116 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



the Mechanicsville road. Gen. Burnside held 

 the left, and a little in rear. The right and 

 rear were covered by the 3d division of cavalry 

 under Gen. Wilson. The divisions of Gens. 

 Torbert and Gregg -were advanced on the left 

 flank. The division of Gen. Torbert held the 

 Old Church Tavern Cross Road with a picket 

 force extending on the road to Coal Harbor. 

 A movement of the enemy was made about 

 2 P. M. upon these pickets, who were driven in, 

 and a sharp engagement ensued, with a loss of 

 eighty or ninety on each side, when the enemy 

 were driven back. About 5 p. M. an attack 

 was made on Gen. "Warren's corps, which was 

 gradually moving to the left along the Me- 

 chanicsville road, by a reconnoitring division 

 of Gen. Ewell's corps with two brigades of 

 cavalry. The turning of Gen. Warren's flank 

 was endangered, which was prevented only by 

 the timely arrival of reinforcements. A sharp 

 engagement followed, and the enemy were 

 forced to retire by a road parallel to the Coal 

 Harbor road. Gen. Meade, upon being inform- 

 ed of the situation of Gen. Warren, ordered an 

 attack along the whole line. Gen. Hancock 

 alone received the order in time to attack be- 

 fore dark, and immediately advanced upon the 

 enemy's skirmish line, captured their rifle-pits, 

 and held them all night. Gen. Warren held 

 his position near Mechanicsville, and the enemy 

 moved down troops to prevent any further 

 dangerous concentration on his right. An ef- 

 fort was made to dislodge Gen. Hancock at 

 midnight, but without success. 



On Tuesday, the 31st, the army of Gen. 

 Grant was further reenforced by the arrival of 

 the 18th corps under Gen. Smith. This corps, 

 being a part of the command of Gen. Butler, 

 embarked on transports at City Point, and 

 moved with celerity down the James River 

 and up the York River to the White House, 

 which was the base of supplies for Gen. Grant's 

 army. 



After the retirement of Gen. Butler to his 

 intrenchments on the 20th, little fighting oc- 

 curred. An attack was made on his post at 

 Wilson's Wharf, on the northerly bank of the 

 James, held by two regiments of negro troops, 

 on the 24th, by a body of cavalry under Gen. 

 Fitz Lee. A demand for surrender was made, 

 which Gen. Wild declined, when the skirmish- 

 ing line was speedily driven in, and furious 

 charges made on the works. After a contest 

 of three or four hours the enemy withdrew, 

 leaving twenty-five dead on the ground. On 

 the 26th a reconnoissance discovered the ene- 

 my in considerable force. The position of Gen. 

 Butler now was such that his communication 

 and supplies were perfectly secure. Both flanks 

 of his remaining force were covered by gun- 

 boats. 



On Tuesday, May 31st, the headquarters of 

 Gen. Grant were about five miles southeast 

 of Hanover Court House, and less than that 

 distance west of Hanovertown. In front of 

 that position, facing westerly on its right and 



southwesterly on its left, the line of battle of 

 the army extended a distance of six miles across 

 Tolopatomy Creek. The right was held by 

 Gen. Wright's 6th corps, next Gen. Hancock's 

 2d corps, next Gen. Burnside's 9th corps, and 

 Gen. Warren's 5th corps on the left. The po- 

 sition of the enemy was on the westerly bank 

 of a creek running southeast, and a tributary 

 to the Tolopatomy before the latter turns to 

 the northeast to the Pamunkey. Their lino 

 closely followed in general direction that of 

 Gen. Grant's army. The right was held by Gen. 

 A. P. Hill, the centre by Gen. Longstreet's corps, 

 and the left by Gen. Ewell. In this position they 

 covered the Chickahominy, which is the outer 

 line of defence for Richmond and the Virginia 

 Central Railroad, with cavalry supports thrown 

 out on the left as far as Hanover Court House, 

 and on the right to Bottom Bridge. This was 

 the theatre of operations of the Army of the 

 Potomac in 1862, when the approach to Rich- 

 mond was made across the Chickahominy, be- 

 fore which the enemy were now strongly 

 drawn up. 



On Tuesday there was desultory firing 

 through the day along the whole line. Gen. 

 Grant already contemplated a movement by 

 the left, and the 1st division of cavalry, under 

 Gen. Torbert, were ordered forward to recon- 

 noitre thoroughly the ground in the vicinity of 

 Coal Harbor, and to hold it at all hazards for 

 the occupation of infantry. While there a" 

 sharp fight ensued with a body of the enemy's 

 cavalry, which resulted in Gen. Torbert's hold- 

 ing the desired ground. 



On the next day, June 1st, an effort was 

 made by a division of the enemy under Gen. 

 Hoke, to get possession of Coal Harbor. This 

 was repulsed by Gen. Sheridan. Subsequently 

 Gen. Hoke was reenforced, and about noon 

 checked the further advance of Gen. Sheridan 

 on the left. On the previous night the 6th 

 corps was detached from the right, and march- 

 ed from Shady Grove to Coal Harbor, where 

 they arrived soon after the close of the above 

 affair. It formed in line on the right of the 

 Games' Mill road, with Gen. Ricketts' division 

 on the right, Gen. Russell's in the centre, and 

 Gen. NeiU's 2d on the left. About 3 o'clock 

 the 18th corps, under Gen. Smith, from the 

 White House, came into the field, and formed 

 on the right of the 6th corps, with Gen. Mar - 

 tindale on the right, Gen. Brookes in the cen- 

 tre, and Gen. Devens on the left. Their march, 

 like that of the 6th corps, had been severe, 

 over a distance of twenty-five miles. A charge 

 by the 18th corps was ordered at once, and, 

 without stopping, they crossed an open field to 

 a strip of wood, and took and held the first line 

 of -the enemy's rifle-pits, capturing six hundred 

 prisoners. A lodgment was also effected in the 

 enemy's line further to the right, but the po 

 sition proved to be completely commanded by 

 a redoubt in the second line of the enemy, and, 

 amidst a heavy fire, it was abandoned. During 

 the night the enemy made desperate efforts to 



