The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-19

t"e.a mills commanding the twu daius.
Ihe army of the Peninsula" occupied
thls line. sometimes with long inter
'als between the men. Butw,cu lt--
huNbt No. and Wynn's mill opposite
Wyan's millpond. the Confederate.
INC was held WITH men At intervals ut
ahput twonty foe, Ia rcsr OF ana
par"'ied WIN tho limo of defence, a
miiitary road anprLing quicis conmunI-
'a;ion between all parts of the line
was constructed, and was effectively
uscd TO assemble troops at points at
Tackled or threatened by the enemy.
+. me weak points ia the defcngiv. line
OF the Peninsula were two hanks rest
ing on the York ana the James Itiv-
ers.
>" l"nI, however as the Confederate
hattscahlp virginia ntood in the path
way ~ HAMPTON Rouds," command
Ing tho approach 10 Norfolk and the
mouth Of tho DANES River which IL
piu after it's great battle In which IL
destroyed the United states Sims
Congress and Cumberland, and
! forced the Monitor" and Minnesota
10 seek shallow water whore the ''Vir.
Giu'a' could not follow. the right Hank
OF The army was secure. the left Hank
was SIN opcn IN the cnemy's shlps
but defended by the guns of yorktown
aud Gioucester Point.
Tor three long weeks the little
Army OF the Peninsula" OF 1900 men
held the lines at Gloucester Point and
orktown, and stretching fourteen
/ miles across the Peninsula 10 Muller
r. Island on the James River. meeting
( the enemy with undauntcd front at
every point Mcclellan n.lt our
strength hy attacks AZ various points
along tho line. At Dam No. l between
Wynns and Lees mills defended by q
small force OF infantry and artillery.
ntrce attack was made one after
noon. the enemy was met with great
9allantry, defeated and driven back
W IN considerable loss. In this attaci.
Colonel Mckenny, 90 the Fifteenth
, "orth Carolina lnfantry. WAS killed.
1ne lines OF the TWO armies were so
! closely drawn at this point and the mr.
inG so constant both by day and night,
that the cnemy's dead. many OF whom
fell within few feet OF our line Of
rihc pits. could not be collected for
burial After several days tho COM
handing officer OF the Federal forces,
under flag Of truce, asked for u cessa-
ton OF hostii tics and permission TO
gather up and bury their dead, which
was granted.
After making attacks AT several
points along our line and boinE met a I
army. sat down in front OF this little
army and began by regular approa eli es
his preparations for the second siege
OF yorktown. At the end of three
weeks rcintorcements from General Jos.
II. Johnstons army under Generals
O. W. Smith. Longstreet. Early Ewell,
Whiting, Itodes and Hood, began to
arrive, ana General Johnston moved
down and established his headquarters
nlp
OF orktown, and assumed command OF
the united Confederate forces
The relief afforded 10 the Army of
the Peninsula" almost worn out by
three long weary weeks OF constant
watching and lighting. wrestling with
their giant foe, was most acceptable.
With rcinforcements we became very
'cockey.' believing that if Mcclellan
would attack. we could do more than
act on the defensive, and visions OF
possibly great victory filed the
hearts of the men of the Army of the
Peninsula"
Time went on. each arm, watching
the other, and skirmis hing daily, UNI
til one morning the writer, who was
the engineer oiiicer of the Army of
the Peninsula" was summoned 10 the
quarters OF General Magruder and told
That General Johnston had decided TO
abandon. the Peninsula and that pre-
parations should be made for the move
ment. Worn out by the anxiety and ac-
tiNity OF campaign which for skill
and courage has rarely been equaled
to abandon the field which he had de-
Tended with skill and energy never
surpassed, and where liz had hoped
and expected to give battle was n
great disappointment 80 this old SOL
dier. and with a voice broken by tho
emotion which filed his breast, he
arose from his sick bed and pointing to-
ward the field where FOR so many days
and rights his splendid little army had
contcAded with and held In check It's
giant foe, exclaimed: Isle transit
gloria Icninsula"
General Magrudor was strongly on
posed TO the abandonment of the Pcnln-
sula and urged his Views on General
Johnston With all the forco he could
bring to hear IIo knew that TO aban-
don l. meant the giving up Of Nor
folk the Eastern shore counties Of
virginia. and ali the country south
of the James River east of City Point,
and tho destruction of tho ironclad
Virginia. the draft OF which was too
great to be taken up the James Riv-
err He knew that 1T gave meant the
observation-disclosures of Eastern North
Carolina, for il gave TO the enemy
base at Norfolk from which they
could operate within short distances
and without interruption from the Con-
fedcrate forces. Burnsides'e attack OH
Roanoke Island was one OF tho events
which followed tho abandonment OF
tho Peninsula"
He urged that the Peninsula afford :
ed strong lines for defensive warfare
by an Inferior force and hence that we
should not abandon 1t. In these opin-
ions General r.. L. Lee concurred. Cen
eral Johnston. however, was the com
mander of the army and he had de-
termined otherwise, and as soldier
Magruder's duty was to obey orders.
Tho movement OF General Johnston's