A CONFEDERATE NARRATIVE.*

The bloody checks which the Northern army,
in its memorable advance up the Peninsula to
wards Richmond, had received at Williamsburgh
and the Seven Pines, had taught Gen. McClellan
the desperate character of the conflict, without
which he could never hope to reach in triumph
the capital of the confederate States. Accord
ingly, after the battle of the Seven Pines, his
movements became exceedingly circumspect, and,

* This account was published In a pamphlet at Charleston,
South-Carolina.



DOCUMENTS.



249



although his army already largely outnumbered
that which defended the beleaguered city, he kept
culling constantly and urgently on his Govern
ment for reeenforcements. On Wednesday, June
twenty-fifth, his army numbered, judging from
the most authentic statements that are available,
between one hundred and twenty-five thousand,
and one hundred and thirty thousand effective
men. With this immense force he was cautiously
pushing forward his lines. Meantime it had
been determined by the confederate generals to
attack the invading host in their fortified posi
tion, and to cooperate in this grand movement
the bulk of the confederate forces which had re
cently cleared the invaders out of the valley of
Virginia, were rapidly and quietly drawn towards
Richmond, in order to flank McClellan s left.

A brief reference to the situation of the oppo
sing armies will here be necessary to enable the
reader to understand the subsequent movements.
If you will take a map of Virginia and run your
eye along the line of the Virginia Central Rail
road until it crosses the Chickahominy at the
point designated as the Meadow bridge, you will
be in the vicinity of the position occupied by the
extreme right of the Federal army.

Tracing from this position a semi-circular line,
which crosses the Chickahominy in the neighbor
hood of the New bridge, and then the York River
Railroad, further on, you arrive at a point south
east of Richmond, but a comparatively short dis
tance from the James River, where rests the Fed
eral left. To be a little more explicit, spread
your fingers so that their tips will form as near
as possible the arc of a circle. Imagine Rich
mond as situated upon your wrist ; the outer
edge of the thumb as the Central Railroad ; the
inner edge as the Mechanicsville turnpike ; the
first finger as the Nine-mile or New-bridge road ;
the second as the Williamsburgh turnpike, run
ning nearly parallel with the York River Railroad ;
the third as the Charles City turnpike, (which
runs to the southward of the White Oak Swamp ;)
and the fourth as the Darby town road. Com
manding "these several avenues were the forces
of McClellan. Our own troops, with the excep
tion of Jackson s corps, occupied a similar but
of course smaller circle immediately around Rich
mond, the heaviest body being on the centre,
south of tl.e York River Railroad.

Such was the situation previous to Thursday,
the twenty-sixth of June. The plan of battle
then developed was, first, to make a vigorous
Wank movement upon the enemy s extreme right,
which was within a mile or two of the Central
Railroad ; secondly, as soon as they fell back to
the next road below, our divisions there posted
were to advance across the Chickanominy, charge
front, and, in cooperation with Jackson, who was
to make a detour, and attack the Federals in i
flank and rear, drive them still further on ; and, j
finally, when they had reached a certain point, j
now known as "the triangle," embraced between
the Charles City, New-Market, and Quaker roads,
all of which intersect, these several approaches
were to be possessed by our forces, the enemy to I



be thus hemmed in and compelled either to starve,
capitulate, or fight his way out with tremendous
odds and topographical advantages against him.
How so excellent a plan eventually happened to
fail, at least partially, in the execution, will pres
ently appear.

THE CAPTURE OP MECHANICSVILLE.

Thursday came, clear but warm. At three
o 1 clock A.M. Major-Gen. Jackson took up his line
of march from Ashland, and proceeding down
the country between the Chickahominy and Pa-
munkcy rivers, he uncovered the front of Brig.-
Gen. Branch by driving off the enemy collected
on the north bank of the Chickahominy River, at
the point where it is crossed by the Brook turn
pike ; Gen. Branch, who was on the south bank,
then crossed the river and wheeled to the right,
down its northern bank. Proceeding in that
direction, Gen. Branch, in like manner, uncov
ered, at Meadow bridge, the front of Major-Gen.
A. P. Hill, who immediately crossed. The three
columns now proceeded en echelon Gen. Jack
son in advance, and on the extreme left, Brig.-
Gen. Branch (who was now merged with Gen.
A. P. Hill) in the centre, and Gen. A. P. Hill on
the right, immediately on the river. Jackson
bearing away from the Chickahominy in this part
of the march, so as to gain ground toward the
Pamunkey, marched to the left of Mechanics
ville, while Gen. Hill, keeping well to the Chicka
hominy, approached that village and engaged the
enemy there.

The road was narrow, uneven, muddy, and
impeded, and when the bridge had been crossed
it became necessary to ascend a hill bare of trees
or other obstructions, and all the while our gal
lant fellows were exposed to a plunging fire of
shell, grape, round-shot and canister from the
Federal batteries ; yet the column moved on
steadily, in files of fours, closing up their ranks
as soon as they were thinned, with a sublime re
solution, toward the fortifications, which, after
an obstinate fight for two hours and a half, were
carried in magnificent style, and their guns im
mediately turned on the retreating foe. This
occurred about half-past seven or eight o clock in
the evening. The cannonade was, perhaps, the
most furious and incessant that had been kept
up for so long a time since the beginning of the
war. But the Mechanicsville intrenchments were
ours, and, though with heavy loss, at a smaller
sacrifice of life than had been feared, and the en
emy had fallen back to Ellyson s Mills, further
down the Chickahominy.

THE RESULT UPON ELLYSON s MILLS.

The enemy s battery of sixteen guns was to
the right, or south-east of the Mechanicsville road,
about a mile and a half distant, and was situateO
on a rise of ground in the vicinity of ]llyson ft
Mills, defended by epaulements supported by
rifle-pits. Beaver Creek, about twelve feet widt
and waist-deep, ran along the front and left flank
of the enemy s position, while from the creek f ~



250



REBELLION RECORD, 1862.



the battery was covered with abattis. The posi
tion was most formidable.

The assault was made by Fenders brigade, of
A. P. Hill s division, on the right, and by Ripley s
brigade on the right in front. Gen. Fender s
brigade had been thrown out in advance, in ob
servation on the enemy s left, when Ripley s bri
gade coming up, Gen. D. H. Hill ordered two of
Gen. Ripley s regiments the Forty-fourth Geor
gia and the First North-Carolina to operate on
the right with Gen. Fender, while the Forty-
eighth Georgia and the Third North-Carolina re
mained in front. Gen. Lee then ordered the
battery to be charged. The attempt was made.
They all moved forward to the attack together.
They cleared the rifle-pits and gained the creek,
within one hundred yards of the battery ; but
there was still the creek and the abattis to cross.

The lire of shot, shell, canister and musketry
from the enemy s works was, meanwhile, mur
derous. The Forty-fourth Georgia and First
North-Carolina were heavily cut up and thrown
into confusion, owing to the heavy loss of officers.
Gen. Fender s brigade was likewise repulsed
from the batteries with severe loss.

At this juncture, while the troops were holding
this position, Rhett s battery of I). H. Hill s divi
sion, succeeded in crossing the broken bridge
over the Chickahominy, and took position on the
high ground immediately in front of the enemy s
batteries, and opened a steady and destructive
fire over the heads of our troops, with telling
effect upon the enemy s infantry, almost silencing
their fire, and drawing the fire of their batteries
from our own infantry upon themselves, with the
loss of a number of men and horses. Reenforced
then by Bondurant s battery and one of Gen. A.
P. Hill s batteries, a steady fire was continued,
while our infantry held their position about three
hundred yards from the enemy s batteries, until
half -past nine o clock P.M., when the enemy s
batteries ceased firing. At ten o clock P.M. our
batteries ceased also. During the night, at about
twelve o clock, the enemy abandoned some of his
batteries, burning platforms, etc.

STORMING OF GAINES S MILL.

Early the next morning, being Friday, Gener
als Gregg and Prior, of Longstreet s corps, turned
the enemy s left flank, and carried, with the bay
onet, what guns still remained in their batteries,
in the front and to the right of Mechanicsvillc. It
was said by many that this was the proper move
ment to have been made on the evening previous,
and blame is attached to the order given to storm
the work in front with an entirely inadequate
force.

In the mean time the grand advance en echelon
again began. The troops of 1). II. Hill, having
all joined their proper divisions, marched by the
Mechanicsville road to join Jackson. The junc
tion was made at Bethesda Church, Jackson
coming from Ashland. Both corps then pro
ceeded to Cold Harbor, Hill in front. Longstreet
proceeded by the right of Ellyson s Mills toward
Dr. Gaines s farm, and A. P. Hill in the same di



rection, on the left of Longstreet. At this poin .
they came upon the enemy, strongly posted upon
high and advantageous ground. The line of
battle formed was as follows : Longstreet on the
right, resting on the Chickahominy swamp ; A .
P. Hill on his left ; then Whiting, then Ewell,
then Jackson, (the two latter under Jackson s
command,) then D. H. Hill on the left of the
line, the line extending in the form of a crescent
beyond New Cold Harbor, south toward Bakers
Mills.

At about twelve o clock M., the batteries of D.
II. Hill, consisting of Hardaway s, Carter s, Bon
durant s, Rhett s, Peyton s and Clarke s, under
command of Majors Pierson and Jones, were
massed on our left. Capt. Bondurant advanced
to the front, and took position near the powerful
batteries of the enemy s artillery. But it was
soon found impossible to hold the position. He
was overpowered and silenced. Other batteries
soon, however, came forward successively to the
front of the infantry, about three hundred } r ards
in rear of Bondurant s position. Hardaway took
up the fight with rifled guns. The object was
to draw the attention of the enemy from Long-
street s contemplated attack. At about half-
past three o clock P.M., Longstreet commenced
firing and driving the enemy down the Chicka
hominy. Hardaway then ceased firing, and the
other divisions on the left of Longstreet succes
sively took up the fight the enemy retreating
and being driven back toward D. II. Hill s artil
lery, on our left. The artillery being reenforced
by a section of a Baltimore battery from Jack
son s division, with English Blakely guns, open
ed a furious fire on the enemy at about five
o clock P.M.

At four o clock P.M. of Friday the enemy had
reached Gaines s Mill, one of their strongest de
fences ; and here, an hour later, the bloodiest
contest occurred that had been witnessed during
the campaign. Men who had gone through Ma-
nassas, Williamsburgh and the Seven Pines,
declared that they had never seen war before.
Without a knowledge of the ground, but little
conception can be formed of the difficulties of the
attack upon Gaines s Mill. Emerging from the
woods the road leads to the left and then to the
right, round Gaines s house, when the whole
country, for the area of some two miles, is an
open, unbroken succession of undulating hills.
Standing at tho north door of Gaines s house the
whole country to the right, for the distance of
one mile, is a gradual slope toward a creek,
through which the main road runs up an open
hill and then winds to the right. In front, to the
left, are orchards and gullies running gradually
to a deep creek. Directly in front, for the dis
tance of a mile, the ground is almost table-land,
suddenly dipping to the deep creek mentioned
above, being faced by a timber-covered hill front
ing all the table-land.

Beyond this timber-covered hill the country is
again open, and a perfect plateau, a farm-house
and out-houses occupying the centre, the main
road mentioned winding to the right and through



DOCUMENTS.



251



all the Federal camps. To the left and rear of
the second-mentioned farm a road comes in upon
the Hat lands joining the main road mentioned.
Thus, to recapitulate, except the deep creek and
timber-covered hill beyond it, the whole country,
as scon from the north door of Games s house is
unbroken, open, undulating and table-land, the



what a sigl.t met the eyes of these three gallant
brigades !

In front stood Federal camps, stretching to the
north-east for miles ! Drawn up in line of battle
were more than three full divisions, commanded
by McCall, Sedgwick, Porter, etc. Banners
darkened the air, artillery vomited forth inces



right forming a descent to the wood-covered sant volleys of grape, canister and shell ; heavy
creek, the left being dips and gullies, with dense



timber still farther to the left; the front
for the most part, table-land. But to the south
east of Gaines s house is a large tract of timber
commanding all advances upon the main road,
and in this McClellan and McCall had posted a
strong body of skirmishers, with artillery, to
annoy our flank and rear when advancing on
their camps on the high grounds, if we did so by
the main road or over the table-lands to the north.
It now being three o clock P.M., and the head
of our column in view of the Federal camps, Gen.

Piyor was sent forward with his brigade to drive j Yes ; two or three brigades of Jackson s army
away the heavy mass of skirmishers posted to j have flanked the enemy, and are getting in the
our rear to annoy the advance. This being ac- 1 rear. Now the fighting was bitter and terrific,
coinplished with great success and with little loss I Worked up to madness, AVilcox, Featherstone
to us, Pryor returned and awaited orders. Mean- and Pryor dash forward at a run, and drive the
while, the Federals, from their camps and several enemy with irresistible fury ; to our left emerge



masses were moving on our left through the
woods to flank us. Yet onward came Wilcox to
the right, Pryor to the left, and Featherstone in
the centre one grand, matchless line of battle,
almost consumed by exploits of the day yet on
ward they advanced to the heart of the Federal
position, and when the enemy had fairly suc
ceeded in almost flanking us on the left, great
commotion is heard in the woods ; volleys upon
volleys are heard in rapid succession, which are



recognized and cheered by our men. "It is
Jackson," they shout, "on their right and rear."



>sitions on the high grounds, swept the whole
face of the country with their numerous artillery,
which would have annihilated our entire force if
not screened in the dips of the land and in gullies
to our left. Advancing cautiously but rapidly to
the skirt of the woods and in the dips to the left,
Wikox and Pryor deployed their men into line
of battle, Featherstone being in the rear ; and
suddenly appearing on the plateau facing the tim
ber-covered hill, rushed down into the wide gully,



Hood s Texan brigade, Whiting s comes after,
and Pender follows. The line is now complete,
and " forward" rings from one end of the line to
the other, and the Yankees, over thirty thousand
strong, begin to retreat.

Wheeling their artillery from the front, the
Federals turn part of it to break our left, and
save their retreat. The very earth shakes at the
roar. Not one piece of ours has yet opened ; all
has been done with the bullet and bayonet, and



crossed it, clambered over all the felled timber, j onward press our troops through camps upon

stormed the timber breastworks beyond it, and ~ " t ~" ~ ~ jl ~

began the ascent of the hill under a terrific fire
of sharp-shooters and an incessant discharge of
grape and canister from pieces posted on the
brow of the hill, and from batteries in their



camps, to the right on the high flat lands. Such
a position was never stormed before.

In descending into the deep creek the infantry
and artillery fire that assailed the three brigades



camps, capturing guns, stores, arms, clothing, etc.
Yet, like bloodhounds on the trail, the six bri
gades sweep every thing before them, presenting
an unbroken, solid front, and closing in upon
the enenvy, keep up an incessant succession of
volleys upon their confused masses, and unerring
ly slaughtering them by hundreds and thousands.
There was but one "charge," and from the mo
ment the word of command was given "fix



was most terrific. Twenty-six pieces were thun- j bayonets ! forward!" our advance was never
dering at them, and a perfect hail-storm of lead I stopped, despite the awful reception which met it.
fell thick and fast around them. One of Wil- It is true that one or two regiments became
cox s regiments wavered. Down the General confused in passing over the deep ditch, abattis
rushed furiously, sword in hand, and threatened and timber earthwork. It is also true that sev-
to behead the first man that hesitated. Pryor | eral slipped from the ranks and ran to the rear ;

j i i it ~\ 3



steadily advanced, but slowly ; and by th time
that the three brigades had stormed the position,
passed up the hill through timber and over felled j



but in many cases these were wounded men
but the total number of " stragglers " would not
amount to more than one hundred. This is strict-



trees, Featherstone was far in advance. Quickly j ly true, and redounds to our immortal honor,

the Federals withdrew their pieces and took up a These facts are true of Wilcox s, Pryor s, and

fresh position to assail the three brigades ad- Featherstone s brigades, who formed our right ;

vancing in perfect line of battle from the woods and we are positive that from the composition of

and upon the plateau. Officers had no horses Whiting s, Hood s, and Fender s brigades, who

all were shot ; brigadiers marched on foot, sword flanked the enemy and formed our left, they

in hand ; regiments were commanded by cap- never could be made to falter ; for Whiting had

tains and companies by sergeants, yet onward the Eleventh, Sixteenth and Second Mississippi,



they rushed, with yells and colors flying and
backward, still backward fell the Federals, their
men tumbling over every moment in scores. But



and two other regiments. Hood had four Texan
and one Georgia regiment, and the material of
Pender s command was equally as good as any,



252



REBELLION RECORD, 1862.



and reatly distinguished itself. These were the
troops most engaged, and that suffered most.

Bat "where is Jackson?" ask all. He has
travelled fast and is heading the retreating foe, j
and as night closes in, all is anxiety for intelli- !
gence from him. It is now about seven o clock
P.M., and just as the rout of the enemy is com- 1
plete, just as the last volleys are sounding in the j
enemy s rear, the distant and rapid discharges of j
cannon tell that Jackson has fallen on the re- j
treating column. Far in the night his troops i
hang upon the enemy, and for miles upon miles |
are dead, wounded, prisoners, wagons, cannon, ;
etc., scattered in inextricable confusion upon the
road. Thus, for four hours did our inferior force,
unaided by a single piece of artillery, withstand
over thirty thousand of the enemy, assisted by |
twenty-six pieces of artillery.

EveVy arm of the service was well represented j
in the Federal line. Cavalry were there in force,
and when our men emerged from the woods, at
tempted to charge, but the three brigades on the
right, and Jackson s three brigades on the left, I
closed up ranks and poured such deadly volleys
upon the horsemen that they left the ground in
confusion and entirely, for their infantry to de
cide the day. McCall s, Porter s, and Sedgwick s
*" crack " divisions melted away before our ad
vance. McClellan, prisoners say, repeatedly was
present, and directed movements ; but, when
the three brigades to our left emerged from the
woods, such confusion and havoc ensued that he
gave orders to retreat, and escaped as best he !
could.

The cannon and arms captured in this battle
were numerous and of very superior workman
ship. The twenty-six pieces were most beauti
ful, while immense piles of guns could be seen :
on every hand, many scarcely having the maim- j
facturer s "finish" even tarnished. The enemy
seemed quite willing to throw them away on
the slightest pretext, dozens being found with
loads still undischarged. The number of small
arms captured was not less than fifteen thousand, .
of every calibre and every make. The field-pieces
taken were principally Xapoleon, Parrott and ;
Blakely (English) guns. We have captured
large quantities of army-wagons, tents, equip
ments, shoes. Clothing in abundance was scat- 1
tered about, and immense piles of new uniforms \
were found untouched. Every conceivable ar- }
tide of clothing was found in " these divisional
camps, and came quite apropos to our needy
soldiery, scores of whom took a cool bath, and
changed old for new under-clothing, many arti- j
cles being of costly material and quite unique, i
The amount of ammunition found was consider- 1
able, and proved of very superior quality and
manufacture.

"While the storming of Games s Mill was in
progress, a fight was raging at Cold Harbor, a \
short distance to the left, in which the enemy :
were driven off with great carnage. At this point
the gav, dashing, intrepid Gen. Wheat was in
stantly killed by a ball through the brain. At a
later hour of the evening, one of his compatriots,



Gen. Hood, of the Texas brigade, dashed into a
Yankee camp, and took a thousand prisoners.
And so with Jackson and Stuart pushing on to
ward the Pamunkey to intercept the enemy s re
treat to West-Point, should it be attempted, and
McClellan with his main body retiring toward
the south (or Richmond) side of the Chickahom-
iny before our victorious troops, the second day
was brought to an end.

All of the enemy s dead and wounded on the
previous day, with few exceptions, had been car
ried off; and they managed also to remove a
large number from the field in this running en
gagement. As they retired, they set fire to im
mense quantities of their commissary stores,
spiked their cannon, destroyed tents and smash.
ed up all of the wagons they could not run off.
Our forces captured several fine batteries, consist
ing in all of eighteen rilled cannon and several
minor pieces of artillery.

The enemy now occupied a singular position
one portion of his army, on the south side of
the Chickahominy, fronted Richmond, and was
confronted by Gen. Magruder ; the other portion
on the north side had turned their backs on Rich
mond, and fronted destruction in the persons of
Lee, Longstreet, Jackson and the Hills. These
last were, therefore, advancing on Richmond with
their backs to the city. Such was the position
into which Gen. Lee had forced McClellan. The
position which the latter here occupied, however,
was one of great strength.

THE FIGHTING ON SATURDAY, JUNE 28TU.

The right wing of McClellan s army, after cross
ing the Chickahominy on Friday night, at the
Grapevine bridge, fell back down the Williams-
burgh road, toward the White Oak swamp.

On Saturday, the twenty-eighth, Gen. Toombs,
attacked a portion of the enemy s left wing, strong
ly posted on a hill, and supported with artillery,
near the Chickahominy, about a mile east of the
New-Bridge road. About eleven o clock Moody s
battery opened fire upon the intrenchments of
the enemy, located just beyond Garnett s farm.
The battery fired some ten or fifteen minutes, and
meanwhile a body of infantry, consisting of the
Seventh and Eighth Georgia regiments, moved
up under cover of the fire from the field-pieces.
The Eighth, in advance, charged across a ravine
and up a hill, beyond which the Yankee intrench
ments lay. They gained the first line of works
and took possession of them ; but, it is proper to
state, this was unoccupied at the time by the
Yankees.

The fire of the enemy was murderous, and as