Year: 1869

"WELL,n said the stranger, as he loos-
ened his belt and stretched himself In an
easy, recumbent position, lit is not more
than fair that should throw something
into the stock of common entertainment;
but the story am to tell you is sad one,
and fear will not add to the pleasure of
the evening. As you desire it, however,
and it comes within the line of the request
that would narrate some personal cpl
sOde of the war, viii tell 1t, and trust
the impression will not be altogether un-
pleasant


at was at the battle Of Malvern Hill,
battle where the carnage was more
frightfal, as it seems to me, than niany
this side of the Alleghanies during the
whole war-that my story must begin. !
was then serving as Major in the -th
Massachusetts, Regiment old til as
we used to call it--and q bloody time the
boys had Of it, too. About 2 p. m. we
had been sent out to skirmish along the
edge Of the wood in which, as our Gener-
ais suspected, the Rebs lay massing for a
charge across the slope, upon the crest Of
which our army was posted. We had
barely entered the underbrush when we
met the heavy formations Of Magruder in
the very act Of charging OF course our
thin line Of skirmishers was no impedi-
ment TO those onrushing masses. They
were on us and over us before we could
get out Of the way. ! do not think that
half Of those running, screaming masses
Of men ever knew that they had passed
over the remnants Of as plueky
regiment as ever came out Of the
old Bay State. But many of the
boys had good reason 10 remember
that afternoon at the base Of Malvern
Hill, and among the number for when
the last line Of Rebs had passed over me
l was left amid the bushes with the breath
nearly trampled out Of me, and an ugly
bayonet-gash through my thigh and
mighty little consolation was 1t for me al
that moment to sec the fellow who run me
through lying stark dead at my side, viii
a buliet.hole in his head, his shock D
coarse, black hair matted with blood, ant
his stony eyes looking into mine. Well
Iibandaged up my limb the best might
and started % crawl away, for our bat
teries had opened, and the grape ana can
lister that came hurting down the slop'
passed but q few feet over my head. i
was slow and painful work, as you car
imagine, but AZ last, by dint Of perseyer
ance, had dragged myself away to thi
lett Of the direct range Of the batteries
and creeping 70 the verge Of the wood
looked of over the green slope. / under
stood bY the crash and roar Of tho guns
the yelis and cheers Of Inc men, and tha
hoarse murmur which those who hay
been ia battle know, but which canne
describe in words, that there was hot worl
going on out there; but never had seen
no, not il that three days desperate andt
az the Wilderness, nor at that terrible te
pulse We had at Cold BarboF, such abnt
lutte slaughter as ] saW that afternoon d
the green slope Ell Malvern Hill. Alb
gdns of the entire army we're maased d
the crest, and thirty Thousand Of our y


ntrS Iay, musketih Ii hand N front. 30
eight hundred yards tho bin sank II eas
decl5nsion % The wood and across thi
smooth expanse the Rebs must charge
reach cur line. il was nothing short
dowhriaht inaAnitg 70 order men 70 charg
that hin and 50 bis Generals told Le'
but be would not listen 10 feason thatsdal
and % be seutrsgimeut af1ef regimen
and brigade after brigade, and diVisio
aftef division, 70 certain dCNth. Ial
about Grants disregard Of human lile, N
eaort st Cold HaFbor-apa ! ought !