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vigor. Many evidences of this irresolution are found
in his correspondence. Thus, on the 15th, he hoped
to attack Old Tavern on the 17th or 18th, push the
enemy behind his works into Richmond, bring up his
heavy guns, shell the city, and carry it by assault.
Again, on the 21st he hoped to do it within a couple of
days, but the next day he thinks he ought to be prudent,
and the day after he has a presentiment that something,
he knows not what, is going to happen. Finally, he
decides on the 24th to take a decisive step, which, if
successful, will place him a couple of miles nearer to
Richmond.

This last decision brought on the affair known as Oak Grove, where the participants were two brigades of Hooker's and one of Couch's divisions of Heintzelman's corps, resisted by two brigades of Huger's and one of Holmes's divisions. McClellan's object was to gain possession of a piece of timber crossing the Williamsburg road between the intrenched lines of the two armies for the better posting of Heintzelman's and Sumner's corps in the contemplated attack of FrankThe affair was a spirited one, lin on Old Tavern. being gallantly maintained by the Union troops and obstinately resisted by the Confederates.

But after

Hooker had been engaged for some three hours he was directed to withdraw from the advanced position which he had gained due to some misapprehension of the state of affairs at general headquarters, but McClellan arriving opportunely upon the field, he promptly rectified the mistaken order and directed Hooker again to advance, and the desired position was occupied. At five o'clock in the afternoon McClellan was satisfied that substantial advantage had been gained for the object in view, and hopefully looked for the morrow to push Franklin forward upon Old TavBut upon his return to headquarters he found awaiting him the direful news of the presence of Jackson in the vicinity of Hanover Court House, and the sudden change from confidence in himself to a state almost of demoralization is depicted in the message

ern.

already quoted. Hastening to Porter's headquarters in this frame of mind, he could only anticipate disaster under the mistaken view that he then entertained of the greatly preponderating strength of the enemy as compared with his own. He directed that an outlying flanking force, consisting of two regiments of cavalry, two of infantry, and a battery of artillery, drawn from Porter's command, be formed under the command of General Stoneman, to operate from Old Church to retard Jackson's advance. This force moved out early on the 26th, and so efficiently did it perform the duty assigned to it, by obstructing roads, destroying bridges over the Totopotomoy, and by its active resistance, as to prevent Jackson from taking part in the engagement at Beaver Dam Creek, as contemplated in General Lee's plan. Other than this McClellan took no decided step looking to aggressive measures. About noon on the 26th he notified the Secretary of War that his cavalry pickets were being driven in on the right, probably by Jackson's advance guard. Then he says: "If this be true, you may not hear from me for some days, as my communications will probably be cut off. The case is perhaps a difficult one, but I shall resort to desperate measures, and will do my best to outmaneuver, outwit, and outfight the enemy." At 2.30 P. M. the same day he knows definitely that Jackson is actually driving in his pickets, and acknowledges that his telegraphic communication can not be maintained much longer. Up to this time, therefore, with the exception noted, he remains in a waiting attitude, his troops being disposed as follows:

On the extreme right flank, separated from the remainder of the army, was Fitz-John Porter's corps, comprising three divisions, aggregating about twentyfive thousand men. On the right bank of the Chickahominy the other four corps, aggregating about seventy thousand men, were behind the intrenched line stretching from Golding's to the head waters of White Oak Swamp-a line about three and a half miles long; Franklin, Sumner, Heintzelman, and Keyes in

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the order named from right to left. A portion of Keyes's corps was, however, farther to the rear guarding the White Oak Swamp Bridge and the crossing at Bottom's Bridge; Casey was in command of the troops protecting the depot at White House Landing; and Stoneman, as before stated, commanded the flanking outlying force guarding the country between the Pamunkey and Hanover Court House. Porter's corps, upon whom the brunt of the fighting was to fall, was thus disposed: Seymour's and Reynolds's brigades of McCall's division occupied a strong defensive line on the left bank of Beaver Dam Creek, which had been made yet stronger by infantry and artillery intrenchments, Meade's brigade being in reserve, and a regiment of infantry with a battery occupied Mechanicsville as an advanced force. Cavalry and infantry pickets also watched the bridges at Mechanicsville, the Meadow Bridges, and beyond to the near vicinity of Atlee's Station on the Virginia Central Railroad. The other two divisions of Porter's corps, Morell's and Sykes's, were in the vicinity of Gaines's Farm, in support of McCall, watching New Bridge, and connecting him with the bridges over the Chickahominy.

The dispositions of the Confederate forces to carry out the aggressive movement contemplated by General Lee's order were, with the exception of Jackson's command, all promptly executed. Longstreet and D. H. Hill withdrew their divisions from their places in front of Richmond at 2 and 3 A. M. on the 26th, and marched to their bivouacs on the Richmond side of the Mechanicsville Bridge ready to cross at the appointed time. A. P. Hill, with five of his brigades, was similarly placed at the Meadow Bridges, and his remaining brigade, under Branch, was at Winston's Bridge awaiting information from Jackson that he was crossing the Virginia Central Railroad before he put his troops in motion. But Jackson, who was expected to move from Slash Church at 3 A. M., did not reach Ashland until the night of the 25th, and accordingly he was