The state chronicle., 1893-05-11

trenchments. If to double the right
hank OF An army suddenly back, 80
as to expose to al en6lade the flank
OF his last and strongest line, is to
make his position untenable then
Hill charge was indeed decisive of
the struggle at Gaines Mill.
| SOUTH MOUNTAIN.
1t was with the stern Joy" of an
intrepid woman, waiting for the
coming contest, that from an e,e-
waited pinnacle of the mountain. he
saw the four advance corps of the
Grand Army of the Potomac, one Of
which was forming at the foot of
the mountain. The hour and the
man had met, when Lee entrusted
to Hill the duty of holding the ap-
proach against that army with his
little band of 1000. From Seven
Fines to Malvern Hill they Lad
never turned their back upon the
foe. They believed that their leader
would require them TO endure no
sacrifice or face no danger that was
not demanded by the inevitable ex-
lgencies of the situation. With
Gods bel p Hill determined to save
the army, as his chief ordered him
to do at any sacrifice, and, if the
emergency had demanded his own
life, he would have met death no:
as the decree Of fate, but as the
providence OF God, who had brought
him face to face with a desperate
duty. Capt. Seaton Gales, the gal
liant AdJutant General of George B.
Anderson on that memorable day.
has summarized the important re-
suits of this battle SO clearly that |
prefer to reproduce his language
rather than use an extract from re-
port or history or to make q vain
attempt to improve upon it myself.
| OF this battle sit may be safely
said that in its consequences, in the
accomplishments of predetermined
objects, and in the skilful disposi-
tion Of small numbers TO oppose
overwhelming odds, it is without
parallel in the war. The division,
unaided until late hour in the
afternoon, held in check the great ar
portion of McClellan's vest army,
endeavoring with bait aing ram i'm
petus to force its way through the
narrow gap, and thereby afforded
time for the concentration CT our
various corps, dispersed in strategic
! directions, in season for the bloody
Issue at Sharpsburg"
CHICKAMAUGA
Lieutenant General d. ii. Hill
! found the army of Bragg encsmped
along the Tennessee river In and
around the small town, which has
since assumed the proportions of o
city. Col. Archer Anderson, chief
OF Kills staff, In his able address
upon the battle of Chickamauga
says: "Ihe corps of Hardee ha 4
lately gained as commander u stern
and dauntless soldier from the army
of Northern Virginia in D. Il. Hill
whose vlgOr, GOODNESS aud uncon-
querable pertinacity IN fight had al.
ready stamped hjm as leader of
heroic temper. OF the reiirious
school Of Stonawa Jackson. bis
earnest convictions never chilled his
afdor for battle, and, in another
age, he would have been worthy To
charge with Cromwell as Dunbar
with the cry, Let God arise and let
Lis enemies De scattered"
| Hill received from Bragg the
warm welcome Of a comrade, who
had seen his metal tried in the hard
fought fields of Mexico. Not less
cordial was the greeting Of his old
ciass-mate, 4. P. Stewart, and of the
plucky Pat Cleburne, who seemed
from the fret to feel that he had
found soldier affinity in the con-
| genial spirit of Hill When at last
the scattered hosts had concentrated
and confronted each other on the
Chickamsuga,it was lot till after the
night of the first day, that Bragg
made public his purpose to give the
entire management of the right
wing to Polk and the control of the
left to Longstreet. II the enemy's
left under the stalwart Thomas
could be driven from the Lafayette
Road, the communication with Chat
tanooga would be cut off, and the
retreat and ruin of the enemy in
evitable. To accomplish this end
Bragg seemed more intent on hur-
rled than concentrated effort. That
grand man, officer and statesman,
John q. Breckenridge, at his own
request, was allowed % take the ex-
treme right, fanked by Forest and
supported in this forward movement
by Cleburne on the left Stewart
having been transferred to Buckner,
these two divisions constituted Hills
corps. In rear Of the line from
which Breckenridge and Cleburne
moved to the attack, at o'clock in
the morning, on the last decisive
day, was the corps of the old vet
eIan known as "Fighting Bill"
Walker, and as eager for the fray as
a school boy for frolic. His com
mand was composed of his ogn and
Llddells divisions, embracing SIX
brigades, led by such dashing SOL
diers as Ector, Gist and Walthall.
4 P,,%