HANCOCK, WINFIELD SCOTT. 



415 



regiment he wished to be assigned, he an- 

 swered, " The one which is stationed farthest 

 west." He was therefore assigned as brevet 

 second-lieutenant to the Sixth Infantry, and sent 

 to a frontier post in Indian Territory. June 

 18, 1846, he was made second-lieutenant in a 

 company that had been sent to the Mexican 

 frontier, and, though delayed at his former 

 post, he joined his command early in 1847. 

 He was engaged in skirmishes in defense of 

 the National Bridge near Jalapa, August 12, 

 and at Plan del Rio, August 15. He took 

 part in the battles of Contreras and Churu- 

 busco, both fought on August 20 ; and he was 

 made brevet first-lieutenant for gallant and 

 meritorious conduct in those actions. He was 

 present at the battle of Molino del Rey, Sep- 

 tember 8, and the capture of the city of Mexi- 

 co, Sept. 14, 1847. After his return home he 

 was made regimental quartermaster June 30, 

 1848, and served until Oct. 1, 1849. He was 

 regimental adjutant from that date until Nov. 

 7, 1855. During most of this period he was 

 stationed at St. Louis, and Jan. 24, 1850, he 

 married Almira Russell, the daughter of a 

 prominent merchant of that city. He was 

 made first-lieutenant of the bixrh Infantry Jan. 

 27, 1853, and captain and assistant quarter- 

 master Nov. 7, 1855. He was stationed at 

 Fort Myers, Florida, 1856-'57; at Fort Leav- 

 enworth, Kansas, from August to December, 

 1857; and accompanied the expedition to Utah 

 in 1858, marching thence to California late in 

 that year. He was chief quartermaster of the 

 Southern District of California from May 5, 

 1859, to Aug. 3, 1861. 



When the civil war broke out, Hancock was 

 stationed at Los Angeles. The secession sen- 

 timent was strong in California, and for a time 

 it was doubtful whether the intrigues set on 

 foot to carry it out of the Union would not be 

 successful. He threw all his influence in favor 

 of loyalty; organized a great meeting on July 

 4, 1861 ; made as impressive a display of mili- 

 tary force as he could ; and sacrificed his own 

 inclinations so far as to deliver a patriotic ora- 

 tion. The effect of this proceeding was salu- 

 tary. But, as California was then practically 

 isolated from the rest of the nation, Hancock 

 wrote to Washington at once asking to be trans- 

 ferred to the seat of war. His request was 

 granted, and he arrived in Washington Sept. 

 4, 1861, and reported for duty. In a letter to 

 a friend at that time he said : " My politics are 

 of a practical kind the integrity of the coun- 

 try, the supremacy of the Federal Government, 

 an honorable peace or none at all." On the rec- 

 ommendation of Gen. McClellan, he was com- 

 missioned brigadier-general of volunteers Sept. 

 23, 1861, and was at once assigned to the 

 Army of the Potomac, and put in command 

 of the First Brigade of Gen. W. F. Smith's 

 division, subsequently a part of the Fourth 

 Corps, under Gen. E. D. Keyes. Before the 

 Peninsular campaign began, early in the fol- 

 lowing year, he had time to discipline his men 



and inspire them with confidence in his lead- 

 ership. 



The advance from Fortress Monroe was be- 

 gun, April 4, 1862, and Keyes's troops were 

 Drought to a stand before the Confederate 

 works at Lee's Mills, part of the line of fortifi- 

 cations across the Peninsula. May 3, the Con- 

 federates abandoned their defenses and with- 

 drew to Williamsburg, and on May 4 the Union 

 forces pushed on in pursuit, under command 

 of Gen. E. V. Sumner, Smith's division, with 

 Hancock's brigade in advance, leading. At 

 about half-past five o'clock in the afternoon 

 the advance struck the enemy's cavalry, de- 

 ployed in line of battle, and moved to the at- 

 tack but to no purpose, as the country was 

 covered with thick underbrush and impractica- 

 ble in the growing darkness. May 5, the ran- 

 dom battle of Williamsburg was fought, in 

 which Hancock won his first laurels. Gen. 

 Hooker began the attack at seven o'clock in 

 the morning, with his division on the left, and 

 fought for seven hours, trying after his usual 

 fashion to win an independent battle. He 

 gained nothing, and maintained himself with 

 difficulty. At ten o'clock Sumner sent Han- 

 cock with his own brigade and part of another 

 to take possession of a redoubt on Cub Run. 

 He threw forward his troops skillfully, garri- 

 soned the work, and then advanced in line of 

 battle beyond it. By noon the success of the 

 manoeuvre was complete, and it determined 

 the result of the battle. But Hancock, seeing 

 another redoubt nearly a mile beyond, which 

 commanded his position, asked for re-enforce- 

 ments, and pushed on and seized the work. 

 Judging by the volume of the firing that the 

 pressure on Hooker was very heavy, he still ad- 

 vanced, drove in the Confederate position, and 

 compelled a desperate attack upon himself. As 

 thepromised re- enforcements had not been sent, 

 he fell back slowly, while the storm gathered, 

 and chose the crest of a hill near the first re- 

 doubt captured for a defensive position and wait- 

 ed for the advance of the enemy. Four South- 

 ern regiments rushed forward under the com- 

 mand of Generals D. H. Hill and Early ; but, 

 after crossing a stream and forcing their way 

 through a dense growth of underbrush, they 

 reached the open field in some disorder. It 

 was then that Hancock's men, who seemed to 

 be retiring, turned, delivered a deadly volley, 

 and charged gallantly. The whole Confeder- 

 ate force gave way, and the repulse cost them 

 400 men. That night the Confederates retreat- 

 ed from Williamsburg. In this combat Hancock 

 showed that rare skill in tactics and that abil- 

 ity to handle troops under fire which were to 

 make him one of the most famous corps com- 

 manders of the world. Gen. Smith said of the 

 affair : " The brilliancy of the plan of battle, 

 the coolness of its execution, the seizing of the 

 proper instant for changing from the defensive 

 to the offensive, the steadiness of the troops 

 engaged, and the completeness of the victory, 

 are subjects to which I earnestly call the 



