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CHAPTER II.

POSITION ON THE CHICKAHOMINY-BATTLES OF

HANOVER COURT-HOUSE, MECHANICSVILLE,

AND GAINES MILL.

At 9

On the 11th of May, 1862, the James River was opened to the Union fleets by the destruction of the rebel ram Merrimac. A.M. of that date General McClellan congratulated the Secretary of War and urged the immediate ascent of the river by the Union ironclads and gunboats, because "this would enable me [him] to make our [his] movements more decisive." That his military instinct demanded the immediate movement of his army to the James River as a base cannot be doubted. The fact was recognized when General Wool telegraphed him, on May 12th "Your flank will be protected on the James River. A small detachment will answer for Yorktown. I want all my troops." Nevertheless, May 21st found the army in position facing Richmond from the left bank of the Chickahominy River. On the right wing, Franklin's corps was posted three miles from New Bridge, with the Fifth Corps in rear and support. Sumner's corps across the railroad, near Turner's Mills, held the centre, and Keyes' corps on the New Kent road, near Bottom's Bridge, with Heintzelman's corps in support, guarded the left. This disposition had been imposed by informa

tion received May 18th, from the Secretary of War, that General McDowell, with his command of 40,000 men, had been ordered to move southwest from Fredericksburg to a connection with the right wing of the Army of the Potomac, which was ordered to be extended to the north of Richmond in co-operation with the movement.

On the 23d of May, Lieutenant Nicholas Bowen, Topographical Engineers, accompanied by, Lieutenant George A. Custer, 5th U. S. Cavalry, and Messrs. Frederick Churchill and H. H. Humphreys, attachés of the Topographical Staff, had discovered a ford and crossed the Chickahominy about a mile above New Bridge. The next day a reconnaissance was successfully made by Lieutenant Bowen, accompanied by Captain James McMillan, 2d U. S. Infantry; Captain James W. Forsyth, 18th U. S. Infantry; Lieutenant Custer, and Messrs. Churchill and Humphreys, with an escort of 500 men of the 4th Michigan, under Colonel Woodbury, and a squadron of the 2d U. S. Cavalry, Captain George A. Gordon commanding. The 4th Michigan crossed the river at the newly discovered ford, and, attacking the camp of the enemy, maintained their position four hours against two regiments of Semmes's brigade, and then withdrew, carrying with them "everything but the dead of the enemy. The Union loss was one killed and seven wounded-two of the latter mortally. The Confederate loss was 10 officers and men killed, 2 officers and 21 men wounded, and 33 officers and men missing. Colonel Woodbury reports that his regiment captured" some thirty-seven prisoners, including one officer." This spirited affair is also memorable as the occasion first drawing the attention of the com

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mander of the army to that gallant soldier, George A. Custer.

On the morning of this same day, the President had informed General McClellan that General McDowell expected to commence his supporting movement on May 26th, without fail. At 5 P.M., however, under pressure of the influences surrounding him, he suspended the order for the advance, and half of McDowell's force, notwithstanding his protest, was diverted in a futile effort to capture the command with which Jackson absorbed the attention and demonstrated the timidity of the regnant authority. But, though suspended, the order for the southward movement was not revoked, and co-operation, as ordered, was still obligatory upon General McClellan. Pending developments, work was being prosecuted upon bridges across the Chickahominy with such vigor as was permitted by constant and heavy rain, when information was received, on May 26th, that the enemy had fallen back from the front of Fredericksburg and that General McDowell's advance was eight miles south of the Rappahannock River. At the same time, the presence of a considerable force of the enemy at Hanover Court-House was reported.

On the 24th of May, General McClellan directed Major Alexander S. Webb, an experienced officer of artillery, then serving at headquarters of the army on the staff of General Barry, to make a reconnaissance to Hanover Court-House. Securing from General Stoneman, chief of cavalry (who had been operating for several days on the right flank of the army), a detachment of the 8th Illinois Cavalry, and one piece of Tidball's horse artillery (about 140 men in all),

Major Webb proceeded from Mechanicsville, by the Ashland road, to a point on the Virginia Central Railroad, about twelve miles from Richmond. When scarcely five miles from camp, the advance encountered the enemy's cavalry pickets, and they were driven two or three miles from the main road northward, the detachment passing between the main body of the enemy in that vicinity and his concentrated forces at Richmond. The extreme advance of the party went to the railroad, near Mr. Leach's residence, about seven miles from the Chickahominy, tore up a portion of the track and burned the ties, so as to render those seven miles of the road practically useless.

This movement occasioned quite a commotion among the enemy's videttes, as they had dashed into their lines shouting, "The Yankees are coming!" During the half hour which the detachment occupied in their work on the railroad, the long roll was heard sounding in the enemy's camp. The good people who were going to the country church opened their eyes in amazement at seeing Union soldiers in that vicinity-this day being Sunday. After reconnoitring the country in that neighborhood, the party returned to camp on Monday.

General J. B. Anderson, in command of six regiments and two batteries, with cavalry covering his flank and rear between the Pamunkey and Mattapony rivers, had confronted McDowell's corps at Fredericksburg. Stuart's cavalry covered the railroad communications from the Pamunkey southward. On May 22d, General L. O'B. Branch was ordered to move his Carolina brigade from Gordonsville to the vicinity of Hanover Court-House, in order to connect General Anderson's command with the troops at

Meadow Bridge; protect the railroad communications with Jackson's force, and be in a position to operate upon the Union flank in the event of the expected struggle before Richmond. On Sunday, May 25th, General Branch was encamped at Hanover Court-House, where he had found and assumed command of the 45th Georgia regiment. On the same day General Anderson reached Hanover Junction with his command, en route to Richmond, and halted to await transportation. On May 26th, General Branch moved his troops to the west of Peak's Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad. These commands, numbering some 12,000 men, constituted a serious menace to McClellan's flank, as well as obstacle in the way of McDowell's advance.

As the army moved from the Pamunkey, General Porter had been charged with the duty of clearing the country of the enemy up to or beyond Hanover Court-House, and of making such dispositions as would guard the approaches to the rear of the right wing; and further, with breaking the enemy's communication with Northern Virginia by the line of the Virginia Central Railroad. A portion of this duty had been accomplished by Warren's provisional brigade, which, from its camps at Old Church, had destroyed the bridges along the Pamunkey as far as was deemed prudent, and on May 26th General Porter was directed to move at daylight next day to Hanover Court-House, to open the way for McDowell.

BATTLE OF HANOVER COURT-HOUSE.

At 4 A.M., May 27th, with the 1st division, under General Morell, preceded by an advance guard of the

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