CHAPTER XIII

 

 

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 circumstances should render it advisable, arrangements were made on the 18th of June to have transports with supplies of provisions and forage sent up the James River to Harrison's Landing.

By the report of the chief of the "secret service corps," dated the 26th of June, the estimated strength of the enemy is put down at about one hundred and eighty thousand, and the specific infor­mation obtained regarding their organization, warrants the belief that this estimate 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 com­panies 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 earthworks had been completed for the defence of Richmond, and that in thirty­six 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 utmost." Subsequent to that, he certainly did not receive reinforcements of more than ten thousand men, and deducting 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

 

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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 Days' battles.

From information received from spies, contrabands and a de­serter as early as the 24th, General McClellan 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.

 

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, Colonel Farnsworth, who were being driven in by the enemy who had crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge. Colonel McCandless had some time before deploying Company B, Captain McDonough, as skirmish­ers. Learning that the enemy was approaching in overpowering force, he deployed the regiment across the road with the Eighth Illinois, and thus gained time to withdraw to Mechanicsville, 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 Mechanicsville 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 resting 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 mentioned, impracticable for ar­tillery. On the right of the last named road an epaulement calcu­lated for four pieces of field artillery was thrown up, and rifle pits constructed on the left of the road.

The line of battle was formed in the following order from right to left: On the extreme right was the seven companies of the Second

 

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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 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 "Bucktails."

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 artillery 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 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 occasions 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.

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

 

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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.

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 ammunition, he ordered up the First Reserve, Colonel Roberts, who, in line of battle on our left and rear, opened fire but soon after forming in column of division and advancing 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 support 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 Companies 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.

 

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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 but seven thousand, including officers. The enemy acknowledged 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 mentions the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel McCandless and the regiment during the battle.

During the night ammunition was sent for and distributed 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 camp 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 received 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 delicate 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.

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 * See Appendix A.

 

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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 movement 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 comprehended by us, and we slowly fell back in good order, but in any thing but a good humor, to the point designated 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 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 with the Fifth Corps and all the disposable reinforcements, 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' Mills 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 farther 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

 

92 (drawing not included)

 

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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 farther in rear. The artillery occupied the space between the lines and the cavalry of the division, 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 defending the slope of the river.

The troops were all in position by noon, with the artillery 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 Sykes' 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 instances 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 behind a hill for five hours, with round shot and shell continually whizzing 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.

General Reynolds soon rode up, and ordered our regiment to advance through the wood, clear it out and take up a position on its extreme edge. Colonel McCandless not entirely liking the order, asked the General's permission to move in at right angles to the position assigned to us, on the left of it. The General was silent for a mo­ment, his face bearing the expression of great perplexity and dissat-

 

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isfaction, when he replied, "Colonel, General Porter is fighting the battle on certain parallels, and his orders will have to be obeyed." "I would to God," remarked the Colonel afterwards, "I had not asked him the question, but had taken my regiment in by mistake." "Forward," passed down the line, and moving on we advanced into the wood, strewed as it was with the dead and the dying, and reaching its outer edge, laid down to await the coming storm.

The First Reserve lay in our right, the Sixth Regulars in our rear, and several other regiments nearby. A regiment of New York Zouaves were posted in an open field about five hundred yards in our front and facing us. Easton's battery of Reserves to our front and right were firing in the opening between us and parallel to our front. The enemy, as we well knew before we entered, were on our left flank. We may have been judiciously posted, and good soldiers should not think, but we could not help noticing that we were in a better position to attack our own troops than to inflict damage upon the enemy.

Steadily the solid columns of the foe were advancing on our left, their leading lines dressed in our uniform, showing no flag and treacherously crying out they were our friends, and not to fire upon them. But we were not deceived, and poured into them a left oblique fire with good effect. But onward they pressed until almost upon us, when they poured into us a deafening roar of musketry, above which the artillery fire at times could scarcely be distinguished. Line after line delivered their fire, and falling to the ground gave range to those behind them. It sounded like one long continuous roar, not a suscep­tible interval being perceived for several minutes. Overpowered, flanked, and with the enemy in our rear, with scattered remnants of other regiments in the excitement of the moment firing into us, we broke and were scattered through the woods, fighting the best we could from behind trees, until finally we were driven headlong out, with our muskets thoroughly heated, and our ammunition almost exhausted.

We were driven from the woods to the right and parallel with the line we entered on, but did not retire more than three hundred yards, before we came to a depressed road, where once more we raised our banner to the storm and rallied the boys around it. Cut off from our brigade and division, we lay here, and with Easton's battery, which was directly on our right, held the foe at bay, who seeing rein­forcements coming up, dared not advance into the open field.

Soon a gallant brigade passed by, with their arms at a right shoulder and lines dressed with the precision of a parade. Steadily, silently and firm paced, they advanced with their glorious banners

 

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and glittering bayonets gleaming in the sun, and like a mass of living valor entered the woods and disappeared from sight. Soon their

loud cheers and volleys told they had met the foe. If our brigade had entered the woods as they did, we would have met the enemy on our front and not our flank.

At this time we were ordered into a low woods in the rear of Easton's battery, but had not remained there long before we were moved to the left on an open field. Soon afterwards we were ordered to the right, and farther to the rear of the battery. An hour had now passed by, and soon a few stragglers were seen flying from the woods, and in a few moments the foe burst upon us in overwhelming num­bers. The guns of Easton's battery vomited forth their hail of double­shoted canister against which it appeared impossible for men to stand, yet onward with undaunted bravery the enemy pressed, closing up their vast gaps and sweeping everything before them. The gallant Easton was killed, his brave cannoneers bayoneted at their guns, the majority of the horses disabled, and, despite the most heroic resistance, the battery was taken. A dozen or fifteen horses cut loose from the battery, dashed through our line followed closely by the enemy, and again driven, we slowly and sullenly, but in good order retreated down over the fields, under a murderous fire that brought many a brave man to the ground. Having reached a position whose sloping ground afforded some slight protection, Colonel McCandless rallied the men and reformed the line, collecting a large number of stragglers from different regiments, and soon after Colo­nel Simmons of the Fifth Reserve appeared and took charge. A squad­ron of Rush's Lancers and a squadron of Indiana cavalry, now came up and formed in our rear, and General McCall stopped two batteries that were in retreat and bringing them into battery opened upon the enemy, who just then appeared on the opposite hillside, and checked their advance at this point.

Soon after French's and Meagher's brigades came up, and the fire of the batteries was stopped as they passed down the hill in front, but upon their reaching the foot of it, they were met by General Porter, who halted them, as the enemy had retired from view and the sun was setting.

The other regiments and brigades of the Reserve fought with great gallantry, the First and Eighth being relieved and brought out by General Reynolds, and the Fifth retiring only when their ammunition was exhausted. The Eleventh, Colonel Gallagher, having relieved the Fourth New Jersey, Colonel Simpson, while engaged by the enemy became so completely enveloped in the smoke of the battle

 

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as not to observe the rest of the line had retired, and being competely surrounded by a vastly superior force of the enemy, the ma­or part of them and the Fourth New Jersey were captured, but no censure whatever, was attached to either of the gallant commanders of the regiments.

About eight o'clock, the battle ceased and we were moved some distance towards the rear, near a field hospital where the wounded were being continually brought in for surgical treatment, after which they were laid upon the grass, a blanket thrown over them, and a canteen of water put by their side, where some slept and others died. The poor fellows displayed most heroic fortitude, and though many of them were horribly mangled and suffering intense pain, only sup­pressed murmurs escaped their lips. All of our regiment were collected and laid together, and were cared for by their comrades until we moved. While the surgeons were at work by the flickering light of candles, the ruthless enemy opened fire upon them with shell, but they continued, hiding the lights as best they could with their caps and bodies.

Through the night General Reynolds was surprised, with Captain Charles Kingbury, his Assistant Adjutant-General, and taken prisoner by the enemy. The command of our brigade, therefore, devolved upon Colonel Simmons of the Fifth Reserve.

The number of troops engaged on our side was not more than thirty-five thousand men, and that of the enemy has been computed to be from seventy to seventy-five thousand men. The loss on our side was heavy, but as no general returns were made until after the Seven Days' battle, the losses during the series of battles were estimated together. The number of guns captured by the enemy on the field were nineteen, and three were lost by being run off the bridge during the final withdrawal.

Although we were finally forced from the first line after the enemy had been repeatedly driven back, yet the object sought for had been attained. The enemy was held at bay, our siege guns and material were saved, and the right wing could now be withdrawn and joined to the main body of the army.*

The wearied and exhausted men who had fought for two days, and many of them without a mouthful to eat, threw themselves upon the ground and sank to sleep with their cartridge boxes strapped upon them and their muskets in their hands. But their slumbers were of short duration, as soon orders came to wake them up and get into line without noise. It was hard work to rouse the sleepy *

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See Appendix A.

 

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boys, it being necessary to roll some of them over, shake them, pound them, and even to lift them upon their feet. Having got the men in

line, our division waited here until near morning to cover the with­drawal of the army from the left bank of the Chickahominy, and then crossing the bridge opposite Trent's Hill about seven o'clock we blew it up; moving on about a mile and a half we halted on Trent's Hill, where we lay during the 28th.

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