The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-13

inu tie ur yi0us five weeks to think about,
the COUNT had no need of a further sen
sation, al those assaults live only In the
memory o. survivors and in the dry statis
tics of offlc reports. Thoarmy correspond.
ents, who's sensational accounts furnish
the cl icf source of inspiration for the popu-
lar hi ,tOri Of those times, were still busy
picking over the debris of the Wilderness
fields, and besides u battle charge that
didn't kill 10, 900 men in few minutes
was too insignificant for IA special from
the front And yet the assaults of the
Ninth and Second corps during those three
days cost r4sre Union lives than did Burn
sides famous attacl, on Maryc's Heights
at Frederic ksburg. The killed and wound
ed in the two corps during those assaults
would have made "A column rs large as
that which actually took part in Pickett :
charge mt Gettysburg, and the troops who
made them were not fresh, like those Of
Pickett ut Gettysburg and of Hancock
and French at Maryes Heights. They
were the very men who had borne the
brunt of the fearful assaults "all along
the line at the Wilderness, Spottsylva.
mia and Cold Harbor. One Of Hancock S
regiments, which lost 300 killed and
wounded in one dash at Petersburg June
10, had lost 200 killed and 800 wounded in
the grand assault at Cold Harbor on
june 1.
The intrenchments at Petersburg, where
Grant first sent his troops against them,
consisted of ordinary heldworks-brcast-
works for infantry ana lunettes or small
redoubts for artillery. At the most ex-
posed places there We're two and even three
lines, the second line commanding the
first or outer line, and the third com
fully 10 miles in length and extended from
the bank Of the Appomattox below the
city to the bank above, and, with the wa
ter barrier formed by the river, complete
ly encirclcd the position. The heaviest
works We're those adjoining the river on
the east and SOUTH and in that locality the
ground was the most favorable for de
Tense. 1t was cut lengthwise by numerous
ravines, between which We're stretches of
open plain, with frequent elevated knobs
or ridges, from whence the batteries could
sweep the plains and enfilade the ravineS
with shell and canister. On the arrival
of the army Grant threw the full weight
of the Ninth and Second corps, supported
by the Fifth, against this formidable posi-
ton, hoping probably to break through the
defenscs and capture Petersburg before
Lees soldiers could march from Richmond
to strengthen the garrison. The first at
tack by these columns was made ON the
10th, but on the previous day General w.
F. Smith, with the Eighteenth corps, had
CALAMITY carried a point of supreme adj
vantage at about the center of this strong
east and south section of the lines referred
to. In order to save his men from the
slaughter Of charging solid columns
against fortified batteries Smith formed d
long line Of infantry in light marching
order and sent them to take tho works al
a bound In this way five batteries and 4
miles of trenChments, with l6 cannon
fell in HI hands, with a comparatively
slight loss Hancock 5 corps was at that
time mar hing TO the scene to support
Smith, bu owing to an order based on an
error at Irmy headquarters his column
was misd 'ected and didn't get up until
nightfall. Burnside also reached there
during the night with his Ninth corps, and
the united forces took up the attack next
day Meanwhile the other side had been
busy in g ting endorsements to the gar
rison. Numerically Burnside and Hancock
had the pI0pondcrance, but as one man be
hind good earthworks Is the equal of five
assaillnts outside the odds were in favOl
of the Conrederates. Hancock put the di
visions of Barlow and Birney TO the assault
at q clock in the evening after severa
bold attempts by detached brigades during
the day. Barlow led II charge with cap II
hand, swinging it to encourage his men
The Irish brigade took part under Barlow
and its commander, Colonel Patrick kel
ley, was killed in front of a Confcderat