munication with the South ana force hiii
TO retreat. 10 avert repeateu ehoi.'
| ACCOMPLISH TINS cherished design. Kept IN
Third Corps IN constant motion, while Ia
rest of the army gas left III comparatlv
ouiet. From July to March every elor
IN that direction was met and defeated D.
General Hill with promptness and witnou
heavy loss on his part. During the cam
paign of 1854 the Ihird Corp
| captured nom tuc cA'hiS VIM
pieces OF artillery, large quantitie
Of small arms and military stores, AM
more prisoners than it numbered, withou
the loss of "A single gun. and with the los
of but few prisoners. The early spring o
1856 found the Army OF Northern llrglni
reduced to an attenuated skirmish-line
extending from the Chesapeake and ON
railway on the north of Richmond TO IN
: Norfolk and Western railroad on the sout
| OF Petersburg, q distance OF over thlrt
miles. and confronted By an enemy NOR
than three times its own numbers. In
odds were too great 10 hope for successiu
resistance, and when General Gran
| massed his well-equlpped veterans o
General Lees right, III front OF hill
corps, the beginning OF the end IA
been reached.
HOW HILL WAS KILLED.
On the morning of the I'd OF April tn
, heavy columns OF the enemy attacked tn
centre Of Hills Corps, and alter shoi
, but sharp engagement broke through III
lines and severed the two wings OF IN
, command. After this disaster General Ill
attempted to force his way through tn
enemy's pickets IN order to put himself !
. communication with that portion OF IA
, command from which he had been cut oil