The National tribune., 1909-09-30
A BLUE AND GRAY TRUCE.
Grant and Lee at Cold Harbor and the
Union Generals Mastery Left FiahK
Moyemeef fil

Grant and Lee at Cold Harbor and the
Union GrneraI's Mastery Left Flank
Movement 10
Editor National Tribune: On the
morning of June, /, 1854. Wrlght SlA.,
ECorps was moved rapidly by Cen urah'
from its position near the fainuiEe .;s
| River a distance of 10 miles W e
right flank at Cold Harbor' Whele ..e
Second Corps. under Hancock, was az
ready engaged with the enemy tor the
| possession of an important positioii:
This preliminary contest for choice U,
corners was first carried by wright anu
Hancock, but subsequently lost. thus
leaving to- the Confederates one OF tiieir
old strongholds of June, 1867:
| On the following day, the fllth SoI pc pc
having also arrived and gotten Wen INTO
position. a general advance was begun,
which was the signal to let loose all the
| iron dogs of war. The struggle seemed
! to be the most severe near tne cehtoi
| in the timber, where the enemy hung ON
with tenacity and stubDorhiy resisleu
every inch of encroachment, Dut was d, u
| length forced to yield and was croWueu
back some distance. In this desperate
struggle it appeared that every piece
of artillery on each side was belchlns
forth its heaviest thunder, while a tor-
nadO of destructive missiles OF all sorts
were flying and the air was not anu
sitting with fire and smoke. Muskel
balls, shot and shell, grape ana cams
ter were moving down man ana peast'
while fences and buildings were literal
! ly shot to pieces and pine trees bored
directly thru the trunks by cannon paiis
and conical shells and trees of smaller
dimensions cut down by mimic paiis
and other small missiles. Both stdes
having been heavily reinforced during
the night, the fighting was promptly re-
sumed on the morning OF the so, Win
the position of the Sixth Corps some-
what in advance of that of the previous
day.
BY this time both the Union and rebel
lines were well protected by saps ana
rifle pits, so close together that mortars
were put into play and bomb shells
tossed over with considerable precision
and annoying effect This thlrd DAY $
proceedings were finally closed at dusk
by bold but unsuccessful attempt of
Breckinridge to break thru Hancock's
Corps, which was handsomely repulsed.
The morning of the 4th opened with
little change in the position OF the Two
contending armies of Grant and Lee,
which stood menacing each other IN
very uncomfortable proximity Contrary
to the past record of these two great
commanders. it appeared i'll this in
stance that each entertained some little
uneasiness and timidity about undertake
ing any rash charge or assault upon
the works of his adversary. The pat
teries on either side were all fairly well
protected by earthworks of mushroom
growth. but We're comparatively silent
at this time. owing to the annoying in
reference of sharpshooterS, detail in
our front of which WIS made up from
regiments of the First Division, Sixth
Corps, in which the writer happened to
occupy a position. All daylight move
ments and shifting position of troops in
front was necessarily done thru saps
and pits. while every sharpshOoter dug
his way into a suitabl position for
business and protection. either in hole
or behind q stump or rock. keeping his
front we'll covered, while thru arranged
openings watched the exposure of any
artillerist or other individual who might
be of a reckless or inquisitiye turn of
mind ~ s.a
On the 18th. thru an arrangement of
the general officers of the opposing
armies. n truce was out for a period of
two hours for the purpose of caring for
the wounded and burying the dead The
moment white flags were seen there
appeared to view the grandeSt sight of
all. Along the two lines. as far as the
eye could reach. where but a moment
before not person was visible, there
suddenly sprang, up, as If by magic.
blue and a. column of gray.
That beautiful and cheerful sight of
"A. years ago will long be remembered
by the old soldiers participating on
either side of that awful death line. and
it thoraly impressed everyone that there
was, after all. no genuine hatred or
animositv existing between the. Ameri
can soldiers who wore the blue and
who wore the gray.
The truce was rigidiy respected, but
upon its expiration not a head could he
seen anywhere. and the two contending
armies relapsed into the previous con-
ditions of activity, which continued with
little of special Importance until the
18th. when Grant executed another one
OF his noted Ieft-handed flank move
ments. placing his entire force without
serious mOlestation upon the opposite
side of the James Rivera. W. Still
well. Co. 3, 5th Wis, Third Prfgade.
First Division, Sixth Corps, Wichita.
Kan.