ARMY OPERATIONS. 



121 



Lee of the approach of Gen. McDowell, and it 

 was not until he received reliable intelligence 

 of the latters inactivity that he resolved upon 

 a general attack. As soon, therefore, as he 

 \vas informed that Gen. Jackson had reached 

 Coal Harbor, steps were taken for an immediate 

 attack on the retiring corps of Gen. Porter, 

 which was supposed to be the mass of Gen. 

 McCiellan's army, and which had taken up the 

 position it was ordered to hold on the left bank 

 before the bridges. The Confederate attack 

 was opened by the columns of Gen. D. H. Hill, 

 Anderson, and Pickett. These brave masses 

 rushed with " thundering hurrahs " upon the 

 musketry of Gen. Porter's corps, and whole 

 ranks went down under the terrible fire that 

 met them. After a fierce struggle the Con- 

 federate troops began to give way, and at length 

 all orders and encouragements were vain. They 

 were falling back in the greatest disorder. Im- 

 mediately Gen. Cobb appeared on the field with 

 his legion, and the 19th North Carolina, and 

 14th Virginia, and renewed the attack, but all 

 their efforts were in vain. Broken to pieces 

 and disorganized, the fragments of that legion 

 came rolling back from the charge. The 19th 

 North Carolina lost eight standard bearers, and 

 most of their officers were either killed or 

 wounded. The shattered regiments of Gens. 

 Hill and Anderson were again led up, but their 

 foes quietly and coolly held out against every 

 attack that was made. During this moment of 

 success for the Federal army, Gen. McClellan 

 hastened to throw upon the left bank all the 

 troops not absolutely necessary to guard the 

 lines in front of Richmond. It was nearly night 

 when some of the divisions reached the river, 

 and at this time the Confederate left and re- 

 serves had been brought up. The weight of 

 their attack was made on the Federal left, 

 where the troops had sustained an unequal 

 fight all day, and were worn out, having fired 

 almost their last cartridge. The left gave way 

 and disbanded. This disorder extended until it 

 reached the centre ot the Federal lines, which fell 

 back in increasing confusion, until the fresh bri- 

 gades of Gens. Meagher and French were met. 

 The vigorous shouts of these troops, and the 

 placing a few guns anew in battery and opening 

 tire served to check the enemy, who paused at 

 this final determination, and darkness closed the 

 contest at Gaines's Mill. 



The left wing, under Gen. Porter, subse- 

 quently supported from the main body, had ac- 

 complished the purpose of holding the Con- 

 federates in check, and that night the train of 

 five thousand wagons, the seige train, a herd of 

 twenty-five hundred oxen, and other material 

 was in motion for James river. During the 

 night the troops of Gen. McClellan repassed the 

 bridges of the Chickahominy in perfect order, 

 destroying them after they had passed. The 

 field of battle, with the dead, and those most 

 seriously wounded, a few guns and some pris- 

 oners, was abandoned. The corps of Gen. 

 Keyes in the advance toward James river took 



possession of the road across the White Oak 

 Swamp, and the principal lines of communica- 

 tion by which the Federal army could be an- 

 noyed by their enemies. 



Meantime the Confederate officers and men 

 supposed, from the manner in which the day 

 closed, leaving them in possession of the field 

 of battle and its spoils, that Gen. McClellan 

 was completely cut off from his base of retreat. 

 The capture or destruction of the entire Fed- 

 eral army was regarded as certain. The re- 

 joicing bordered on frenzy. Their demonstra- 

 tion on the 28th was made to the White House, 

 where the immense stores which were expected 

 to fall into their hands were found to have been 

 destroyed, and nothing but ruins remained. 

 The burial of the dead, and the care for the 

 wounded, and repose for the troops, and un- 

 certainty as to the position of the Federal army, 

 caused the day to pass without any movement 

 of the Confederate troops. The mass of them 

 were now on the left bank of the Chickahominy, 

 over which the bridges had been destroyed, 

 while Gen. McClellan's army united was on the 

 right bank. Time now was worth everything 

 to them. Before they could be attacked, how- 

 ever, it was necessary for the Confederate force 

 to rebuild the bridges, or to fall back some dis- 

 tance to the Mechanicsville bridge. It was not 

 until the reports of the state of affairs at the 

 White House were made in the afternoon of 

 the 28th, and the statements of prisoners, that 

 Gen. Lee comprehended the real movements of 

 Gen. McClellan. and that he was on his way to 

 James river to form a junction with the fleet. 

 The twelve brigades of Gens. D. H. Hill and 

 Longstreet were instantly put in motion to give 

 the death blow to the enemy, whom they sup- 

 posed now to be flying. 



The position of Gen. McClellan on Saturday 

 night was such that the Confederate officers, 

 who were unaware of his design, were confident 

 of his capture. Having abandoned, and, as they 

 supposed, been driven from all his strongholds 

 on the north side of the Chickahominy, cut off 

 from all communication with his supplies at the 

 White House, and with the Chickahominy in 

 his rear, and the divisions of Gens. Longstreet, 

 Mairruder, and Huger in his front, all hopes of 

 his escape were thought to be impossible. 



The morning of the 29th was spent by Gen. 

 McClellan's troops in destroying all that could 

 not be carried away from the camps. A com- 

 plete railroad train, locomotive, tender and cars, 

 which had been left on the track, was sent 

 headlong over the broken bridge into the river. 

 Nothing was left but three siege guns which 

 could not be moved. 



The corps of Gens. Sumner and Franklin had 

 been left in the works at Fair Oaks with in- 

 structions to evacuate and protect the baggage 

 and supply trains on their way to the river. 

 Hardly had they commenced to fall back on the 

 railroad and Williamsburg turnpike, when the 

 enemy, perceiving the movement, pressed for- 

 ward, giving the former barely time to place 



