The Washington herald., 1914-06-03
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
Is64-Gen Hurled 900 Men the Ienehd Lines Of
Gen Lee Near Cold dHarbo Seven Miles from Richmond and Met with
Swift Bloody Repue-Th Only Attack Lee that Grant Re-
greted
Copyright. iei4.)

/ but delays in getting the army into po-
sition on June had made this impos-
sible. The weather had been extremely
hot the roads were dusty and the troops,
from forced marches and much fight
ing. were nearly exhausted. An attack
made in front Of Lees right center. near
Cold Harbor. on the evening OF June 2.
had gained for the Federals advanced
positions, which they had hastily en-
! trenched.
Grants army lay for the most part on
| level ground, amid young pine groves
and infrequent clearings along the roads
and on the gentle undulations of sandy
plain, in which were many small swamps.
On the night Of June % Grants troops
lay on their arms in the open Rain
fell all night. and the men found II re-
freshing. The battle line was ready 70
move forward to the assault at day
light.
Grants largest corps. the Second, un-
der Hancock. having present for duty
more than 5000 men, the flower OF the
army, was in position to take the brunt
of the fight on the extreme left Of the
line. Next came the Sixth Corps. 2.00o
men, under Gen. II. G. Wright, and next
the Eighteenth Corps, 10000 men. under
Gen. W. F. Smith. which had recently
arrived at the James River.
in the line between Gen. Smiths corps
and the next. the Fifth, 1900 men. un-
der Gen. Warren. The extreme right or
the line was held by the Ninth Corps,
49, 600 men. under Gen. Burnside.
OF the 5000 men present for duty"
in these commands (on May 80 = Is pro-
per to assume that 5000 were in battle
array when the word to advance was
given on the morning of June 3.
In whirlpool of Battle.
1t was Grants purpose to make his
main attack with the three corps, the
Second. Sixth and Eighteenth. that lay
opposite Lees right center, at the rising
ground before Cold Harbor. The two
corps on the right. Warren's and Burn
sides, were ordered to make strong dem
onstrations. which were to be developed
into assaults if opportunity offered. In
short, they were to advance and fight,
to occupy the attention of the part Of
Lees army in their front-Ewells Corps,
under Early-while the other three corps
launched their assault
To hold this part of his line Lee had
posted his strongest commands, the corps
of A. P. Hill on the extreme right. next
the river, and Longstreets veterans (un-
der Gen. w. H. Anderson next These
were TO bear the brunt Of the Federal
attack.
Grants orders put the hour of attack
at 4:3O a. m. Before dawn the Federals
were astir. Orders were given in sub
sued voice. The men prepared for ac-
tion quietly and grimly. Each knew the
danger and the probable cost of the work
in hand.
Promptly at the appointed hour the
three corps went forward, each advancing
against the part of the enemy's line in
its immediate front. This method of
delivering the assault resulted from the
first in disorder. The accidents Of the |
rough ground and the irregular shape Of
the enemy's line, resulted in each corps |
taking a different line of advance, while |
encounters with dense clumps of under |
growth, or swamps, divided commands |
and threw the lines into confusion.
A roar of cannon and rattle of mus
kerry that began the instant the troops |
moved, rose suddenly and sharply to tre- |
mendous volume. Amidst the smoke |
in the tangled thickets, the swamps or |
the tree-encompassed clearings, no man |
saw more than a fragment of the great |
picture of battle thus suddenly pro-
Jected upon the green carpet of the ver-
dant earth, elsewhere sweet in the dews
Of the spring morning.
The Federal soldiers caught glimpses,
as they advanced, of sheets OF fame and
wreaths of smoke in front of them, where
behind muddy breastworks, there ap-
peared rows of dingy slouch hats, that
rose as the enemy fired and then dis
In lulls of the firing they could
hear shrill. penetrating yells rising from
behind the works.
Within three minutes from the OPEN
ing of the firing the advancing columns
were divided into many seething whorls
of struggling humanity, surging forward
toward the blazing line. This was the
very vortex Of battles whirlpool, that
tossed men and regiments about and left
them crushed and bleeding, as on a
shore.
As the three corps advanced through