Sumner’s men advanced on the double-quick. They had succeeded in
bringing up a battery, which was instantly planted; and they carried
real fighting guns, 12-pound howitzers. With these they poured in a
rapid and destructive fire upon the enemy. General Sumner, his gray hair
streaming on the wind, a picture to inspire heroism, reverence and
admiration, rode up and down the lines, shouting encouragement to his
brave soldiers. The rebels charged twice, well and bravely; and twice
they were repulsed. A third charge was feebly attempted, but overwhelmed
by the destruction dealt upon their ranks by the Union men, they broke,
turned, and fled wildly, leaving their dead and wounded on the field.
The Federals, bayonet in hand, and led by General Sumner, pursued the
routed foe, driving them as far as Fair Oaks Station.
THE BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES.
JUNE 1, 1862.
During the night all the Union artillery was brought safely through the
marshes and swamps; and was posted for duty, it being well understood
that the enemy would, on the following day, throw out all his remaining
force, to drive back the Federal troops, and compel them to cross the
Chickahominy. Throughout the night was heard the sound of axes, felling
trees to protect the rebels from the advance of their foes; and the
words of command from the rebel officers were distinctly heard by our
soldiers.
The attack was not made at so early an hour as had been anticipated by
our officers; it was six o’clock when the enemy first gave signs of
their intended movement, and our pickets were driven in. They halted in
our front and taunted our line to advance. General French, whose brigade
was in front, declined the challenge, and the rebels rushed forward. The
battle opened at once, furiously. The enemy fought rapidly and
skilfully, adopting tactics which General French construed into a feint
to draw him on. At intervals they suspended fire, appeared to be driven
back, but continued to send forward new forces—their capacity for
reinforcements, as on the previous day, appearing to be inexhaustible.
As upon Saturday, both sides fought with equal and determined bravery.
When the contest had lasted two hours and a half, with still increasing
fury, General Richardson ordered Howard’s brigade to the front; the
enemy also again reinforced, and the volume of his fire increased.
Meantime our batteries were shelling the forests furiously; and a
vigorous bayonet charge, by the Fifth New Hampshire, scattered the
enemy, who had appeared in a skirt of the woods, like dry leaves before
the autumn wind. General Howard, who had cheered on his brave men in the
thickest of the fray, was at length disabled, and carried to the rear;
his brother, Lieutenant Howard, also fell wounded; and Colonel Cross of
the Fifth New Hampshire took command. The enemy having begun to fall
back, Colonel Miller, of the Eighty-first Pennsylvania, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Masset, a talented young man, and a brave officer, of
the Sixty-first New York, were killed instantly. The Fifth New Hampshire
charged again. Colonel Cross at their head was wounded in the forehead
with a fragment of shell, but bravely resisted its effect till he was
ham-strung by a musket ball, when he allowed himself to be carried to
the rear. As he was borne away he was cheered by hearing a shout of
triumph that rent the air; and he knew that the Federals had won the
day. Colonel Parker then took command of the brigade, and fought till
the enemy were completely repulsed. The battle was at an end; the rebels
did not again appear that day, nor did they even venture to post their
pickets within view of the Federal line.
Major W. W. Cook, of the Fifth New Hampshire was disabled in the same
manner as his Colonel. All the officers engaged, both in the fight of
Sunday and of Saturday, bore themselves with unflinching bravery.
Sedgwick displayed a coolness and courage invaluable in keeping up the
spirits of his men; the firmness of Gorman filled the soldiers in his
command with enthusiasm, and the quick judgment of General Burns at a
most critical moment of the action, had a decidedly inspiriting effect
upon his troops. When the balls were flying around them like hail,
several horses and three battery teams stampeded, and for an instant the
whole line of battle seemed to waver; when General Burns, comprehending
the situation at a glance, called out with admirable coolness, “Steady,
men, steady!” The effect was like magic. The Zouaves uttered a long
loud, hearty series of yells that might have been heard at Richmond; and
before they had realized that they had even wavered, the entire lines
had dressed up compactly, and were dealing murderous discharges on the
enemy. Captain Sedgwick, Assistant Adjutant-General to General Sedgwick,
and Lieutenant Stone, his Aid-de-Camp; Captain G. H. Wicks, Assistant
Adjutant-General to General Burns; and Lieutenants Blakeney and Camblos
are entitled to honorable mention. Colonel Cochrane, Colonel Neill,
Colonel Sully, and Colonel Senter showed themselves to be brave soldiers
and efficient officers.
The loss of men on both sides was very great. Capt. Achnuff, of the One
Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania, Capt. Marke, First California, Lieut.
Camblos and Gen. Burns, and Lieut. Donelson of the First California,
were wounded.
General McClellan was wherever duty called him; in the fight of Sunday
he was in the field, and rode along the entire battle line, greeted with
enthusiastic cheers from every mouth. In the battle of Sunday, Gen.
Pettigrew and Col. Champ Davis of South Carolina, and Col. Long of the
regular army, were taken prisoners.
On Sunday night, the gallant troops of the Union army again slept on the
battle-field; while around them lay the mangled, stiff, and gory dead,
with upturned, pallid faces, on which the heavens smiled down in mute
approval of the dauntless courage that had dared death and won the
victory in a noble cause!
THE BATTLE OF CROSS-KEYS.
JUNE 8, 1862.
At six o’clock on the morning of the 8th of June, the Virginia forces,
under General Fremont, commanding the mountain department in West
Virginia, left Harrisonburgh, and advanced about seven miles, attacking
the rebels near a place called Union Church. The advance was led by
General Cluseret, his brigade consisting of the Sixtieth Ohio and Eighth
Virginia, afterwards supported by the Garibaldi Guard. The battle
commenced at about nine o’clock, and was prosecuted with great fury on
both sides. The rebels, consisting of Stonewall Jackson’s command, had
the advantage of position.
General Fremont was early on the ground, and was often exposed to the
fire of the enemy. On one occasion, a shell from a rebel battery struck
the ground within a few feet of the spot on which he stood. The Union
line of battle was a mile and a half in length. General Schenck led the
right wing. His forces were disposed as follows: at his left was the
Eighty-second Ohio, Colonel Cantwell; next came the Fifty-fifth Ohio,
Colonel Lee; Seventy-third, Colonel Smith; Seventy-fifth, Colonel
McLean, while the Thirty-second Ohio, Colonel Ford, held the extreme
right. The centre, under the command of the intrepid Milroy, had the
Third Virginia, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson commanding, on the left;
next the Fifth Virginia, Colonel Zeigler; the Second Virginia, Major J.
D. Owens commanding; while the Twenty-fifth Ohio, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Richardson, formed the right. Between Milroy’s right
and Schenck’s left lay the Sixtieth Ohio, Colonel Trimble, and Eighth
Virginia, Colonel Loeser, commanded by Colonel Cluseret, in addition to
the Garibaldi Guards, of Blenker’s division. General Stahl’s brigade,
consisting of the Eighth, Forty-first, and Forty-fifth New York, and
Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania, with the invincible band of Bucktails, that
survived the slaughter of Friday previous, formed the left. General
Bohlen’s brigade was to support Stahl, while the remainder of Blenker’s
division was a reserve.
The battle lasted until about three o’clock in the afternoon, when, by
the misinterpretation of an order, the left wing of the Union forces
fell back, exposing the centre, and necessitating a retrograde movement
along the whole line. The enemy, intent only upon getting off, made no
further advance; and the worn and wasted ranks of the patriots reposed
at night upon the field of combat. Early next morning the Union line of
battle was reformed, Schenck taking the centre, and Milroy the right,
and an advance was commenced, in the direction of Port Republic. As the
National forces approached this point, which is on the Shenandoah river,
a dense smoke was seen rising ahead, and it was soon found that the
rebels had retired across the river, and burned the only bridge by which
it was possible to pursue them. Thus did Stonewall Jackson, after a
successful raid up the Valley, slip through the fingers of the Union
commanders, and make good his escape—though not without severe loss. The
Union losses were upwards of six hundred in killed, wounded, and
missing. The men behaved with great gallantry in this fight. Generals
Milroy and Cluseret especially distinguished themselves.
THE SEVEN DAYS’ BATTLES.
BATTLE OF OAK GROVE.
JUNE 25, 1862.
Time passed on, days lengthening into weeks, and no decisive step was
taken, that is, no engagement of great moment with the enemy took place,
for circumstances rendered it impossible. The Chickahominy, already so
high as to render crossing it impracticable, was still further swollen
by heavy rains on the nights of June 3d, 4th and 7th, till finally it
flooded all the bottoms to the height of four or five feet, rendering
the country, for the time, impassable for either artillery or cavalry.
General McClellan meanwhile continued to urge upon the War Department at
Washington the necessity for reinforcing his army; and continued to push
on the construction of bridges across the river. It was his wish to
place the two wings of the army, separated only by the river, in the
most direct communication with each other. On the 10th and 11th June,
General McCall’s troops commenced landing at the White House. On the
25th, the bridges and intrenchments being at last completed, an advance
of the picket lines was ordered, preparatory to a general movement
forward. The advance was begun by Heintzelman’s corps, at about 9
o’clock on the morning of the 25th, the object in view being to gain
possession of a spot called Oak Grove, which had long been disputed
ground. The enemy was in strong force all along the line, and stubbornly
resisted the advance of the Union regiments, obliged at first to push
forward cautiously, and with great difficulty through the heavy swamps.
The rebel pickets were routed, and a brisk engagement opened with their
supports. The battle soon became general, and it was impossible to
distinguish any thing but smoke, and mounted officers dashing to and fro
along the line. It was as easy to distinguish the firing of the enemy
from our own, as it is to distinguish the sound of two voices from each
other: for they were armed with Harper’s Ferry muskets, we carried
Springfield and Enfield guns. The firing of our soldiers was sharp and
ringing, that of the enemy slow and dull; but on both sides heavy. In
this fight, General Sickles commanded in turn each regiment of his
brigade, encouraging his men, and leading, and inspiring them with his
own fiery ardor. The fire rapidly extended over Hooker’s entire line to
Hinks’s flanking regiment, ever increasing in intensity, as
reinforcements of the enemy joined those already engaged. The Union men
behaved splendidly. General Hooker’s division merited and obtained great
praise. At 5 o’clock the fighting was over; the enemy was entirely
driven from their camps in front of redoubt No. 3; and the brave
soldiers rested on their laurels, having achieved a dearly bought
victory.
Our loss was very heavy. The rebel loss was not so severe.
BATTLE OF GAINES’ MILL.
JUNE 26, 1862.
During the night information was received that Stonewall Jackson, having
returned from his raid down the Valley of the Shenandoah, was rapidly
moving down the peninsula between the Pamunkey and the Chickahominy with
the intention of attacking McClellan’s right flank. This alarming
intelligence put a stop, for a time, to any idea of an immediate advance
toward Richmond. Our right wing consisted of the divisions of McCall,
Morrell, and Sykes. At 12 o’clock on the morning of the 26th of June,
the approach of the enemy was perceived. The position of the Union
troops was a strong one; extending along the left bank of Beaver Dam
Creek, the left resting on the Chickahominy, and the right in thick
woods beyond the upper road from Mechanicsville to Coal Harbor.
Seymour’s brigade held the left of the line; and Reynolds’ the right;
the artillery occupied positions commanding the roads, and the open
ground across the creek.
At three o’clock in the afternoon the rebels advanced impetuously, but
were bravely resisted by General Reynolds; and after a severe struggle
forced back with heavy loss. A rapid artillery fire, with skirmishing,
was maintained along the front, while the enemy about two hours later
massed his troops for another effort, but was again repulsed with severe
slaughter, by General Seymour. At nine o’clock, p. m., the engagement
was at an end, with entire success to the Union arms, while the enemy
retired slowly and humbled by defeat.
During the night General Porter led a portion of the Union troops across
the Chickahominy, Seymour’s brigade covering the movement; and in the
darkness it was successfully accomplished. The enemy appeared in front
of our new line about noon of the 27th, at which time we were prepared
to receive him. In this engagement the rebels were two to one of the
Union army; their force numbered seventy thousand; and that of the
Federals thirty-five thousand. The loss of the latter under the
tremendous fire of the enemy was appalling. At three o’clock in the
afternoon the engagement had become so general and so severe that the
whole second line and all the reserves were moved forward to meet the
overwhelming number of the enemy, and to sustain the first line under
the desperate assaults on the front. Slocum’s division was brought into
action to guard the weak points of our line, the moment it arrived on
the field. On the left the rebels were repulsed with heavy loss; while
on the right Sykes’ regulars did signal service in repelling many severe
attacks. The position of the Union troops was becoming very critical;
and, most of them under arms for two days, and greatly exhausted, were
being severely harassed by the masses of fresh troops constantly brought
against them. To have the line pressed at any one point now, would have
been fatal; and it was absolutely necessary, General Porter being
required to hold his position till nightfall, to divide Slocum’s
division, and send even single regiments if no more could be spared, to
protect the points in the most danger from the enemy.
The peril of the army was hourly becoming more imminent.
At five o’clock the brigades of French and Meagher, Richardson’s
division, third corps, were ordered to the support of General Porter.
At six o’clock the enemy again attacked in great force, but failed to
break the unwavering line of Union soldiers.
At seven o’clock they rushed forward with increased fury, and finally
gained the woods held by Porter’s left. A general confusion followed,
with more determined assaults from the enemy, forcing Porter’s men from
the position they had so nobly held, to a hill in the rear overlooking
the bridge. It was now approaching night, and the hearts of the Union
troops were heavy with dire apprehension, when the French and Meagher
brigades appeared, sternly driving before them the stragglers who were
thronging in disorder toward the bridge. They advanced boldly to the
front, and by their steady bearing and their brave example so animated
the sinking troops that they rallied, reformed behind the welcome
reinforcement, and again advanced up the hill prepared to repulse any
attack of the enemy. But what had renewed their courage had filled the
rebels with dismay; having been many times in the course of the
engagement repulsed with severe slaughter, and now hearing the shouts of
the fresh troops, the enemy failed to follow up his advantage; and in
the gathering gloom of night the rescued regiments made good their
retreat, crossed the bridge in safety, and destroyed it behind them.
In this battle the rebels captured twenty-two guns, three of which were
lost by being run off the bridges in the final withdrawal. It is due to
the artillery to say that not until the last successful charge of the
rebels were the cannoneers driven from their pieces, or struck down, and
their guns captured. The batteries of Diedrich, Ranahan, and Grimm took
position in front of General Smith’s line and aided by the First
Connecticut artillery, with a battery of siege guns, drove back the
rebels in front of General Porter.
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN.]
THE CHANGE OF BASE.
The weary hours of the sultry night following the battle of Gaines’ Mill
were heavy laden to the soldiers of the army of the Potomac.—While the
rear guard was taking positions to beat back the advance of the foe on
the next day, the main body of the army continued a retreat which every
man felt to be ignominious; and rolled backward, like a mighty stream
turned from its source, toward the James river.
On the evening of June 27th General McClellan assembled his corps
commanders at his headquarters, and informed them of the proposed change
in his base of operations, his reasons, his choice of route and method
of execution.
General Keyes was directed to move his corps across White Oak swamp, and
to seize strong positions on the opposite side, in order to cover the
passage of the troops and trains—a movement which he executed the
following morning.
General McClellan spent the day at Savage’s Station, directing the
withdrawal of the trains and supplies of the army. Orders were given to
load the wagons with all the ammunition, provisions, and necessary
baggage of officers and men that could be placed on them, and to destroy
all property which could not be transported with the army.
A proper number of surgeons and attendants, with a bountiful supply of
rations and medical stores were left with the sick and wounded who could
not be removed.
A herd of beef cattle numbering twenty-five hundred head was transferred
in safety to the James river, by the Chief Commissary, Colonel Clark.
The enemy opened on General Smiths’ division from Garnett’s Hill, from
the valley above, and from Gaines’ Hill on the opposite side of the
Chickahominy, while General Franklin was in the act of withdrawing his
command from Golding’s farm. A short time after, a Georgia regiment made
an attempt to carry the works about to be vacated, but were instantly
repulsed by the Twenty-third New Jersey and Forty-ninth Pennsylvania
Volunteers, on picket duty, aided by a section of Mott’s battery.
General Porter’s corps was moved across White Oak swamp, and was so
placed as to strengthen General Keyes’ right.
McCall’s division, on the night of the 28th, was conveyed across the
swamp to aid in covering the remaining trains and troops.
During the same night General Sumner withdrew his troops to a point on
the railroad near Savage’s Station; and Heintzelman and Smith took up
positions in his close vicinity. The divisions of Sedgwick and
Richardson were already there on the railroad facing Richmond; the first
line of Richardson’s division being held by General French, and the
second supported by General Caldwell.
General Slocum’s division of Franklin’s corps was ordered to Savage’s
Station, to be held in reserve.
BATTLES OF ALLEN’S FARM AND SAVAGE’S STATION.
Early on the morning of Sunday, June 29, it was observed by the keen and
watchful eye of General Franklin that the enemy had reconstructed the
bridges across the Chickahominy, and were advancing in large force on
Savage’s Station. He instantly communicated the fact to General Sumner.
At 9 A. M. the enemy furiously attacked General Sedgwick’s right, but
was signally repulsed. They next attacked General Richardson on the
left, attempting to carry the position of Colonel Brooks. Hazzard’s
battery, afterwards replaced by Pettit’s, was served with disastrous
effect on the enemy. The Fifty-third Pennsylvania poured in a steady
fire on the enemy, compelling them to retreat in disorder. Three times
the enemy renewed the attack, and three times they were completely
repulsed.
At half past 12 A. M., General Sumner, having united his forces with
those of General Franklin, assumed command.
It was about eleven o’clock when the rebels first made their appearance,
and commenced their attack by throwing shells into General Sumner’s
lines. Orders had been given to Generals Sumner, Franklin, and
Heintzelman to hold their position until dark: the latter was ordered to
hold himself in readiness to retreat as soon as night fell. Sumner’s and
Franklin’s commands were drawn up in line of battle in a large open
field to the left of the railroad. General Brooks with his brigade held
the wood to the left of the field, bearing himself with true soldierly
heroism, and though wounded he retained his command. At 4 P. M., the
rebels attacked on the Williamsburg road, but were gallantly met by the
brigade of the brave General Burns, supported and reinforced by two
lines in reserve and by the New York Sixty-ninth, Hazzard’s and Pettit’s
batteries again doing most valuable service. The conflict continued to
rage with unabated fury till eight o’clock at night. The enemy deeming
their force irresistible, came dashing down now upon this portion of the
line, and then upon that, but were invariably repulsed at every point,
often with severe slaughter. When night closed upon the combatants the
Union soldiers remained unshaken at their posts, and the rebels were
driven from the field, with broken, disordered lines, from their
unsuccessful conflict.
Under cover of the darkness these indomitable men, after their hard
day’s fight, from which they had gained only the ability to retreat,
fell back, resuming their unsatisfactory march, and crossed the White
Oak Swamp in good marching order before the morning’s dawn. By the
morning of the 30th they had crossed White Oak Bridge and burnt the
bridge after them, General French, with his brigade acting as
rear-guard. The scene along the line of this precipitate, and apparently
unnecessary retreat beggars all description. Notwithstanding every
effort made by General McClellan, and his personal staff, the roads were
blocked with wagons, and the greatest difficulty was found in keeping
the trains in motion.
The following is an extract from General McClellan’s official report,
and gives in few words an accurate description of the state of affairs
in his army at this point:
“The engineer officers whom I had sent forward on the twenty-eighth to
reconnoitre the roads had neither returned nor sent me any reports or
guides. Generals Keyes and Porter had been delayed—one by losing the
road, and the other by repairing an old road—and had not been able to
send any information. We then knew of but one road for the movement of
the troops and our immense trains.
“It was, therefore, necessary to post the troops in advance of this road
as well as our limited knowledge of the ground permitted, so as to cover
the movement of the trains in the rear.
“I then examined the whole line from the swamp to the left, giving final
instructions for the posting of the troops and the obstructions of the
roads toward Richmond, and all corps commanders were directed to hold
their positions until the trains had passed, after which a more
concentrated position was to be taken up near James river.
“Our force was too small to occupy and hold the entire line from the
White Oak swamp to the river, exposed as it was to be taken in reverse
by a movement across the lower part of the swamp, or across the
Chickahominy below the swamp. Moreover, the troops were then greatly
exhausted and required rest in a more secure position.