Proximity to the Rebels.—Colonel Taylor fired at by a
Sharpshooter.—Picket Skirmishing.—Building a Bridge.—Position
of Affairs.—General McClellan Reconnoitring.—He writes
to the President.—Lee’s Plans.—Second Battle of
Mechanicsville.—Shelling the Thirty-third’s Camp.—Battle of
Gaines’ Farm.—A Retreat to the James decided upon.
Soon after reaching “Camp Lincoln,” the Thirty-third was set to work
on a formidable redoubt, since known as “Fort Davidson,” and likewise
constructed numerous rifle-pits. The enemy daily threw shot and shell
at our encampments, apparently for mere pastime, many of them striking
among the tents. On one occasion a round shot, passing entirely over
the officers’ quarters, killed Dr. Spencer’s Orderly in the rear. Not
long after another came whizzing through the air, and carried away the
shoulder blade of a reckless cavalryman, who was laughing as he rode
along at the manœuvres of the men, declaring that he would not “dodge for
their guns.” A member of the Seventy-seventh was killed in hospital close
by.
[Illustration: Fort Davidson—Chickahominy Swamps.]
The rebels also had a very disagreeable habit of climbing up in the
forest trees and firing at us, some times even when sitting in the camp
doors. One afternoon, as Colonel Taylor was reclining upon a lounge in
the Lieutenant Colonel’s tent, a sharp-shooter deliberately fired at him
from a neighboring tree, the ball passing through the lounge and out at
the back side of the tent. He immediately ordered out several of his best
shots to pick off the impudent rebel.
Not content with constantly annoying us during the daytime, they
frequently got up night demonstrations, compelling our “troops” to turn
out at very unseasonable hours. The Thirty-third were aroused from their
slumbers one night by the bursting of a shell directly over the centre
of the encampment. Gorman’s Brigade frequently engaged in these night
skirmishes. Colonel Taylor’s command rarely indulged in picket firing,
as many of the Regiments did, unless it was provoked by the enemy. This
custom, so prevalent at the commencement of the war, has almost wholly
ceased, and now, instead of “blazing away” on the slightest pretext, the
pickets patrol their beats month after month within speaking distance,
without molesting one another.
As the month advanced, the troops were kept busily employed in throwing
up breastworks and constructing a new bridge over the Chickahominy, below
the point where the lowest of the three previously carried away by the
freshet was built. Frequently they were compelled to stand waist deep
in the water, while cutting timbers, which were carried to the river on
handspikes, many of them requiring sixteen or more men to transport them.
This bridge, when completed, was an imposing structure, and afterwards
saved the right wing of the army, by furnishing a passage to the opposite
side of the river, when the rebel legions were hurled against it with
such rapidity and violence.
Nearly three months had now elapsed since the Army of the Potomac landed
at Fortress Monroe, and began the Peninsular Campaign. Yorktown had been
evacuated, the bloody battles of “Williamsburg,” “West Point,” “Fair
Oaks” and “Seven Pines,” besides several lesser engagements, fought, the
troops arrived before and around Richmond, and our labors were apparently
about to be crowned with success by its capture.
One evening, about the 20th of the month, Gen. McClellan, accompanied
by Gens. Smith, Gorman and Porter, rode down to the picket line where
Captain Warford, with his Company, was stationed. After removing their
coats, in order to conceal their rank, and fording a small creek, they
ascended to a tree-top to reconnoitre the enemy’s position. Their pickets
were only about twenty rods distant, on the opposite side of a wheat
field. Descending, the Commander-in-Chief remarked to Gen. Smith, with a
smile on his face, “I have got them now,” accompanying the remark with
a significant doubling up of his right fist. His army then numbered one
hundred and fifteen thousand men fit for duty.
A few brief hours served to dispel the visions of success and glory
which had brightened up his countenance. On the evening of the 25th,
Gen. McClellan telegraphed to the President: “I incline to think that
Jackson will attack my right and rear. The rebel force is stated at two
hundred thousand, including Jackson and Beauregard. I shall have to
contend against vastly superior odds, if these reports be true, but this
army will do all in the power of man to hold their position, and repulse
an attack. I regret my inferiority in numbers, but feel that I am in no
way responsible for it, as I have not failed to represent repeatedly
the necessity of reinforcements; that this was the decisive point, and
that all should be concentrated here. I will do all that a General can
do, with the splendid army I have the honor to command, and if it is
destroyed by overwhelming numbers, can at least die with it and share its
fate.... I shall probably be attacked to-morrow, and now go to the other
side of the Chickahominy to arrange for the defence on that side.”
The reader will understand that our army was then arranged in the form of
a semi-circle, extending across the Chickahominy, the left resting upon
Savage’s Station, and the right upon Mechanicsville. In the rear of the
right wing was “White House,” on the Pamunkey River, used as a base of
supplies for the army, which were brought by way of York River. The plan
of Gen. Lee, who had now succeeded Gen. Johnston, was to concentrate his
whole force on our right wing, destroy it before the troops on the other
side of the river could be brought against him, gain possession of White
House, thereby cutting off our supplies as well as way of retreat, and
capture the entire army. He had no sooner however, taken the initiatory
step in this programme, by calling Jackson to his assistance, than Gen.
McClellan, as appears from the above letter to the President, divined his
whole strategy.
On the afternoon of Thursday, June 26th, the enemy fell upon Gen.
McCall’s Division at Mechanicsville. Reynolds’ and Seymour’s Brigades
bore the brunt of the attack. The battle continued until sundown, when
the rebels were handsomely repulsed. At midnight the force fell back, in
accordance with orders, to “Gaines’ Farm,” where was fought the bloody
engagement of Friday, June 27th, resulting in a Federal loss of 9,000
killed, wounded and missing. Smith’s Division, it will be remembered, was
now located nearly opposite from Gaines’ Farm, or Mill.
While the battle was progressing, on Thursday, at Mechanicsville, the
enemy stationed on the opposite side of the river opened a furious
cannonade on Gen. Smith, to divert attention. The tents of the
Thirty-third were considerably damaged with shot and shell, and the
horses of the Major and Quartermaster killed, in addition to several
other animals. Very fortunately the men had just completed a formidable
breastwork directly in front of the encampment, and taking refuge behind
this, none of them were killed.
The contrabands, of whom a considerable number now accompanied the
Regiment, were terribly frightened, and scampered away rapidly. Two of
them sought refuge behind a pile of cracker-boxes, but they had hardly
gained this shelter before a bursting shell scattered the boxes and
contents in all directions, much to the horror of the fleeing negroes
and amusement of the soldiers, who were ensconced away behind the
earthworks. Several of them received such a fright that they were never
seen afterwards. Of this number was one of the negroes who communicated
the information before Yorktown of its evacuation.
On the following day, the 27th, a portion of Gen. Franklin’s Corps was
sent back across the river to aid Gen. Porter in holding his position at
Gaines’ Farm. Several of our batteries were likewise wheeled about and
brought to bear upon the enemy. But these and other reinforcements were
not sufficient to turn the tide of battle. The overwhelming numbers of
the enemy, estimated by Gen. McClellan at full eighty thousand, precluded
any hope of successfully resisting them and maintaining the position. All
the troops on the east bank of the river accordingly crossed that night
to the opposite side, destroying the bridge after them.
Gen. McClellan immediately summoned several of his Generals, and informed
them that there was only one of two things to be done, either to mass all
of his troops at that point, near “Golden’s Farm,” and risk a sanguinary
battle, or to retire immediately and rapidly to the James River. In the
former case, defeat would ensure the destruction of the army, whereas by
abandoning the siege of Richmond for the time being, he could retreat
in safety to the James, saving most of his men and _material_. The
result of the interview was a determination on the part of the Commanding
General to “change his base,” and, under cover of night, preparations
were made for the retreat.