found of him, and we saw no more of him that night. What was the cause
of this sudden alarm we never knew. Possibly, a riderless horse might
have suddenly startled those in front, or, quite as likely, there was no
cause whatever; but the incident illustrates the state of feeling in the
army that night.

At length, just as the gray light of the morning was streaking the
skies, we came in sight of the majestic James river. Every man took a
long breath, as though relieved of a heavy load of anxiety. Officers
clasped their hands and exclaimed, "Thank God." The worn out men stepped
lighter, for they had arrived at the haven of their hopes. Again they
experienced a feeling of safety. We filed into a beautiful clover field,
and there the exhausted columns sunk down for a brief rest. Brief it was
to be, for scarcely had two hours passed when we were ordered into line
of battle. We moved back through the woods, crossing a little stream,
and formed in a wheat field, where the grain stood in shocks. Here we
remained, watching the enemy, who stood in our front, contenting
themselves with occasional sallies of their skirmishers, while the great
battle of Malvern Hill was in progress on our left, where the booming of
our field pieces and the dull roar of the heavy guns from the gunboats
was heard for many hours. At length, as night came on, the sound of
battle died away, and all was again quiet. Now we heard cheers on the
left, and, looking in that direction, we saw, approaching at great
speed, the commander of the Union army. Cheers greeted him as he rode
along the line, and hats were thrown high in the air in honor of the
chief.

As the leading corps of the army had fallen back from White Oak Swamp,
they had occupied a superb position on the James river, called Malvern
Hill. The wagons and other impedimentia of the army had also arrived
there, and were secured behind the southern slope of the hill. The place
was admirably adapted for a defensive battle. It was a lofty plateau,
rising not less than one hundred and fifty feet above the plain, sloping
gently toward the north and east, down to the border of the forest. The
approach to this sloping field was rendered difficult by ravines, which
ran along the front; and the enemy, if he approached, must do so by way
of the roads which crossed them.

Upon the crest was posted the battery of siege guns which had escaped
the hands of the enemy; and nearly three hundred field pieces were