Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/421

CHICKAHOMINY 413 while Lee had, including those coming on with Jackson, about 100,000. An allowance of 5,000 on either side will cover all possible er- rors in this estimate. Lee had reasoned that McClellan intended to lay siege to Richmond by regular approaches. The city was in no condition to sustain a prolonged investment, for it had not provisions for a fortnight, and its sources of supply were precarious and liable to interruption. His object was to raise the siege by attacking McClellan at the point where he was most vulnerable; that is, by threatening his line of supply on the east side of the Chick - ahominy. For this purpose the divisions of Huger and Magruder, 24,000 strong, Holmes's division of 7,000, which was posted at Fort Darling on the James river, and the reserve artillery and cavalry, 3,000 more, were to be left on the Richmond side ; while A. P. Hill, Longstreet, and D. H. Hill, with 34.000, besides 2,000 cavalry under Stuart, were to cross the Chickahominy and unite with Jackson's com- mand, 30,000 strong, and fall upon the enemy on that side. IV. MECHANICSVILLE. The divi- sions from Richmond began moving during the night of Thursday, June 25, and reached their assigned positions at 8 o'clock the following morning. They waited till the afternoon for Jackson's approach. He had been delayed, and at last A. P. Hill crossed the stream be- yond the extreme Union right, and moved down the bank until he came upon two bri- gades of McCall's Pennsylvania reserves strong- ly posted behind Beaver Dam creek, a small stream falling into the Chickahominy. The creek was five or six yards wide, with steep banks, the water being waist deep. The roads approach- ing it were commanded by artillery, and the whole line was defended by rifle pits and felled trees. The confederates made several deter- mined attacks, which were repelled ; and at 9 o'clock they fell back, having lost 1,500 men. The federals, fighting under cover, lost barely 300. In this action, sometimes called the bat- tle of Mechanicsville, sometimes that of Beaver Dam creek, the Union force engaged consisted of the brigades of Reynolds and Seymour, 6,000 strong ; that of the confederates of five bri- gades, numbering 12,000. From the moment that McClellan learned of the approach of the enemy, he gave up all thought of holding his position on the east bank of the Chickahominy, and began to execute the plan which he had already conceived of changing his base from the York to the James; a wise operation, which had been perfectly feasible since the de- struction of the Merrimack on May 11. The quartermaster at West Point was ordered to forward supplies to the front till the last mo- ment, and to send the remainder to the James, burning everything which could not be got off. His change of base required that the whole army should be united on the west side of the Cliickahominy. McClellan proposed to hold the enemy in check for a few hours on the east side until all his trains could be got over. The position at Beaver Dam creek was considerably in advance of the main line, and though unas- sailable in front could be easily turned. V. COLD HARBOR. During the night of the 26th the troops were quietly withdrawn. Porter's line was posted 5 m. below. The 30 heavy guns which had been placed in batteries between these points, together with nearly all the trains, were safely conveyed over, and the New bridge partially destroyed. There was indeed no ne- cessity for fighting the battle which ensued, for the whole Union army might easily have got over hours before the enemy came in sight on the 27th. The Union position was well chosen. A small stream falling into the Chickahominy was in front. The banks were usually fringed with a belt of swamp ; but here and there they were steep. The land rises into a flat table land, with patches of forest and cultivated fields. Two places are named on the maps, New Cold Harbor, near the Chickahominy, and Cold Harbor, a mile northward, each con- sisting of three or four dilapidated houses. Cold Harbor formed the centre of Porter's semicircular line, which covered the bridges across the river. Some rifle pits had been dug and a few trees felled along the sides of the slope, which was crowned with artillery, so that the guns could play over the heads of the infantry upon an advancing enemy. The confederates were astir at dawn, but it was two hours before they began to move. A. P. Hill and Longstreet kept to the right, along the bank of the Chickahominy. D. II. Hill bore to the left in order to unite with Jack- son, who had encamped near by. About noon the right column came to Gaines's mill, where a slight encounter took place, from which has been given one of the names by which the whole battle is designated. At 2 o'clock A. P. Hill came in sight of the main Union force drawn up on the hillside beyond the creek. The plain in front, a quarter of a mile wide, was swept by artillery and partly commanded by heavy guns on the opposite side of the Chick- ahominy. The confederates charged across the plain, floundered through the morass, and pressed up the slope in the face of a fierce fire of artillery and musketry. Some regiments even pierced the Union lines. The battle here raged for two hours, but the assailants were at length driven back in apparent rout. Long- street's division had been drawn up in the rear of Hill, sheltered by a low ridge. Lee directed him to make a feigned attack upon the Union left, in order to relieve Hill. He found that the force there was too strong to be disturbed by a feint, and that he must make a real at- tack. Jackson had now come up on the Union right. The direction of the firing showed that on the left A. P. Hill and Longstreet were fall- ing back. Lee ordered a general assault. Por- ter, seeing the great force advancing upon him, had two hours before asked for reinforcements from the other side of the Chickahominy. Slo- cum's division had been all day kept in readi-