ARMY OPERATIONS. 



119 



A demonstration along the Richmond road 

 made at that time by Gen. McDowc-11 -would 

 have rendered the flank march of Gen. Jack- 

 son entirely .impracticable. This demonstra- 

 tion was feared by Gen. Lee ; but he was un- 

 aware that it had then been determined at 

 Washington to concentrate the corps of Gen. 

 McDowell with the other forces before "Wash- 

 ington and form the army of Virginia under 

 Gen. Pope. The order for that purpose was 

 issued on the 27th, at Washington, the 2nd 

 day after the council of officers at Richmond ; 

 and thus prevented entirely the movement 

 feared by Gen. Lee. (See page 126.) 



On the 26th Gen. Jackson reached Ashland, 

 there to commence his flanking operations. 

 His advanced guard drove in the little Federal 

 force posted there and pushed on without loss 

 of time to Hanover Court House, where he 

 threw forward Gen. Branch's brigade between 

 the Chickahominy and the Pamunkey rivers to 

 establish a junction with Gen. Hill, who was to 

 cross the former stream at Meadow Bridge. 

 It was the movement of Gen. Hill's troops, 

 seen pouring out of Richmond by the Federal 

 army, in the direction where Gen. Jackson was 

 known to be, which convinced them of the se- 

 rious work at hand on their right. Gen. D. H. 

 Hill began his offensive operations about 1 p. M. 

 by an attack upon Mechanicsville and met with 

 a brave resistance. Gen. McCall's Pennsylva- 

 nia reserves were stationed there supported by 

 Gen. Morrell and Gen. Sykes, and strongly in- 

 trenched for defence. Storming attacks were 

 made again and again with fury, and were as 

 often repelled with a cool determination. In 

 vain Gen. D. H. Hill sent his aids in quest of 

 Gen. Branch. The latter did not arrive until 

 night, when the conflict had ended. 



At this time eight divisions of the Federal 

 army were on the right bank of the Chicka- 

 hominy occupying entrenchments fronting 

 Richmond. Before these troops lay the mass 

 of the Confederate army also in entrenched 

 positions. Upon the left bank of the river 

 connected by numerous bridges was Gen. Fitz- 

 John Porter with two divisions and Gen. Sykes' 

 regulars. It was against this latter force that 

 the Confederate attack was made. Two sepa- 

 rate armies of great force were thus about to 

 attack Gen. McClellan, and his position was 

 extremely critical. If he concentrated on the 

 left bank of the Chickahominy, he abandoned 

 the attempt to capture Richmond, and risked 

 a disastrous retreat upon the White House and 

 Yorktown with the entire Confederate army in 

 pursuit, and where he could hope for no sup- 

 port. If he moved to the right bank of the 

 river, he risked the cutting off of his communi- 

 cations with the White House by the enemy, 

 who might seize the railroad over which his 

 supplies came. He would then be forced to 

 open new communications with James river, 

 and move at once in that direction. There he 

 would receive the support of the navy, and if 

 reenforced could operate against Richmond or 



Petersburg, the fall of the latter place involving 

 the fall of the former. This latter movement 

 had been thought of some time previous, and 

 transports, with a prudent foresight, had been 

 sent to the James river. It was now deter- 

 mined upon. The distance from Fair Oaks to 

 the James river was about seventeen miles. A 

 single road only existed by which the baggage 

 and stores could be moved. This was exposed 

 in front to the enemy, who, by several roads 

 radiating from Richmond, could throw a con- 

 siderable force at once upon different points. 

 The activity with which this movement was 

 performed was such that it was nearly com- 

 pleted before it was anticipated by the enemy. 



During the night in which Gen. D. H. Hill 

 was held in check at Mechanicsville, the whole 

 of Gen. Porter's baggage was sent over to the 

 right bank of the river and united with the 

 long train which was to set out on the evening 

 of the 27th for Jalnes river. At the same time 

 orders were given to reship or destroy all the 

 stores along the railroad to White House and 

 to evacuate that depot. This duty was assigned 

 to Gen. Stoneman with a flying column. He 

 was also ordered to delay the advance of the 

 enemy and to fall back after the execution of 

 these orders on Yorktown. All this was suc- 

 cessfully done. 



For the next day, Friday, the 27th, the 

 orders to Gen. McCall on the extreme right 

 were to fall back on the bridges thrown across 

 the Chickahominy at Gaines's Mill. Joining 

 the other troops of Gen. Porter's corps, con- 

 sisting of the division of Gen. Morrell and the 

 regulars of Gen. Sykes, their duty was to make 

 a stand in front of the bridges in order to give 

 the army time to execute its general movement. 

 Gen. Porter, with this force, was not to cross 

 the bridges until evening, and then to destroy 

 them. The manner in which these orders were 

 executed will now appear. 



Scarcely had the morning of the 27th dawned, 

 when the Confederate forces, under Gen. D. H. 

 Hill, that had been held in check the previous 

 evening, opened a tremendous fire of artillery 

 upon the front of Gen. McCall, who, upon see- 

 ing the brigade of Gen. Branch, ordered on the 

 previous day to support Gen. Hill, advancing 

 to attack his right, began to fall back, fighting, 

 further down the stream. This secured the 

 crossing of the Chickahominy at Mechanicsville 

 to the Confederates, and the first reinforcements 

 ordered from their main body during the night, 

 consisting of the veteran corps of Gen. Long- 

 street, and the division of Gen. A. P. Hill, now 

 arrived. An order to advance was now given 

 all along the Confederate line, except the right 

 wing under Gen. Magruder, which now con- 

 fronted Gen. McClellan on the right bank of 

 the Chickahominy. The divisions of Gens. A. 

 P. Hill, Anderson, and Whiting formed the 

 centre, and moved toward Coal Harbor, while 

 Gens. Jackson, D. H. Hill, and Longstreet 

 formed the left nearer the Pamunkey river. 

 Apprehensions were still entertained by Gen. 



