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Show A VIRGINIAN VICTORY. The Battle of Malvern Hill Described. GHARGiKS THBQU3;i THE WHEAT II2LD2. An Ex-Oonfederate Telia About Ma-houe's Ma-houe's Breve Brigade. About i iu tbe afternoon our brigade (Mo-hono':.). (Mo-hono':.). which bud be?n slowly march 1113 ulon the (Juakor or Willis church road in the direction of Malvern Hill, is balUd, A few paces ahead of us wosa dashing looking general olli' -or, mounted and splendidly uniformed, uni-formed, with a large retinue of stalE officers and couriers. Gtn. Mahono rode up to this officer to receive hi orders. Just at this time a solid shot fixed from a gun of a Federal battery near Crew's house, now concealed con-cealed from our view by an intervening body of woods, come skipping along, nearly spent, narrowly missing the group of officers and couriers and passing through our ranks, opened for the purpose, as we saw it bounding bound-ing slowly toward us a reminder that the enemy was near at hand. All around tlio open field, through which this hhot came bounding toward us, were piecesof artillery. Gen, Alagruder ordered Gen. Mubone to charge the enemy's batteries along with Gen. Wright. Tho men in the ranks understood this order to be to charge tho battery that fired tho shot, which, Hke a gauntlet thrown down, seemed to challenge our assault. In a few moments we are in motion, forming form-ing a lino of battle with' our faces in tbe du-ection of the Federal artillery, -t hoso fire seems now to increase. Between us und the enemy intervenes the body of woods relerred to, and wo saw nothing of them as wo niovo forward. A hundred or two yards of forward movement brought us into these woods, a body of largo chestnuts and oaks. Through tho tops of those tall trees, far above our heads, tho shot and shell of tho Federal artU-lory artU-lory howl and crash, putting us in constant danger of injury from falling fragments of hugo limbs of trees. But on wo went until wo reached a ravine or gully, along tha bottom bot-tom of which ran a small branch. Here we bal ted. In the ravine was a brigade ol troops, all sitting with their backs to the wail of the gully next to tbe enemy, seemingly secure from danger, ensconced, as thuy were, in what apjieared to bo comparatively a bomb proof, and looking far more comfortable than we felt under an order to charge a battery and ou our way to execute this order. Tbe occasion of our temporary halt just here was an examination as to the route by which it would bo best to go forward. Wo were now very close to the enemy. At the foot of tho hill upon tne table ground McClellan's army awaits our assault, socloso that wo feel the vibrations of the earth at each discharge of tho Federal guns. Not U00 yards intervened letween us and these guns, the slope of tho hill, however, perfectly protecting pro-tecting us, we being uow opposite to tho extreme ex-treme left of tho Federal hue of battle. To our right in a beautiful field, tho meadow mentioned by Gen. Wright, with its yellow shocks of recently harvested wheat, are stationed sta-tioned tho Federal sharpshooters, against whom wo bavo been warned. Posted behind tho shocks of wheat, they see us, but we cannot can-not scothom, wlulo they pick off our men as they como up to take position in lino of battle at tho foot of tha hill preparatory to the intended in-tended charge. As I marched along to this position I looked over toward iho woods on Turkey creek, skirting ihis meadow. The prospect was beautiful; ovorythiug in that direction Baw so tranquil that clear summer afternoon, in striking contrast with tho harsh notes of war. The crisis waa now at hand. Gen, Mahone, seizing the colors of one of our regiments, commanded us to move forward. Wc rush up tho slope of the hill toward the enemy, yelling at the top of ourvoices. Just near thy brow of the hiil I caught a glimpse of four artillery horses hitched to a gun, or to a caisson, dashing away at full speed. My heart leaped with joy. The enemy aro fly-in! fly-in! Their artillery and infantry are routed! Y7rj aro victors without firing a gun. But I was terribly mistaken. I saw only those ' foar horses in flight. No men, no other horses drawing pieces of artillery, no infantry, in-fantry, aro flyiug. ' Our lino of battle was allowed to get well uxn tho hill, when tho enemy's infantry, sritioned not moro than ouo hundred and fifty or two hundred yards in front of us and their artillery in tho roar of tho infantry, j suddenly opt' 'd upon us with terrific fury. Our mou wor.i driven back with terrible loss, but only to gain ilio protection of the brow of tho hill, there to rally and return to tho charge, Tho enemy's infantry lino meanwhile- seemed immovable. It stood as If at dress parade. Soon, however, dense volumes of smoke, considerably obscured their lino, but there woro the red flashes of tho guns and tho crimsou looking Federal colors floating over tho dark line of men plainly visible. Every fow minutes a column, a regiment or two, would move steadily forward in lino of battle- toward tho ouoray, cheering as they advanced. Then there would bo tho dcnfoningroll of musketry and in a fow moment:) mo-ment:) all would bo hidden from view by smoke. On the occasion of one charge my eyes were upon tho advancing lino when it received tho fire of tho enemy. The poor follows reeled and foil, it scomed.by tho dozens. doz-ens. Tlio lino, broken, was forced back to seek sholtor uudor tho brow of tho hill. Iu s fow minutes tho men rallied, and returning to tho charge mot tho same fate. This was a fair sample of tho many charges made during tho afternoon. About sunset an advance was ordered, and wo moved forward to tho next hill, Gome seventy-flvo yards in our front, CoL David A. Woisiger, tho colonel of our regiment, gallantly lending it in tho charge, and from this now position wo opened firo upon tho enemy. en-emy. Night coming on, soma of our men actually got in among tho ouemy beforo discovering dis-covering their position, so closo wero tho contending forces on the extreme right of our lino. Tho firing was kept up until 0 o'clock at ni;;ht, when both parties, wearied with tlio G,.dit, seemed to cease firing with consoiil. Boon after the firing ojn.sed numbers num-bers of th5 enemy could be seen in our immo-diato immo-diato front, moving about with lanterns In their hntida, looking after their dead and wounded. Tho crest of tbo hill where wo now were was held by a thin Hue of battle, consisting con-sisting mainly of tho remains of tho depleted brigades of Mahono and Wright. George H. Dernurd hi Philadelphia Times. |