The National tribune., 1907-10-10
ossihg. The 9th Mass. made an oh.

| closely followed by the enemy. Inc
9Th Mass. had hardly gotten into posi-
| ton when Hilrs force attacked it fierce
ly, but the 9Th met the onslaught with
a firmI cpuntenance, and with, the help
of the, 14thsN. Y. and the 4th Mich.
repuis4d the attack. and this was ac-
centuated by the SD Pa. coming up.
delivering a. volley and following this
with a. spirited bayonet charge. In this
Col. Black, of the 62d Pa, was killed
and Lieut.-GoI. Skillen. of the 14th n.
Y, mortally wounded. The brigade
commanded by Gen. Charles Griffin held
its pQsitionlI during the entire day in
spite of repeated attacks upon it. The
fighting at this point extended from
1890 to nearly o'clock Up to this
time Porter had no idea of the immense
weight of the army which Lee was
moving against him. and seeing D. H.
Hills Division appear on his extreme
right. started to attack him and drive
him off with Sykes's Division and En-
| ory's Cavalry, while Morell and Mccall
would hold the rest of the enemy in
check. Soon there came such evidences
this up. and devoted himself to warding
against the tremendous blow he saw
was impending.
A. p. Hill Moves Against the Center.
Beaten back in his first assault A. p.
| Hill some time after 2 o'clock began a
still heavier blow against Martins Bat
tery on Morells left. He formed a
heavy column of assault which pushed
across the plains, f1oundered thru the
swamps and trampleG down the thick
briars and brush, only to meet a terrific
fire of artillery, which seemed to beat
own and scatter brigade after brigade
as oneSwould come forward to take the
place of its shattered predecessor. Nor
els infantry pushed forward under the
| fire of the artillery, and aided its work
| by deadly musketry. When the cart
ridge boxes of the front line were ex-
hausted fresh supplies were obtained
wherever they could be found. and fire.
quently the eager troops would charge
upon a portion of the enemys line,
which seemed to reel under the terrible
scourging. This went on for two hours,
with the enemy being repulsed in every
direction, but the heavy masses which
appeared moving up in the open fields
impelled Gen. Porter to send messen-
ger to Mcclellan for reinforcements, and
Slocum's Division, which had been sent
| and then recalled, was brought back
The needs of the army were so great
at so many different places that it was
not put in as a division, but the regi-
ments were sent hither and thither,
where the occasion for their presence
was most apparent. Gen. Eewton's Bri-
gade was formed in two lines, and, ac-
| companied by UptOn's Battery, entered
| the woods Immediately in front. The
urgent necessities demanded a division
of the brigade, and Gen. Newton led
storm a position from which the enemy
| had been very ann oying. The other
two regiments, the 18th and 32d N. Y,
were sent to a little hill, which they
held until the close of the battle. The
New Jersey Brigade, commanded by
I r. nv
MED by Hexamers Battery, moved to
the front, hut as it did so was broken
up and it's regiments sent to different
points. The Third Brigade, under Ctl
| ]. ]. Bartlett, was sent to the assistance
of Cen, Sykes, taking with them Por-
ters Massachusetts Battery. The divi-
sion caEried 5000 men into action and
lost 2,421
The exigencies Of the battle requiring
this dispersion of the troops, it became
struggle N regiments and brigades,
| instead Of divisions, and the division
! commanders with Gen. Porter, confined
Themselves TO watching the entire line
of battle, eliminating and encouraging
the troops at the critical points. rally
ing regiments which had become brok-
! en-, leading them back into action, and
encoufa ging' everyone by exhibitions of
persohal gailhRtry Gen. Porter eyhib-
tied high qualities as a corps. command
er, having a quick comprehension of the
whole field and doing at the moment
Whatever the emergencies demanded.
Gen. Porter began to feel easy about his
left being able II Withstand any as
sault upon it, and his anxiety became
stronger as to his center and right He
moved his headquarters to beyond the
Watts House, where he could see the
field in front of Sykes and was there
joined by the Prince de Joinville and
his nephews, the Comte de Paris and
| Due de Chartres, and other members Of
1 Gen McClellan's staff, who rendered
4 their services and aid. There was a
brief but ominous silence which every
body understood to be the enemy mass
ing for a renewal Of the attack in
| greater force than ever. Fitz-John
Porter sent to Mcclellan for more re-
| Iinforcements and French's and Mea-
gher's brigades were sent to him by
Sumner but did not reach him until
after dark. Soon heavy masses of in
fantry coming from the direction OF
| Old Cold Harbor and accompanying
their advance with the heavy artillery
fire. hurled themselves upon Sykes s
/ Division, while Longstreet taking the
place of Hilrs beaten men, attacked
Morel and particularly Butterfields
Brigade, with the impetuosity which
distinguished that commander McCalls
division was pushed to the front to
support Martindale and Griffin, wh ose
brigades We're showing the effects of
the long-cOntinued. terrific pounding.
J, Repeatedly Sykes's regiments were
driven back, but every time they gath
cred themselves together and recovered
their lost ground. Bartlett's Brigade
which had been sent to Sykes brought
"a welc ome addition of fresh fighting
spirit TO him. and was conspicuous in
recapturing a battery on the right near
McGehee's. which d. II. Hills men had
, Just captured. The 18th N. Y, distin-
guished by the white straw hats which
its Coloners wife had presented them
, went forward at a swift pace, with their
arms at right shoulder shift. drove the
enemy out of the battery, allowed the
artillerists to return, which they did
mm ediately. and We're again at work
, scourging their enemy with canister.
At SHUTDOWN.
At s p. m. Morell's. McCal's, Sykes's
and Slocum's Divisions had driven bacl;
with slaughter every one of the grea,
masses hurled against them, and then
there came an .omin )us silence of hall
: an hour The sun had sunk below the
horizon, and Gen. Porter began to hope
: that the worst was over and the enemy
I, had exhausted themselves. He fell
deeply anxious that this should be SO
as his men, although Wet )rious, had