Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-29

To The Journal:
ON the 26th day OF June, 1852 General
stonewall jackson with his command
from the valley OF Virginia arrived at Me-
chanicsville. the extreme right Of the Fea.
eral line. and attacked them in flank and
rear. thereby enabling General Lee with
Longstreet and ID. II. Hilis commands 10
cross the Chickahominy river and join
forces with Johnson. leaving Gen. John
Il. Magruder with $500 men between the
enemy's line and Richmond.
u The dogs OF war were turned loose. the
gray and the blue locked horns and the
six days fight for the capitol OF the Con-
federacy began.
Gen. George b. Mcclellan. commanding
the Federal forces. had 10000 men, while
Gen Robert f. Lee, commanding the
. Confederates, had $1,000
The Federal line started at White Oak
swamp, crossed the Chickahominy river
al Meadows bridge and extended to Me-
gainesville said to be 10 miles In length.
The right and left wings being divided by
the river. Afline of earthworks extended
nearly the entire distance, with numerous
batteries along the line, some OF them
filled with siege guns. Where there was
any timber IL was cut down In front OF
the works, the small growth and limbs OF
the trees were sharpened and placed IN
the ground with wire strung across them.
A rabbit would have had trouble 70 get
through, much less man under nre. Inc
Confederates had no works Except near
Richmond) that / saw from Meadow
bridge To Seven Pines. With the Federal
general shades were trumps. His base and
HEADQUARTERS were at the white house, on
the Panumky river. receiving his sup
piles over the railroad by the way OF
Fredericksburg.
the strength Of the Federal line caused
General Lee to attack them in flank and
rofr1d have fair
and open fight. The battle OF Mechanics
Vile on the 18th OF June was bloody one,
the Confederates carrying everything De-
fore them. and at night when the battle
ceased were in possession OF the oattle-
field During the night the Federal army
retired to Cold Harbor and on the MORN
ing of the 9th Lees forces advanced, ana
a terrible battle was fought in the even
ing with the Confederates stu gaining
ground. In General Magruder's front
General Tige Anderson with the First and
Ninth Georgia regiments attacked the
Federal line at the Nine Mile road, making
a feint TO hold ths enemy while Johnson
was attempting to cut them of from their
base at the white house. During the night
the Federals withdrew to Gaines mill,
anu on the 18th were again attacked by
the COnfederates and defeated after a
heavy loss on both sides. In Magruder $
front on Golden's farm the Seventh and
A.
charged the works. losing a number of Of
ficers and men. Colonel Lamar, Of the
Eighth, fell wounded on the works, while
Lieutenant Colonel Towers was captured
in them. The First and Ninth Georgia
were on the run 20 their assistance, when
overtaken by our division commander
Gen. G. r. Jones. and ordered back.
Near point Of woods on Garnett's farm
we passed a battery. Just before we got
10 II we met two men with wounded
soldier carried between them. Both legs
were cut in two by a cannon ball Just
above his ankles. leaving his feet sus-
,ended by small strips Of flesh. 1t was a
sickening sight, and death would have
been preferable, but such is war. During
the three days fighting north OF the
ChIckahominy the federal troops south
OF the river remained intact.
During the night OF the 18th the right
wing OF the federal army Joined the left
south Of the river. At the same time the
left withdrew from Magruder's front. The
18th found the federal forces drawnsup at
Savage Station ready for the onslaught
Of the Confederates, who, after crossing
the river. attacked them In the evening.
when another bloody battle was fought
Harly IN the morning General Magruder
discovered the absence 81 the enemy In
his front and advanced with his COM
mand, entering the federal line at Golden'z
farm. The First Georgia regulars of Cen
eral Andrews brigade were ordered for
ward. and engaged a federal brigade at
the Peach Orchard in a hot fght for seven
or eight hours. another point on our
friends the enemy. and the worst fighting
a soldier ever had 20 do. fighting at least
ten times our number.
The battle of the Peach Orchard 1 wrote
up In a former article for The Journal.
During the night of the 29th the federals
l he
fight at Savage Station Anderson's brig
ade returned to the vicinity Of the Peach
Orchard and camped for the night, the
rain coming down in torrents.
On the morning OF the 30th Anderson s
brigade crossed the railroad, where we
saw a large brass cannon mounted on a
fiat car in front OF locomotive. We were
halted for several hours during the time
Jackson's forces were marching to our
left. The Louisiana Tigers, 81 rank and
file, with one commissioned officer, passed
US with their battle-smoked and bullet
rsddled Sag. At the battle Of Gaines mill
Major Wheat was killed, and his Tigers
cried over him like children.
About 10 o'clock we marched to our
right. keeping up the step at a lively gait.
Between 2 and 4 o'clock we could hear in
the direction we were marching the boom
Of distant cannon, and a little farther on
the roar of musketry. Lees forces had
again attacked the federal forces at Fra
sier's farm, about ~ miles from Richmond.
We marched rapidly in the direction Of
the battlefield. and the nearer we got the
more distinct was the roar Of battle. When
dark overlook us we were three miles
from the bloody field. We met two cav
alrymen with Major General Mccall, u.
s. A. walking between their horses, a
prisoner of war, captured on the field. We
never arrived on the field until about 3
o'clock in the morning, the most weary
ing nights tramp / was ever engaged in
during the war. Troops march in fours,
and at night each man follows his file
leader. The column would halt, we would
| drop on the ground to rest. and by the
| time we were down they would start in
| front; up we would get, go a step or two.
halt, drop down again and so on through
/ the night. / was so worn out would
have been willing to be shot the next
morning to have been allowed the priv
| ilege Of going to sleep. The battle must
have ragged until 10 o'clock and then every
/ thing was as still as a graveyard, which
| IL proved to thousands of poor soldier
| boys on that bloody field. Finally, when
/ the command was given, Halt, front,
stack arms and break ranks" 1 dropped
at full length on my back and was fast
asleep by the time 1 struck the ground.
Just as the king of day showed his radi-
ant face awoke, and the sight that met
my gaze was photographed on my MEM