Railroad trains loaded with tons of food and ammunition were run
deliberately at full speed off the embankment shown in the left
foreground. They plunged headlong into the waters of the Pamunkey. This
was the readiest means that McClellan could devise for keeping his immense
quantity of stores out of the hands of the Confederates in his hasty
change of base from White House to the James after Gaines' Mill. This was
the bridge of the Richmond and York River Railroad, and was destroyed June
28, 1862, to render the railroad useless to the Confederates.
[Illustration: THE BRIDGE THAT STOOD]
The force under General McCall was stationed by McClellan on June 19,
1862, to observe the Meadow and Mechanicsville bridges over the
Chickahominy which had only partially been destroyed. On the afternoon of
June 26th, General A. P. Hill crossed at Meadow Bridge, driving the Union
skirmish-line back to Beaver Dam Creek. The divisions of D. H. Hill and
Longstreet had been waiting at Mechanicsville Bridge (shown in this
photograph) since 8 A.M. for A. P. Hill to open the way for them to cross.
They passed over in time to bear a decisive part in the Confederate attack
at Gaines' Mill on the 27th.
[Illustration: DOING DOUBLE DUTY