The National tribune., 1907-10-24

Malvern, which bristled with cannon
and at every forward movement he
found the heads of his columns speed.
lily knocked off, and that to advance
was something more than could be
required of mortal men. He says in his
report:
Instead of ordering up 100 or zoe
pieces of artillery to play on the YAM
KEGS, single battery was ordered up
and knocked to pieces in a few min
utes; one or two others shared the
same fate of being beaten in detail
The firing from our batteries was of
the most farcical character"
Hill tried first to pierce Kearny's left
then COUGHS right, and next Couch :
left. Everywhere it was the same story
of bloody repulse. Sumner, who com
manded on the right wing, having no
lpressure on him there, detached Sickles' S
and Meagher's Brigades and sent them
to the assistance of Couch, and they
arrived in time to do splendid service.
Hill gave up the struggle about Z
o'clock, but Magruder was still reluc-
tant to quit, and kept sending in regi-
ments and brigades in a fitful. hap
hazard way where there was no chance
for success, the only result being a
shocking waste of men. 1t was .
O'Clock before he finally dessted, and
the cannon on both sides became silent
Magruder by his persistence had prac-
tically destroyed his division, and
greatly crippled that of Huger.
Gen. Fitz-John POrter's Account.
In an article in Battles and Lead
ers'' Gen. Fitz-John Porter says:
THE spasmodic, tho sometimes for
midable attacks of our antagonists at
different points along our whole front,
up to about o'clock, were presumably
demonstrations or feeers to ascertain
strength fn
gaglng in more serious work. An omi-
nous silence --milar to that which had
preceded the attack in force along our
line at Gaines's Mill now interyened
until, at about $50 o'clock. the enemy
opened upon both Morell and Couch
with artillery from nearly the whole of
ms 'front.' and soon afterward pressed
forward his columns of infantry first /
on one and then on the other or on |
both. AS If moved by reckless disre-
gard OF life, equal to that displayed at !
Gaines's Mill, with determination to |
capture Our army or destroy Il by driy- |
ing us INTO the river. regiment after |
regiment and brigade after brigade |
rushed at our batteries; but the artil-i
iery or both Morell and Couch moved /,
them down with shrapnel, grape and |
canister. while our infantry, withhold
ing their fire until the enemy were
within short range. scattered the rem
nants of their columns sometimes fol-
lowing them up and capturing prison.
ers and colors.
"As column after column advanced |,
only to meet the same disastrous re-
pulse, the sight became one of the mos
interesting imaginable. The havoc made
by the rapidly bursting shells from
guns arranged so as to sweep any posi-
tion far and near and in any direction Il
was fearful to behold. Pressed to the {
extreme as they were, the courage of II
the men was fully tried. The safety of n
our army-the life of the Union-was /
felt to be at stake. IN one case the I
brigades of Howe, Abercrombie and (
Palmer. of Couch's Division, under i'm v
pulse, gallantly pushed after the retreat n
ng Zoe, captured colors and adyanta- n
seously advanced the right OF the line.
,ut at considerable loss and great risk \
The brfgades Of Morell, cool, we'll I