Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/422

414 CHICKAHOMIXY ness for that purpose. It had begun to cross at daybreak, but was recalled when half over. It was now ordered to move, and came upon the field at half past 4. Porter's line was so severely pressed everywhere that he was com- pelled to send Slocum's division, regiment by regiment, to the most vital points. Still for more than an hour Jackson gained no ground. Lawton's Georgia brigade, 4,000 strong, which hud been held in reserve, was now ordered up. It was half past 6, an hour before sunset. The whole force, except a single confederate brigade held in reserve, was now in action. Making allowance for losses on both sides, the confederates on the field numbered 56,000, the federals 33,000. The Union force was thus pressed along its whole line by almost double its numbers. It gave way almost simul- taneously on the right, centre, and left. It was not a rout, but fast threatening to become one. The core of every division remained solid, but fragments were flying off on every side, and all were pressing toward the bridges across the Chickahominy. At this moment the brigades of French and Meagher came over the river, dashed through the stragglers, and up the bluff. The regiments in retreat rallied and faced the pursuers, who fired a few ineffectual volleys, and withdrew as night set in. An hour earlier these two brigades would have secured a victory; as it was, they just Jrevented a disastrous rout. This action of une 27 has been called the battle of Gaines's Mill, but is more properly that of Cold Har- bor ; Lee calls it the battle of the Chick- ahominy. The confederate loss in killed and wounded was 9,500; the Union loss 4,000, besides about 2,000 prisoners, and 22 guns. During the whole of tins action McClellan had remained on the west side of the Chickahomi- ny, where the confederates kept up a show of force far greater than they possessed. For this the formation of the country furnished special facilities. There was a continuous se- ries of swamps, gullies, and ridges, which shut out from view all that was passing at the dis- tance of a few hundred yards. A force would show itself at one point, vanish, and reappear at another ; no one could tell whether it was a regiment or a division. An artillery fire might be a feint or the prelude to an at- tack in force. These movements deceived not only McClellan but Sumner and Franklin, both of whom thought they were confronted by superior numbers. But the only affair which rose even to the dimensions of a skirmish oc- curred near sunset, when two confederate regi- ments attacked a strong picket line at Peach Orchard, and out of 650 men lost 200. Lee had won a formal victory, in which he suffered double the loss which he had inflicted. But he had placed himself in a perilous position. Two thirds of his force, now not more than 54,000, was east of the Chickahominy, the remaining 85,000 on the west, of whom 7,000 were across the James. Between them lay McClellan with fully 96,000. A third of this would easily have guarded the river ; the remainder could have marched into Richmond in five hours. The fall of Richmond would have involved the dis- solution of the army across the Chickahominy, for it had marched out with only three days' supplies ; and out of Richmond the confederates had not within 100 m. food to supply the sol- diers for a week. The confederate army after the battle of Cold Harbor was in just the posi- tion in which an enemy would wish it to be. McClellan, instead of assaulting or besieging Richmond, resolved to move to the James river. VI. SAVAGE'S STATION. The problem, some- times called the " change of base," but in reality a retreat, was a very simple one. It was to march 10 or 15 m. with no enemy in front, but with one supposed to be superior upon one flank and possibly in the rear. "White Oak creek falls into the Chickahominy three or four miles south of the left of the Union position at the Seven Pines. It is bordered by White Oak swamp, which toward Richmond is sev- eral miles wide, and slopes up into a wooded tract extending to the James river. Three main roads, the Charles City, Darbytown, and Newmarket, starting from near Richmond, diverge southeastward toward the Chickahomi- ny, skirting the swamp on its southern side. The region is intersected by obscure cross roads, upon which there is here and there a clear- ing. In this region took place the engagements of June 30. The line of the retreat lay through White Oak swamp. The trains, which if drawn up in a single line would have stretched a dis- tance of 40 m., and were accompanied by a herd of 2,500 cattle, were got safely over the creek by noon of the 28th, and, preceded by Keyes's corps, moved toward Malvern hill on the James, which they reached without molestation on the morning of the 30th. The corps of Franklin and Porter followed on the morning of the 29th, leaving those of Sumner and Heintzelman to protect the rear. The works at Fair Oaks and Seven Pines were abandoned, and the two corps fell back to Savage's station, on the rail- road, where were the hospitals and depots of the army, which they were directed to hold till nightfall. Heintzelman moved away before the time, leaving orders for the destruction of such stores as could not be carried off. The provisions were piled up and burned. The ammunition and shells were heaped upon a train, which with a full head of steam was sent down the railroad toward the river ; as it start- ed the train was set afire, and before it reach- ed the bridge the shells began to explode. The rails across the bridge had been removed ; but so great was the momentum that the engine and one car leaped across the chasm and land- ed on the opposite side. At the same instant the whole mass of powder exploded, and the other cars plunged into the mud of the river. Magruder in the mean time moved cautiously down the railroad, somewhat harassing the re- treat, and at half past 5 made an attack at