Charles City Court House on the James River, June 14, 1864. It was with
infinite relief that Grant saw the advance of the Army of the Potomac
reach this point on June 14th. His last flanking movement was an extremely
hazardous one. More than fifty miles intervened between him and Butler by
the roads he would have to travel, and he had to cross both the
Chickahominy and the James, which were unbridged. The paramount difficulty
was to get the Army of the Potomac out of its position before Lee, who
confronted it at Cold Harbor. Lee had the shorter line and better roads to
move over and meet Grant at the Chickahominy, or he might, if he chose,
descend rapidly on Butler and crush him before Grant could unite with him.
"But," says Grant, "the move had to be made, and I relied upon Lee's not
seeing my danger as I saw it." Near the old Charles City Court House the
crossing of the James was successfully accomplished, and on the 14th Grant
took steamer and ran up the river to Bermuda Hundred to see General Butler
and direct the movement against Petersburg, that began the final
investment of that city.
[Illustration: THE MONITOR IN A STORM.
_Painted by Robert Hopkin._
_Copyright, 1901, by Perrien-Keydel Co.,
Detroit, Mich., U. S. A._]