Year: 1863

description of the battle Of Malvern Hill.


At last the Confederate Capitol was in
vested. The enemy alarmed for their
centre stronghold made desperate at
tempt to force our lines ere they werc
fairly established, the sanguinary battle
at Fair Oaks attesting the determination
with which they fought, but their efforts
were defeated and the works of McClel-
Ian slowly but surely arese from swamp
and morass Huge guns were placed in
position, abat:is were felled, and the Sec
ond was began while the North awaited
with intense anxiety, the despatch, "Rich-
mond is taken"


But the task was herculean aud the
rebels were every day rendering the task
more doubtful by the concentration of
their forces in the valley. Mcclellan
asked for reinforcements but it was im-
possible to furnish them, and when the
North was most confident of victory the
right wing was defeated at Mechanics
vile and Gaines Mill and forced to fall
back across the Chickahoniny as the
Grand Army of the Potomac" strong
in its bravery and discipline but wotn
down by severe duty and the unhealthy
climate, had to succumb to superior num-
bers aud foiled but not frightened they
sullenly commenced their retreat to the
James River. Battle succeeded battle
and victory perched on the Union ban
ners but ever as night closed around the
battle field the victors turned and fed
and as invariably the foe pursued and like
a pack of hungry wolves hung upon our
rear believing that the Northern giant
would be driven to the we'll aud his locks
shorn from him. On the lst of July the
Union army found themselves massed
near the James River on Malvern Hills.
| Now the rebels gathered around them
and like Napoleon at Borodino, said "there
is the end Of our toll, y before another day
the Northern hordes will lay cold in their
graves or be the prisoners of the Sothern
chiyalry.


Our lines described nearly 3 semi-cir-
| Gle, with the ends resting on the river
where foated the Union gunboats Near
! ly the whole of the line was high sandy
ground much of it being along the brow
of line of hills but on the right towards
the river it ran across deep ravine which
Widened out to an extensive morass COW
cred with dense growth of thorn and
vines Here was masSed battery after
battery, masked in the swamps and on
the hills commanding it. Here was the
weak point of our lines, but the enemy
through Ignorance or from some other
cause failed to take advantage of it
Hoeker's Division falling back from the
sanguinary field of Mills Church, arrived
on the hill about mile from the Cartee
House about 10,a N. For two hours there
hung over US much of doubt aud uncer-
tainty. but about noon We could see long
lines of infantry aad artillery moving back
along the road by which we came in,
forming in line of battle and disappearing
over the distant crest, We knew that an
other battle was about to be fought and
one that would in all probability decide
the fate Of McClellan's army. Covered
with mud and dust, with faces besmeared
with dirt and powder smoke, with blood
shot eyes that started from their sockets
for want of sleep and brains that had for
gotten their accustomed rest she soldiers
reused themselves once more for the con-
test and firmly grasped their weapons.-I
Expectation seon became a certainty
First was heard single gun back to-
wards the White Oak it was the advance
of Jackson as it encountered kearney.
Soon the cannonading became sharp and
heavy and was participated in by batter
ies along our whole line, at one time q
couple of Jackson's batteries got per
feet range of our division aud poured 10
an enflading ere that was truly fearful
Solid shot and shell ratified through the
air striking or bursting in our very midst;
yet only three or four were injured by
them. Presently the enemy began to
throw forward his infantry and charged
some of our advance batteries and Hook
er's division was hurried to the support
of the line along the ravine where was ex-
pected the feIcest onset But no attack
was made at this point. For two or three
hours we could hear or see but little of the
battle, but at 5 P. NJ. We got the order
to move to the support of other parts of
the line. On emerging from the ravine
and gaining the height of land towards
our centre sight at once grand and ex-
citing burst upon our view. Along the
line like the arc of huge circle, the
nearest joint of which was full mile dis |
tant, there could be seen huge bank Of
white smoke that enveloped and held
from view all beneath 1t. From out its
bosom came the eeaseless clatter and
cracking of thousands of maskets, which
at that distance seems more like the rat |
ting of hail on q roof than anything else | |