The National tribune., 1892-03-31

the Confederate artillery to a new position on
the right of their line.
Gibbons and DoubIeday's troops were now
all in action, and were compelled to oppose
OVERWHELMING NUMBERS,
for there was no superior officer present with
authority to order ND reinforcements.
The ri ght of our line reached point in an open
field nearly half mile north of the pike. few
hundred feet in front of which, on n low ridge,
was the railroad cut and on the right fringe
of woods, both OF which sheltered some OF
Ewells troops On the left the hostile lines
were formed in and around the orchard and in-
closure of the Douglas Browner house.
When the troops reached this position it
was getting dark" says Maj. Thornton, of
Ewelfs staff; "we could not exactly make out
the Union line. Gen. Ewell dismounted and
| went forward to reconnoiter, and right down
| there by those trees is where a ball struck his
knee and crushed the bones. We carried him
to the rear and his leg was amputated." (The
clump of trees to which the Major referred was
| almost directly in front of the center of the
10th n. "
The proloncation of our line to the right by
the 10Th n. Y. taking position on the right of
the 9th Wis. puzzled Con. Ewell, who. IN the
darkness of approaching night did not see this
regiment come up, as its
MOVEMENTS WE'RE MASKED
by the dark field and wood in its rear and by
| the movement of the 9th Wis. from the right
OF the 10Th y. Y. across its front to take posi-
| tion in line cf battle on the right of the 9TH
| Wis, which was already engaged with tho
| enemy. -
While the 9th Wis. and 10Th n. Y. were on.
| posing firm front to Lawton's and Trmbles
| Brigades of Ewel's Division. the four regi-
ments on the left were contendng fierce'y with
three brigades of Taliaferros Division, for
when the hostile lines were rot more than 75
I Al
discharged their muskets literally into each
others faces.
The conflict was fierce and sanguinary and
the Federals maintained their ground with OBJ
stinate determination" is the tribute Jackson
pays in his official report to the heroic conduct
of the men of Wisconsin and Indiana, of Penn
sylvania and New York.
Theloss of life and limb was heavy. More
than one-third of the Union command were
left dead or wounded on the field. Where the
wounded were gathered by the Surgeons in the
deep forest near the Warreuton pike torches
shed gloomy light on a still more gloomy
scene. After the conflict had ceased the Union
troops were withdrawn to field near the pike,
where, with arms in hand, they slept. while the
two brigade commanders whose troops had
showed such heroic resistance to au oyerwhelm-
ing foe were
IN DEEP CONSULTATION
with the division commander, Gen King, who
had returned TO his command after the close of
the battle. The result of the council was an
order to march to Manassas at l a. m next
morning.
it is remarkable that the brigades of Patrick
and Hatch were not brought into action. The
darkness may have prevented their getting
into line, but it is more than probable that in
the absence of the division commander the bri-
gade commanders were left without a proper
head from which to receive instructions. 1t
would not be too much to say that Kings con-
duct lost to US our hold on the Warrenton pike
that night. If six regiments were able TO hold
Jackson in check and prevent his reaching the
pike and capturing our trains, what would have
been the result had the Is regiments compos-
ing the division been pushed into action?
Kings absence during the battle of Gaines
Vile, as 1t is called has never been satisfactorily
explained Had Gen. Mcdowell remained with |
this division, instead of leaving it wholly in |
command Of a General who was never known |
to lead his troops into action, this untimely
treat might have been prevented; but he left |
this division just before the conflict and rode |
OFF to confer with Gen. Popei lie was at Ma |
naSsaS when
THE SOUND oP GIBBONS GUNS
was borne to his ears. After several unsnccess-
ful attempts to rejoin his command, he was |
compelled to pass the remainder of the night |
by the roadside near the famous Stone House, |
two miles east of Gibbons battlefield. The |
next morning he found Gen. Reynolds near at |
hand, and learned from him that King had
retired TO Manassas. Gen. Reynolds had been |
with King the night before; having left his
division near the ChiHn House. he rode forward
IN the darkness and joined King while he and
his brigade commanders were in consultation.
III told King to remain where he was, and he
(Reynolds) would reinforce him at daylight
next morning with his division, which was a
ata H. l-.s l..
imminent, Mcdowell was without command,
except the small division of Reynolds's. His
other two divisions. in his absence, met the
enemy the night before. and their commanders |
left 10 their own uuaided reasons, had fallen
back King to Manassas and Ricketts, to Bristoe
Station. where he had been compelled to retire
before the
ONWARD SWEEP OF LoNGsTREET's CORPS.
in reviewing the events connected with this
unfortunate day, Aug. %, we are not surprised
that Gen. Mcdowell in his official report. calls
the battle of Gainesville simply "an affair"
1t was battle, nevertheless, and it is doubt
fnl whether the six regiments engaged therein
were ever before or since menaced with as GER
tain destruction as they were that night on the
nights west Of Groveton, when the lives of SO
many brave men went out forever.
From the foregoing statement of Gen Glib.
bon regarding the opening of the onfict it will
be seen that the battle of Gainesville was a
complete surprise. and also that no precaution
had been taken by those in authority to pre-
vent such an event Furthermore, it will be
observed that while Gibbons Brigade was in
advance of Doubleday's in the line of march
along the pike toward Centeryille, that, in ad-
vancing against the hostile batteries posted on
an elevation few hundred feet north of the
pike, the % Wis. was obliged to oblique to the
left IN the direction Of Gainesville; for the
rebel batteries were directly north of Double
days Brigade when the first shots halted the
column. DOubleday's troops were at once
ordered forward along the pike to Douglass
woods the 10th \. Y. arriving as the last of
Gibbons men. the 18th Ind, were called to the |
trout. In going into line of battle. Double
days troops, except the 56th Pa, which was
ordered to Gibbons left, moved due north of |
Douglass woods and came into line Oh the
right of
THE IRON BRIGADE"
as Gibbons Brigade was afterward called; an
appropriate name for that organization of brave
men, conspicuous for their gallantry on every |
field from Gainesville to Appomattox.
This explanation seems necessary inasmuch
as many of the participants in this engage
ment are Of the opinion that Doubleday was
and when the shock of battle came Double
days troops retired TO Douglass woods and
left Gibbons men to bear the brunt of battle
The hurried movement Of troops in the on
coming darkness was so confusing that even
Gen. Doubleday IN his map of this battle places
the 9Th Wis. Oh the right Of the line Undoubt-