Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-01

Could ID IL now, General" said Lee. VITA
a auiet twinkle, "but I have one serieu9
objection 10 your. making the enort
s.What Ia that? Whs II thatY ea&arV
asked Magruder, hoping to remove tho
objection and seeing honor and glory be-
fore him. ro"
II am afraid" was the reply. that
you might hurt my little friend. Major
Kidder Meade. Tho enemy left some
time ago, and he is over there recon-
noitering."
EVIDENCES OF THEIR vALOR.
I have made this paper so much longer
than I purposed, though l have barely
touched the subject, that 1 have nor
space to quote the strong testimony OF
Federal officers, and OF General Mccleiah
himself, as to the utterly wretched ana
demorailzed condition In which his army
reached Harrison's Landing under the
cover of his gunboats; the panic whfen
ensued when Jeb. stuart dashed on the
heights and shelled the camps with the
guns OF "the gallant Pelham" and ne
peril the stricken army was In until
stuart was driven of before the Con-
federate infantry could come up. and the
heights rapidly and strongly fortified.
Nor can now refute IN detail the state
ment OF the so-calied histories that Lee
received so bloody repulse at Malvern
Hill that he pursued no farther - or show
how. on the contrary. he advanced on
Hsrrisons Landing and ordered an as
sault which he reluctantly countermanusd
on the strong remonstrance or stonewsp
Jackson. who represented that while bis
men could take anything on land they
could not charge the gunboats or stand
their enfilading fire.
And thus ended "seven days around
Richmond" during which Leo and his
army OF heroes had, with 5000 men, as
sailed McClelan's 10000 strongly en-
trenched, driven them pvli-mell to the
cover OF the gunboats many miles below
Richmond. raised the siege or Richmond.
and inflicted on the enemy loss or ib,s1
men, fifty-two pieces OF artillery, upwards
OF 5000 stand OF small arms captured.
an immense amount OF stores OF every
description captured. and much larsef
amount destroyed TO prevent capture.
and given the Confederate people ane
army confidence in themselves and their
great leader which brought many other
great victories TO their standards.
Nor can / now speak OF the 10y I'm Rich
mond over the results. mingled with
mourning for the dead and care for the
wounded. when well-nigh every house
was a Hospital and every woman min
istering angel TO the suffering.
Second Cold narbor.
One could, OF course. write a volume
on Grants campaign against Richmond In
the summer OF 1864 but l have only
space TO speak very briefly OF its culmins-
ton at Cold Harbor June 80, wheE he at
tackled Lees position in fun force. and
received one OF the bioodiest repulses OF
all history-perhaps the bloodiesi, when
the lenth of time consumed Is considered
Grant had begun his great campaign
against Richmond IN the early days OF
Nav with overwhelming numbers and un-
limited resources. His cosimn from
Southwest Virginia, the one that moved
up the great Valley of Virginia; the one
under Butler. on the south side OF tho
James, and his own column, with which
he crossed the Rapidan. were all to con-
verge on Richmond, and numbered, all
told. and counting reinforcements re-
ceived. 2i5.O00 men, splenoidly armed and
equipped; while to meet this mighty
| host Lee could muster only bare 1900
( men, poorly equipped and badly armed
| in fact, lacking everything but just
| cause and heroic natures. And yet. as
soon as Grant crossed the river, Lee bold
| " advanced to attack him. and there
followed the death grapple OF the
Wilderness, Spotsylvana Courthouse,
Hanover Junction. and Bethesda
| Church, Grant always falling to perma-
nently break Lees lines. using his Inn
mense numbers to move by his left flank.
! and deluding himself and his people
with the idea that he was nearing his
goal-Richmond; while Lee made no move.
except TO meet and fight the enemy, ana
had outgeneralled Grant at every point.
| and whipped him wherever he met him,
/ until mt last, he took position at Cold
: al hA
lines from which he had driven McClel-
| Ian in 1862.
| COULD NOT REACH RICHMOND.
Butler had been bottled up at Ber-
muda Hundreds by Besurogard Siegel
had been defeated at New Market by
| Breckinridge. and the army, now under
David Hunter, had advanced again.
brushed away the small Confederate force
that opposed II at Piedmont, and, Joined
by the column from Southwest Virginia.
was now amusing itself by pilaging and
burning. and was soon TO be driven from
Lynchburg by General Early, sent from
Lees army, in ing orious retreat through
the mountains OF West Virginia.
The next flank movement OF Grant
| would carry him away from Richmond.
! and so he resolved TO break through Lees
linee. and thus enter the hated capital or
the Southern Confederacy. Accordingly
| he withdrew from Butler to reinforce his
! assault the best part of his troops, and
J issued orders for the attack. The result
| is candidly told by Swinton. the able
historian OF the Army OF the Potomac.
/ quote from him only two brief extracts:
ut took hardly more than ten
| minutes Of the Pigment men call time 10
decide the battle. There was along the
| whole line rush-the spectacle or I'm.
pregnable works-a bloody loss-then a
sullen falling back. and the action was
| decided" Abiding 10 an order 10
attack again several hours later, Swinton
savs. mo man stirred. and the
immobllc lines pronounced verdict
silent. yet emphatic. against further
| slaughter. The loss on the Union side In
This sangunary action was over 1900.
while on the part OF the Confederates II
is doubtful whether it reached that many
| hundreds"
LOST MORE THAN LEE HAD.
| never saw our men in better trim
for fighting or more anxious for the enc
NV 10 come again than they wero
| at Cold Harbor: but they Gid not cont
again. Grant crossed the river to receive
another bloody repulse az Petersburg,