themselves upon a foe outnumbering them seven or eight to one. Leaping a rail-fence in their way, they were promptly within the same enclosure with the rebels. Arrested in their charge by the awful storm of lead and iron hurled into their faces, they manfully kept their ranks, slowly falling back while keeping up an incessant fire. The rebels, emboldened by their numbers, pressed on with courage which excited the admiration of their foes. 66 The National batteries threw, at point-blank range, what are called spherical case-shot." This destructive missile is composed of a canister containing seventy-six musket-balls, with a charge of powder in the centre, which is ignited by a fuze. The canister or ball, when it leaves the gun, operates like an ordinary solid shot. It ploughs its way through the masses of the foe, and then, exploding, hurls the bullets in all directions, with almost as much deadly power as if thrown from a rifle. There were four National batteries, which, with unerring aim, threw from sixty to eighty of these shot each minute into the ranks of the advancing foe. And still the rebels, notwithstanding the frightful gaps made in their lines, marched unhesitatingly on, closing the ever-opening chasms, apparently, as regardless of these terrible missiles as of snow-flakes. Five thousand men, in comparatively an open field, could do but little to retard the advance of sixteen thousand, or rather of thirty-two thousand, for two divisions of the rebels were united in this attack. Onward the long encircling, unwavering line of the enemy advanced, until within twenty yards of Spratt's battery. The brave artillerists then delivered their last fire, and not till then, at the order of their commander, retired. As every horse was either killed or wounded, the four guns could not be withdrawn. Such was the reception which this heroic band of five thousand men gave to thirty-two thousand rebels, marching in line upon them, while there were thirty-two thousand more advancing to assail them in flank and rear. The National troops now retreated about a third of a mile back to their second line, consisting of rifle-pits and a redoubt. The rebels halted a moment to secure the captured cannon, and again advanced, pouring in, from their dense long line of artillery and infantry, incessant volleys of bullets and shells. Within the redoubt Bates's battery was stationed. Here the battle was renewed with the most determined obstinacy. In every army there are some of timid natures, who skulk in the hour of peril; but the troops of General Casey, inspired by the heroism of their leader, generally fought with determination which would have done honor to veterans. For more than three hours these brave men maintained their ground without a single regiment being sent to reënforce them, and yet there was an army of nearly one hundred and fifty thousand troops encamped almost within sound of their guns. A more heroic fight than was thus waged by General Casey's little band has not been witnessed during the progress of the war.* *"The redoubt at Seven Pines was surrounded and its defenders fell valiantly. Here, among others, Colonel Bailey, of the Artillery, met a glorious death among his guns. The redoubt was carried, and the Northern troops fell into some confusion. In vain did Generals Keyes and Naglée make a thousand efforts to rally their troops. They were wholly disregarded. At this At the redoubt where the troops made their second stand there were two batteries in position-Bates's and Fitch's. The new line which the Union troops here formed extended from the Williamsburg road a few rods northward. The enemy halted a moment to re-form their line, and then, with four batteries in advance, resumed their slow, steady, resistless charge. Both the rebel and patriot batteries were worked with the utmost rapidity, and every infantry soldier in both armies loaded and fired as quickly as possible. Sublimely, as an ocean billow, the mighty rebel host moved on, regardless of mutilation and death, and, sweeping over the ramparts, after a conflict brief but of terrific fierceness, captured the redoubt. It was, as we have stated, about a third of a mile from the first line of battle to this second redoubt, which was now lost. Half a mile farther in the rear, General Couch's troops were drawn up in line. General Casey's decimated band, exhausted and bleeding, yet dragging with them Fitch's battery, leaving Bates's battery behind them, retreated through General Couch's lines, and, sheltered by them, re-formed in their rear. Three hours and a half had passed. During all this time General Casey's division had held the enemy in check, without a single man being sent. to his aid. There was surely grievous fault somewhere. But for this heroic resistance, the troops on the other or northern bank of the Chickahominy would have met with a fearful repulse. The almost unequalled severity of the battle is evinced by the fact, that out of eighty-four officers and sixteen hundred and sixty-nine men of the first brigade taken into action, thirty-five officers and six hundred and three men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The rebels halted a moment at the deserted camp, and at four o'clock again resumed their march for General Couch's line of battle. General Couch had rapidly formed his line, eight thousand strong, with artillery, and he was at that moment being reënforced by General Heintzelman's corps of sixteen thousand men, giving him a force of twenty-four thousand men. With these he was to encounter thirty-two thousand rebels, advancing upon him in front under Generals Hill and Longstreet, and another division of sixteen thousand under General Smith, marching upon his flank down the Nine-Mile Road to the Old Tavern. The road was so called because it was nine miles by that road from Seven Pines to Richmond. There were thus forty-eight thousand rebels marching against twenty-four thousand patriots. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. General Couch had thrown up a few slight intrenchments, and the ground was somewhat in his favor. His line was formed a little north of the Williamsburg road, with his right flank upon the railroad. The rebels advanced obliquely, so as to bring the main impetus of their assault upon General Couch's right wing. Troops moment they perceived a small battalion of French troops, known as the 'Gardes Lafayette,' standing in good order. The generals rode up to it, put themselves at its head, charged the enemy and retook a battery. The battalion lost a fourth of its numbers in this charge; but like genuine Frenchmen, the same all the world over, they cried-'They may call us Gardes la fourchette now, if they like,' in allusion to an uncomplimentary nickname which had been bestowed upon them."-Army of the Potomac, by the Prince de Joinville, p. 73. were promptly sent to strengthen the point of attack. At half-past four the roar of battle again commenced. Face to face, but a few yards apart, the two hostile lines poured upon each other the most deadly fire. The carnage on both sides was dreadful. A heavy cloud of smoke hung over the combatants. Every man on both sides was engaged. Even General Casey's exhausted corps, which had re-formed in the rear, heroically came forward to aid their comrades. The ground was literally covered with the dead and the dying. The flash of artillery, the whistling of bullets, the shriek of shells, and the unintermitted thunder of the battle, presented a spectacle of awful sublimity. General Peck now came to the rescue. With two Pennsylvania regiments he passed through an open field swept by a shower of balls, and, forming in line across the Nine-Mile Road, poured in a very destructive fire upon the foe. For half an hour General Peck held his post against a force vastly outnumbering his own. Gradually, however, they were forced to retire, but not until they had inflicted a severe loss upon the rebels. General Peck had his horse shot under him. The valor was equal on either side. But the rebels greatly outnumbered us. It was impossible to resist their advance. Onward they moved, bending their wings like a crescent to surround the patriots. Again retreat only could save from destruction. Slowly, stubbornly, in good order, contesting every inch of the way, the troops retired along the Williamsburg road, vigorously pursued by the rebels. Night was now at hand, and a drizzling rain began to fall from the clouds which had been gathering over the battle-field. It was indeed a dark and gloomy hour. Still there were no indications of despondency, or of any disposition to yield to a panic. It was hoped every moment that General Sumner, who was known to be not far distant, would appear upon the field with efficient reënforcements. * About half-past five o'clock, General Birney, with one of the brigades of General Kearney's division, succeeded in joining General Couch's corps, by a very resolute march, which entitled him to much praise. General Sumner was encamped, that morning, at New Bridge, on the other side of the Chickahominy. The recent rains had swollen the river to a foaming torrent, and swept away several bridges. About three o'clock in the afternoon, General Sumner received an order to cross the river immediately, and march as speedily as possible to the aid of the troops, who were every moment in peril of being overwhelmed. The vigilant general was anxiously waiting for this order, and immediately moved forward with his troops, at the double-quick. It required a long time to cross the river. The roads through the bordering swamps were horrible. It was five miles to the scene of conflict from his camp, which he occupied with General Sedgwick. With eight thousand troops and several pieces of artillery, Generals Sumner and Sedgwick, through *General Kearney, the bravest of the brave, thus speaks in his official report of General Casey's troops:—"As it was, Casey's division held its line of battle for more than three hours, and the execution done upon the enemy was shown by the number of the rebel dead left upon the field after the enemy had held possession of it for upwards of twenty-four hours." the rain and the mud, pressed forward with the utmost possible energy. Every soldier was roused to the highest pitch of exertion. The anxious soldiers, so heroically struggling in the desperate fight at Seven Pines, saw at length, on their right, a column of troops approaching on the full run. The shout, "It is General Sumner," ran along the lines. It was, indeed, a glad sight. With renewed vigor, the patriots, slowly retiring, retarded the advance of the foe. The rebels pressed on, not with cheers, but with their peculiar yell borrowed by the frontiersmen from the Indians. In the midst of their success, a fragment of a shell struck General J. E. Johnston, their Commander-in-Chief, and hurled him, fatally wounded, from his horse. This created great confusion in the rebel ranks, which was increased by the intelligence that a large patriot reënforcement was about to attack them on their left. General Sumner's regiments came up on the double-quick, one by one, and ranged themselves in line of battle. They had but just taken their positions, when the rebels, in immense strength, were seen advancing through the woods. They came from the edge of the forest into the cleared land, and, dropping upon their knees, delivered their first fire. The well-trained National soldiers threw themselves upon their faces. The storm of musket-balls swept over them. "It sounded," said one who was present, "like the fierce crashing of the wind through the rigging of a storm-tossed ship." The patriots, instantly jumping up, poured in their return fire, in rapid volleys of musketry and artillery. General Sumner, with gray hair streaming in the wind, rode up and down the lines, encouraging the men to the utmost possible rapidity and accuracy in loading and firing. The rebels, exultant in their vast superiority of numbers, were formed for a charge. On they came, roaring, and apparently resistless. As they rushed on, they poured in an incessant fire. Captain Brady, in charge of one of the patriot batteries, thus graphically describes the scene at this mo ment: "Men fell and horses were cut down around my guns. But still there was no cessation in the cry for 'canister;' and the hurrying to and fro for more, with the mad gesticulating of the sweating rammers, as they sent home the charges, made a wild scene. 'Canister is out' caught my ear. In an instant, I sung out, unthinking, 'Shell without fuze.' The next moment our guns belched forth bursting shell and spherical case right in the face of the enemy. Just at this critical junction they charged, advancing half way into the field, right on our guns, scarce twenty yards from the muzzle-but no farther. The 'rotten shot,' as one of the poor rebels graphically termed it, was too much for them. No one could stand, for it flew every way. Those that charged were buried there the next morning." Essentially the same scene was witnessed along the whole line of battle. Twice the rebels charged;-twice they were repulsed. There was a third feeble attempt, when the rebels, overwhelmed by the dreadful carnage, broke and fled back precipitately through the woods, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. General Sumner's division pursued the |