THE PENINSULA AND BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG, MAY 5, 1862
Arrival at Yorktown--Major-General Magruder--His skilful
defense--Lines at Warwick River--Major-General McClellan--Retreat
from Yorktown--Battle of Williamsburg, May 5--Death of Colonel Mott,
Nineteenth Mississippi--Destruction of armored ram _Virginia_--Charge
by Georgia Hussars--Explosives behind rearguard rebuked--Promoted
major.
But I must hasten to the Peninsula, where at Yorktown and along the
lines of the little Warwick River, McClellan and Johnston are frowning
at each other; the former, as usual, tripling the Confederate force
and bawling for more men. Persons and things I have left behind will
probably come into these jottings in the loose way they fall from the
pen.
Longstreet with his staff and some of his regiments were among the
first arrivals to face McClellan and gave great relief to Magruder.
This officer, a major-general, commanding some 10,000 to 12,000 men,
had offered a most extraordinary and successful defense. It was a
wonderful piece of bluff and could have won only against McClellan.
Yorktown was strongly armed and well defended. Thence stretching across
the Peninsula was a sluggish little stream known as the Warwick River.
It was fordable in almost all places, in some nearly dry-shod.
Magruder's engineers had strengthened the defenses by some dams
that gathered a good spread of water to be passed in an attack.
The Warwick, of many miles extent, was necessarily thinly defended.
Magruder put his whole force behind it, an attenuated line, up and down
which he constantly rode in full sight of the enemy. He was known in
the old Army as "Prince John," from the splendor of his appearance and
his dress. Of commanding form and loving display, he had assembled a
numerous staff, all, like himself, in the most showy uniforms. To these
he added a fine troop of cavalry, and when the cavalcade at full gallop
inspected the thin lines of the Warwick, it was a sight for men and
gods. I am persuaded he so impressed "Little Mac" that he sang out for
more men and thus lost his opportunity. In very truth he was so strong
and Magruder so weak that the Union ramrods should have sufficed to
break the defense and gobble up the magnificent "Prince John."
Longstreet's arrival was therefore a great relief, and soon Johnston
had his army in full position, making McClellan almost frantic; he
more than doubled Johnston's actual strength. A strong attack should
have prevailed to drive us away; and if briskly followed, eventually
into the York River. But Johnston knew his man, as did indeed every
Confederate leader later on. Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, the Hills all
knowing his points, while serving in the U. S. Army, could now rightly
measure him. McClellan was a lovable man, an admirable organizer, but
with little taste for battle unless largely outnumbering his opponent.
Here in the trenches occurred remarkable scenes. Many of the Southern
regiments had enlisted for only twelve months and the time expired in
April. Re-enlistments and elections of the officers took place under
fire of the enemy! Our men were splendid, and with rare exceptions
they refused home and re-enlisted, this time for the war.
Inactivity continued for some time, Longstreet commanding the center
with his own and other troops, until it was soon apparent to Johnston
that Richmond was too much exposed to attacks on the north side of the
James River. The capital must be covered; besides, both our flanks
were endangered by the enemy's immense superiority on the water.
Preparations therefore began for a move, and on the night of May 3
the army was successfully drawn from its trenches and started on its
deliberate, well-ordered retreat. On May 5 our rearguard was overtaken
and attacked in force at Williamsburg, Longstreet in command, with a
considerable part of the army. It was a stubborn, all-day fight, with
serious losses on both sides, but the enemy was beaten off and we
resumed the march that night, the Federals having enough of it. We were
not again molested. This was our first severe fight, and the steadiness
and order of officers and men appeared to be very satisfactory. I was
promoted to be major soon afterwards, the commission dating May 5, the
day of the action. There was a gruesome but affecting sight during the
battle. Colonel Mott, of high reputation, had brought from his State
the Nineteenth Mississippi Infantry. It was hotly engaged in a long,
fierce fight, and Mott fell. His black servant in the rear immediately
took a horse and went to the firing line for his master's body. I
met the two coming out of the fire and smoke. The devoted negro had
straddled the stiffened limbs of his master on the saddle before him,
covered his face with a handkerchief, and thus rescued his beloved
master's body for interment with his fathers on the old Mississippi
estate.
The celebrated L. Q. C. Lamar was lieutenant-colonel of the regiment,
and succeeded to the command, until forced by physical disability, he
retired to Richmond for other service. The army moving on soon neared
the capital and took up the several positions assigned its divisions.
McClellan's huge force following, threw itself across the Chickahominy,
and the siege of Richmond may be said to have begun.
On the withdrawal of the army from the Peninsula, Norfolk and
Gloucester Point became indefensible and the destruction of immense
quantities of material both for field use and for construction had
to be submitted to. The blow was not made lighter by the loss of the
famous _Virginia_, formerly the _Merrimac_, that did such havoc at
Newport News. She could not be permitted to fall into the enemy's
hands and was of too deep draft for service on the James River. Her
commander, Admiral Josiah Tatnall, was therefore reluctantly forced
to her destruction. She was blown up and disappeared. Other vessels,
cruisers and gun-boats, boilers, engines, and great quantities of
material for construction had to be destroyed for similar reasons. The
loss was bitter to us, as so much could have been done with it all for
a little fighting navy.
It was during the action at Williamsburg that I was ready to shout for
joy at seeing my old troop, the Georgia Hussars, in a gallant charge.
Their regiment, the Jeff Davis Legion, had been prematurely thrown
at the enemy in a position he was thought about leaving. The cavalry
colonel was wrong. Our Georgians went forward in fine style, expecting
to carry everything, but quickly found themselves in a very hot place.
The enemy was not retiring, but on the contrary gave the Legion so warm
a reception as to empty many saddles. They all came back pell-mell,
"the devil take the hindmost," my Hussar comrades wondering what their
colonel had got them "into that galley for!" It was a severe lesson
but a salutary one, and the regiment was not again caught that way.
Longstreet saw them close by as they dashed forward, and said, "They
must soon come back; the colonel is ahead of the right moment."
General Johnston was present on the field all day, but seeing
Longstreet, the rearguard commander, carrying things very handsomely,
generously forbore any interference and left the battle to his
handling. He sent the latter such additional troops as he had to call
for from time to time. When night came it was horrible. There were many
dead and wounded and the weather nasty; the roads ankle deep in mud and
slush. But the march had to be again taken up.
On the retreat from Yorktown, Brigadier-General Rains was commanding
the rearguard. He was a brother of the other Rains who at Augusta,
Georgia, achieved the apparently impossible task of supplying
ammunition. Both brothers were given to experiments in explosives and
fond of that study. When Gabriel began moving out on our march he
amused himself planting shells and other explosives in the roadway
after us to tickle the pursuers. Hearing this I reported the matter
to Longstreet, who instantly stopped it. He caused me to write Rains
a rather severe note, reminding him that such practises were not
considered in the limits of legitimate warfare, and that if he would
put them aside and pay some attention to his brigade his march would
be better and his stragglers not so numerous. This officer did not
remain long on duty in the field. His talents, like those of his more
celebrated brother, lay elsewhere.
After getting into position before Richmond, less than a month
intervened between the reorganization and strengthening of the army and
change of its commander. I shall therefore defer any observations that
I may recall as to its composition and personnel until it took its more
permanent form under Lee, contenting myself with some stray reflections
on the battle of Seven Pines, which by the deplorable wounding of
Johnston gave us for leader Robert E. Lee.