The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-09
PENINSULA
CAMP Align
Review OF This Important
Part of Our Struggle.
GEN. MACRUDER'S TACTICS
How Ills Small Army Held Back But
Ter and McClelan-A Paper by
General n. T. Douglas Anec-
dotes and "reminiscences.
written for The TimesDlspatch>

written for The TimeS-DlspatchJ
For,y-two years have passed since
there were assembled on the historic
plains of Yorktown in Virginia, troops
of the Confederate States army, under
Major General John Bankhead Magruder,
afterwards known as the Army OF the
Peninsula" General Magruder was not
& stranger to the people Of Virginia. his
native State. The record of his distln-
guished services in the Mexican War.
gaining for him two breyets. and special
mention in the reports of.General Scott.
were fresh in the memory OF his people.
and they welcomed him to the command
OF the Confederate troops ut this impor-
tant point.
In the march of events It will be re-
n.cmbered that, serving with Captain Ma
Eruder, then In command of light bat
terry In the Mexican War, and especially
commended by hin, in his reports for
distinguished services and gallantry In
battle was Lieutenant 7. j. jackson,
United States army. 1t was this same
soldier who at Bull Run" Won the sobri-
uuet of "Stonewall" Jackson, and whose
fame. growing brighter with time will
1.-Two forever, who became the great lieu
tenant and right arm of the grandcst sol
die. of modern times, General Robert f.
Lee.
The Army OF the Peninsula was COM
posed of the flower of tho South; troops
from Virginia, North Carolina, South Car
olina Georgia Alabama. Florida. Missis-
sippi and Louisiana filled Its ranks 1t
received its baptism of fire on the field
of .'Big Bethel" where the First North
Carolina Infantry, under Colonel (after-
wards Lieutenant GeneraD D. II. Hill;
two battalions of infantry from Virginia,
under Lieutenant Colonies Edgar Monta
que and w. D. Stewart: two companies of
artillery (Richmcnd Howtzers), COM
handed by Captains ]. Thompson Brown
and Robert Stanard. under Major George
w. Randolph afterwards Secretary OF
War;, and small force of cavalry, I'M
der Captain Jeff. Phillips. commanded by
General Magruder, met and defeated the
Federal army under General Butler.
The following incident forcibly illus
trates the changes which time brings
about:
At the battle of Bethel a young lieu-
tenant United States army, in command
o: a section of a light battery, was killed
in action whilst CALAMITY performing his
duty The war between the States ended,
The wheel of time rolled on. and in 1898
the country was again fired by the fever
OF war ami the Spanish-American War
began. -
Men who had, worn the blue and the
gray We're found standing shoulder to
shoulder in support of common cause,
and the writer had the honor 10 receive
from President Mckinley an appointment
as brgad der general, United States army,
with orders to report to General FitZ-
hugh Lee, commanding the Seventh Army
Corps, United States army, at Jackson
VILE, Fla.
On reporting for duty I was assigned
Tho command Of brigade in the Second
Division, commanded by that distinguished
soldier, General Abram Arnold. United
States army Imagine my surprise to find
that the Adjutant-Ge General of the Second
Division MAS the son OF the gallant
young lieutenant who had yielded up his
lifo on, the field of Bethel. 1t seemed TO
me but a mere span OF time since the
tragic event of 1852. found this young
soldier worthiiy following In the footsteps
OF his father-the Adjutant- General of a
division in which ] commanded a bri-
gade. Surely, time does work wonders.
THE WARWICK RIVER LINE
After the repulse OF the Federal army
at Bethel. the Army of the Peninsula was
kept actively employed for the next year
in constructing the defenses Of the PENN
sula at Gloucester Point and Yorktown
and along the line OF the Warwick River
and In constantly moving from point &c
point, watching and diminishing with the
enemy and keeping him well within his
entertainments al Newport News and FOR
Monroe, In one OF these sMrmisheF III,
gallant Lieutenant-ColonelC Charles Drew
OF Louisiana, was killed,
The Peninsula became the drlll groLn
and training school for that part OF tn
army 10 become so famous as the Arm
o. Northern Virginia and 10 the lesson
taught II by It's abs commander may b
attributed 10 q large degree the dstin
euished career of The soldiers of this gal
liant little army,
In the spring Of 1852 General Mcc'leI
Ian, with his grand army, splendid
equipped and organized, began his mare
from Fort Monroe and Newport New
on Richmond. The troops Of our advanc
guard fell back slowly as McClela
moved up, untii the lines at Yorktnw
and on the west hank Of the Warwic
River, stretching from Yorktown 10 Mul
berry Island on the James River, wer
reached and occupied, The army Of FIJI
Peninsula comprised at that time abor
$4,000 men Of all arms, and with Tvs TN
gray line interpnEad to lis giant foe IL
only barrier 10 the Confederate capita
I'm order that the defense Of the penir
snla may be lmderstood, ! will state ths
at Yorktown the Peninsula nalrOws
strip ~ land about fourteen miles
width Between the James and YnI
Rivers. The little stream known as II
Warwick River, tributary Of the Jamt
River. has It's source within less than
mile OF Yorktown, and running sont
ernpt.es into The James River at Nh
berry Island
Along this stream there were two gri