Meade's brigade, north of the road, Seymour's south of it, and Reynolds's commanded in this battle by Colonel Simmons — in reserve. He had five batteries, ― Randall's on the right, Kerns's and Cooper's in the centre, and Dietrich's and Kanerhun's on the left, all in front of his infantry, looking down a gentle slope upon an open field; on the west there was a brook, fringed with a forest growth, with the farm of Mr. Frazier beyond. It was half-past two before Hill was ready to make the attack. He threw out two regiments as skirmishers, which advanced to feel of McCall's lines; but they were repulsed by the Seventh and Twelfth Pennsylvania Reserves. Hill had twelve brigades, six of his own and six of Longstreet's. Magruder and Huger had not arrived. His plan was to strike with all his force at once. Brigade after brigade advanced, but recoiled before the direct fire of the batteries, sustained by the infantry. "The thunder of the cannon, the cracking of the musketry from thousands of combatants, mingled with screams from the wounded and dying, were terrific to the ear and to the imagination," says a correspondent of the Cologne Gazette. "Volleys upon volleys streamed across our front in such quick succession that it seemed impossible for any human being to live under them," writes a Rebel officer. I Five o'clock! The battle has raged two hours and a half, sustained wholly by McCall, and Hill has not driven him an inch. The Rebels desist from their direct attack in front, and throw all their force upon Seymour's left, south of the road. McCall sends over the Fifth and Eighth Regiments from his second line. 'Change front with the infantry and artillery," is his order. Hill is pushing along his left flank to gain his rear. McCall orders a charge, and it is executed with a promptness and vigor sufficient to check the advancing troops. But his line has become disordered by the charge. Hill improves the opportunity, and hurries up his reserve brigades, which fire while advancing. 1 Battle-Fields of the South, p. 170. The gunners of the German batteries leave their pieces. McCall rides among them, rallies them a moment, but the drivers are panicstricken. They dash off to the rear, breaking through the infantry, and trampling down the men. The Rebels rush upon the deserted guns with unparalleled frenzy. The line of McCall is broken, and portions of his troops follow the fleeing cannoneers. General McCall tries to rally the fugitives, but they are deaf to all his orders. They stream on through Hooker's and Sumner's line. Will Hooker's men join the drifting current? Now or never they must be brave. Now or never their country is to be saved. All hearts feel it; all hands are ready. They stand in the gateway of centuries. Unnumbered millions are beckoning them to do their duty. Hooker has Grover's brigade on the right, Carr's in the centre, and Sickles's on the left, just the order in which they stood at Williamsburg. The Sixteenth Massachusetts, led by the heroic Colonel Wyman, met the pursuers. The Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania, of Sedgwick's division, joining upon Hooker's right, delivered at the same moment a fire upon the flank of the enemy. Along Sumner's front, from King's, Kirby's, Tompkins's, Owen's, and Bartlett's batteries, flashed doubleshotted guns. It was as if a voice had said, "Thus far and no farther!" Hooker's infantry came into close battle-line, delivered a fire which forced the Rebels over against Sumner's batteries; which, in turn, threw them against Kearney, and against Meade's brigade, which had not joined in the fight. Grover pushed on with the First and Sixteenth Massachusetts, the Second New Hampshire, and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, with reckless daring. Hill was driven back over all the ground he had won, with great slaughter. It was a decided repulse, but costly to the Sixteenth Massachusetts. Its noble colonel fell at the head of his regiment. These were the last words of one of the soldiers of that regiment: "I thank God that I am permitted to die for my country, and I thank him yet more that I am prepared, —or at least I hope I am." So complete was the repulse that the Rebel troops became a mob, and fled in terror towards Richmond. Many old soldiers," says a Rebel officer, "who had served on the plains of Arkansas and Missouri wept in the bitterness of their souls like children. Of what avail had it been to us that our best blood had flowed for six long days? Of what avail all of our unceasing and exhaustless endurance? Every thing seemed lost, and a general depression came over all our hearts. Batteries dashed past in headlong flight. Ammunition, hospital, and supply wagons rushed along, and swept the troops away with them from the battle-field. In vain the most frantic exertions, entreaty, and self-sacrifice of the staff officers! The troops had lost their foothold, and all was over with the Southern Confederacy! General Magruder's arrival alone saved Hill from an ignominious flight. Through the night there was the red glare of torches upon the battle-field where the Rebel wounded were being gathered up. Great was the loss. Up to daylight there was no apparent diminution of the heart-rending cries and groans of the wounded. A mournful wail was heard from Glendale during that long, dismal night.2 THE BATTLE OF MALVERN. The battle-field of July 1st, 1862, bears the pleasant name of Malvern. It is on the north bank of the James, - an elevated plain near the river, but declining gently towards the north, -divided into corn and wheat fields, bordered on the east and west and south by wooded ravines. The estate is owned by Dr. Carter. Although it bears a name so pleasant, there have been sad scenes upon those fertile fields, not alone the shock, roar, and horror of a great battle, but the low wail of mothers for their infants, torn from their arms and sold to slave-traders, the agonies of men under torture of the whip, their flesh torn and mangled by an unfeeling master. "Was he a good master?" I asked of an old negro at City Point, in July, 1864. "No, sir. He was very bad, sir. He was de wussest dat eber was, |