The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-11

ceSsarily fatal.
Beyond this swamp was encountered n
net work OF abattis-hundreds OF tree
laps with the ends Of limbs pointed and
happened. Here many a brave boy met
his fate without fiinching. The right,
under Huger, the center under Long
street and ID. II. HILL and the left UNI
der G. w. Smith, were pressing steadily
forward. A Northern writer. from this
point Of view. describes the scene thus:
"Our shot tore their ranks wide open,
and shattered them asunder in man
ner frightful to witness, but they closed
up and came on as steadily as English
veterans. When they got within 400
yards we closed our case shot and opened
on them with canister. Such destruc-
ton / never witnessed. At each dis
charge great gaps were made in their
ranks But they at
once closed and came stea-
Oily on, never hating, never
wavering right through the woods, over
the fence, through the field, right up to
our guns, and, sweeping everything be-
fore them, captured our artillery and cut
our whole division to pieces"
At every other point than the center
the attack seems to have been barren OF
any material results. Starting in well,
yet the assault on the enemy's left flank
failed because, by reason of the swollen
condition Of the water, General Huger
was unable to move his division to the
proper place At the same time the diff
| fculties that impeded the advance Of
General G. w. Smith was scarcely less
formidable. and he failed to break the
enemy's right flank, though desperate
and bloody efforts were made. Accord
/ ing to the plan of attack, Generals ID. III.
Hill and Longstreet assailed the center
OF the enemy's line Of entrenchment; and
it was at this point-notwithstan
the DOGGY condition of the ground and
the great impediment of tangled under
growth-that the attack was successful,
and the flight of the enemy continuous
| from one line of works upon another for
distance of two miles, when night put
an end to the conflict. Among the killed
at Seven Pines was Maj. Edwin J.
Christian, elected at the reorganization
about two weeks before; Capt c. c.
| Rlacknall, OF Company G., then became
major Of the Regiment Isaac J. Young
succeeding to the captaincy Of Company
/
Montgomery county, gallant soldier,
while in all relations of his life he had
borne high and honorable name Capt
Ambrose Scarborough, Of Company G.,
though written as among the killed in
the battle, fell on the afternoon preced-
! ing while leading accommodating party
A native also of Montgomery county,
his career had been alike honorable in
q 4 .
the battle were Lieutenant Colonel R.
! ID. Johnston, Capt. William Johnston,
Capt. l. ]. Young. Lieutenant Melon
aid. Lieutenants Luria and Knott, both
Of Granville, were killed. The killed of
I priystrs e,d on-commissioned officers
numb,T,,, s., while 10 was the number
= Of the same ranks wounded. These
! figures are taken from Moore's Roster
and, we believe, are about the actual
casualties. Lieutenant Colonel John
ston was wounded in the arm, face and
neck. had his horse killed under him.
and was shot down within fifty feet
Of where the breast-works and artillery
We're. From divers causes, sickness
mainly, the regiment was able to- go
into action at Seven Pines with only
about 225 men, according to the state
ment of Capt. A. II. Cole. who
commanded Company d after the re-
organization. General Johnston hav-
ing been badly wounded at Seven
Pines, General Robert e. Lee was now
in command. After Seven Pines the
boys went into camp mar Richmond, and
here several weeks were passed in drill
ing The Federal line OF battle stretch
ed along the Chickahominy a distance of
nine miles, the right wing resting upon
the northern bank OF the stream and
extending short distance above the
village Of Mechanicsville, six miles from
Richmond
The fighting at Mechanicsville, on the
evening Of the 26th of June, opened the
ball that resulted in the decentralization
of McClellan's forces, and his rapid re-
treat to the shelter of his gun-boats in
James river. According to Gen. Lees
plan of attack, Jackson threw his force
upon the right flank of the enemy whilst
A. p. and d. III. Hill pressed them vigo-
rously at other points. Their breast
works were soon carried, and the enemy
fell back one mile to a stronger line of
works, from which position A. p. Hill
failed to dislodge them. Night came on,
tanned until a late hour Next day at
dawn the Confederates renewed the at
tao, after a bloody conflict of two hours,
the enemy realizing that the mighty
"Stonewalr' had got in their rear, aban-
doned their position, destroying ammu-
milton, &c, and fell back to yet stron-
ger line of works. In fact they had
three lines Of battle here, each protected
by breastworks extending from a point
on the left near Gaines Mill to a point
on the right beyond Cold Harbor In
the attack on this position the division
of d. III. Hill-to which the 23rd be-
longed-was the first to become engaged.
When the battle became general and the
whole Of Jackson's and Longstreets'
corps had come into action, a charge was
ordered and the first line of works was
carried-then the second line, then the
third; and now McClellan's army was on
the wing and running for dear life. 1t
has been a disputed point between Con-
federate commands as to which was en-