Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-07
CHAPTER XVI.

l1iu Leo most of his cavalry wns do.
ucrud and lett in the valley. The Shep.
mirah guards. which had dropped tho
u,Io when transferred to the cavalry,
w.rr portion of Imbodcn's command
The F,dcrals poured into the Shenan-
d..h and Luray from the north and re-
Crtgred everything and pressed the
tpfHdcratcs slowly back to Staunton.
Neither side was strong enough to nos
sus- and hold the valley. The ConfeJ-
crate occupation defended one @: the,
r.lis To- Richmond. The Federal occu-
patron defended one of the roads To
Washington. There were scouting and
rgliug and clashing of sabers. but moth
inc hko general battle resulted. Both
commanders had been instructed To
Ivu tins and watch the mighty move
mont. developing elsewhere.
What j. Il battle like--a battle in
which 10000 men tall III their Trucks
tu Giu with the roar of the guns still;
sounding IN their ears and rs many
mufg j." there for hours cursing and
cyHauIn- aud praying with the pain of
ln"jr wounds: Mcclellan was on both
sides ui the Chickahuminy, with the
spires Of Richmond in view. His front
was miles long and defended by rifle
pits. curthworis, fellcd trees and nat
ural distractions. More than 100. 600
l.icrals faced Lee along this line. Be-
hind them were camps and wagon trains
and nrld hospitals and supplies cumber-
iU- the ground for miles and miles.
Mcclellan was about to attack. He
was even writing his order when Lee
'.ll upon his wing at Mechanicsville.
That was teint. The fight at Meadow
Bridge. directly in front of his center,
was pieces OF strategy. The assault
urua his wing at Cold Harhor was
n.uut 10 anuihilate him. The battle
-fHGnd was made up Of swalnps. cleared
t'Ias, patches of forest. timber covered
bills and old fields grown up to bushes
aua hricrs. Mcclellan had two and
three lines OF earthwOrks here. and here
BIS guns were planted as thickly as men
could work them. Longstreet and Hill
attacked here. They knew the strength
81 the position; they had counted the
ODDS. There was no sl.irmishing, no
Whiting. On front three miles long
up tuniedcrates suddenly appeared and
rr,u,l forward to the attack. Had
'H.r numbered Eve times rs many they
would have been beaten back. They
wnr" repulsed again and again by the
fire which seemed to burn them off the
Hnn ui the earth, hut those who lives
c.mr hack again more desperate than
before. Only their leaders knew why
'his terrible sacrifice was being offered
mp t. the god Of war. Lee had planned
with Jackson. jackson had left the val
jos lv way of Browns gap TO fall upon
Mcclellan flank at Cold Harbnr. The
sacrifice III front was to give Jackson
uuc and To mask his movement.
md - LQngstreet and Hill advanced
AGAIN and again to the sacrifice until
'u,ir dead and wounded outuumh erci
inu living. Tho afternoon sun was sink
TX luwgr aud lower. By and Ivy 1t was
only an hour high. Then the roar Of
battle HlOn" the front suddenly ceased.
lad the remnants of regiments and
Irisadss become panic stricken at the
.wiui vast" of life and fled from the
'.lit Had tn" sullcEly refused t. obey
orders b. advance again: Had Lee
given up ali hope of success ana with
drawn from that front: For five min
r.'s scarcely n musket was discharged.
Then from the heavy forest directly o.
'u" flank of the position Jackson ap-
r"ar,d. Tho flank oft an army is its
weak spot. Even If attacked IN the rear
10 ran face about and fight with hope
ot success, but IL the flank gives way
disaster follows. Jacksou's coming was
20 sUrurisc. His attack was az sudden
U.s. the stroke of n bell. 1t dumfoundcd
uuI Gi-nGvpd the Federal flank. but
only foT n few minutes. Mcclellan was
not far away. Hc had fathUBcG Lee S
plans and discovered his true object.
Tho flank gave back until il had front
ut mile long. and then it halted and
lattled tu save that great army. What
was Co be- done must he done right there.
Eo.onforccmcnts were ordered up. guns
advanced, and for an hour there was
such lighting as war had never witnessed
before.
On The Federal flank were swamp and
forest and tangled thicket. Engineers
hat said that the nature of the ground
protected this flank. Wading through
'Wainrs deep with ooZe, bursting
through tlickcts which caught off their
caps aud left their jackets In rags, ad
vauciag their lines amid the thick
forests, JaCksou's mca rushed tn the at
tack. Time aud time again the lines
were rupuIscd. but fresh troops poured
out Uf the woods g. take the places ot
the dead and wounded. and the battle
grew more vindictivc and murderuus.
There is n key to every battlefield.
There l. always u key within Il key.
Cold Harhor was the key of this great
field Of slaughter. The exposed flank
was the Key within the key. jackson
could count his dead by the thousand.
His entire force was up. and he had
charged and s.ormed and battered in
vain.
The coming Of nigh. docs not always
end battle. bu, ms darkness shuts down
the coInba;ants lose their desperation
and become more wary of each othc<.
%.xf ell