The National tribune., 1900-03-22

watching each other, ready TO spring upon
an,! destroy one another at the fist adj
yantaGeouS moment.
50 the days passed till June 25. In front
of our lines, near the left of the Second
Corps, was strip of woods some 400 or 500
yards in width. and beyond this some open
fields. This timber was disputed territory,
sometimes held by the pickets OF one side
and then of the other. and not permanently
by either From its cover many Il bullet
had been fired.
1t was determined TO seize and hold that
wood as point more nearly menacing
Richmond. The attempt vas made June
%, and after q somewhat sharp and pro
tracted struggle, it was fully and fairly
won. Portions of the Third and Second
Corps were engaged in this affair, and
suffered considerable loss.
PLANS GONE WRONG.
We sie;;t or our arms that night, ex-
pecting that further advance would be
attemnted the next day. / do not know
what the plans were, but, as | remember
now, the talk among us was that Franklin
with his corps would join us n q determined
effort 10 get close up to the rebel capital.
But our campfire strategiStS left Jackson
cut of their calculations, and consequently
got left.
No advance was made in the morning,
and It was soon evident that something had
gone wrong. Many rulnors were current,
but nothing of a positive nature was known
til the booming of guns was heard off to
the right. Then we only knew from the
continued firing that some serious fighting
was going on north of the Chickahoniny.
a BATTLE OUT OF SIGHT.
From our position in the line we could
hear the noise of battle. see the flash OF
bursting shells and the white drifts of rising
smoke. but from our limited observations
IL xiN~,
the enemy in our front was active and kept
lis busy. We waited with anxious sUiici-
t.IaG 10 know how the battle had gone with
our comrades Oh the other side. If beaten
there we knew that our communications
n single line Of rai!rOad-Were at the mercy
OF the eiief.ly unI all our energies Woulc CI
necessity lie turned iii the direction of SELF
prot2ction.
Soon after dark the firing ceased and a
little later . succession of cheers came ring
ing down the rebel line. They were wild,
iubiiant yelis. aad we feared the worst.
Like the boy we have all heard about, who
Whistled when passing lonely graveyard
IN the dark. we answered with cheers and
yeits of defiance. This set the Johnnies
TO cheering again more wildly than before.
and for thin space of time there was a
fierce rivalry OF cheers, and lungs were
exercised 10 the utmost.
That night of June % was n noisy one.
picket-line and the regiment, being at the
front, was under arms all night and got no
rest or steep till near morning.
With the first gray light of the 9th came
violent demonstrations from the troops in
our front. followed by intermittent attacks
during the day.
The right wing. under Gen. +. j. Porter,
was slowly drawn back, hotly conteSting
the ground as ii retired, after the fighting at
Beaver Dam Creek.
Shortly after noon the line rested near
Gaines's Mill. We could only judge of
affairs over the river by the sound and
smoke, except when some one climbed tree
and reported his observations from time to
time. We were filled with intense anxiety,
and the tension of waiting was a severe
strain upon US, and the reports We received
from the man up a tree were far from salts
factory. The siege guns, which were re-
moved TO the south side of the river the
night of the 26th, We're put in position, and
troops were taken from the south side TO the
north.
GAINES'S MILL.
It was not long after noon the fighting
was resumed about Gaines's Mill, where
Porter's forces had been disposed to cover
the bridges and give him opportunity to
cross in case of defeat.
We could See more Of this engagement,