408

PREPARATIONS TO ATTACK THE NATIONALS.

beyond a point known as the Seven Pines,' six miles from Richmond;" that Couch's division of the same corps was at the Seven Pines, his right resting at Fair Oaks Station, on the Richmond and York River railway; that Kearney's division of Heintzelman's corps was on the same railway, three-fourths of a mile in advance of Savage's Station; that the division of Hooker latter corps was guarding

SILAS CASEY.

of the

guarding the ap proaches of the White Oak Swamp, that lay between these divisions and the Chickahominy.

The country thereabout is quite level, and was then mostly wooded and dotted with marshes. In that region the roads radiate from Richmond, and gave Johnston advantages of position for attack or retreat. Ina

should

degree they suggested the points of attack at the time in question, and it was arranged accordingly. General Longstreet was ordered to go out by the Williamsburg road, with his own and D. H. Hill's divisions, the latter in advance, to attack the Nationals in front, while General Huger move down the Charles City road toward their left flank, and General G. W. Smith should follow the New Bridge road toward the "Old Tavern," and then take the Nine Mile road toward their right at Fair Oaks Station. These columns were to move simultaneously at dawn, but the rain • May 31, had made the roads so soft, that it was ten o'clock before Hill's division began to move toward Keyes's front.

1862.

a

General Casey, who was in the advance, had intimations of an intended attack that day, and was vigilant. He was busily engaged in constructing a redoubt, sinking rifle-pits, and forming an abatis; and when, about eleven o'clock, he was apprised of the approach of the Confederates in force, he ordered his men to take their arms. At the same time two hissing shells came heralding the enemy near, and made the soldiers quicken their abandonment of spades and axes for the weapons of war. They were none too soon in arms, for at a little past noon the Confederates came in heavy force. Casey's picket-line, with the One Hundred and third Pennsylvania, that had

been sent to its support, was driven in, and Spratt's battery, with

supporting

troops under General Naglee, who were in front of the works, were soon in

1 This was the name of a country tavern near which were seven large pine trees. Only three were standing

when the writer visited the spot, at the close of May, 1866.

2 The advance to this position had been ordered by McClellan a few days before, contrary opinion and advice of both Keyes and Casey. See Report of the Committee on the Conduct of the

i. 21.

3 Casey's pickets had that morning captured Lieutenant Washington, one of Johnston's aids, and

to the

War,

he was

sent to Keyes. His conduct satisfied the National officers that an attack was about to be made. Besicles, it had been reported that the rumbling of cars on the Richmond and York River railroad had been heard all

night, indicating the transportation of troops and supplies.

4 These were the One Hundred and fourth Pennsylvania, Colonel W. W. H. Davis; the Eleventh Maine,

and Ninety-third and One Hundredth New York Yolunteers.

BATTLE NEAR THE SEVEN PINES.

409

fierce conflict with the foe. Bates's battery, under Lieutenant Hart, was in the unfinished redoubt. Wessel's brigade was in the rifle-pits, and Palmer's brigade was behind as a reserve. Naglee, with great persistence, kept the Confederates in check for some time by most gallant fighting, and then fell back to the remainder of the division in the rifle-pits, which had been strengthened by the Ninety-third Pennsylvania, of Peck's brigade.

The Confederates soon gained a position on Casey's flanks. Perceiving the peril of his artillery, that officer ordered a bayonet charge to save it. This was gallantly performed by the One Hundredth New York, One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania, and the Eleventh Maine, under the immediate direction of General Naglee. The

troops sprang forward with a tremendous yell, and drove back the foe to the adjacent woods. From that cover the pursuers were assailed by a most murderous musket-fire, and out of it swarmed the Confederates in overwhelming numbers. The battle raged more furiously than ever, until about three o'clock, when General Rains had got in the rear of the redoubt, and the rifle-pits were nearly enveloped by the multitude of Confederates. Casey's position was no longer tenable, and he ordered his troops to fall back to the second line in possession of Couch. They did so, with the loss of six guns and many gallant officers and men.' The cannon in the redoubt were seized by General Rhodes, and turned upon the fugitives. Notwithstanding the great odds against them,' and the fearful enfilading fires to which they were exposed, Casey's men brought off three-fourths of their cannon.

HENRY M. NAGLEE.

Early in the action General Keyes had sent to Heintzelman for aid, but because of some unaccountable delay it did not arrive until it was almost too late. Seeing Casey's peril, he ordered forward several of Couch's regiments to his relief. On these (the Fifty-fifth New York, and Twenty-third, Sixty-first, and Ninety-third Pennsylvania) the tempest of battle fell most destructively. These were followed by the Seventh Massachusetts and Sixty-second New York; but all were pressed back to Fair Oaks Station, where they joined the First U. S. Chasseurs, under General John Cochran, and Thirty-first Pennsylvania, who were stationed there, and fought despe rately under the orders of Generals Couch and Abercrombie. The embankments of the railway there formed a good breast work for the Nationals.

1 Among the officers killed was Colonel James M. Brown, of the One Hundredth New York, and Colonel G. D. Baily and Major Van Valkenburg, of the First New York Artillery. The gallant Colonel Davis, of the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania, was severely wounded.

2 Casey's division numbered only a little more than four thousand men. The number of the assailants was estimated at more than thirty thousand.

410

BATTLE NEAR FAIR OAKS STATION.

With the assistance of Generals Devens and Naglee, Keyes formed a line at the edge of the woods, composed of the First Long Island and Thirty-sixth New York.

In the mean time Heintzelman had pressed forward with re-enforcements, and at a little past four o'clock Kearney appeared with Berry and Jameson's brigades. At about the same time General Peck led the Ninety-third and One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania across an open space exposed to an awful shower of balls, to assist the terribly smitten right; and for an hour he sustained a sharp contest near the Seven Pines, when he was forced to fall back. The Tenth Massachusetts had also been led by Keyes to the assistance of the crumbling right, which was heavily pressed by the corps of General G. W. Smith. That officer, who was accompanied by General Johnston, had been held in check by the latter until four o'clock, the Confederate chief waiting to hear the muskets of Longstreet and Hill, which were to be the signal for the flank attack. These sounds did not reach him, but when informed of what his center had been doing, he immediately threw forward Smith's command, which fell upon the Nationals at Fair Oaks Station, and a terrible conflict ensued. The fresh Confederates severed Couch's command, turned his left, interposed between him and Heintzelman, and pushed Kearney back to the border of the flooded White Oak Swamp. It seemed for a time as if the whole Army of the Potomac on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy was doomed to destruction.

At that critical moment relief came. When Heintzelman was informed of the heavy attack on Casey, he sent an officer with the news to Generals

McClellan and Sumner. The former was at New Bridge, and the latter was between the railway and Bottom's Bridge, at the head of the center of the army. The vigilant Sumner was so deeply impressed with the danger to which the left wing of the army across the Chickahominy would be exposed,

This is a view on Sykes's farm, in front of the site of the Seven Pines tavern, where Casey's division fought so desperately after the charge of Naglee. This was the appearance of the farm-house and its surroundings when the writer sketched it, on the anniversary of the battle, 1866, from under a tree that was much scarred by the bullets.

SUMNER CROSSES THE CHICKAHOMINY.

411

in the event of a rain-storm, that, without orders from head-quarters, he had summoned Colonel E. E. Cross, of the Fifth New Hampshire,' so early as the 25th, to construct a bridge across the stream nearly in front of his position. Fortunately, it was completed on the evening of the 30th, when the river was high and rising. There was then no other bridge over which the army might cross, excepting Bottom's and the railway bridge; and this, known as the Grape-vine bridge, became an instrument of salvation for the Army of the Potomac.

Being satisfied that the attack on his left wing was serious, General McClellan ordered Sumner to prepare to move at a moment's warning.

the moment when Couch and Heintzelman were separated, and all seemed lost. Had the precious hour just alluded to been spent in preparation, all might have been lost.

Sumner now assumed the command. Sedgwick at once formed in line of battle, in the edge of a wood near Fair Oaks, with the First Minnesota on the right flank, and soon made the advancing Confederates recoil by hurling upon them a storm of canister from twenty-four guns. Then moving forward his whole line, he swept the field and recovered nearly all that Couch had lost. Meanwhile Gorman's brigade of Sedgwick's division had deployed in battle line on the crest of a gentle hill, in the rear of Fair Oaks, and swept

1 This was one of the most useful and gallant regiments in the service. Cross was both skillful and brave and his activity knew no rest. His men were noted for their skill in building, and had erected a signal-tower 100 feet high in front of Yorktown. They were so noted for their work as soldiers, also, that the regiment acquired the name of "the fighting Fifth." We shall meet it hereafter.

2 The logs that formed the corduroy approaches to the bridge were all afloat, and were held only by the stumps of trees between which they lay; and the Grape-vine bridge was held to its place over the boiling flood only by ropes attached to trees.

412

SECOND DAY'S BATTLE AT FAIR OAKS.

down to the relief of Abercrombie, where Cochran's U. S. Chasseurs and Neill's Twenty-third Pennsylvania were fighting desperately. Then came heavy volleys of musketry enfilading the National right, when Sedgwick ordered the gallant General Burns to deploy the Sixty-ninth and Seventysecond Pennsylvania to the right, himself leading the Seventy-first and One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania in support of Gorman. The strife there was intense. For a moment the National line was bent and seemed ready to break, but the clear voice of Burns calling out-"Steady, men, steady!" gave them such inspiration that they broke into loud cheers, and held the position firmly. In the face of their terrible volleys the Confederates pressed on, and charged Brady's battery, whose murderous fire of canister, poured into their compact ranks, made fearful lanes, and sent them back in confusion to the woods in their rear. It was at about this time (sunset) that General Johnston, the Confederate Chief, was seriously wounded by the fragment of a shell, and was carried from the field, leaving that wing in charge of General G. W. Smith, who was also disabled soon afterward.

Undismayed by their repulse and the loss of their Chief, the Confederates again advanced, just as darkness came on, and endeavored to outflank Sumner's right, where General Dana had joined Gorman. After fighting heavily for some time, Sumner ordered a bayonet charge by five of his regiments.' This was bravely performed. The regiments leaped two fences between them and their foes, rushed upon the Confederate line and broke it into dire confusion. It was now eight o'clock in the evening, and the battle of Saturday, May 31, ceased. Richardson's division and Sumner's artillery, which had been mired near the Chickahominy, came up during the evening; and Kearney's brigades, that had been driven to the White Oak Swamp, also rejoined the army lying on the battle-field of Fair Oaks.

• June 1, 1862.

The conflict was renewed by the Confederates early in the morning with Richardson's brigade. The latter was on the alert. His troops were prepared for battle when, at three o'clock, his foes drove in their pickets. He posted a battery of 10-pounder rifled Parrott guns, under Captain Hazard, so as to command an open field on his right front; and directly in front of his line he placed the brigade of General French, and a regiment of General O. O. Howard's brigade. The. remaining regiments of Howard's brigade formed a second line, and the Irish brigade of General Thomas F. Meagher, with eighteen pieces of artillery, formed the third. The battle was now begun by General Pickett, supported by General Roger A. Pryor, with a part of Huger's division, which did not get up in time to join in the battle on the previous day. Pryor fell upon French, and Howard went to his support. Mahone came up to the aid of Pryor. Finally Meagher was ordered to the front, and after a desultory conflict of nearly three hours, in which a part of Hooker's command was engaged, and General Howard lost his right arm, the Confederates fell back, and did not renew the contest. They remained on the ground of Casey's camp during the day, as a cover

1 Thirty-fourth and Eighty-second New-York, Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, and Seventh Michigan. The first three were of Gorman's brigade, and the two latter of Dana's brigade.