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

lieutenant colonel. maior aud adIutant
we're cut down. aud the ranks suffered
appalling slaughter Finding that no
help came up to drive the Michigan
men from the woods. Gordon ordered
Captain Bell 10 face his flank company
on line perpendcular TO the woods
and keep the deadly lire down. Bell
was mortnlly wounded the moment he
changed front So close were the
Michigan men that he emptled his re-
volver among them as he lny dying
Making Cory Battle History.
Finally word reached Gordon TO re
treat. When the casualties were count
ed it transpred that out of 632 Ala
bamians mustered for the fight 81 had
been killed and 277 wounded, battle
loss never exceeded in a single fight
While Gordon and his Alabamians
struggled fercely at Seven Pines reg
lment of buecoats made CORY history
at Fair Oaks At that point the Fed
eral line was crushed by the onslaught
of the Palmetto regiment Of South
Carolina. The field was like that at
Seven Pines woods, slashings and
cearings for cannon. The Palmettos
captured the ground and stood in their
tracks to hold Off two regiments of
Pennsylvanians which came up much
in the temper Of Gordon's Alabamians
at the other end of the feld-that is,
surprised, baflled and mad. In the
lead marched the SiXty-6rst Pennsyl'
vania. commanded by Colonel Oliver
Hazard Rippey.
AS the Pennsylvanians charged up at
double quick the Carolinians dropped
to their knees. Keeping up steady
FIRE, the Federals cheered and advanced
until within thirty PAGES of the foe.
Firing from shoulder rests, the COM
batants kept up the murderous duel
for thirty minutes. Colonel Rippey
was killed, and the flag, torn to shreds,
became his winding sheet. The lieu
tenant colonel major and eleven other
officers were killed or wounded and
263 men out Of ga who entered the
light
Darkness closed in the night of May
81 with the situation on both sides
of the lines very much as it was at
Shiloh the first day The Confederate
leader. General Johnston, had been
wounded and carried from the field
before his plan of battle had been car
ried out. President Davis was on the
ground giving battle orders in person
The Federas had been overwhelmed
all along the line from Fair Oaks 20
Seven Pines and their batteries and
intrenchments captured, but they had
not been driven into the river
Federal Reserves Brave the Flood,
Warned by the sound of firing that
the enemy had sprung an attack on the
isolated left wing McClellan's troops
behind the Chickahominy were formed
in line ready to cross and enter the
fight. A single bridge out of half
dozen was passable, owing to the high
water, and that only by wading. Gen
eral L. V. Sumner crossed one division
to the scene of fighting before dark.
Other troops of the left wing, which
had been in camp by the riverside some
miles from the field, rushed forward
to support the front line.
General Johnston had surprised the
Army of the Potomac only to arouse it
to the danger Of its position astride Of
the river. Johnston had supposed that
McDowelrs Federal corps was march
ing down from the Rappahannock to
a junction with Mcclellan on the
James, and he hoped to crush the army
on his front before re-enforcements
could reach the enemy. But Mcdowell
was at that moment a hundred miles
from Richmond.
On the morning of June l there were |
twelve brigades of Confederates on the
battlefield that had not fired shot |
the previous day and eight brigades Of |
Federals that had not been engaged. |
Before he was wounded Johnston gave
orders that his regiments should sleep |
on their arms, ready to renew the fight |
early on June l. All night May 81 |
generals were preparing to |
recover the lost ground. Early in the |
they took up the fight, and |
at almost the first shock the Confed
crates retreated. There was no leader
to direct the movements until the aft
ernoon. when General Robert E. Lee
was appointed by Davis to take the
chief command. By that time the Con-
federateS had been driven from the
captured works. but held ground of
their own choosing on the best roads
from the river to Richmond.
Other Events of the Week.
About the middle Of May. 1862, Gen.
aral Irwin Mcdowell. who lay at Fred
with 10000 Federal troops,
was ordered to march direct toward
Near that city he was to
unite his force with the Army Of the
Potomac, which Mcclellan was leading
against Richmond An obstacle to this
lnion was division Of Confederates