lar mention for gallant conduct with the One
Hundred and Second and Ninety-third Pennsyl
vania regiments, in the rapid and bold advance
on the right. The horses of both officers were
wounded.
My horse fell with me after the third or fourth
round, and no other being at hand, Lieut. Stir
ling dismounted and tendered me his own, which
I was soon obliged to accept.
Considering the disadvantages of the position,
the smallness of the force at hand, the suddenness
of the attack on several vital points, with over
whelming numbers, and the fact that portions
of the field were not taken by the enemy, and
that the whole was soon recovered, this battle
must be regarded as one of the most severe and
brilliant victories of the war.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOIIN J. PECK.
LIST OP CASUALTIES.
The following is Gen. McClellan s report of the
Union losses at the battle of Fair Oaks :
Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War:
The following is a statement of the killed,
wounded, and missing of the thirty-first of May
and June first, 1862, in front of Richmond :
Corp?. Killed.
Gen. Suraner, (Second,) 183
Heintzelman, (Third,) 259
Keyes, (Fourth,) 448
Total,.
.890
Wounded. Missing.
894 146
980 155
1753 921
"3G27 1222
The grand total, killed, wounded, and missing,
is five thousand seven hundred and thirty -nine.
A nominal list will be furnished as soon as the
data can be received. G. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General Commanding.
DOCUMENTS.
GENERAL RICHARDSON S LETTER.
CAMP AT THE FAIR OAKS STATION, VA., )
FIVE MILES FROM RICHMOND, June 4 1862. f
DEAR SIR : Wishing to give you some particu
lars of the hard-fought battle in which the whole
of my division was engaged on the first of this
month, I have to state beforehand that I cannot
just now give a detailed account of the action at
this time, as we are still in front of the enemy,
and may be attacked at any time, which is not
conducive to a perfect history. This point is on
the railroad leading from our base of supplies to
Richmond, and, of course, is a strategic point,
and therefore necessary to be defended at what
ever cost, as the means of feeding this army. An
intrenched camp, consisting of an advanced lu
nette and an abattis supporting it, was found a
quarter of a mile in advance of this station, and
in it was placed Casey s division of infantry, with
some twenty pieces of artillery, and Couch s di
vision in rear of him for support.
Further down the railroad was the corps of
Hetntzelman, the next nearest support being the
corps of Sumner, consisting of Sedgwick s and
my own division, which had not yet crossed the
Chickahominy, and were from six to seven miles
distant. The corps of Fitz-John Porter and
Franklin were opposite New-Bridge, several miles
further up, and had not crossed. This being our
situation on the thirty-first of May, 1862. Along
toward the middle of the day the enemy, pre
ceded by a column of thirty thousand of the best
troops, with the dashing corps of G. W. Smith
and Longstreet at its head, commenced a furious
assault upon the most salient point of our whole
line, namely, the redoubt and intrenched camp
of Casey s division. It was, perhaps, the most
perfect surprise which ever happened on the con
tinent, and the column moving forward without
warning, brushed away the division of Casey like
chaff, without waiting even to throw out skir
mishers in front and on the flanks of the column.
I don t care to know anything of this most dis
graceful rout. Suffice it to say, they not only
ran then, but have not since been heard from, but
have abandoned their whole camp, wagons, teams,
and seven pieces of artillery. The division of
Couch, in the mean time, formed at this station in
order of battle, and had hardly done so when
the head of their column appeared in his front
also. That division stood up most manfully to
their work. In the mean time a despatch from
Gen. McClellan, at New-Bridge, glanced on the
wires, ordering up Sumner s corps in urgent
haste. Sedgwick took the advance, and crossing
the river, came into action. One hour and a half
before sunset, just as Couch s division were hav
ing their left turned, the enemy penetrated be
tween him and the corps of Heintzelman, two
miles from him on the railroad. Half an hour
more would have cut our column into two, which
would have insured the total defeat of our army.
The danger was imminent, and the division of
Sedgwick, advancing at quick time, came up at
this critical period, and formed in line of battle in
the edge of the wood at the skirt of the large open
field at this point, commencing a fire of canister-
shot upon the head of the column from his twen
ty-four pieces, which staggered it, and the divi
sion then moving down in line of battle, com
pletely swept the field, recovering thus much of
our lost ground. It was now night. My divi
sion came up on the left of Sedgwick, connecting
with Birney s brigade, of Heintzelman s corps, on
my left. Thus our line was made secure for the
night.
Sunday, June first. . The army had lain on
their arms all night in our front, the Fifth Texas,
Second Mississippi, and Second Texas regiments
bivouacking within half-musket shot of my front
and picket, within speaking distance. Every ono
knew that the struggle would recommence in the
morning, and our whole line " stood to arms." At
three o clock in the morning, before light, the en
emy drew IP. all his pickets. The line of railroad
is bordered by woods on both sides, except a few
open spaces. There was a large field three
fourths of a mile in extent on my right front, and
at that point I posted a battery of ten-pound Par-
rott rifle-guns, directed by Capt. Hazard, Fourth
artillery. I also posted the brigade of General
French and one regiment of Howard s brigade in
my front line. The remaining three regiments
of Howard s brigade formed a second line, and
Gen. Meagher s brigade, with remaining eighteea
pieces of artillery, in third line. The early part
of the morning passed away ; the enemy made
his first appearance on the other side of the large
field, his skirmishers forming in line across it and
advancing. A large body of cavalry was also seen
in the woods on the other side, drawn up in col
unm, as if to head a mass of infantry in column
of attack for the assault. This soon drew the fire
of our Parrott guns. The line of skirmishers fell
back before it ; the cavalry broke, and this, which
no doubt was intended as the real attack, failed
at once, and the head of the column turned down
the railroad toward my left. My division, occu
pying the centre of our whole line of battle, now
appeared to be the object of attack, to follow the
favorite plan of yesterday. It was now half-past
six o clock in the morning. All at once the ene
my came upon us in full force on the railroad,
which, on my left flank, was crossed by two
common wood roads, along which they pushed
columns of attack in mass, supported on both
flanks by battalions of infantry deployed in line
of battle.
Generals French and Howard now opened upon
them a steady and well-directed fire from their
brigades, within half-musket shot. I immediately
communicated with those officers my willing in
tention to furnish them reinforcements as soon
as needed. After a close fire of musketry of an
hour and a half, without any regiment giving
ground on our part, the head of the enemy s col
umn broke their line of battle, wavered, and the
rout became general for the time. I had thrown
in, in the mean time, the two reserve regiments of
Howard, to replace those regiments of the "front
88
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
line who had expended all their cartridges, the
relieved regiments coming out and filling their
boxes again. Sixty rounds had now been fired
per man, and the battle was supposed to be end
ed. Hardty was this effected, however, when the
enemy s column, being reenforced by the reserve,
gave a general shout, and again advanced to the
attack. This time I threw into action in support
the Irish regiments of Gen. Meagher s brigade,
reserving some of the first, which had been much
shattered in the early part of the conflict, and our
steady fire was continued about one hour more,
until the enemy again fell back.
Their retreat this time was more precipitate
than before, and three of the Parrott guns, which
I had just placed in a new position, now opened
their fire and did what they could to hurry up the
retreat. The enemy did not see fit to renew the
attack, and from the account given by prisoners
and deserters, they must have been badly beaten.
Generals Howard and French could not have been
excelled in their dispositions of the different
forces under their command, the direction of their
fire, and in the moral effect they produced upon
their men, and resolute demeanor in cheering and
urging them on. The former lost his arm, had
two of his staff wounded, and the latter his Adju
tant-General wounded. The staff of all the gene
ral officers behaved well, but I would particularly
mention the conduct and coolness of Capt. Fiske,
Lieut. Plumer, and Lieut. French, of General
French s staff; also of Capt. Sewall, Lieuts. How
ard, Scott, and Milles, of General Howard s staff.
Capts. Hazard and Pettit, of the artillery, also de
serve particular mention for the commendable
manner in which they served the artillery. Of
my own staff, I would also speak in the highest
terms, both for coolness under fire and for prompt
itude and conciseness in delivering my orders on
the field. My Adjutant -General, Capt. Nowell,
my two aids, Lieuts. Draper and Hurlbut, Capt.
McMahon and Lieut. Miller, volunteer aids, and
Capt. Fuller, Division Commissary, who volun
teered his services on this occasion, all did able
and efficient service.
For myself I claim no other consideration than
that of throwing in the reserve regiments at the
right time and in the proper place. My force
brought into action amounted to seven thousand
men. I lost nine hundred killed and wounded.
The enemy had fifty thousand. Every mounted
officer in the division who took his horse into the
woods had him shot under him. A singular cir
cumstance occurred in this battle which deserves
particular mention. The first regiment of the
enemy which came into action wore blue clothes
like our men, and as they came into action oppo
site the Eighty-first Pennsylvania regiment, Col.
Miller, they said: "Do not fire; we are Owen s
men." Owen s regiment is one of Birney s bri
gade on my left. Col. Miller had his regiment at
an aim, and now recovered arms. The enemy
instantly poured in a deadly volley, by which
Miller was killed. The left wing of the Eighty-
first poured in their fire, by which that regiment
fell in piles. The Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Major, and Adjutant all fell; the balance of the
regiment fell and broke. Yours truly,
I. B. RICHARDSON,
Brig.-General Commanding Division.
GENERAL McCLELLAN TO HIS ARMY.
MCCLELLAN S HEADQUARTERS, }
Tuesday Evening, June 8, 1SG2. )
The following address was read to the army
this evening at dress-parade, and was received
with an outburst of vociferous cheering from
every regiment :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, )
CAMP NEAR NEW-BRIDGE, VA., June 2, 1802. f
Soldiers of the Army of the Potomac ! I have
fulfilled at least a part of my promise to you
You are now face to face with the rebels, whe
are held at bay in front of their capital. The
final and decisive battle is at hand. Unless you
belie your past history, the result cannot be for u
moment doubtful. If the troops who labored so
faithfully and fought so gallantly at Y r orktown,
and who so bravely won the hard fights at Wil-
liamsburgh, West-Point, Hanover Court-House,
and Fair Oaks, now prove themselves worthy of
their antecedents, the victory is surely ours.
The events of every day prove your superior
ity. "Wherever you have met the enemy you
have beaten him. Wherever you have used the
bayonet he has given way in panic and disorder.
I ask of you now one last crowning effort. The
enemy has staked his all on the issue of the com
ing battle. Let us meet him, crush him here, in
the very centre of the rebellion.
Soldiers ! I will be with you in this battle, and
share its dangers with you. Our confidence in
each other is now founded upon the past. Let
us strike the blow which is to restore peace and
union to this distracted land. Upon your valor,
discipline, and mutual confidence the result de
pends. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General Commanding.
LETTER FROM GENERAL GORMAN.
HEADQUARTERS GORMAN S BRIGADE, |
FAIR OAKS, NEAR RICHMOND, VA., June 13, 1S62. j
His Excellency E. D. Morgan:
SIR : Now that an opportunity offers, I cannot
suffer it to pass without testifying to the brilliant
conduct of your two regiments under my com
mand, Thirty-fourth and Eighty-second N. Y. S. V.,
in the late terrible contest at this point on
May thirty-first and June first. Their coolness
and steadiness under a heavy and wasting fire,
were unsurpassed by any regiments in the world ;
and it was their enviable fortune to make as gal
lant and victorious a charge with the bayonet as
the annals of any State will ever bear witness to.
It was made, too, not upon a weak and waver
ing foe, but upon the unbroken lines of the flower
of the rebel army. New-York, and you, sir, her
honored Executive, may well feel proud of such
men. Official reports, soon, will do them greater
honor than my limits will permit. I ask, in con
cluding, a prominent place in the history of the
DOCUMENTS.
Empire State for them as actors in one of the
most brilliant achievements of the war.
I am your Excellency s obedient servant,
W. A. GORMAN,
Brig.-Gen, Commanding.
CINCINNATI "COMMERCIAL" NARRATIVE.
BATTLE-GROUND OF FAIR OAKS STATION, )
HENRICO COCXTY, VA. )
My last communication recorded the prevalence
of a terrific thunder-storm. Nature s artillery
rolled and clashed magnificently, as if in stately
mockery of the puny efforts of martial man.
There was a tropical grandeur and sublimity in
the storm, seldom, if ever, paralleled in our
equable northern climes. Such floods of rain, as
if aerial freshets had burst their confines, and
were spirting in broad jets upon us ; such fiery,
vivid blinding sheets of lightning, which threat
ened to consume the swimming earth ; such aw
ful peals upon peals of thunder, as if the sky was
riving from horizon to zenith. Little did we
think that storm was working a cherished oppor
tunity for our desperate enemy. But now we
must admire that shrewd sagacity which cost us
both so dearly. Little did we think that splen
did storm would cause so much blood and so
many tears to flow.
Saturday morning, May thirty -first, the storm
had subsided, but a lowering canopy darkened
the dreary landscape. Our camps had been
saturated, and the troops had passed a /sstless,
disagreeable night. They were as gloomy as the
aspect of nature. The roads, flooded by rain,
were reduced to an almost impassable condition.
The officers were lounging in their marquees, dis
gusted with the prospect of further necessary de
lay to engage the enemy, and moodily resigned
themselves to the miseries of the hour. Mean
time the Chickahominy had swollen to its brim,
and was encroaching upon the swamps.
At about one o clock P.M., the sun burst
through the clouds, and we were enjoying the
shade of our pleasant orchard camp, when our
attention was suddenly arrested by volleys of
musketry apparently not over three miles in
front. It increased in rapidity and volume and
seemed approaching. Soon the conviction flashed
upon us that the enemy were attempting to turn
our left flank. Soon an aid de-camp, plunging
furiously from headquarters, ordered out the
Second corps. At three, Sedgwick s division was
in the road, moving eagerly but heavily to the
field of battle. Above our camp the old " Grape
Vine" road, which had gone into disuse these
many years, had been reopened, and the First
Minnesota had thrown a corduroy bridge, several
thousand feet long, across the Chickahominy and
the deep morasses which hemmed its brink on
either side. On our side the swamp was several
hundred yards wide, but the track to the bridge
traversed a marshy grain-field, and on the rebel
side the morass was nearly a mile in extent.
Not half of it had been repaired, and it was
vitally necessary to adhere to the old single
track. After vast toil our artillery was dragged
co the river. As we stepped upon the rude
bridge we comprehended the danger of the fresh
et. The design of the enemy was obvious. He
taken advantage of the wretched roads and the
flood to turn our left flank, and destroy, if possi
ble, the corps which had passed the river at Bot
tom s Bridge, and was posted at Fair Oaks and
Seven Pines some six or seven miles in front of
the same, doubtless presuming that it would be
impossible to reenforce from the east side of the
river, or at all events that we could not move ar
tillery. Such subsequently proved to be the fact.
But the enemy did not suspect the existence of
our " grape-vine " bridge. But to enable you to
comprehend fully the operations of the contend
ing forces, a geographical sketch of the field, with
such topographical features as are vital to the
picture, will be necessary.
The Chickahominy, tracing through heavy for
ests and swamps east of Richmond from a north
westerly to a south-easterly direction, formed the
respective fronts of the two armies the rebels
occupying the western, our army the eastern
banks. The line occupied by us was nearly a
right line from north-west to south-east, though
curving a little northerly. Our forces were stretch
ed from a short distance above New-Bridge, where
our right rested, to Bottom s Bridge, which con
stituted our left. The line was, perhaps, ten
miles long. Our centre was near Goodly Hole
Swamp, about equi-distant from the extremes.
But our left was finally thrown forward to a point
within six miles of Richmond, a mile in front of
a point locally designated the u Seven Pines,"
where Casey s division was posted in an open,
swampy field, behind a single line of infantry
epaulements ; in front there was a heavy forest and
a screen of dense undergrowth. Gen. Couch s
division was encamped in his rear, his right rest
ing in front of Fair Oaks station, about six miles
due east of Richmond. Gen. Keyes commanded
both divisions ; and Gen. Heintzelman s corps
was in the rear, within supporting distance, feel
ing out toward the left. The Pamunkey River
to White House Point, and the York River Rail
road to Fair Oaks, constituted our base.
You will readily perceive the merits of the
rebel design. By suddenly hurling upon our
weak and exposed left overwhelming masses of
their best troops it was apparently quite easy to
crush it before assistance could be thrown over
the river. If crowned with success, the relative
attitudes of the armies would be reversed. The
enemy would have become the assailing party,
our whole army would be put upon the defensive,
and perhaps would be obliged to sacrifice its en
tire equipment and retreat precipitately. Gen.
McClellan remarked : u It is the only smart thing
that Joe Johnston has yet attempted. It was
very smart." You will observe moreover, that
our right flank was utterly unable to assist the
left, the overflowed swamps of the Chickahominy
holding it fast in its position.
The enemy moved from James River, near the
lower suburbs of Richmond, in five division s
say forty thousand men at least with powerful
90
REBELLION RECORD, 1S62.
reserves in front of and to the right of Fair Oaks,
to attack Casey. The latter was encamped on
marshy soil, difficult under favorable conditions
for the manoeuvring of artillery, but, since the
rain, so rotten and treacherous that it would have
been almost impossible for him to extricate his
pieces, had there been no flushed enemy pushing
upon him. It is uniformly stated that he had
posted but one line of pickets, without the cus
tomary supports. I cannot ascertain definitely
if that was true. Between twelve and one o clock,
the pickets were driven in quietly, but the camp
failed to take the alarm, and the enemy rushed
in upon the heels of the guard. Casey s troops,
taken completely by surprise, were thrown into
utter confusion. Both he and his field staff ex
erted themselves bravely to form a line of resist
ance, but in vain. A few men would rally to a
centre, but terrified at the furious yells and ter
rific volleys of the swiftly advancing enemy, they
would break as soon as formed, and fly frantically
over the field. The whole division were soon
flying before the remorseless enemy like fright
ened sheep. Scores of them were slaughtered
and captured. Some dashed into the forests, in
stinctively seeking cover. The scene beggared
description, and there was no hope that the
shameful tide would be staid. Many were struck
down by bullets, others, exhausted by sinking
into the swamps or stupefied by terror, fell an
easy prey to their eager pursuers. It was a piti
ful spectacle. But there is palliation for their
shameful conduct. They were the greenest
troops in the army, commanded by a superannu
ated general, and too many of their field and line-
officers exhibited gross cowardice.
The enemy now had full possession of Casey s
camp and was pushing forward rapidly, suppos
ing the main object had been accomplished. The
tumult had aroused Couch s division, and he was
prepared for resistance, but the fugitives, seeking
refuge from destruction, broke through his lines
and shook them severely. But the inspiring
efforts of Keyes, Couch, Peck and Devens, restor
ed their confidence, and they waited the shock
firmly. It came soon and vehemently, and raged
along the whole line, but fiercest in front of Fair
Oaks, where Abercrombie with five regiments
composing Graham s old brigade was posted
with order to hold the position at all hazard.
The enemy evidently aimed to get possession of
the railroad and Bottom s Bridge, which they sup
posed were our only lines of retreat. Abercrom
bie made a gallant stand, and the remainder of
Couch s force held the enemy in check, although
compelled to recede slowly and take up new lines
of defence. The enemy fought his troops with
surprising rapidity, and constantly hurried in
reinforcements. The slaughter on both sides
was heavy. On our side the gallant Gen. Devens,
who so distinguished himself at the Ball s Bluff
blunder, fell desperately wounded while urging
his hard-pushed lines to stand fast ; Col. Rippey,
Lieut.-Col. Spear, and Major Smith, all of the
Sixty-first Pennsylvania, were struck dead, and
twenty-seven line-officers of the same regiment,
were killed or wounded, leaving the ranks disor-
I ganized and in confusion, and every other regiment
j in action was being terribly cut up. On the right
I the gallant John Cochrane and Neill were hold-
I ing their brave regiments sternly to their work,
but still they were compelled to yield their
ground foot by foot, and they were well-nigh des
perate.
Meantime, Ileintzelman had sent forward Kear
ney to recover Casey s lost ground, and a despe
rate fight was going on at the extreme left. The
enemy had been successfully held in front of
Couch s old entrenched camp until Kearney s di
vision arrived, when he staid the torrent of bat
tle. One after another his gallant regiments
pushed forward, and pressed back the fiery rebels
with more daring than their own. Here the Fifty-
fifth New-York won new laurels, and Poe s Sec
ond Michigan was bathed in blood. Five hundred
of them charged across the open field against ten
times their number, and stopped them in mid-
career, losing seventeen brave fellows in that one
desperate essay. At six o clock, Ileintzelman
telegraphed Gen. McClellan that " the left is hold
ing its own, and Birney is advancing up the rail
road."
Sedgwick s and Richardson s divisions had
crossed the river, the men plunging through mud
to their knees, Sumner cheering them onward by
words of encouragement. But unfortunately, the
single passage of the swamps was blockaded by
apparently immovable masses of artillery. Our
second bridge had been swept away. It was next
to desperation itself to drag heavy field-pieces
through those wretched deeps. Yet the men
worked like heroes, until it was apparent that the
infantry must move up, and leave the artillery to
the slender chances of extrication after the enemy
had been repelled. Lieut. Kirby, commanding
company I, First United States artillery, deter