THE MARCH UP THE PENINSULA AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SIXTH CORPS.
March up the Peninsula--Joy of the contrabands--Cumberland
Landing--The Sixth Corps organized--At White House--On the
Chickahominy--Fight at Mechanicsville--Battle of Hanover Court
House.
On the ninth of May, after a delay of three days, the Army of the
Potomac resumed the pursuit of Johnston's army. The day was fair and
bright, and the journey of fifteen miles, to troops as yet little inured
to the fatigues of long marches, bore severely upon them. We rested till
three o'clock next morning; when orders came to fall into line, and at
five we were again toiling over the road. After a hard day's march we
halted near New Kent Court House; where General Stoneman, with his
cavalry, had a day or two before overtaken the rear-guard of the enemy,
who gave him battle. Evidences of the engagement were to be seen all
about us, and many wounded cavalrymen were found in the neighboring farm
houses. We remained here over the Sabbath and the next day; glad of
rest, though anxious to be on the trail of the enemy.
General Franklin's division had already landed, and beaten the rebels at
West Point; and the flotilla laden with supplies had also ascended the
river thus far.
It was at New Kent Court House that the news of the destruction of the
Merrimac, and the possession of Norfolk by General Wool's forces, first
reached us, and our hearts swelled with joy at our successes. On the
13th we resumed the march; winding along the banks of the tortuous
Pamunkey, enchanted by the lovely scenery which constantly met our gaze.
The profusion of flowers in the forests, the bright green meadows, and
the broad fields of newly springing wheat, offered a perpetual charm;
and as we passed along, the women and negroes watched us with
conflicting sentiments of interest. All the white men capable of bearing
arms, and every able-bodied negro, had been swept along by the rebel
army in its retreat, and none but women and children and aged negroes
were now left along the route. At every house the alarmed white people
threw out the white flag in token of submission, as though their
protection from injury depended upon this symbol of peace.
Great numbers of negroes flocked to the roadside, to welcome the Union
army. Their expressions of joy at seeing us were wild and amusing. All
hoped we would shortly overtake and destroy the rebel army, their own
masters included. Those who had hitherto regarded the relation of master
and slave as one of mutual affection, had only to witness these unique
demonstrations of rejoicing at our approach, and the seemingly certain
destruction of the slave owners, to be convinced that the happiness and
contentment claimed for those in servitude was but a worthless fiction.
The negroes, gathering in crowds along the wayside, would grasp the
hands of the Union soldiers, calling down all manner of blessings upon
them, and leaping and dancing in their frantic delight.
One gray-haired old patriarch, surrounded by a numerous group of younger
chattels, who were leaping and shouting, exclaimed, in a loud voice,
"Bress de Lord! I'se been praying for yous all to come all dis time; and
now I'se glad yous got so fur; and I pray de Lord dat yous may keep on,
and conquer def and hell and de grabe!" All the others, joining in the
chorus, cried, "Bress de Lord!" The master of the old man sat quietly
watching the scene, offering no hindrance to these expressions of
sympathy; but it is doubtful whether this conduct on the part of his
servants was forgotten after the departure of our army. Whatever
information the slaves could give concerning the movements, numbers, or
probable intentions of the enemy, was communicated gladly, and although
this information was not always reliable for accuracy, it was always
given in sincerity, and was very often of great service.
Our march on the 13th, was an easy one of six miles. As we reached the
brow of a hill overlooking the plain of Cumberland Landing, a scene of
imposing beauty was spread out before us. Between us and the broad
river, were thousands of troops, parks of artillery, squadrons of
cavalry, divisions of infantry; some already in camp, others moving
about in order, but seeming, from the distance, to be intermingled in
most perfect confusion.
A broad plain stretched far away to the left, beautifully variegated
with green pastures, rich groves and fields of grain. Beyond was the
Pamunkey; here spreading out into a broad expanse of water, on which was
riding the Union flotilla of gunboats and the transport fleet.
Upon this broad plain the whole army assembled. At no other time in the
history of the Army of the Potomac, were all its forces gathered within
a compass that the eye could take in at a single glance.
Early on the morning of the 14th, the cry, "Fall in!" resounded through
the camps, and we proceeded up the river about four miles, and again
encamped on its banks. A field of fresh clover served for our bivouac.
In this pleasant spot we remained for several days; and while here, an
event occurred of no less interest than the organization of the Sixth
corps.
Just before the Army of the Potomac embarked for the Peninsula, it was
divided, by order of President Lincoln, into five corps of three
divisions each. These corps were placed under command, respectively, of
Generals McDowell, Sumner, Heintzelman, Keyes and Banks. On leaving for
the Peninsula, the First and Fifth corps had been left behind. Now two
new corps were to be organized; the Fifth provisional, consisting of the
divisions of Porter and Sykes, and the reserve artillery, under command
of General Porter; and the Sixth provisional corps, consisting of
Franklin's division of the First and Smith's of the Fourth corps.
General W. B. Franklin was assigned to the command of the corps.
Franklin's division, now the First division, Sixth corps, under command
of H. W. Slocum, had been ordered away from the First corps, to join the
army of the Potomac, while we were at Yorktown; and its recent
exhibition of gallantry at West Point, had already established for it a
reputation for valor. The regiments composing this division were, the
First, Second, Third and Fourth New Jersey; regiments trained to the
service by the knightly soldier and ardent patriot, Philip S. Kearney,
now under command of Colonel Taylor, and afterwards so long and so ably
led by General Torbert; the Sixteenth and Twenty-seventh New York, Fifth
Maine and Ninety-Sixth Pennsylvania; General Slocum's own brigade, now
commanded by Colonel Bartlett; and Newton's brigade: the Eighteenth,
Thirty-first and Thirty-second New York, and Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania.
The history of the Second division, General Smith's, we have already
traced. The bravery and extraordinary endurance of each of its brigades
had been exhibited too often to be questioned.
With such splendid materials for a corps, a brilliant history of great
achievements was to be anticipated, and nobly has it wrought out for
itself such a history.
No other body of troops has ever made for itself so proud a record. No
corps, either in our own army or any other, ever met the enemy so
frequently in general battle, and never were more glorious deeds
accomplished by troops than were done by these. Never in the course of
all their campaigns were either of these two divisions put to rout, and
in almost all its encounters the corps held the field as victors.
We were now encamped on the old Custis place; at present owned by
General Fitzhugh Lee, of the rebel cavalry service. On every side of us
were immense fields of wheat, which, but for the presence of armies,
promised an abundant harvest. Day after day passed, in quiet repose, and
the Sabbath found us still waiting on the banks of the Pamunkey. It was
marvelous that such silence could exist where a hundred thousand men
were crowded together, yet almost absolute stillness reigned throughout
the vast camp during the whole of this pleasant Sabbath. Save that here
and there the notes of Old Hundred or some sacred air was heard from the
band of some regiment whose chaplain had gathered his men for religious
services, no sound disturbed the universal quiet.
Not far from us was the White House, at the head of navigation, on the
Pamunkey. The house was a fine building, once the property of
Washington, now in possession of the Lee family. Here the Richmond and
York River railroad crossed the Pamunkey, and this was made the base of
operations for the army. Here the transports poured out a vast amount of
supplies, and under the protection of the flotilla of gunboats, the
quartermasters and commissaries commenced their active operations.
Except that a few rails had been torn up, the railroad was in excellent
order, and engines and cars were at once placed on the track ready to
follow the army on its advance to Richmond.
The Sixth corps proceeded toward the Chickahominy, which it reached at a
point several miles above the railroad crossing at Bottom's Bridge,
occupying the extreme right of the Union line of battle as formed along
that river. The position of the Union army was now as follows: Keyes'
corps had crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom's Bridge, and Heintzelman
had followed, taking a position between Keyes and the bridge. Sumner was
on the railroad, and Franklin on the right near New Bridge; Stoneman's
cavalry was on the right of the Sixth corps, and Porter's divisions were
in the rear, within supporting distance.
On the 23d, General Stoneman with his cavalry pushed forward toward
Mechanicsville, supported by Davidson's brigade. The brigade halted for
the night near Beaver Dam creek, a marshy stream pouring into the
Chickahominy. On the following morning the brigade again pushed forward,
the men making their way with great difficulty through a swamp, then
plunging through the stream, then forcing their way through brambles and
briars, and again wading through the water; until the men seemed to have
become amphibious. They at length found the enemy near the little
village of Mechanicsville.
The brigade, with Wheeler's battery, formed in line of battle on some
commanding grounds, and quietly rested for the night. On the morning of
the 24th, the Seventy-seventh and part of the Thirty-third were ordered
to advance toward the village and reconnoiter the position. Hardly had
the advance commenced before the rebels opened upon the two commands a
fierce cannonade, which forced our men to lie down, that the shells
might pass over them. Wheeler's battery responded nobly to the rebel
artillery, and presently General Davidson ordered Colonel McKean to
charge the village with his regiment. The men rose to their feet and
started forward with a yell. Down the hill they rushed impetuously,
cheering and yelling; but the two rebel regiments, the Seventh and
Eighth Georgia, startled by the shouts, seized their muskets and ran;
firing but one parting salute. Their battery also limbered up and beat a
hasty retreat; and as our men reached the village they were seen lashing
their horses into a run, and in a moment they disappeared altogether
down the road.
In their haste the rebels forgot to carry off their knapsacks, canteens
and haversacks; and our boys gathered them up to be kept till called
for. They had also left a great many guns and cartridge boxes; and a
flag, which the Seventy-seventh bore away in triumph.
On the 26th of May, the enemy was discovered in considerable force at
Hanover Court House, to the right and rear of our army. A part of
Porter's corps was sent to meet this rebel force, and if possible drive
it from its position. After a fatiguing march through mud and rain,
General Emory, with his own brigade, and other troops of the corps, came
up with the enemy near Hanover Court House, and at once commenced
advancing slowly against the line of the enemy, when, being reinforced
by part of Martindale's brigade, a charge was ordered and the rebels
were routed. They fled precipitately, leaving one of their guns in the
hands of our troops.
Being reinforced, the rebels turned upon our troops, but were gallantly
held by Martindale's brigade until General Porter brought a large force
to the field. The rebels were again attacked and completely routed. They
left about two hundred of their dead on the field to be buried by our
men. Seven hundred prisoners were captured, beside two railroad trains,
a twelve pound gun and many small arms. Our own loss amounted to about
fifty killed and more than three hundred wounded and missing.
[Illustration: CHARGE OF THE 77TH NEW YORK AT MECHANICSVILLE.]