118 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



June 10, 1362. 

 Maj.-Gen. G. B. McClellan, Commanding Department 



of Virginia, before Richmond : 

 For the third time I am ordered to join you, and 

 hope this time to get through. In view of the remarks 

 made with reference to my leaving you and not join- 

 ing you before, by your friends, and of something I 

 have heard as coming from you on that subject, I wish 

 to say I go with the greatest satisfaction, and hope to 

 arrive with my main body in time to be of service. 

 McCall goes in advance by water. I will be with you 

 in ten days with the remainder by Fredericksburg. 



IRVIN MCDOWELL, 



Major-General Commanding. 

 On the 12th, he again wrote, as follows: 



HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT or THE RAPPAHANNOCK, ) 

 MANAS3A8, June 12, 1862. j 

 Maj.-Gen. G, B. McClellan, Commanding Department 



of Virginia, before Richmond : 

 The delay of Maj.-Gen. Banks to relieve the division 

 of my command in the valley beyond the time I had 

 calculated on, will prevent my joining you with the re- 

 mainder of the troops I am to take below at as early a 

 day as I named. My third division (McCall's) is now 

 T>n the way. Please do me the favor to so place it that 

 it may be in a position to join the others as they come 

 down from Fredericksburg. IRVIN McDOWELL, 



Major-General Commanding. 



Contrary to the expectation of both, the divi- 

 sion of Gen. McCall was the only one of Gen. 

 McDowell's corps which subsequently reached 

 the array of the Potomac. 



On the next day after the battle of Fair Oaks, 

 above described, Gen. McClellan recovered 

 without resistance the stations of Fair Oaks 

 and Seven Pines, and the two armies were 

 once more in the same position as before. 



On the 2d of June President Davis issued 

 the following address to the Confederate army: 



EXECUTIVE OFFICE, June 2, 1862. 

 To the Army of Richmond : 



I render to you my grateful acknowledgments for 

 the gallantry and good conduct you displayed in the 

 battles of the 31st of May, and the 1st instant, and 

 with pride and pleasure recognize the steadiness and 

 intrepidity with which you attacked the enemy in po- 

 sition, captured his advanced intrenchments, several 

 batteries of artillery, and many standards, and every- 

 where drove them from the open field. 



At a part of your operations it was my fortune to be 

 present. On no other occasion have I witnessed more 

 of calmness and good order than you exhibited while 

 advancing into the very jaws of death, and nothing 

 could exceed the prowess with which you closed upon 

 the enemy when a sheet of fire was blazing in vour 

 faces. 



In the renewed struggle in which you are on the eve 

 of engaging, I ask and can desire but a continuance of 

 the same conduct which now attracts the admiration 

 and pride of the loved ones you have left at home. 



You are fighting for all that is dearest to men ;'and, 

 though opposed to a foe who disregards many of the 

 usages of civilize-1 war, your humanity to the wounded 

 and the prisoners was the fit and crowning glory to 

 your valor. 



Defenders of a just cause, may God have you in His 

 holy keeping ! JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



Gen. McClellan now set to Avork to complete 

 in a substantial manner the bridges across the 

 Chickahominy and put the two wings of his 

 army in communication with each other in 

 spite of any inundations. Entrenchments were 

 then thrown up along the whole line. The 

 right wing, consisting of the divisions of Gens. 

 McCall, Morrell, and Sykes, was posted on the 



left bank of the Chickahominy from Beaver 

 Dam Creek to a point below New Bridge. 

 The centre, consisting of Gens. Smith's, Sedg- 

 wick's, and Richardson's divisions, was stretch- 

 ed in a line from Golding on the right bank of 

 the river to a point south of the York river 

 railroad. The left wing, consisting of Ge"ns. 

 Hooker's, Kearney's, and Couch's divisions, ex- 

 tended from the left of Gen. Richardson's posi- 

 sion to a point considerably south of the Wil- 

 liamsburg stage road, on the borders of White 

 Oak swamp. The Confederate line pressed so 

 close to the Federal line on the right bank of 

 the river that neither could advance a regiment 

 outside their respective breastworks Avithout 

 provoking a contest. In this position the two 

 armies remained until near the close of the 

 month. 



The demonstration in the rear of the Federal 

 army had convinced the commanding general 

 that a change of position might become neces- 

 sary, and some vessels loaded with ammuni- 

 tion, provisions, and other supplies were wisely 

 sent to James river near City Point, but no 

 further steps for this purpose were taken. 



On Wednesday, the 25th of June, the first 

 movement on the part of Gen. McClellan Avas 

 made. This consisted in directing Gen. Hooker 

 to take up an advanced position of a mile on 

 Fair Oaks farm, near the Wllliamsburg road 

 leading directly to Richmond. It was calculat- 

 ed that this movement might be followed by a 

 general resistance on the part of the Confed- 

 erates, which would renew the battle of Fair 

 Oaks, and by the advantage of the bridges the 

 whole army could be concentrated. If the bat- 

 tle was not renewed then it would be one step 

 in advance toward Richmond. The ground 

 Gen. Hooker was ordered to occupy was taken, 

 lost and retaken with a loss of from four to five 

 hundred men. He Avas ably supported by 

 Brig.-Gens. Grover and Sickles. During the 

 ensuing night information Avas received that 

 Gen. Jackson, returned from the Shenandoah 

 Valley, was in force near Hanover Court House. 

 This indicated that the Confederate army had 

 now been concentrated, and the object of Gen. 

 Jackson in that position was to attack the Fed- 

 eral communications, and cut them oft" by seiz- 

 ing the York-river railway in their rear. Tho 

 advance upon Richmond could not therefore 

 be further prosecuted by the diminished forces 

 of the Federal army. Gen. Hooker Avas conse- 

 quently recalled from his advanced position on 

 the next day. 



It appears that on the 25th a council of all 

 the Confederate generals was held at Richmond. 

 Gens. Lee, Baldwin, Jackson, A. P. Hill, D. H. 

 Hill, Huger, Longstreet, Branch, Wise, Ander- 

 son, Whiting, Riplej, and Magruder were pres- 

 ent. It was determined that Gen. Jackson 

 should move upon the right flank of the Fed- 

 eral army, and if Gen. McDowell remained in- 

 active in his position near Fredericksburg, then 

 a general and simultaneous attack was to be 

 made upon the whole line of Gen. McClellan. 



