The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-06-07

! lay. and the Confederate leader, count
Ing upon an advantage In the impassa'
BILE waters, had marched out 10000
men 10 overrun Keyes' corps and its
reserve, amounting In all TO about 3O.-
600, while succor for them was out OF
reach Owing to Lieutenant Washing
toms mlsadventure Longstreet did not
get his proper orders for the attack,
and other generals who were to
take their cue from his movements
were left in fog So the several col
umns In gray marched boldly forward
and stirred up separate fights
McClellHn's left wing had crossed
the Chickahominy TO the Richmond
side. Keyes' corps held the advance
with rullying points at Fair Oaks and
Seven Pines. about mile apart and
bOth about Eve miles from Richmond,
The line did not run parallel to the
river and was distant from tile bridges
over which the Federal troops had
crossed from two to five miles Scarce,
ly had Keyes men formed for battle
between Fair Oaks and Seven Piu'S
when the Confederate skirmishers ap-
peared and opened-the sensational bat
tie OF Fair Oaks. the first heavy com
bat AT the gates Of Richmond Colonel
John q Gordon led the Confederate
slirmishers ut Fair Oaks, his own regi.
ment " Alabumians. the sixth.
Battle Between Skirmishers.
In order to reach the battlefield by u
short cut Gordon had marched his sol.
diers through White Oak swamp. After
getting out OF the mire. which was
waist deep, they next ran into briery
thicket, and the experiences Of the
march brought them 10 II fighting tenn
per which only n pitched battle could
tone down Two New York regiments,
the Eighty-frst and Eighty-fftb. stood
in line in a stump lot where the timber
had been cut to give range for the
guns of Federal battery. The Ala.
bamians opened brisk fire upon the
New Workers. and when it was briskly
returned they threw themselves down
behind the stumps and took picked
shots In a short time the New York.
FRS retired to the shelter Of line OF
trenches in front of the guns.
About the time that the New Workers
fell back the Confederate brigade led
by General Rodes charged on the bat.
terry near Gordons line, and Gordon or.
dered the Alabamians to rally on the
regimental colors Mistaking the word
of command, they faced about and
started for the rear When the mis-.
take was pointed out, Gordon's men
faced about again and charged peIl.
nell through the tangled abatis and
over the intrenchmeuts.
Mystified by the tactics of the south.
erners. the Fcderals again retreated,
and i'm the eagerness Of pursuit the
Alabamians plunged blindly into mo.
rass two or three feet deep Gordon's
men were soon caught in a snare.
From o fresh Federal brigade the Third
and Fifth Michigan were sent into a
piece of woods on Gordon's flank
These two regiments, led by General
Phil Kearny in person, were the van
guard of Kearny's division At the
first sound of battle Hearny had set
out from the Federal reserve camps at
the head Of the first troops within call.
These CHANGED to be the Michigan men.
Phil Kearny at the Point of Danger
By their fierce and steady bush fight
ing they checked the fury of the en-
emy and gained time for Kearny's
main column to get up. Kearny gal
loped back and forth impatient over
the delay caused by the hooded swamp
roads. The leader of one belated regi-
ment. riding in advance of his men.
asked the general what point he should
strike first "Oh, anywhere-anywhere.
colonel. You'll find lovely fighting
along the whole line" There were both |
poetry and truth in that reply. The |
Fifth Michigan went in at double quick |
10 within thirty feet of the enemys |
titles. This regiment mustered 300
men and lost 154 killed and wounded. |
Kearny's promptness in throwing in |
regiment by regiment as his command |
reached the point Of danger helped |
10 save the army from disaster. Still
lighting mad and looking for supports
to come and help clear the woods
Of Federals, the Alabamians held on in
the swamp for an hour. Gordon bore
a charmed life, although his clothes
were riddled with bullets, and finally
his horse was shot under him The