try had entrusted its fate. It was well that sol
diers who carry muskets did not read the agony
traced upon the face of that leader whom they
had learned to love. A few in that gloomy biv
ouac folded their arms to sleep, but most were
too exhausted to enjoy that blessed relief. That
dreadful tumult, but a few short miles in the dis
tance, raged till long after the whippowil had
commenced his plaintive song. Late at night,
couriers, hot from the field, dashed in with glad
tidings. Sumner had beaten the anemy at every
DOCUMENTS.
245
point, until they were glad to cease attack. The
warrior was advised by Gen. McClellan to retire
quietly to our main body ; but the old man, game
as a king-eagle, begged to be permitted to drive
the rebels home. Said a General to me : u Old
Bull Suraner didn t want to quit. The game old
fellow had to be choked off." Hereafter, ye carp
ing critics, when military faults are censured,
bring not Williamsburgh up in judgment against
heroic Sumner. Nobly has he redeemed his
name.
That battle in the forests was a contest of des
peration. A haughty and revengeful foe, confi
dent in victory and numbers, pressed us to the
wall, and that spirit of resistance which should
inflame every army of the North against those
who war upon constitutional liberty, met them
hand to hand, steel to steel, and drove them to
their dens. It was a Sunda} 7 " battle.
That night there was another strange mete
orological phenomenon. I suppose it was about
midnight. The lights at headquarters were still
blazing. The Commander was yet working with
unyielding devotion ; aids were still riding fast,
but all else was silent. I had just fallen into
slumber the first during two weary nights
when I was startled by what we all thought was
the terrific uproar of battle. Again and again it
thundered, and rolled sublimely away off on the
borders of Chickahominy. For some moments
we feared the enemy had crossed the river be
hind our rear -guard, and was destroying our
right wing in the darkness. Many who suspect
ed they might be victims of a delusion most
natural in that critical period, when nothing but
tlic sound of cannon and musketry had been the
most familiar sound of our camps for months
criticised their senses sharply, but still the uproar
was so wonderfully like battle, that we could not
shake the opinion from our minds that a night-
fight was going on. Five minutes elapsed, I sup- 1
pose, before the ragged crown of a black cloud in |
the distance reared itself above the forests, and I
dispelled the gloomy deception.
Morning beamed upon us again brilliantly but
hotly. We thanked Heaven that it had not j
rained. The enemy had not yet appeared in our |
front. Sumner had brought off his splendid !
command, Franklin was posted strongly on the i
south bank of White Oak Creek ; lleintzelman j
was on his left ; Keyes s corps was moving swiftly j
to James River, down the Charles City and Qua
ker road ; Porter and part of Sumner s corps J
were following rapidly.
Moving to the rear to learn the fate of friends, I
the history of yesterday s bitter conflict was j
sketched for me in the haggard features of the
weary men who had fallen exhausted into their
forest bivouac. Brave old Sumner s face bore
vraces of the excoriating fire of battle, but his
features were radiant with smiles. He was elo
quent in his praises of his command. u Burns
had borne the brunt of the fight, and he did it
magnificently, sir." Sedgwick, who had been
sick for days, had stemmed the torrent grimly.
His first words were : " B., that was Burn^s n>ht.
He showed himself a splendid soldier. Let the
world know his merits. He deserves all you can
say." Sedgwick seldom praises men. But he is
a gallant soldier himself, and he appreciates merit.
I found General Burns stretched under a lofty
pine, and his warriors were slumbering around
him painfully. His eyes were hollow and blood
shot, his handsome features pale and thin, his
beard and his clothing were clotted with blood,
his face was bandaged, concealing a ragged and
painful wound in his nether jaw it was enough
to make a Sphynx weep to look upon the work
of an awful day upon such a man. His voice
was husky from his exhortations and battle-cries,
and tremulous with emotion, when, grasping my
hand, he said with exquisite pathos : " My friend,
many of my poor fellows lie in those forests. It
is terrible to leave them there. Blakeney is
wounded, McGonigle is gone, and many will see
us no more. We are hungry and exhausted, and
the enemy the forest is full of people are thun
dering at our heels. It is an awful affliction. We
will fight them, feeble as we are but with what
hope !" To know such a man ; to feel how keenly
he realized the situation ; to watch his quivering
lips and sad play of features, usually so joyous
friends ! it was anguish itself. And there
was a townsman of yours there, who won imper
ishable honor William G. Jones, Lieutenant-
Colonel, who but one short week ago took com
mand of the First California regiment. He han
dled it like a veteran, and behaved like a Bayard.
His new command, fired by his enthusiasm and
daring even beyond their old prowess, did deeds
which General Sumner himself said entitled them
to the glory of heroes. So hot was the fight and
so hot the work, that Jones once fell headlong
from his horse, from exhaustion, but recovering
soon, he resumed his sword and again led his gal
lant fellows to the charge. General Burns speaks
so warmly of the devotion and heroism of George
Hicks, of Camblos, and Blakeney, and Griffiths,
his staff and his Colonels, Morehead, Baxter, and
Owens, their countrymen should know their
worth. So Sedgwick speaks of his Adjutant,
Captain Sedgwick, and of Howe, his aid. So
Sumner speaks of Clark, and of Kipp, and of
Tompkins, and of all in his command. In that
fra} r Sedg wick s division lost six hundred men,
and four hundred more of various corps are not
among their comrades. General Brooks also was
wounded in the right leg, but not seriously. The
enemy first attacked at Orchard station, near
Fair Oaks, in the morning, but were soon driven
off. At about noon the) " returned in heavy force
from the front of Richmond, while a strong
column was thrown across Chickahominy, at
Alexander s bridge, near the rail way -crossing.
They first appeared in the edge of the woods
south of Trent s, and opened upon our column
on the Williamsburgh road with shell. At the
same time they trained a heavy gun upon our
line from the bridge they had just crossed. They
still seemed deluded with the belief that General
McClellan intended to retreat to the Pamunkey,
and all day long they had marched heavy columns
246
REBELLION RECORD, 18G2.
from their cimps in front of Richmond across
New-Bridge, to strengthen Jackson still more.
Happy delusion !
Their first shells exploded around and over the
hospitals at Savage station, but it is just to say
it was not intentional. They next opened upon
a cluster of officers, including Suinner, Sedgwick,
Richardson, Burns, and their staffs, missing them
fortunately, but covering them with dust. Our
own batteries were now in full clamor, and both
sides handled their guns skilfully. The object
of the enemy seemed to be to break our right
centre, and consequently Burns s brigade was the
recipient of the principal share of their favor.
As the afternoon wore away, the combatants
drew closer together, and the conflict became one
of the sharpest of the battles on Virginia soil.
Two companies of one regiment stampeded.
General Burns flung himself across their track,
waved his bullet-shattered hat, expostulated, ex
horted, entreated, threatened, imprecated, under
a storm of lead, and at last, throwing his hat in
an agony of despair upon the ground, begged them
to rally once more, and preserve them and him
from disgrace. The last appeal touched them.
The men wheeled with alacrity, and fought like
heroes until the carnage ceased. Each regiment
distinguished itself so conspicuously, that in hap
pier times their names will be inscribed in gen
eral order. But there was such a number of
regiments and officers engaged that the record
would make a volume. Suffice it that none but
those I expected, and who redeemed themselves
subsequently, faltered in the fight. Sunnier s
corps held the field till Heintzelman s corps had
retired, and then moved quietly and swiftly
back, under cover of night and the forests, across
"White Oak bridge.
Our trains had now passed White Oak bridge.
Such an achievement, in such order, under the
circumstances, might well be regarded wonderful.
The retreat was most ably conducted. Until this
day, (Monday,) the enemy seems constantly to
have operated upon the supposition that our
arm) was intending to retire to the Pamunkey.
They had been deluded into this belief by the
Seventeenth New- York and Eighteenth Massa
chusetts regiments, together with part of the
First, Second and Sixth Regular cavalry, which
had been sent out to Old Church on Thursday
morning, to impress the enemy with that notion.
(Par parenthese, they retired safely to Yorktown,
and are now at Malvern Hill.) But our true ob
ject must now have become apparent, and it was
ritally necessary to get the trains through before
the enemy could push columns down the Charles
City, Central and New-Market roads. But until
eight o clock in the morning, we had no know
ledge of any but the Quaker road to the point at
which we now aimed Ilardin s Landing and
Malvern Hill, in Turkey Bend. Sharp reconnois-
sance, however, had found another, and soon our
tremendous land-fleet was sailing down two roads,
and our long artillery train of two hundred and
fifty guns and equipments were lumbering after
them with furious but orderly speed. So perfect
was the order although to an unpractised eye
it would have seemed the confusion of Babel
that the roads were blockaded but two or three
times. The topography of the country had now
become such, that infantry could march through
the woods in parallel lines on both sides of the
trains, while AVhite Oak swamp fortunately pro
tected our flanks from cavalrj 7 . We were getting
on admirably, and it was apparent that the whole
army would be safely in position before sunset,
unless the enemy should attack.
BATTLE AT WHITE OAK SWAMP.
At about ten o clock, Gen. McClellan pushed to
the river, communicating with Commodore Rod-
gers, and had the gunboat fleet posted to aid us
against the enemy. The case was desperate, but
it was a relief to reach the river, where we could
turn at bay, with our rear protected by the
James, and flanks partially covered by gunboats.
Tidings, however, had been received that the en
emy was pushing swiftly upon us in several col
umns of immense numbers, apparently deter
mined to crush us or drive us into the river that
night. They opened fiercely with shell upon
Smith s division at White Oak bridge. After
burning down the house of a good secessionist,
and breaking his leg, the enemy extended his line
of fire, and soon engaged our entire rear-guard,
striking at Slocum, who was guarding against a
flank movement designed to cut our column in
twain.
Long before this, our vanguard had debouched
from the road into the field before Turkey Bend,
and our reserve artillery was powerfully posted
on Malvern Hill, a magnificent bluff covering
liardin s Landing, where our gunboats were cruis
ing. Here was a glorious prospect. Though our
gallant fellows were bravely holding the fierce
enenvy at bay to cover the swiftly escaping trains,
it was clear our troubles were not ended. Wo
had again deceived the enemy by going to Tur
key Bend. He had imagined we were marching
to New-Market, destined to a point on Cliff Bot
tom road, near Fort Darling. It was not far away,
and the enemy was massing his troops upon us
on the left and on our new front ; for when we
arrived at Malvern Hill, the wings of the army as
organized were reversed, Keyes taking the right,
Porter s corps the left, as we faced Richmond.
Our line now described a great arc, and there was
fighting around three fourths of the perimeter.
General McClellan, who had already communi
cated with the gunboats, returned from the front
to Malvern Hills, which were made his battle
headquarters, and dispositions for a final emer
gency were made. Fitz- John Porter was marched
from the valley under the hill to his post on the
western crest of the hill, where he could rake the
plains toward Richmond. Our splendid artillery
was picturesquely poised in fan shape at salient
points, and its supports were disposed in admir
able cover in hollows between undulations of the
bluff. Powerful concentrating batteries were also
posted in the centre, so that, to use the language
of Col. Svveitzer : " We ll clothe this hill in sheets
DOCUMENTS.
247
of flame before they take it." It was a magnifi
cent spectacle. You see, friends, how desperate
was the hour. The roar of combat grew tremen
dous as the afternoon wore away. There was no
time then nor afterwards to ascertain dispositions
of particular organizations. They were thrown
together wherever emergency demanded. White
Oak bridge, the Quaker road, Charles City road,
the banks of Turkey Creek, were enveloped in
smoke and flame ; iron and lead crashed through
forests and men like a destroying pestilence. A
masked battery which had opened from the swamp
under Malvern Hill, begun to prove inconvenient
to Porter. It ploughed and crashed through some
of our wagons, and disturbed groups of officers
in the splendid groves of Malvern mansion. The
gunboat Galena, anchored on the opposite side
of Turkey Island, and the Aroostook, cruising at
the head of the island, opened their ports and
plunged their awful metal into the rebel cover
with Titanic force. Towards sunset the earth
quivered with the terrific concussion of artillery,
and huge explosions. The vast aerial auditorium
seemed convulsed with the commotion of frightful
sounds. Shells raced like dark meteors athwart
the horizon, crossing each other at eccentric an
gles, exploding into deadly iron hail and fantastic
puffs of smoke, until ether was displaced by a
vast cloud of white fumes, through which even
the fierce blaze of a setting summer s sun could
hut grimly penetrate. Softly puffing above the
dark curtain of forest which masked the battle-
0/ld, there was another fleece which struggled
through the dense foliage like heavy mist-clouds,
and streaming upward in curious eddies with the
ever-varying current of the winds, mingled with
and absorbed the canopy of smoke \vhich floated
from the surface of the plains and river. The
battle-stained sun, sinking majestically into the
horizon behind Richmond, burnished the fringe
of gossamer with lurid and golden glory ; and as
fantastic columns capriciously whiffed up from
the woods, they were suddenly transformed into
pillars of lambent flame, radiant with exquisite
beauty, which would soon separate into a thou
sand picturesque forms and fade into dim opacity.
But the convulsion beneath was not a spectacle
for curious eyes. The forms of smoke-masked
warriors, the gleam of muskets on the plains
where soldiers were disengaged, the artistic order
of battle on Malvern Hill, the wild career of wilder
horsemen plunging to and from and across the
field, formed a scene of exciting grandeur. In
the forest where eyes did not penetrate there
was nothing but the exhilarating and exhausting-
spasm of battle. Baleful fires blazed among the
trees, and death struck many shining marks.
Our haggard men stood there with grand courage,
fighting more like creatures of loftier mould
than men. Wearied and jaded, and hungry and
thirsty, beset by almost countless foes, they
cheered and fought and charged into the very
jaws of death until veteran soldiers fairly wept
at their devotion. It was wonderful how our
noble fellows fought ; wonderful how their hearts
swelled with greatness; and, as the enemy, in
very madness at the terrible bitterness with which
they resisted, plunged fresh columns against
them one, two, three, four, fire lines of battle,
fresh men each time, and stronger than each pro-
deccssor, our glorious soldiers still fought and
still repelled the revengeful foe. " History," said
a General, " never saw more splendid self-immo
lation. It was agonizing to sec the men stand
in the ranks and fight till exhausted nature could
do no more." At last deep darkness ended the
fight. The enemy withdrew and sat himself
down to watch his prey. We had beaten him
back. But the morrow! Would the enemy
strike our ragged columns again ?
Perhaps one of the noblest spectacles in mar
tial history was improvised in Fitz-John Porters
camp, when his veteran volunteers were ordered
to the battle-field. They had eaten nothing for
thirty-six hours. Thursday some of them had
fought. Friday they fought all day long and
into night. That night they marched across the
river. Next day they marched again. That
night they kept watch in White Oak swamp.
And Monday they marched again. The fiery sun
had parched their feet, hunger and thirst and la
bor had enfeebled their bodies, but Monday after
noon, when orders came to move again to tho
field, the color-bearers stepped to the front with
their proud standards; the drums beat a ral
lying rataplan, and those devoted followers of the
u banner of beauty and glory " swung aloft their
hats and shouted with soul-stirring enthusiasm.
The eyes of their Generals flashed fire as their
faces lighted up with sudden glory ; and officers
stepped together in clusters and swore solemnly
that life should be sacrificed before that flag
should fall. " My life," said one, "is nothing, if
I have no country." And again the noble fel
lows shouted their war-notes. Weak as they
were, .1 saw them move to the field at double-
quick. When they fly, the army of the Potomac
will be no more.
Night seemed to bring a little more relief. The
enemy could not press us then. But would he
to-morrow V It was believed he was massing all
his power to crush us in combined attack. Oh !
that our soldiers could rest a day, even. Alas !
they could not rest at night. Their salvation, it
seemed, depended more upon their labor now than
upon their guns. Into the trenches, ye braves,
and work till morn summons you to battle. And
so they labored, some dropping listlessly in the
trenches, exhausted nature refusing to endure
more.
But there was another picture I had almost
forgot. In such a march straggling was unavoid
able. The sick made a long, sad procession,
dragging along the road feebly and painfully at
every step, until at last the goal of safety was at
tained. But besides these were hundreds who
were as feeble from fatigue as the sick were from
infirmity. But it was essential that they .should
fight that day. I saw a brigade of them organ
ized and marched out. " Who of you will fight ?"
No answer, but perfect indifference. One steps
out : u I may as well die fighting as die of exhaus-
248
REBELLION 1 RECORD, 1862.
tioru" Those men were heart-broken. The} had
fought bravely, would light again, but they need
ed rest so sorely. Reader, it was agonizing to
look upon such scenes ; no man whose sensibili
ties had not been hardened into steel could check
a sigh, or even a tear, in such presence. And
now go with me under the river-bank and look
at the suffering braves, mangled and torn by
shot und shell. But no, the cup is full.
I cannot detail the battle of Monday. Brigades,
and regiments, and companies, and fragments of
each were fought as they could be used. It mat
ters not who were here or there. It was a terri
ble battle. Gen. McCall was lost. Gen. Sum-
ner was twice wounded, but not seriously. His
wounds were bound on the field, and he remained
in the saddle and in the fiery torrent. Col.
AVyman, too, of the Eighteenth Massachusetts,
was killed. General Meade was severely wound
ed. How many others I cannot tell. It was a
bloody day. There will be weeping at many a
hearthstone, and many a loved one was lost who
will be sought for long and never found.
Sumner, and Heintzelman, and Franklin, and
Hooker, and Smith, and Sedgwick, and Franklin,
and McCall Hancock, and Davidson, and Meade,
and Seymore, and Burns, and Sickles, and Sully,
and Owens, and dead Wyman, and all the ga
laxy of brave leaders, won title to glorious honors.
They tell me that the rebel Gen. Long-street was
wounded and two other Generals lay dead on the
field, with long lines of rebel officers and heca
tombs of men. Melancholy satisfaction for such
dead as ours.
The enemy was beaten again, thank God !
beaten badly, driven back, slaughtered fearfully.
The gunboats had at least a moral agency in the
tight. It did not appear that their guns could
do more than protect the left flank, which was
much, and the enemy was shy of that point.
But an officer of Gen. McCall s staff told me we
lost twenty guns that day. " How ?" " By the
enemy in overwhelming masses marching up and
taking them." It was said Hcintzelman s com
mand captured twelve from the enemy, and a
whole brigade of the enemy. I think the latter
doubtful. Gen. Magruder was certainly not cap
tured. Prisoners assure me Jackson was not
hurt. Here is question. Better err on the safe
side. I inquired and was not satisfied. Nobody
knew. It was so reported. I can t take reports.
War bulletins are not reliable. I saw about
eight hundred prisoners; could not learn the
whereabouts of the "brigade" said to have been
captured by Heintzelman. Think it a false. re
port, invented to keep up courage which was
not necessary, for the men, jaded as they were,
ioble fellows, cheered when summoned to battle,
and swore to die game. Said I to a rebel officer :
k Do your men respect Yankee fighters ?" " Yes,
sir ; they surprise us." Said I : " Others have
broken and retired ; the genuine Yankees of New-
England have never faltered on the Chickahomi-
ny." It Is true ; and Massachusetts mourns
more dead solders, comparatively, than any
State s quota in the Army of the Potomac.
Tuesday, the first of July, was not a cheerful
day. The prospect was not happy. . The Princo
de Joinville, always gay and active as a lad, anil
always where there was battle, had gone. The
Count de Paris, heir to the Bourbon throne, and
the Duke de Chartres, his brother, the two cbi-
valric and devoted aids to Gen. McClcllan, on
whose courage, fidelity, intelligence, and activity
he safely relied ; who served with him to learn
the art of war, suddenly, without previous warn
ing, took passage on a gunboat and fluttered soft
ly down the river. Why did they go ? Two of
ficers of the English army, who had accompanied
Gen. McClellan to study the art of war, and who
had intended to remain with the army until Rich
mond was ours, announced their intention to de
part on the first boat. The Paymasters were
advised to deposit their treasure on a gunboat.
People looked gloomily. Ah ! I forgot corre
spondents at Fortress Monroe, deducing facts from
their infertile imaginations, told you that when
the army reached Malvern Hill, the river at that
point was full of transports. Monday noon there
was not one there, excepting a schooner laden
with hay. Tuesday evening several steamers
had arrived and a few forage-boats. But reason
for yourselves. It was gloomy at headquarters.
The troops were intrenching the hill and standing
to arms. The enemy were reported massing
their forces. We were preparing to repel them.
At noon silence was broken by hostile cannon in
the extreme front. As afternoon wore away, the
bombardment increased. At five o clock there
was a battle, and the Aroostook was hurling shell
into the woods. At about seven o clock the fir
ing was heavy, but it was confined to a narrow
circle. Ayres was driving the enemy from his
batteries. Our boat pushed from the landing.
At dark we moved from Harrison s Landing,
seven miles below. The army had not moved
there ; the trains had. Soon after we steamed
into the channel, the bombardment grew heavier.
The gunboats were thundering into the forests.
When I left the prospect was cheerless. That
night we met reinforcements. Before morning
the army was strengthened. Pray God it was
made strong enough to go to Richmond.
People, you may still rely on Gen. McClellan,
until further displays of capacity. His retreat
was masterly. He carried all tha j army and all
his trains successfully through one narrow road,
while encompassed by enemies two-fold as strong
as his army. W. D. B.