The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-24

In his reconnaissance of Lees line.
Humphreys had seen it,
At midnight May ~ the Second corps
was silently moved from its position and
two divisions-Birneys and Barlow S.
were put into marching columns. The
night was warm and pitch dark. They were
TO assault the confederate lime at the faul-
~ angle at dawn Of day So dense was the
darkness, aided by a thick fog. that moth
ing could be seen, and there was great
danger that the enterprise might become
bad blunder The troops dared not wait
until day began TO break, for then they
would be overwhelmed
The evening before the assault Gen.
Hancock rode over most of the ground
alone and succeeded in making a very
satisfactory examination. A residence,
called the Landrum house. he noticed.
was q prominent landmark Of the neigh
borhood. He fixed its location carefully
I'M his mind. II was well he did so.
II guided my movements by that
house, he said to Col Richard Lee years
after, land ] do not know how / could
nave found my way but for It,"
Gen. Ed Johnson's division of EwelTs
corps was holding the difficult place.
Poor fellows, they were dog tired with
three days Of hard lighting, and weak,
for they had no food but parched corn.
So the federal advance absolutely stepped
over the sleeping half-starved center lines
without waking them, and finally reached
the work itself There they encountered
a, vigllant line Of sentnels, who gave the
alarm
The battle then began. The darkness
and fog made It difficult to distinguish
friend from foe. But the kept Of the
union soldiers marked him. while the
confederate was clearly indicated by his
army-slOuched hat. Not much firing Oc-
Cured after the rush II was man to man
with bayonet and dubbed musket.
The dead were piled so high that they
formed breastworks for both Sides" says
Gen.-now United States Senator-John b.
Gordon. In the history Of modern war
there is no record Of an assault 80 bloody
nor of one 50 boldly contested as that OF
May u, 1861"
rush was not TO be overcome, and the
Army of the Potomac scored IT'S first tri-
umph under Grant. Maiden. Edward
Johnson's division lost very heavily, and
he with Gen. George n. Steuart, one of his
brigade commanders, was captured.
How are you. Ned" said Hancock
| holding out his hand when the two gem
eral officers were brought to his quarters
(Hancock had the rare quality OF looking
fresh and clean, no matter how hot the
| work might have been in which he was
engaged an hour before. Col. Osman La
trObe OF LOngStreets STAFF was another
who was natty and well dressed always
the same kind) I'm sorry for your mis-
fortune Ned, but II you had to be cap
tured. am pleased that it IS my good
fortune to entertain you"
Johnsons fine eyes filled with tears He
and Hancock had served together in the
old Sixth Infantry on the plains years
before, and had been like Jonathan and
! David Johnson was a Kentuckian, and
was HancOcks senior by about ten years
lHduh YOU 11dhcotht ic uidHdBeu 10
say.
turning to Steuart whom he had also
known well in the old army.
Now, Steuart, never too amiable at any
time, was Inundated by his misfortune
of capt and mad all through He cid
not notice the outstretched hand Of his
captor, but drawing himself up to his fun
five feet seven inches, he replied Sir
l am Gen. Steuart Of the confederate
army"
Hancocks face IN an instant was scar
| let Under any other circumstances
Gen. Steuart. / should not have offered
you my hand" was his only reply. pray
be seated, gentlemen" he went on; we
will have breakfast directly. You know
Col. Morgan (the corps inspector, an old
army man, and / wish to present Gen
| Walker, my adJutant general"
Hancock gave the two such a break
fast as they had not seen for months
save in dreams. Johnson gave Steuart
a wigging at the first opportunity ana
Steuart, who knew he had been wrong
from the first, made the amende
My God, Humphreys. are these men
! fighting like they do and with nothing
but this to eat day after day?" said Cen
Grant to the chief engineer of the army.
, the day after the battle, as he finished the
inspection of dozen confederate haver,
sacks.
he found nothing in them but some
Darched corn.