Following the Flag

of Fair Oaks. A highway from Richmond crosses the railroad near the station called the Nine-Mile Road. The railroad runs east and the Nine-Mile Road southeast. The

seven pines, standing in a cluster on

al Keyes was ordered to advance to Fair Oaks and hold the position. General Couch's division was halted at Seven Pines, while Casey's was thrown forward to Fair

rm. The heavens were sheets of flame, and the clouds poured torren

ered in the Rebel camp that General Johnston was going t

eather?" i

s right and center to the assistance of his left. His army is divided, and we ca

long and rapid march east, then turn north, cross the Swamp, gain the rear of General Couch, and cut off his retreat to Bottom's Bridge. He was to reach his position and begin the attack at ei

ock-ten-passed, and there was no sound of Huger's guns. He was toiling in the mud, moving at a sna

he General was talking with him, two musket-shots were fired in the woods, which produced an emotion in the young officer so marked that it was not

ce and begin the attack. His skirmishers went through the woods quickly, and came upon Casey's skirmishers on the

cket line alarmed General Keyes, who made q

of Fair

n Tr

y's di

ouc

zelman'

mner

ir O

l Tr

hit

ngst

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the Williamsburg road. Spratt's battery was near the Oaks. Regan's battery was in rear of Spratt's. Bates's battery was south of the Williamsburg road, in a redoubt, while Fitch's battery was in rear

and the men in Casey's command laid aside their arms and prepared to

o their feet. They knew that it portended trouble. There was a quick saddli

s and plates of rice, seized

fter its arrival upon the Peninsula. The men had had no experience, and yet they

seven thousand. Like an avalanche was the advance of the Rebels upon this small, undisciplined force. Generals Anderson

ing became quick and heavy. General Sumner, three miles distant across the Chickahominy, heard it, and ordered his command under arms. The aide sent to Heintzelman lost his way in the woods, and was a long while in bearing the important message. Keyes saw that there was danger on Casey's left, south of the Williamsburg road, where the Re

nnsylvania was sent forward to sustain the

xtent, and yet Huger and Whiting had not fired a cartridge. The fire was so terrible from the batteries, and from Palmer's, Wessell's, and Naglee's lines, that Longstreet changed his plan of attack, and, instead of advancing directly upon the center, attacked on both flanks. Some of his regiments filed towards the south, and crept through the bushes unseen by Casey. The others moved nort

aglee held his ground till the fighting was at close quarters,-till some of the Eleventh Maine were bayoneted. The order to retreat

in their ranks at every discharge of grape and canister. Once more they came on, shouting and screaming, and delivering their volleys and rece

enburg, and Adjutant Ramsey of the artillery are killed, other officers are wounded. The advancing host leap over the slight earthworks, seize the guns, and prepare to turn them upon the backs of the

moving up the railroad to support Naglee, see across the field beyond the Fair Oaks long lines of men,-some standing in battl

egiments of the brigade. Whiting pours his troops into the gap between Nagle

ated are thrown back to

s forward regiment after regiment from his second line, to strengthen that in front, to hold his ground if possible, but it is growing thin. It sways to and

g,-to be a breakwater where the flood sweeps all before it. But the regiment goes in as cheerfu

er officers are rallying the men. Fugitives are stopped, regiments which ha

ate to occupy that fine position, and it would have been impossible to have formed the next

Longstreet. He has lost many guns. Longstreet has made so good a beginning that, although Huger has not mad

p; Jameson sends one regiment to Peck and one to Birney, and moves straight on towards the abattis of fallen trees in front of Couch's line along the Williamsburg road with his two remaining regiments. His men lie down behind the fallen trees and pour their volleys into the advancing foe, moving on in stately grandeur. Jameson, unmin

in check, repulsing all the assaults. There, in the thickest of the fight, is that young officer who made his last will and testament at Yorktown,-t

"All of you who can hold up your heads, follow me!" he shouts.26 Men who have not been able to stand upon their feet spring up at the word. They are pale, sallow, emaciated, with sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. They form in line, twenty of them, seize their muskets. The fever is consuming them, but there is a warmer flame within their breasts,-the unquenchable desire

mere boy, who beholds the Rebel colors advanci

re is a flash, a screaming in the air, as the swiftly-whirling

aff, while kneeling beside the dead body of Corporal Maddocks, who has fallen while guarding the torn and tattered bu

d men, who has been out on

" he asks of the grim

t tell y

ld like to

want, just go in, Colonel, for there

s them by the swamp, Jameson holds them with his three hundred men on the Wil

road to Richmond. Thus, while Whiting is pushing east over the Nine-Mile Roa

order which he receives. He wo

, if you had not been ord

hmond or in Heaven before

is between him and Seven Pines. He faces south, picks his way through Wh

disorganized. Berry's brigade is as firm and solid as ever. Jameson's has been divided and sent to different parts of the field. Casey's division has crumbled. Couch's has been broken. A great crowd of stragglers is moving towards Bottom

has crossed the Chickahominy at Grape-Vine Bridge,

the Chickahominy and waited for orders to cross. He commenced crossing at three o'clock, but the swamp was flood

six Napoleon guns, followed, and Dana's brigade closed the column, composed of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, Seventh Michigan, and Forty-Second New York. General Sumner rapidly

towards the north to sweep all before them. They advance across the field and through the

he moves from gun to gun. The battle-cloud grows thick beneath the heavy vapors rising from the swamp. Quick, incessant flashes momentarily light up the

The Thirty-Fourth and Forty-Second New York, Fifteenth and

h a cheer heard above the roar of battle, they rush into the darkness, dash the fences under foot, and spring upon the enemy's lines. It is the work of a minute. One short s

to accomplish. He is borne from the field at thi

anks, one of Longstreet's aides, looking as blue as indigo. What is

hunder. Just to think that Huger's slowness has spoiled everything! There he has been on our right all day a

to groans extorted by the intense pain,-the work at the hospitals, where the disabled, one by one, are laid before the surge

s regiment, and the staff of a widowed mother. He was lying on a blanket near the house, wounded in the bowels. I asked him about his sufferings. He replied, th

g and ready to die? I am

I know I shall find mother there. I feel I have been a great sinner; in many things I have done wrong; but ever since my conversion I experienced in Camp Johnson, I have tried to follow my Saviour, and no

who for us all had suffered the bitterness of death. He repeated word for word, prayed for his mother, and then s

ounded were removed. He was lifted into an ambulance, but died before it reached Savage S

erly belonging to the Rebel army rode

neral Anders

do you want of him

tch for him fro

iers, guard this man.

oner. The despatch gave information of the disposition

ck remained where he fought on Saturday. Richardson's division was next on his right. He formed in two lines,-with French's brigade in front on the railroad,

in detail the fight of Sunday morn

rd Seven Pines to close it. From the woods where Pettit drops his shells, there is a volley-another-another-and the men drop from Richardson's ranks. The Rebels advance and attack French's brigade at short range. For an hour the men stand in their places, and deliver their fire upon the columns which are pushed agai

Kearney," is the salutation of t

magnificent. The rebel line is s

urg road, Berry and Jameson are moving over the ground of Saturday between the Seven Pines and White-Oak Swamp. Richardson and Sedgwick are also in motion. From Fair Oaks to the swamp

lized ranks to Richmond. Hats, caps, blankets, knapsacks, guns, all are thrown aside. The road is filled wit

eintzelman.30-"I think that if the army had pressed after the enemy with gre

iking a decisive blow. These opportunities never

m their pursuit, and established his line

ith's, Longstreet's, and Hill's divisions, was 6,783. Whiting's divisio

All the timber hauled to construct the bridges and the batteries was drawn by the men. The month of June was rainy. There were frequent storms, succeeded by hot sunshine. Sickness, in all its frightful forms, made its appearance. The men became discouraged. It was expected, day after day, that the attack would commence; but the

Call's division of Pennsylvania Reserves, which

two squadrons of Regular cavalry, at Hanover Old Church, overpowering and capturing them; then pushed on to Gorlick's

n on the track as he rounded a curve. They motioned him to stop, but he put on more steam, and the tr

us suddenly in the hands of the enemy. Several died during the night. In the pockets of one Union soldier, after death, the chaplain found some touching and beautiful letters from a little brother and sister, telling him how much they missed him, how they longed for his retu