Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-02

handsomely equipped troops If the
Federals.
About the city. here and there, a few
soldiers could be seen, but there was no
indication of the heavy masses that were
concealed by the houses. Those of Frank
Inns men who were in front of Jackson
stretched we'll up toward Lees hill, and
were almost within reach of our best
guns, and at the other end they stretched
out to the east until they came well under
the fire of STARTS horse artillery under
Maj. John Pelham, a brave and gallan,
officer, almost boy In yeas
IS The mist rose the f\ierates saw
tie movement against their Mght Maj
Pelham opened fire upon FranA>.ns com
nand and gave him lively worn which
was kept lid until jackson orderN Pei
ham to retire. franklin then ady\nced
rapidly to he hill where Jackson's traps
had been stationed. filing the woods WIN
shot as he progressed Silently Jackson
they We're within good range, and then he
opened terrific fire which threw the Fed
erals into some confusion.
TIE enemy again massed and advanced,
pressing through gap between Archer
and Lane This broke Jackson's line and
threatened very serious trouble The
Federals. Who had wedged themselves
in through that gap. came upon Gregg $
brigade anu then the severe encounter
enSued in which the latter general was
lnortaly wounded Archer and Lane very
soon received renforcements and. rally
ing. joined in the counter attack and re-
covered Their lost ground. The concen-
tration Of Taliaferro's and Early's diyi-
slons against this attack was too much for
II. and the counter attack drove the Fed
erals back to the railroad and beyond the
reach OF our guns on the left.
Some OF our troops following ZIP this
repuise got too far out and We're in turn
much discounted when left to the eneny's
superior numbers. and We're Obliged to re-
tire IN poor cond ton. 4 Federal brigade
advancing under cover OF Deep run was
discovered at this time and attacked by
regiments OF Pender's and Laws brigades.
The former cf i p Hili's and the latter
Of Hoods division: and. Jackson's second
line advancing, the Federals We're forced
To retire THIS series of demonstrations
and attacks, the partial success and final
discontinue of the Federals. constitute
the hostile movements between the Con-
federate right and the Federal left.
/ have described in the opening of this
article, the situation Of the Confederate
left. In front OF Marye's hill is pla-
teau. and Immediately at the base Of the
hill there is a sunken road known as
the Telegraph road. On the side of the
road next to the town was stone wall.
shoulder high, against which the earth
was banked, forming an almost unap-
proachabe defense. 1t was impossible
for the troops occupying it to expose
more than a small portion of their
bodies. Behind this stone wall I had
placed about e,J61 men, being all of Gen.
T. r. r. Cohbs brigade. and a portion
of the brigade Of Gen. kershaw, both
of McI.aws' division. 1t must now be
understood that the Federals. to reach
what appeared to be my weakest point,
would have to pass directly over this
wall held by Cobb's infantry.
An idea of how well Marye's hill was
protected may be obtained from the fol-
lowing incident: Gen. +. p. Alexander,
my engineer and superintendent of artil-
lery, had been placing guns, and in going
over the field with him before the battle
/ noticed idle cannon. l suggested
that he place it so as to aid in covering
the plan in front of Marye's hill. He
answered.:
General, We cover that ground now
so well that we will comb 1t as with a
fine tooth comb. A chicken could not
live on that field when we open on it,
little before noon / sent orders to
all my batteries TO open fire through. the
streets or at any points where the troops
were seen about the city. as diversion
in favor of Jackson. This fire began at
once to develop the work in hand for
myself The Federal troops swarmed out
of the city like bees out of hive, COM
ing in double-quick march and filling the
edge of the field in front of Cobb. This
was just where we had expected attack,
and ] was prepared to meet it. AS the
troops massed before US, they were much
annoyed by the fire of our batteries
The field was literally packed with Fed
erals from the vast number of troops
that had been massed in the town. From
the moment of their appearance began
the most fearful carnage.