Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-04


as they march, is still another grove.
the east wood, and in long, thin line,
at right angles to the pike, stretching
through the woods. through the corn
field, silently awaiting their coming
foe, are aligned the very men they
fought so savagely at sunset of that
August evening barely three weeks
back.
And, just as before, not a man of the
hostile line is seen when the guns be-
gin the battle. Off to the left front.
near the east wood. southern battery
spies the blue battalions issuing from
the skirt of the northward wood nearly
mile away. dressed on their waving
colors, the s!irmishers trotting well
out to the front Then loud below the
suns and Shrek the shells as line upon
line, brigade upon brigade. Hooker
sends his new command the newborn
First corps, in TO its bloody baptism
The confederate flank is covered by
Stuart and his dashing horse batteries
and there is abundant room and more
than abundant need for similar troops
between Doubleday's right and the
river, but not so much as a squadron
rides where it may be of such infinite
service. Mcclellan holds his horses
east of the dividing stream. for again.
as on the peninsula, are his forces thus
bestowed.
Full 500 yards. almost due south.
march the doubled lines in blue.
Meade's little division of Pennsylva-
mans alongside and east of Double
days. Hatch's old brigade is on. the
left of Gibbons, Patrick in it's rear. in
support, and for time the Sixth Wis
consin, at the post of honor has the
Hagerstown road on it's right for a
guide. But now comes thin patch of
woods and turn-only Sight turn
in the line of the pike, and here. littIs
by little, through pressure from the
center, the first company begins to
edge out over the highway, the second
follows, and by the time they are
! bursting through the barnyards and
/ farm enclosures at Miller's. and the
shells have changed to shrapnel and
i men are dropping fast, the entire right
| wing of the Sixth is across the pike
and wading through that westward
held. Then up the phi e, just as at
( Gainesville, comes galloping battery
| b, and iato the tarmyard it turns.
and there, whirling the guns in line
to the south, delivers it's resonant an
| swer. The Sixth is just striding out
| from the cornEeld and into the woods
to the west of the road when. sudden
as thunderbolt, there bursts the
| crash of an infantry vollpy. and from
ont 4 st =. q
smoke Jets forth in the L faces. a low
aimed lead storm shriehs through their
ranks and Cow goes half the wing.
Then blaze the w,J.e west wood and
the hedSerow south OF the cornneId
and all from an unseen zoe, Flesh
and bloou cannot s,~uu such a gale
III the open. 1 he SURVIVORS swing back
10 the hlC hway, RAIL- ms instantly at
the edge OF the feld, anu there. fiat
| on their faces, they Ia V. OrOuS hand
In the fiSht, while PI,ric.. men. close
| at their heels. rush in to prolons the
| line to the risht and ill tie saps at
| the front live Elnutes-and Ia, n
| woods, east and west. and jh;, inter
| VeninS corniolcs are in Gene CLOUDS
OF sulphur sr'o e1cr r. -ke,.s to., las
come up with his DIVISION en- the left
OF the corps, and Lat,ie OK giants is
on.
But vain are the efforts of Hoo -crs
| brave men. Three fine, disciplined di-
| visions he has led to the field, think
ing to turn an exposed left flank, while
! Mansfield, with his new Twelfth corps.
| supports the attact, and the main
| IN-a
or the Antietam covers and holds the
long confederate front extending far to
the south of the town. Just whom to
| blame nobody will say, but. not until
| Hooker's right division is swept by
| tapping fires and lattened out by the
fierce storm of lead; not until Meade
| ana Ricketts,, farther 10 the east. have
charged again in line with Doubleday's
LETT; not until Doubleday, not whipped.
but brought to stand, is fairly bat
| Ting for breath, do the briladcs of
| Mansfield appear at the east, coming
[ late into action, and even then by no
| means prepared. Many battalions are
new and unSkilled, and before the
brigade can be brought into line. gal
liant, Sray-headed old Mansfield drops
| dying from his horse Williams sue
/ ceeds to command; but before Hooker
| half finishes giving his orders, he, too,
commanding all troops at that moment
west Of the stream, is stricken and
borne from the field, stripping il there
by OF both corps commanders, and
| leaving the right to the care of men
| Ignorant of McClellan's plans, and con-
fronted by the best fighters in the
southern host.
Campbell, the captain. is shot from
his saddle. Half the right wing of the
| Sixth is gone. Half the commanders
are now killed or wounded Not
lieutenant colonel is left in the Iron
| Brigade. Allen, Bragg and Bachman
are borne from the line the last named
to his soldier grave The lone effort
is fruitless, save for its glories and
the fierce punishment given the foemen
in front. There, indeed, is destruction
equal to this in the cornfields and along