USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of the Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry > Part 4
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58
FAIR OAKS.
1862. the northern bank of the Chickahominy. Branch and June 26th. Hill moved down towards Mechanicfville, and about 3 o'clock, confolidated their forces near Beaver Dam Creek. They here came upon the Union lines, ftrik- ing McCall's divifion of Pennfylvania Referves, with which two fquadrons of the Sixth were ferving. Our forces occupied a ftrong pofition, as they had their left refting on the creek, curving around Mechanicfville for a mile: the water, waift deep, was about eighteen or twenty feet in width, with fteep banks. It was impaff- able for artillery, except on bridges. The right refted on a denfe wood, beyond the upper road to Mechanicf- ville. The paffage of the creek was very difficult for any troops, and impracticable for artillery, except over the bridges at the roads croffing at Ellifon's Mills, near the left, and that near the right, called the upper road. Earthworks were thrown up on the right, under Rey- nolds; and it was well that they were, for the main at- tack of the enemy was made in that direction. The rebels advanced in line of battle about 4 o'clock in the afternoon; pufhed forward rapidly, delivering their fire as they came, and though paffing through a murderous fire, reached the edge of the creek. A few fucceeded in croffing above Reynolds, and gained a lodgment on the nearer fhore, but they foon left, as elfewhere the affault was repulfed, and they retired with heavy lofs.
General Ripley's (rebel) divifion was fent forward to A. P. Hill, who, thus reinforced, made a furious affault upon our left at Ellifon's Mills, which was held by Sey- mour. This attack failed even more difaftroufly than that upon the right. The fighting over the entire field
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GAINES'S MILL.
was of the moft ftubborn character: General Robert E. 1862. Lee preffing, with all energy, every point of attack, giving his greateft attention to our right. At 9 o'clock the enemy, repulfed at all points, fell back beyond artil- lery range, leaving us in poffeffion of the field. At the clofe of the day, General McClellan decided upon an entire change of bafe, from the York to the James River. The Quartermafter at Weft Point was directed to fend fupplies to the front to the laft moment, and to hurry the remaining ftores up the James River, burning everything which could not be got off.
On the following morning, the right of our army fell June 27th. back to Gaines's Mill, the pofition at Beaver Dam Creek being far in advance of the main force, and having its extreme right greatly expofed. During this move- ment, a fcattering fire of artillery and mufketry was kept up until the new line was eftablifhed five miles below. The troops of Porter's corps croffed the Chickahominy, burning New Bridge, the upper one on that ftream, after croffing.
"The army now held a ftrong pofition. A fmall un- named ftream, curving fickle-wife, empties into the Chickahominy, the banks in fome places fringed with fwamps, and in others rifing abruptly, the bed of the ftream forming a ravine. On the eaftern fide the land rifes in a gradual flope, croffed by gullies, and fpreads into a flat table land above." Hafty preparations had been made for defence. To General Fitz John Porter, with the Fifth Corps, and all difpofable reinforcements, was affigned the tafk of keeping the enemy in check while other movements were being executed. The line
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GAINES'S MILL.
1862. of battle formed an arc of a circle, on the interior edge June 27th, of the denfe woods bounding the extenfive plain of cleared land, ftretching fome twelve or fifteen hundred yards back of the river. "Butterfield had the extreme left of this line, extending to the fwamps of the Chicka- hominy ; next came Martindale, both of Morell's divi- fion; then Griffin's divifion; then Sykes, with his regulars; all of thefe of Porter's corps, formed the firft line." "Behind this was McCall's divifion, Meade then commanding a brigade on the extreme left; next Reynolds ; then Seymour,-who, a few hours before, had crufhed Ripley and Pender at Beaver Dam Creek,-as referve behind the fecond line. Stoneman, with his cavalry, were miles away to the north, under orders to retreat to the White Houfe, and from thence carry off all the ftores poffible, and rejoin the army as beft he could, fomewhere on the James."
General P. St. George Cook commanded the cavalry engaged on this day, which was placed under cover of a hill in the rear of the pofition, and was compofed of the 4th Pennfylvania Cavalry, 5th United States, two fquad- rons of the Ift United States, and three fquadrons of the 6th Pennfylvania Cavalry.
"The troops were all in pofition by noon, with the artillery on the commanding ground, and in the inter- vals between the divifions and the brigades. Befides the ordinary divifion batteries, there was from the Artil- lery Referve, Tidball's horfe battery, pofted on the right of Sykes's divifion, and Robinfon on the extreme left of the line in the valley of the Chickahominy." Shortly after noon, the enemy was difcovered approaching in
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GAINES'S MILL.
force, and it foon became evident that the entire pofition 1862. was to be attacked. His fkirmifhers advanced rapidly, June 27th. and foon the firing became heavy along the whole front. "Longftreet was held back, becaufe it was thought by Lee that Jackfon's approach on the left, which was every moment expected, would caufe the extenfion of the Union lines in that direction. Hill's brigade dafhed acrofs the plain, floundered through the fwamp, and preffed up the oppofite flope in the face of a fierce fire of artillery and mufketry. Some brigades advanced clofe to the infantry lines: a few regiments even met them, * but they were foon forced back. For two hours the battle raged with equal obftinacy on either fide." "The Union troops gained ground, and from being the affailed became the affailants. Hill was defeated, crufhed, and almoft routed. Some of his regiments threw themfelves flat upon the ground to efcape the withering fire, while others rufhed from the field in diforder." "Lee, find- ing Hill forely worfted, ordered Longftreet to make a feigned attack upon the left, hoping to divert a part of the Union force to that direction, and thus relieve Hill. Longftreet attacked, but found the force oppofing him very ftrong, and that he muft make a real attack with his whole force. Jackfon now joined him; and D. H. Hill, alfo, in advance on the extreme right, Ewell and Whiting on the left, and Lawton a little to the rear. The line was now complete, and a general advance along its whole extent ordered. General Porter was reinforced by Slocum's divifion of Franklin's corps, which was hurried acrofs the Chickahominy, and arrived upon the field juft as the general rebel advance was
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GAINES'S MILL.
1862. made, at half-paft 4 o'clock. The attack was made June 27th. with great vigor, and the battle raged with terrible fury and changing fortune until dark. Our line was preffed along its whole length by a force of almoft two to one. The crowning attack was made half an hour before fun- fet, and was fo irrefiftible, that the Union lines gave way almoft fimultaneoufly on the right, centre, and left. Where it firft broke no one can fay." All were forced back toward the river. The main part of every divifion fell back in order, but fragments were flying away on all routes to the river. "It was not a rout, though faft threatening to become one. All, foldiers and fugitives, were thronging toward the bridges. All at once a great fhout rent the murky air, and French's and Meagher's brigades,-Meagher, it is faid, leading in his fhirt fleeves,-dafhed up the bluff, driving through the ftragglers, and advanced to what was now the front. Their prefence gave heart to the fugitives, who rallied behind them, and marched up the hill. The rebels paufed in their purfuit, and after delivering a few ineffec- tual volleys withdrew, as night fet in, and the battle was over. An hour earlier, and thefe two brigades would have turned the wavering fcale and won a victory."
Three fquadrons of our regiment were prefent in this engagement : the firft, under Captain John H. Gardi- ner; the fecond, under Captain Henry C. Whelan; the third, under Captain J. Henry Hafeltine-all under command of Colonel Rufh. The regiment was drawn up in column of fquadrons at half diftances on the left of our line of battle, and near the Chickahominy, fup- porting artillery. We were under heavy artillery fire
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GAINES'S MILL.
all the afternoon, the men being difmounted, and ftand- 1862. ing to horfe. About 5 o'clock, it became evident that June 27th. we were being driven back. The roar of artillery almoft ceafed, and increafed volleys of mufketry told of the arrival upon the field of heavy reinforcements to the enemy. Now the fighting was bitter and terrific. From a rebel account of this charge I make the following extract :
"Worked up to madnefs, Wilcox, Featherftone, and Pryor, dafh forward at a run, and drive the enemy with irrefiftible fury. On our left emerge Hood's Texan brigade, then Whiting and Pender. Wheeling their artillery from the front, the Federals turn part of it to break the attack on the left and fave their retreat. The very earth fhakes at the roar, while onward prefs our troops, with bullet and bayonet, opening their way. It is true one or two regiments became confufed in paff- ing over the deep ditch, abattis, and timber earthwork, but thofe who went to the rear were moftly wounded men."
The ftream of wounded men, from our front lines, greatly increafed, came rufhing paft us to the rear ; many ftragglers, overcome with long refiftance, or fick at heart through conftant expofure, haftened in the fame direction. Wounded and demoralized artillerymen, . mounted on their battery horfes, with cut traces, were flying in a diforganized and incongruous mafs from the dreadful carnival of death. Though under fire from artillery, we remained idle until about 6 o'clock, when the bugles founded "attention," the command was
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GAINES'S MILL.
June 27th.
1862. mounted, each man fettled himfelf firmly in his faddle, and with lance at reft awaited orders. The long gray line of rebels is feen advancing over the creft of the hill in our immediate front. The Ift and 5th United States Cavalry, were ordered to charge the approaching foe, which they did in fine ftyle, coming to clofe en- counter, and lofing heavily. They are foon driven back by fuperior numbers, and the long gray line comes on with the fierce yell of victory. They bear down upon our pofition, and we are within range of their mufketry, when Captain Robinfon, commanding a battery of the 3d United States Artillery, limbers up his pieces, and is moving off his guns to fave them from capture. At this moment an aid from General Cook's ftaff, Lieu- tenant Wefley Merritt, 2d United States Cavalry, dafhed up, and afked him to unlimber and give them another fhot, to check their advance, if poffible.
"Who will fupport me, Lieutenant?" afked the gal- lant captain.
"The Lancers, fir," was the reply.
"Very well: if they will ftand by me, here goes."
In a minute the fix pieces are in pofition, and are hurling fearful volleys of grape and canifter into the advancing lines. They are checked by this unlooked for ftorm of death. The regiment is moved to the right of the guns with lance poifed, awaiting the "charge," if neceffary. The guns are haftily limbered up, and go dafhing to the rear, when the rebels give us their undi- vided attention. Their yells are more fierce than ever, while a perfect ftorm of bullets warn us to retire. There is no hurry or confufion in the movements of the regi-
-
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GAINES'S MILL.
ment. The lines are perfectly dreffed as we move up 1862. under the cover of the fire of our own guns, which, June 27th. having again taken pofition, are offering ftill further re- fiftance to the forward march of the foe. We pafs to the right of the battery, and are again faced to what is now the rear. Thus the fight rages: our weapon being unfitted for any fervice but the charge, we were held only to refift attacks from the enemy, and though fe- verely expofed, had not the fatisfaction of returning his fire.
General Cook remarked, at the clofe of the day, that "from the firft opening of the fight until its clofe, after 8 o'clock, the Sixth Pennfylvania Cavalry behaved like veterans."
We bivouacked that night on the battle-field. Moft of the men were wearied and exhaufted by hard fighting and intenfe excitement for two days; many being en- tirely without food, threw themfelves at their horfes' feet, and fank to fleep. Near 2 o'clock at night, orders came to form column without noife. It was with great difficulty the men could be aroufed from their deep fleep. Near daylight we croffed the Chickahominy, and affifted in deftroying the bridge over which we had paffed to fafety.
A writer on the war, fpeaks of a charge made by our regiment in the battle of Gaines's Mill, thus :
"Rufh's regiment of Lancers did good fervice, not only in the fight of Friday, but in the fubfequent occur- rences of Savage's Station and White Oak Swamp. In the battle of Gaines's Mill, they charged, a little to the
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66
THE RETREAT.
1862. fouth of the old mill, upon an Alabama brigade, and June 27th. handled the lance with terrible effect. The fcene wit- neffed when this fine regiment charged, may well be hiftorical: their long lances poifed, their red pennons ftreaming, and the riders, like fo many avengers, bend- ing forward to the charge."
This ftatement will be confirmed by many who faw the regiment on that day. Though not entirely correct, arifes from the fact that a force of cavalry, made up of detachments from feveral regiments, did charge upon the foe with great fuccefs. Our regiment was called upon to furnifh its proportion, and there were not more than ten or twelve lances in the force; but many fup- pofed, from feeing this detail charging with about the force of cavalry forming a reduced regiment, that the charge was to be credited to the Lancers.
June 28th. Saturday, June 28th. Captain Whelan's fquadron, compofed of Company "C," his own, and Company "H," under Captain B. Lockwood, reported to General Kearney, for headquarters duty.
The right wing of our army, after croffing the Chick- ahominy on Friday night, at the Grapevine Bridge, fell back down the Williamfburg road toward White Oak Swamp. The left wing was attacked by Toombs, a mile eaft of the New Bridge Road; other troops joined him, and a vigorous attack was made upon our haftily conftructed works. The attack was ably refifted, and the enemy retired, and fhortly after were granted a flag of truce, to remove their dead and wounded.
At noon Keyes, who lay neareft to, croffed the White
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SAVAGE'S STATION.
Oak Creek, and took pofition on its oppofite bank to cover the paffage of other troops and trains. Franklin and Porter followed from the rear by the fame route, and croffed on the morning of the 29th. A rebel writer fays :
"At this time high hopes were entertained of fpeedily deftroying or capturing McClellan's army. ... At the time of Friday's battle, he had been compelled to leave his ftrongholds on the north of the Chickahominy, and abandon the Frederickfburg and Central Railroads, and had been preffed to a pofition where he had been cut off from the principal avenues of fupply and efcape. The difpofition of our forces was fuch as to cut off all com- munication between McClellan and the White Houfe, on the Pamunkey River, and it was thought he would be unable to extricate his army from its perilous con- dition; and in the fituation of affairs on Saturday night, his efcape was thought to be impoffible."
During Sunday, the 29th, the various corps took pofi- June 29th. tion near Savage's Station. About half paft 5 o'clock, P.M., the rebel advance ftruck our lines in front of Gen- eral Sumner's corps, opening fharply with artillery fup- ported by infantry. The action continued for about two hours with great feverity, and night clofed upon the fcene, neither party having gained any perceptible ad- vantage. Sumner's ftand had effected its object in de- laying the enemy; and before midnight, his force was on its way to White Oak Swamp, leaving behind him twenty-five hundred fick and wounded, with attendants,
1862.
68
CHARLES CITY CROSS-ROADS.
1862. in the hofpital at Savage's Station, who, with all our flain heroes, fell into the hands of the enemy the following morning.
During the night all our troops fell back, and croffed White Oak Swamp, and by 5 o'clock on the morning June 30th. of the 30th, General French, with the rear guard, croffed the bridge over the creek and deftroyed it.
McClellan's whole force was now ftretched in a line ten miles long, from the Swamps to Malvern Hill and the James River. Lee's plan of battle, on this day, was to attack in column upon one point on this long line, break through it in the centre, hurl the left back upon Jack- fon, operating on that flank, and attack the right in flank and rear. His plan failed, through inability to bring his force together in time to have unity of action; and in- ftead of the attack being made by his whole force, the action on his fide was confined to Longftreet and A. P. Hill's commands, of about eighteen thoufand men; and in place of a grand and decifive battle, there occurred a feries of combats, in which brigades only were engaged on either fide, without harmonious and united action of any large force of the enemy. The battle raged with almoft equal fury along the whole line, at different times.
This battle is known under the title of "Frazier's Farm," "Charles City Crofs-Roads," "Glendale," or "White Oak Swamp," as all thefe points were touched by our lines, and were the fcenes of defperate conteft. White Oak Creek runs through a belt of fwampy tim- ber, and is not more than fix feet deep. It had been made paffable by haftily conftructed "corduroy" bridges.
69
WHITE OAK SWAMP.
General Hancock's force was, at this point, on the right 1862. of our line, where the fighting was firft brought on. June 30th The enemy appeared from White Oak Swamp, and directly opened from fome twenty batteries. They made defperate efforts to crofs the creek, but were repulfed by General Smith, and kept in check until the force on their left made their ftrong attack at Charles City Crofs- Roads, fome four miles to the left, and about two miles from the James River.
General McCall was ordered to take pofition on the left of the Newmarket, or Long Bridge Road, near its croffing with the Charles City Road, in front of the Quaker Road, leading to Malvern Hill and Turkey Bridge, to protect the paffage of our immenfe fupply trains, now rapidly preffing towards the James River. On the right of McCall's divifion of Pennfylvania Re- ferves, was ftationed Kearney's divifion, and on the left, Sumner's; ftill further to the left, and flightly advanced, was General Hooker.
About half paft 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the cavalry and infantry pickets of the "Referves" were driven in; and upon this divifion, weakened by the two battles in which it had been engaged, the firft onfet fell. Soon after the enemy opened a heavy fire of fhell upon our centre, under cover of which they fent forward a force to feel our lines, and foon after a furious attack was made by infantry ; it was gallantly met and refifted, and the enemy driven back with great flaughter. The Re- ferves were now ordered forward; they advanced under a fevere fire of round fhot and fhell, to near Nelfon's Houfe, when they were ordered to lie down, under a
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WHITE OAK SWAMP.
1862. flight elevation of the ground, where they awaited rein- June 30th. forcements. The battle now raged along the whole line with terrific fury. The rebel lines being greatly ftrengthened, were again pufhed forward, and when within a few yards of us, General Seymour fhouted out, "Now, boys, up and at them !" The men leaped to their feet, and delivered one volley of well-directed mufketry, which ftaggered the enemy, when they rufhed upon them with fixed bayonets. A defperate hand to hand ftruggle followed. The two hoftile flags were furging over the mingled mafs of men, only a few feet from each other. The ftruggle was fhort, but defperate. The enemy, in overwhelming numbers, preffed in on every fide, compelling our retreat. Over the whole plain the battle raged with deftructive violence until after dark.
The rebel General A. P. Hill gives the following account, in his official report, of the condition of affairs when darknefs clofed the fcene :
"About dark, the enemy were preffing us hard along our whole line, and my laft referve, General J. R. An- derfon, was directed to advance cautioufly. Heavy re- inforcements to the enemy were brought up at this time, and it feemed that a tremendous effort was being made to turn the fortunes of the battle. The volume of fire that, approaching, rolled along the line, was terrific. Seeing fome troops of Wilcox's brigade, who had rallied, they were rapidly reformed, and being directed to cheer long and loudly, moved again to the fight. This feemed to end the conteft, for in lefs than five minutes all firing ceafed, and the enemy retired."
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WHITE OAK SWAMP.
The battle of the 30th had fcarcely clofed, when our 1862. forces took up the retreat to Malvern Hill.
On the 29th, Captain Milligan's company, "F," was ordered to report for duty to General Sumner, and was with him in the fight of that day, and the fucceeding day, at White Oak Swamp. They were expofed to very heavy fire from 3₺ o'clock in the afternoon until 9 in the evening. During the night, the company acted as rear guard for General Sumner's divifion. A day or two after this, they efcorted the heavy fiege artillery from Malvern Hill to Harrifon's Landing, where they remained encamped and on duty for fix weeks.
June 30th.
CHAPTER SIXTH.
Malvern Hill-Reports of Mc Clellan and Lee-Severe Fight- ing-July Fourth-Congratulatory Address from the Gen- eral Commanding-Capture of Hofpitals-Experience in Rebel Prifons-Harrifon's Landing-Night Shelling-Adieu to the fames.
1862. July Ift. S OON after daylight on the Ift of July, the laft regi- ment was in pofition at Malvern Hill, awaiting the developments of the day, and ready to meet the enemy if again attacked. The pofition was admirably chofen for a defenfive battle.
Malvern Hill is an elevated plateau, about a mile and a half by three-fourths of a mile in area, moftly clear of wood, and with feveral converging roads croffing it. It flopes gently toward the north and eaft, down to the verge of a thick foreft; weftward it falls more abruptly into a ravine, which extends to the James River.
On the creft of the hill feven heavy fiege guns had been placed in pofition, and the referve artillery was fo. pofted, that a concentrated fire of fixty guns could be brought to bear upon any point in front, or on the left, the direction from which the enemy muft advance to the attack. Here the main force was maffed. The left of the line was held by the Fifth Corps, General
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MALVERN HILL.
Porter, confifting of the divifions of Sykes and Morell, 1862. and Warren's, Buchanan's, Chapman's, Griffin's, Mar- July Ift. tindale's, and Butterfield's brigades. Heintzelman's corps was on the right of Porter; Couch's divifion came next, then Kearney and Hooker; next Keyes, Sumner, and Franklin's corps, with Sedgwick and Richardfon .. Next came Smith and Slocum, then the remainder of Keyes's corps, extended by a backward curve nearly to the river. Commodore Rodgers, commanding the flo- tilla on the James River, placed his gunboats fo as to protect our left, and to command the approaches from Richmond. There was pofted upon different parts of the field, and in fome places tier above tier, about two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery.
About IO o'clock A.M., the enemy emerged from the woods on the oppofite fide of the plain, and our pofition was diligently reconnoitred under fire from our guns.
"The Yankees," fays the rebel General Hill, " were found to be ftrongly pofted on a commanding hill, all the approaches to which could be fwept with his artil- lery, and were guarded by fwarms of infantry, fecurely fheltered by fences, ditches, and ravines. Tier after tier of batteries were grimly vifible, rifing in the form of an amphitheatre. We could only reach the firft line by traverfing an open fpace of from three to four hun- dred yards, expofed to a murderous fire of grape and canifter from the artillery, and mufketry from the in- fantry. If that was carried, another and another ftill more difficult remained in rear. An examination fatif- fied me that an attack would be hazardous."
An ominous ftillnefs prevailed, indicating the ma-
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MALVERN HILL.
1862. nouvring and placing in pofition of troops. About 3 July Ift. o'clock, Lee ordered the artillery attack, which he hoped would break the Union lines. "But inftead of one or two hundred pieces, only a fingle battery opened, and that was knocked to pieces in a few minutes." "Grimes's battery was thrown into hopelefs diforder by the killing of three of its horfes, and the wounding of feveral others, in the act of taking its ground, and never got into pofition again during the day ; whereupon the Purcell battery, Captain Pegram, was ordered to re- place it."
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