USA > Pennsylvania > Our Campaigns: or, The marches, bivouacs, battles, incidents of camp life and history of our regiment during its three years term of service > Part 9
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The day being excessively hot, we were moved across the railroad to a wood upon a hill, where we remained until the next morning. During the night companies K and H, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Kennedy were
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sent on picket, and Lieutenants Jack and Black were sent out with detachments to scour the woods, the latter returning with five prisoners.
On Sunday the 15th, the enemy having all disap- peared, we returned to our former camping ground, the weather being oppressively hot and the men straggling much. The entire damage done by the enemy, besides that referred to above, was the killing of several of the guard and teamsters at Garlick's Landing, and the burn- ing of two schooners laden with forage, they making the entire circuit of the army, repassing the Chickahominy at Long Bridge. It is somewhat remarkable that this raid was commanded by Fitz Hugh Lee, and executed a few days after the return of his mother to Richmond, from a visit to the White House, where she had been furnished with a pass and escort by General Fitz John Porter, who was a welcomed guest to her hospitalities prior to the war.
More effectually to conceal from the enemy our posi- tions and numbers, orders were issued prohibiting the sounding of all calls, and ordering the tying to trees of any who discharged their pieces. Every morning early the enemy opened on our fatigue parties at work on the bridges, which the boys said was "Jeff calling the roll."
On the afternoon of the 16th the division was formed at five o'clock to receive General McClellan, but we were disappointed, and after waiting an hour we returned to our quarters. The next day we formed at nine, A. M. to receive the general, and remained in position until twelve, M., and reformed at six, when orders were read to us to march the next morning, which were received with enthusiasm. During the evening we were busy cooking rations, and at three the next morning, com- panies B and A, Captains McDonough and Neide were recalled from picket. At five o'clock we moved off in a northwesterly direction parallel with the Chickahominy, and after marching eight miles encamped about noon near Gaines' House, and about three hundred yards from
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the river. Our bivouac was on an opening to the lef of the road, and between us and the river was a heavy woods, from the edge of which we could see the enemy on the other side busy at work. In the afternoon they opened with artillery on the workmen on the New bridge, to which the Reserve artillery responded, and with the exception of one man wounded and a gun dismounted, no damage was done our side. This artillery practice and skirmishing was of daily occurrence.
The next morning, the 19th, at day break we moved off to Ellerson's mills, on the river road where it crosses Beaver Dam creek, about one and a half miles distance, where we remained some time, and then counter-march- ing and moving to the left we bivouacked in an oat-field near a woods, where the Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry (Rush's Lancers) were encamped. The same afternoon Mr. Hall made an ascension in one of Professor Lowe's balloons near our camp, for the purpose of reconnoiter- ing, but the enemy opening upon him from one of their batteries, he thought it prudent to postpone his aerial operations. Early the next morning we moved back about one mile to Nanaley's mill, where we encamped between the house and the road near a fine wood and a large mill-dam, where the boys enjoyed the luxury of bathing.
Our division upon its arrival was not attached to any Army Corps, but was assigned to the extreme right of the line, which was considered the post of honor.
On the 21st, orders were received to hold ourselves in readiness, to move night or day, at a moment's notice, and each morning to be under arms at three o'clock, and remain so until daylight. The same day, Lieutenant Fletcher and Sergeant Pidgeon arrived in camp from re- cruiting service. On the 23rd, we were under arms all the afternoon, and loaned our intrenching tools to the Fifth.
Early on the morning of the 24th, we started on picket to Mechanicsville, about one mile distant, where we found
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the Twelfth Reserves, Colonel John H. Taggart, four companies of Rush's Lancers and Cooper's Battery ; Col- onel Taggart, being in command of the line, he being the senior officer. Our regiment forming the Reserve, we laid in the grove back of Dr. Lumkin's house. Me- chanicsville lies on the high ground, overlooking the Chickahominy on its north bank; from which it is about five hundred yards distance. It consists of a church and some fifteen houses, all of which were deserted and per- forated by shot and shell. The south bank of the river rises gradually for about a half mile, where a long line of redoubts and rifle pits front a heavy wood. In the centre of the stream is an island, which is connected with either shore by a bridge, we holding one end of it, and the enemy the other, the island being neutral ground. The pickets at this point, although quite near one another, remained on good terms, the enemy's relief, upon one occasion, presenting arms to Lieutenant-Col- onel McIntire, of the First Reserves, as he was visiting one of our posts. We were disposed, at this time, to show acts of courtesy to one another, as we daily ex- pected to meet in battle. Richmond is but five miles distant from Mechanicsville, and from a shed near the road-side we could see its spires. One of our officers wagered a hundred segars he would be in the city in one week-he was, but as a prisoner.
During the night, the position of our guns were changed and General Reynolds required hourly reports to be made to him in writing. All passed quietly and the next morning we were up and in line at three o'clock. There being strong indications of a movement on the part of the enemy, about five, P. M., orders were received to feel them with our guns, to ascertain, if possible, what they were at, and accordingly Cooper's battery threw about twenty shells, but without eliciting any response. We subsequently ascertained, what we then suspected, that they were moving off to our right. The shells,
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however, dropped beautifully among them, and sent their wagons hurriedly down the pike.
BATTLE OF OAK GROVE, June 25th .- While this was transpiring on our extreme right, a more interesting scene was enacting on the left. The bridges and in- trenchments being at last completed, an advance of our picket line on the left was ordered on the 25th, prepara- tory to a general forward movement. General Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps, was pushed forward to occupy "Oak Grove," a new and important position in front of the most advanced redoubt on the Williamsburg road, and while advancing through a dense thicket and an almost impassable swamp, was suddenly attacked by the enemy, whom they repulsed and drove back. The fighting continued off and on during the day, and at sun- set our object was accomplished, with the loss of fifty- one killed, four hundred and one wounded and sixty-four missing, making a total of five hundred and sixteen. The enemy's loss was about equal in number.
CHAPTER XIIL
STRENGTH OF THE OPPOSING ARMIES. OPENING OF THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES. BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE. BATTLE OF GAINES' MILLS. CROSSING THE CHICKAHOMINY.
IN anticipation of a speedy advance on Richmond, to provide for the contingency of our communications with the depot at the White House being severed by the enemy, and at the same time to prepare for a change of the base of our operations to James river, if circum- stances should render it advisable, arrangements were made on the 18th of June to have transports with sup- plies of provisions and forage sent up the James river to Harrison's Landing.
By the report of the chief of the "secret service
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corps," dated the 26th of June, the estimate strength of the enemy is put down at about one hundred and eighty thousand, and the specific information obtained regard- ing their organization, warrants the belief that this esti: mate did not exceed his actual strength. It is shown in the report that there were two hundred regiments of infantry and cavalry; including the forces of Jackson and Ewell, just arrived; eight battalions of independent troops, five battalions of artillery ; twelve companies of infantry and independent cavalry, and forty-six comp- anies of artillery. amounting in all, to from forty to fifty brigades. There were undoubtedly many others whose designations were not known,
The report also shows that numerous and heavy earth- works had been completed for the defence of Richmond, and that in thirty-six of these were mounted some two hundred guns.
On the 14th of May, General Mcclellan in his official report states "I cannot bring into actual battle against the enemy more than eighty thousand men at the ut- most." Subsequent to that, he certainly did not receive reinforcements of more than ten thousand men, and de- ducting from this total of ninety thousand, the losses sustained in the three skirmishes of the 24th of May at Seven Pines, Cold Harbor and Mechanicsville, and at the battles of Hanover Court House and Fair Oaks and minor skirmishes, with the usual sickness attendant upon the unhealthy position of the army, it may be safely stated that the Army of the Potomac did not number over eighty thousand fighting men at the opening of the Seven Day's battles.
From information received from spies, contrabands and a deserter as early as the 24th, General MeClellan had strong reasons to suppose the enemy meditated an Attack upon his right and rear, and on the 26th of June, the day decided upon for the final advance on Richmond the enemy anticipated our movement by attacking our army.
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THE BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE, June 26th .- Early that day our regiment was relieved by the Fifth Reserve, Colonel Simmons, and marched back to camp. At eleven o'clock we were ordered under arms, and at twelve, noon, just as our dinners were cooked, but before we could eat them, orders came to fall in with cartridge boxes and muskets. Marching up to Mechanicsville we turned to the right and moved up the river road to "Shady Grove Church," where we met the Eighth Illinois cavalry, Col- onel Farnsworth, who were being driven in by the enemy who had crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow bridge. Colonel McCandless had some time before deployed Company B, Captain McDonough, as skirmishers, and learning that the enemy were approaching in overpower- ing force, he deployed the regiment across the road in connection with the Eighth Illinois to produce caution on their part, and thus gain time to withdraw to Me- chanicsville, where General Reynolds with the rest of our brigade and General Meade with his, were drawn up. Three companies of the "Bucktails," under Major La Roy Stone, who were on our left, were surrounded by a heavy force of the enemy, but two of them cut their way through, company K, being captured. At Mechanics- ville the line was again formed, and soon afterwards we withdrew to Beaver Dam Creek, where it was determined to give battle.
This position was naturally a strong one, the left rest- ing on the Chickahominy and the right extending to dense woods (beyond the upper Mechanicsville road) which were occupied. The passage of the creek was difficult throughout the greater part of the front, and, with the exception of the roads crossing at Ellerson's Mill, near the left, and that near the right, above men- tioned, impracticable for artillery. On the right of the last named road an epaulement calculated for four pieces of field artillery was thrown up, and riffe-pits constructed on the left of the road.
The line of battle was formed in the following order
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from right to left: On the extreme right was the seven companies of the Second regiment, Lieutenant-colonel McCandless; then six companies of the "Bucktails," Major Stone with four guns of Cooper's battery in the epaulement ; the Fifth regiment, Colonel Simmons in the rifle-pits on the left of the road; the First regiment, Colonel Roberts; the Eighth regiment, Colonel Hays; the Tenth regiment, Colonel Kirk; the Ninth regiment, Colonel Jackson; and the Twelfth regiment, Colonel Taggart, which occupied the extreme left. General Meade's brigade, which was in reserve, consisted of the Third regiment, Colonel Sickel; the Fourth regiment, Colonel Magilton ; and the Seventh regiment, Colonel Harvey. Easton's battery of four twelve-pound Napoleon guns, and Kern's battery of six twelve pound howitzers, were also held in reserve. It should here be mentioned that the Sixth regiment, Lieutenant-colonel Mckean, was detached at Tunstall's Station, and the Eleventh regiment, Colonel Gallagher, was on picket on the Chickahominy.
The position of the Second regiment, as before noticed, was on the extreme right, with a heavy wood in front and a ford near the right of it. Companies K and H, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Kennedy were detached under Major Woodward with orders to hold this ford at all hazards; and Company C, Captain Byrnes, was posted on the left in a dry swamp between us and the "Buck- tails."
About three o'clock the enemy's lines were formed on the opposite side of the swamp and their skirmishers rapidly advanced, delivering their fire as they came forward. They were speedily driven back by the artil- lery and a rattling reply of musketry. In a short time the main body, who were commanded by General Robert E. Lee, in person, boldly advanced in force under cover of a heavy artillery fire, and attacked the whole front. It soon became apparent that the main point of their attack was the extreme right, upon which they opened a heavy
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fire of round shot and shell, and precipitated column after column of Georgian and Louisiana troops, who waded to their middle through the water, and boldly advanced up through the woods. They were received by the Second on their knees, with a withering fire, which they maintained without a moment's cessation for over three hours. During this time, assault after assault was made on the position, and upon three separate occa- sions the enemy succeeded in forcing themselves between us and the "Bucktails," and gaining the clear ground, but they were each time driven back at the point of the bayonet by charges led in person by Colonel McCandless.
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At one time they charged the left and centre at the same time, boldly pressing on their flags until they nearly met ours, when the fighting became of the most desperate character, the flags rising and falling as they were surged to and fro by the contending parties, each struggling to defend its own, and capture its opponents'. Our left was driven back, the enemy at that point having passed the woods, bending our line into a convexed circle. But never for a moment were we broken. McCandless placing himself in front of the left, led it valiantly to the charge, hurling the brave Georgia boys back, and almost taking their flag. While this was going on in our front Major Woodward with his two companies was hotly engaged at the ford, the men delivering, from behind trees, a slow but destructive fire, or pouring in rapid volleys when hard pressed.
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General Reynolds, whose ever-watchful eye was upon the regiments of his brigade, several times rode down to our position, at one time exclaiming, as he pointed with his sword, "Look at them, boys, in the swamp there, they are as thick as flies on a ginger bread ; fire low, fire low." Just before dark, when we had driven back their last charge, knowing we had expended nearly all our ammu- nition, he ordered up the First Reserve, Colonel Roberts, who, in line of battle on our left and rear, opened fir
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but soon after forming in column of division and ad- vancing deployed and opened again on the retreating masses. At the same time Kern's battery of six twelve- pounder howitzers supported by the Third Reserve, Colonel Sickel, took position some three hundred yards to our right, and we moved to the right to give play to the guns, which opened a most terrible fire of shell upon the confused and broken masses of the enemy on the opposite side of the swamp. Colonel McCandless here offered to storm a battery posted opposite to us across the swamp, if support was given to him, which being promised, we moved down the road on our right to the ford held by Major Woodward, but the promised sup- port luckily failing to come, the attempt was abandoned, and the regiment was deployed on the edge of the swamp and again opened fire. The musketry soon after ceased, but the artillery fire was continued until nine o'clock at night when the battle ceased, and the Reserves slept on the field of victory. Griffin's brigade and Edward's battery were also sent to the right to our support, but they with the Third regiment did not become engaged.
About five o'clock a most determined attempt was made by the enemy to force the left at Ellerson's Mill, but they were gallantly repulsed by General Seymour, who drove back column after column that was hurled against him.
The prisoners taken by our regiment, mostly by com- panies H and K, numbered fifteen, and were utterly surprised at the smallness of the force that was opposed to them, and expressed their full confidence, if permitted to rejoin their comrades, that they could return and drive us from our position.
It was here that the most desperate fighting was done, our regiment which numbered but three hundred and seventy-one, officers and men, losing nearly one-half of the number killed, and one-fourth of the killed and wounded of the whole division, which numbered about seven thousand, including officers. The enemy acknow.
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ledged the loss of over five hundred men at this point, and General McCall puts down their whole strength as twenty thousand, and states, in his report, that he "learned from official authority, while a prisoner in Richmond, that General Lee's loss, in killed and wounded, did not fall short of two thousand; and that the Forty-fourth Georgia lost nearly two-thirds." The loss of the division is officially reported at thirty-three killed and one hundred and fifty wounded. The great disproportion in the losses must be attributed to the nature of the ground.
But while we rejoiced at the laurels entwined around our banners, our hearts were saddened at the fall of our comrades whose life blood gushed out upon the field of victory .*
General McCall, in his official report, honorably men- tions the conduct of Lieutenant-colonel McCandless and the regiment during the battle.
During the night ammunition was sent for and distri- buted to the men. Companies H, and K, remained at the ford ; B, Lieutenant Jack, was thrown out on picket to the right, and the rest slept on the field all night. All was the stillness of death, not a voice being heard save the moaning of the enemy's wounded that came up out of the swamp and woods beyond.
The next morning, long before daybreak, we were in line, and the enemy during the night having received heavy reinforcements, the attack was again commenced, but principally upon the left. The position of Beaver Dam Creek, although so successfully defended, had its extreme right flank too much exposed, and was too far from the main army to make it available to retain it longer, therefore, just before daybreak orders were re- ceived from General McClellan for us to fall back to the rear of Gaines' Mills. To withdraw a large force in broad daylight, while under fire, is one of the most deli-
* See Appendix, A.
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cate and difficult movements in war, particularly in presence of a greatly superior force. It, nevertheless, was most successfully accomplished, great caution and deliberation being used to screen the movement, and the troops being withdrawn slowly and at intervals. Meade's brigade was the first to move; then came Griffin's brigade and battery, next Reynold's under cover of the Bucktails and Cooper's guns, and last Seymour's.
During these movements a scattering fire of artillery and musketry was kept up and continued until all was brought out. So coolly and deliberately was the move- ment accomplished that the regiments as they filed past, marched as steadily as if coming from the parade ground, we burying all our killed and sending off our wounded, not leaving a man, gun or musket on the field.
The retrograde movement at this time was not compre- hended by us, and we slowly fell back in good order, but in any thing but a good humor, to the point desig- nated in rear of Gaines' Mills, where we arrived at ten o'clock in the forenoon. On our route we met Cooper's battery which we saved the day before from being flanked, and the men freely distributed coffee, bread and tobacco to our hungry boys who had fasted for twenty. four hours.
THE BATTLE OF GAINES' MILLS, JUNE 27TH .- It having been ascertained on the preceding night that the enemy was approaching in full force with the intention of cutting off our communication with the White House, General McClellan determined to carry out his intentions of changing his -base from the Pamunkey to the James Rivers, for which purpose he withdrew the troops on the left bank of the Chickahominy to a position around the bridge heads where its flanks were reasonably secure, and it was within supporting distance of the main army. This movement secured the withdrawal of all the heavy guns, wagons and stores to the right bank of the river, and afforded time to perfect arrangements to secure the adoption of the new base. To General Fitz John Porter
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with the Fifth Corps and all the disposable reinforco- ments, was assigned the task of resisting the enemy.
The line of battle was about an arc of a circle formed on the interior edge of the dense woods bounding the extensive plain of cleared lands stretching some twelve or fifteen hundred yards back of the river. Morell's division held the left of the line in a strip of woods on the left bank of the Gaines' Mill stream, resting its left flank on the descent to the Chickahominy, which was swept by our artillery on both sides of the river, and extending into open ground on the right towards Cold Harbor. In this line General Butterfield's brigade held the extreme left, General Martindale's joined his right, and General Griffin, still further to the right, joined the left of General Sykes' division, which, partly in woods and partly in open ground, extended in the rear of Cold Harbor.
Each brigade held in reserve two of its own regiments. General McCall was informed by General Porter, that as his division had been engaged till late the previous night, and suffered from loss of sleep, and had been under fire for some hours in the morning it would be held in reserve. It therefore formed the second line, occupying the ground some six hundred yards in the rear of the first. Meade's brigade on the left near the Chickahominy. Reynold's brigade on the right covering the approaches from Cold Harbor and Despatch Station to Sumner's Bridge, and Seymour's in reserve to the second line, still further in rear. The artillery occupied the space between the lines and the cavalry of the di- vision, the Fourth Pennsylvania, was placed under cover of a slope in the rear. General P. St. George Cooke, with five companies of the Fifth Regular Cavalry, two squadrons of the First Regular, and three squadrons of the Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, (Rush's Lancers,) was posted behind a hill in rear of the position, and near the Chickahominy, to aid in watching the left flank and de- fending the slope of the river.
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The troops were all in position by noon, with the artil. lery on the commanding ground, and in the intervals between the divisions and brigades. Besides these division batteries, there was from the artillery reserve Tidball's horse battery, posted on the right of Syke's division, and Robertson's on the extreme left of the line, in the valley of the Chickahominy. Shortly after noon the enemy were discovered approaching in force, and it soon became evident that the entire position was to be attacked. His skirmishers advanced rapidly, and soon the firing became heavy along the whole front. At two o'clock P. M., General Porter asked for reinforcements. By three P. M., the engagement had become so severe, and the enemy were so greatly superior in numbers, that the entire second line and reserves were moved forward to sustain the first line against repeated and desperate assaults along the whole front.
The Second and Third brigades of the Reserve were ordered forward and were soon under fire, in some in, stances the regiments going at once into line where intervals had been left, while in others they halted directly in rear of the line already formed. Our brigade, which had laid in a sheltered position bebind a hill for five hours, with round shot and shell continually whiz- zing and bursting over head, was soon after ordered to advance. Once more the boys prepared for battle, their brave hearts beating with high hopes of victory, and on double quick they moved to the edge of a heavy swampy woods, where they were halted for a few moments.
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