New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-09

rear of NcClellans army. "Storewalp
Jackson had reached Savage's Station ton
late the previous day TO accomplish any.
thing and when he reached the swami
the bridge had been destroyed In front D,
him. He tried tC find other points Of pas.
sage, but with insufficient energy to b.
effective He was promptly driven back
by Franklin.
Huger on the Charles city Road. one O,
the radiating cords I'm the web Of high.
ways, Jackson being on one OF the cross
strands. met with some distractions which
he did not seem TO be able 10 overcome
Holmes. another of the Confederate gen
erals. who was near the James River, did
nothing. for his men were demoralzed hy
the shells OF the Union gunhoats In TIE
river. These shells were STYLED lamp
posts" by the Confederates. They made
tremendous. nerve racking noise when they
exploded. but did little damage. Cavalry
bolted and the infantry took up hiding
places behind tender sapplings In fear and
| trembling At this point General Holmes
who was deaf and had heard little Of tire
uproar caused by the exploding shells.
came out of a little hut in which he had
| been writing. and putting his hand 70 his
right ear. remarked: Il thought / heard
firing" 1t was left fer Longstreet and Gen.
| eraI A. p. Hill to attack the Union centre
at Glendale on nearly even terms. Lee end
Jefferson Davis were close enough 10 the
scene Of battle 10 be threatened by The
shells which fell near them from the Union
guns. II was n holly fought contest in
which neither side won decisively..
If McCIellan's forces had defeated the
army Of Lee at that point Richmond
would have been his. Had Lee pierced the
! front OF the Union army an incalcuIable
| loss would have resulted. Mcclellan got
! his train off without damage. Darkness
| nut an end to the fighting. The Prince de-
! Joinville one of the Frenchmen who had
been serving with Mcclellan as honorary
| aide-de-camp, left the army that day 10
return to Europe. He said with great
earnestness TO General Franklin: Advise
| General Mcclellan to centre his army az
this point and fight the battle to-day. II
he does. he will be in Richmond to-mor-
row" General Mcclellan. preoccuped IN
finding a defensive position on the James
River. was not there to act upon the sue-
cestion. The valor OF the troops on each
side was SO great liAdN fdNA AfsNA Ftu q
victory
On July the Union troops reached MAJ.
yern HILL and found themselves in a posi-.
ton well calculated for a successful 10.
! fence II had all Of the natural advantages
| i'm this respect OF the Beaver Dam and
the Ganess MIL fields. There was an Gle.
waited position. covered on either side by
winding ravines. streams and swamps Al.
though there was a wood in front IN
which the enemy could form its lines there
was an open intervening area across which
he would have TO pass in the face a the
Union artillery. Lee had not yet learned
from his experiences of the week that. al.
though Mcclellan did not move on Rich
mond II was rot because OF lack OF valor
in his troops He believed that the Union
forces must b0 in a demoraliZed condition
because they were retiring before hin
Although warned by at least one Of his
commanders, Lee determined upon an al
tack on Malvern Hill. and was 70 discover
his mistake there. The desperate charges
OF the Confederates. covering a period
from I o'clock to o'clock, were all r.
pulse. with awful losses. the Confederates
losing hat day six thousand men
An terestlng fact regarding ,he hattie
was n I neither Of the commanding gen
erals exercised any control over the strug.
c ?. each leaving IL TO the resources OF his
81 bordinates. Jefferson Davis was present
with lee 10 see the battle. but Mcclellan
left the field in the morning. lie came
back for little while in the afternoon. but
went away again. The great victory was
won by others. II has been suggested that
had he been present throughout and had
opportunity 10 note the quality OF the ight.
ing of his men. he would not have been
so ready 10 move back from Malvern Hill
20 Harrison Landing but would have been
encouraged 10 the point OF undertaking an
aggressive attack on Richmond. The te-
moral'zation of the Confederates was -
great that it is said never 10 have been
equalled in the course OF the war. II was
the consensus or opinion OF Lees generals
that on the following morning Mcclellan
would take the aggressive, and that the
Confederate army was In no condition 70
meet him.
Mcclellan. however having his lines a.
communication always in mind and Sill
possessed OF the idea that Lees army was
greater than his own, carried out his plan
Of retiring 10 Harrsons Landing
Lee. having learned his lesson did not
risk another tight with McClelans troops.
bun ON July he returned TO Richmond
In the Seven Days the total Union loss
including those captured. was l5,S4s, while
that OF the Confederates was 2Q,lI5 Be.
sides relieving Richmond. Lee captured
SEQ prisoners. 80 pieces Of artillery and
| M 81 n
mi,nsry stores. McClellan's armies won
all the engagements except one, yet the
u ion commander was further from Rich
m nd at the end than at the beginning OF
toe campaign. In not one battle had he
oten present throughout himself
H.. s.