The Washington herald., 1914-06-03


enfilading his lipe Each blamed the
others for not protecting him from this
raking fire by maintaining alignment.
This was Impossible. From the nature
Of the ground each corps presented b
blank to the enemy as II advanced.
This fact accounted, In part for the
murderously effective IRE OF the Con-
federate batteries.
Take and Lose Vantage Points.
Only here and there in the long. Srok-
en- lines Of the advance. did the Federals
reach the works. Ordinarily they were
arrested about fifty yards from them.
The Confederate fire alone stopped the
assault, by moving down the assailants.
The men in gray were desperate and
hlled with rage of battle that transcend
ed any similar emotion they had felt
before. They were making what might
prove a last stand. and were deter
mined to make every ounce of energy
and every grain of powder count.
The Federal advance consumed Just
eight minutes. The fighting of the as
ssult lasted In all but twenty-five min
utes. In no other. twenty-five minutes
Of the war were 30 many men cut down
in their blood as in that seething twenty
two minutes at Cold Harbor.
The greatest success attained in the
assault-and that was not much-fell to
the Second Corps. Hancock had put two
divisions into his column of assault.
those of Gen F. c. Barlow and Gen. John
Gibbon. Gen David B. Birney's division
was in support OF these.
Barlow's division was formed with the
hrigades of Gen. Nelson A. Miles and
Gen. John r. Brooke in front. deployed.
Brigades commanded by Col. Richard
Byrnes. of the Twenty-eiGhth Massachu-
setts, and Col c. d. McDougall. Of the
lllth New York. respectively. formed the
second line
Gibbons division was formed with the
brigade Of Gen. r. o. Tyler. and that OF
Gen. Thomas A. Smyth deployed in front
and the brigades of Gen. Joshua T. Owen
and Col. H. Boyd McKeen, of the Eighty
first Pennsylvania, in the second line.
Barlow seized q sunken road and halt
ed there. but the Fifth New Hampshire
Regiment. not knowing OF the halt. kept
on and actually entered the enemy's
works without firing Q shot No sup
ports coming up. the regiment was forced
to retire. II lost ao2 men. Barlow's whole
command fought calamity. Gen. Brooke
was severely wounded and Col. Byrnes
was killed. Many other officers fell.
Barlow's men did not retreat, but fell
to intrenching themselves. by loosening
earth with their bayonets and piling ir
up with their tin plates and cups, until
they had formed a line from fifty to
seventy-five yards from the enemy's,
which they continued to hold. 4
Beaten on at All Points.
Gibbons division. in its advance. was
cut in two by a swamp, which widened
as the parts advanced. The works in
front of this division were on an eleva-
tion, from which a withering fire met
the advancing troops. Men fell in piles
Gen. Taylor fell, severely wounded. Col.
McKeen was killed Col. Frank A. Has
kell, of the Thirty-sixth Wisconsin, an
able young officer, fell,
wounded. One of the officers of
Brigade. Col James P. Nc
Mahon. of the 1s4th New York. becoming
separated from the rest OF the brigade.
ed his regiment to the works, and with
his own hand planted its colors on them.
only to fall dead beside them. pierced
by many balls.
In twenty-five minutes seven of Han
,ock,s colonels had been killed and 5000
II his men.
The story on other parts of the line
vas the same, except in degree. The
Sixth Corps had advanced with Gen.
David A. Russell's division. Gen. James
3. Ricketts, and Gen. G. W. Getty.s
% right. They carried the advanced
life pits. but were repulsed at the main
inc with heavy loss. They intrenched
n advanced positions and held on there. |
The advance of the Eighteenth Corps |
vas across an open plain, swept by the |
fire. Owing to the wide gap
between this corps and Warren's, Gen. |
smith was obliged to protect his right |
iank as he advanced. This resulted in |
tCsn int ~I srAN
rhe troops fought gallantly, and the |
officers wrought heroically to make |
progress, with little avail. Three gal
ant assaults were made by Gen. George |
!. Stannard's brigade, Of Gen. John H. |
division, but each was re- |
'ulsed with heavy loss.
Gen. Smiths command lost heavily in |
'ficers. The killed and wounded in the |
orps numbered about 1000.
On the extreme right there was in
ffectual fighting by the Fifth and Ninth |
rorps. Ewen was attacked by both |
burnside and Warren, though not until |
he day had been decided on the left. |
he former gained some advanced posi-
ions, but the latter's line was too ex-
ended for offensive operations. being /
early four miles long. Fighting on this
art of the field ended with a loss of |
bout 800 in Warren's Corps, and about
Do in Burnsides.
Grant on the Defensive.
Gen. Grant at Z a. m, ordered Gen.
ieade to suspend the offensive the mo-
nent il became certain that an assault
annot succeed"
Grant later rode along his lines to see
he ground gained. An order was issued
or a resumption Of the assault II the
orps commanders thought it practical
lie. None did, and the assault was not
esumed. A statement to be found in
ONE histories that the men were or
cred to renew the assault and refused
0 advance. is baseless.
At 1890 Gen. Grant issued an order TO
zen. Meade TO suspend further advance.
old and strengthen the positions gained. |,
nd put the army on the defensive.
His purpose in this. he explained, was
D hold Gen. Lee where he was, as an
Id to the Federal movement against
.ynchburg. When his object should be
ttained in this respect Gen. Grant