Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-08-09

to save the army from disaster Still
fighting 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
charmed life, although his clothes
were ridded with bullets, and finally
| his horse was shot under him. The
lieutenant colonel. major and adjutant
were cut down, and the ranks suffered
! appalling slaughter Finding that no
help came up to drive the Michigan
l men from the woods, Gordon ordered
Captain Bell to face his flank company
I on line perpendicular to the woods
and keep the deadly fire down. Bell
was mortally woundsd the moment he
| changed front. So close We're the
| Michigan men that he emptied his ro-
yolyer among them MS he lay dying.
Making Cory Battle History.
Finally word reached Gordon to 10
treat When the casualties were count
ed 1t transpired that out OF 632 Ala
bamians mustered for the fight 01 had
been killed and 277 wounded, battle
loss never exceeded in single fight.
While Gordon and his Alabamians
struggled fiercely at Seven Pines reg
iment of bluecoats 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
clearings for cannon. The Palmettos
captured the ground and stood In their
tracks to hold off two regiments or
Pennsylvauians which came up much
in the temper of Gordon's Alabamians
at the other end Of the field-that "a.
surprised, bafiled and mad. In the
lead marched the Sixty-f1rst 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 Federas cheered and advanced
until within thirty PAGES Of the Toe.
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
203 men OUT OF 574 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 Federals had been overwhelmed
all along the line from Fair Oaks to
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 tho
{ 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. Cen
eral b. 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
McDowelPs 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 there wero
twelve brigades of Confederates on the
: battlefield that had not fred 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 tight
early on June 1. All night May 81
McClellan's generals were preparing to
recover the lost ground. Early in the
morning 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 p. 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
eral Irwin Mcdowell, who lay at Fred
ericksburg with 10000 Federal troops.
was ordered to march direct toward
Richmond. 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
union was a division Of Confederatea
at Hanover, about twenty-five miles
from Richmond. On the 9th General
Fitz-John Porter's command attacked
: and dispersed the Confederates, thus
clearing the way for McDowelrs adj
, | vance