The National tribune., 1907-10-24

til all the trains were out of the way.
He was asked what force he wanted.
and selected in addition to his own regi-
nent the Sd Pa. Cav. Buchanan's Reg
ular Brigade of the Fifth Corps. and a
battery of artillery Daylight came with
a dense fog, and Averell formed his line
as best he could upon the battlefield,
amid the shrieks and groans of the
wounded. Col. Hall. with the I'd Ex-
lcelsior Regiment, came up to report for
duty, and took position in the line. AS
the sun rose the fog was dispelled, and
a sight which could never be forgotten
| filled the eyes of all. Averell says:
over 5000 dead and wounded men
were on the ground in every attitude of
distress. third of them were dead
| or dying, bus enough We're alive and
moving 10 give to the field singular
crawling effect. The different stages of
the ebbing tide are often marked by
the lines of fiotsam and jetsam left
along the seashore. So here could be
seen three distinct lines of dead and
wounded. marking the last front of
three Confederate charges of the night
before. Groups Of men, some mounted,
were cropping about the field
The enemy appeared in the woods
beyond, and Ayerell offered them bat
lie by forming his infantry in line His
battery had not yet come up. but squads
OF his cavalry went thru evolutions as
II they were Il light battery going into
action, battery front" the bugles play-
ing the signals for these manuvers The
Hank squadrons of cavalry were ordered
to advance. but We're fired on before
they had gone 300 yards. At the same
time a horseman came across the field |
waving white flag. An Aid was sent
to halt him and inquire his business 1t |
was to request truce of two hours to
succor the wounded. Averell tempor-
IZeu with him Spn1iDp tn- h 4
10 dlsmount and wait until the COM
manding General could be comnnuni- |
Gated with. In the meanwhile Averell |
kept himself informed. by his Orderlies |
and staff officers. as to the progress the |
trains were making, and at the end of |
80 minutes sent word to the officer that |
his request was granted. The cavalry |
squadrons returned TO the line of bat
tie, the infantry lay down. ana the Off
GERS took positions in front of them to |
prevent any conversation with the enc
my. Meanwhile the battery had come |
up TO AVereifs assistance. and he learn
eG that Gen. Vessels. commanding
keyes's rear brigade, was in position
two miles to the rear to support him
II ne should be followed when he fell |
Dack. Upon the expiration OF the two
hours the officer again appeared with a
nag OF truce and requested another two
hours, which Averell. after proper de-
ioS, Sidiiteur anu 50 the Time was con-
:umed from 4 o'clock until g. BY this
lime all the trains were well out of the
way, and keyes was in a position where
ne could check any forward movement
Of the enemy. All our dead and wound
I'd, about $500 in number had been
,ared for during the night, and not ,
over dozen dead of our own men had
oeen found during the truce. and these
we're buried. Twelve abandoned wag-
ms were DESTROYED. and two captured .
'uns which could not be moved were :
p1ked and their carriages broken At
% O'Clock the 3d Pa. followed Euchan-
ms Brigade off the field, and passed
hru Wesselfs lines about moon. st.ar~f +
Harrison's Landing. -
Harrison's Landing was found TO, be /.
position of great natural strength, suf- !,
ciently large 10 comfortably accomnio- :
Iate the army. 1t was the birthD'ace :
T President William Henry Harrison. :
here was wide. open plain lying be- =
ween the James and deep, marshy :
'ater course called Herring Creek. On :
ne Richmond side another marshv =
tream led into the James, and the !.
pace between these two was covered .
'itn works and abatis. The gunboat r
eet was there in sufficient strength to e
i've all needed support and the army y
ank down to find the rest which it so g
orely needed. Thousands, no longer =
llmulated by the presence of the enc -
ly, succumbed to disease. 1t was now -
nat Col. Rufus Ingalls, was to display .,
lose qualities as Quartermaster-Gen-. .
raj which afterward raised him to emil n
ence. A fleet of ration-carrying trans =,
orts was Immediately at hand, and ~
ieir contents within a few hours dis 9,
lDuted TO the men, many of whom n
ad not tasted food in 4S hours This =,
nysical relief. together with the wealth n,
:, which had then cleared up helped o.
'eatly to brighten the spirits of the :.
.ldiers. biir. Some reinforcements were q G
Fought up from Fortress Monroe their
lmbers We're magniiied by skilful man.
cement, and this also served greatly to |
sarten up the men. ~Stragglers and til
1ssing men rejOined the colors, and by si
ily 4, IN spite of the losses of the cam to
Iisn, Mcclellan found himself in COM
ana or $4,000 men present for duty, c;
It counting the reinforeements which Ju
I'd come from Fortress Monroe While "S
cCleilan had suffered much in the
timation of many or his principal Off da
RS. he still retained his remarkable du
ia upon the confidence of the private ia
idiers. Hope dawned anew, and they wi
lebrated the Fourth of July with gem ha
ne enthusiasm and many anticipations of
their commander speedily leading W.
EN- to the capture of Richmond, thus of
ding the war. all
Gathering up his shattered forces, all
e cautiously followed Mcclellan to his tie
W position, and after looking it over fro
sely decided not to risk another NAL yo
rn Hill. and withdrew his army to wi
chmond. The only molestation the ra,
my received was on the night of July lee
when Gen. French, with 43 guns nu
me down on the south side of the ais
mes and opened fire across the river ba
created an undoubted panic, did ter
ne damage to tents and other ma
1al, killed 10 men and wounded Is in eel
, half hour which elapsed before the vii
tier could be understood and meas alv
IS taken against him. Then as the the
rs on shore and afioat were brought
bear upon him he hastily decamped. cor
was out of sight and reach before ed
light Thereupon Mcclellan sent mo
ce across to occupy and fortify Cog to
S Point to prevent any repetition of tab
h an incident ant
The Losses.
'he total LOSSES of tho .r,,,,, str,
omac, from June % to July / in VI
slve, were 1.I34 killed, S,OS2 wound
and 6,O53 captured or missing, MAX @ uee
total of 15,S49. The heaviest loss asa %
) in Porters Corps, which had $50 Una Una
ed. Sumner lost 1S7, and HeintZel- " "
n 1S9, while Keyes lost but So. Nc .Sa' .S
Is Division had suffered worse than ina
other in the loss of 25S killed, 1,04O lii.e '