BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL. 209 Martindale's right wing was pressed heavily by a powerful force, which was gallantly opposed by the scarred veterans of the Twenty-second Massachusetts and Second Maine regiments. The most tremendous roar of musketry suddenly arose, and its volume swelled toward the extreme left, beneath a canopy of smoke so impenetrable as, at times, to obscure the sun. The dust raised by cavalry squadrons, moving to and fro, filled the eyes, while the din of strife reechoing over the deadly field, presented such a scene of appalling grandeur as has been seldom witnessed. The Union troops bore up well against the fresh forces of the enemy, and withstood the tremendous shock. Martindale, with true heroism, rallied his men again and again. They were swept down, but bravely prolonged the fight, without faltering. Suddenly, the enemy, by superior numbers, outflanked the right, and, breaking through Martindale's left, came swarming down the hill on the Eighty-third Pennsylvania, which had already lost hundreds of men, besides many officers, among them the gallant Colonel McLean and Major Nagle. Further resistance was hopeless. The right was giving way, and dense crowds were in retreat on the way to the river. Once more, my gallant men!" shouted the heroic Butterfield, as, again rallying his troops, he cut his way through the hosts of the foe, and crossing Emerson's bridge, collected his scattered forces, which now numbered only one thousand five hundred. Part of the brigade had been drawn off by General Butterfield, by the left flank. The centre and the right were now pressed back, and the columns retreating became mingled in one mass. Allen's, Weeden's, Hart's, and Edwards' batteries, each lost a part of their armament. . About seven o'clock P. M., Generals Meagher and French brought up their brigades, at a double-quick, and, forming in line, gathered up the stragglers. The batteries of Griffin and Martin poured canister, meanwhile, into the rebel ranks, and swept them away like chaff before the wind. Their onset was now useless. Fresh troops held them in check. and while Meagher and Griffin had restored order to the confused Union ranks, the night came on, and the enemy sullenly retired. The battle was over, and the exhausted regiments, after a little est, crossed the bridge, and de 210 BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL. stroyed it behind them. While the left wing was struggling, the excitement in front was no less. Smith's division, at Goulden's, and Sedgwick, on his left, threatened the key of the rebel position before Richmond. They were suddenly attacked by an invisible foe, which rained bullets into the Union ranks. Hancock had a severe engagement, in which two Georgia regiments were nearly annihilated. The rebels here, also, were obliged to retire with loss. The killed, wounded, and missing of the Federals, amounted to seven thousand. The rebel loss was also very great. The battles of Mechanicsville and Gaines' Mill were fought on the left side of the river, and those which followed, on the right side. There was a large force not brought into action on the Union side, in the latter engagement. The retrograde movement was now becoming known to the troops, and it could not but fill the minds of these brave veterans with depression. CHAPTER XXI. JUNE 28TH TO AUGUST 17TH, 1862, INCLUSIVE. THE WOUNDED SENT FROM SAVAGE STATION TO WHITE HOUSE-BATTLES OF PEACH ORCHARD AND SAVAGE STATION-PANIC OF THE TROOPS-BRAVERY OF THE IRISH BRIGADE-BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMP-ATTACK ON HANCOCK-CONFUSION IN THE RANKS-ATTACK ON SMITH AND FRANKLIN -ENEMY REPULSED-MCCALL FORCED BACK BY THE ENEMY IN A TREMENDOUS CHARGE-TERRIBLE CARNAGE THE GUNBOATS CO-OPERATECROWNING CHARGE OF HEINTZELMAN-BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL-THE ARMY AT HARRISON'S LANDING THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN A FAILURE -THE ARMY WITHDRAWN FROM THE PENINSULA. THE main body of the Union army was not attacked on Saturday, the 28th of June, and at an early hour of that day, they had crossed the river by four bridges, which they immediately destroyed behind them. At a later hour, the enemy were crossed at New bridge, but the day passed without any hostile demonstration. Both sides were engaged in interring the dead, who had fallen in the late engagements. The Union army was withdrawn on this day to Savage Station, from which the wounded were sent by trains of cars to the White House. It was found that the telegraph wires had been cut, and that the enemy had occupied Despatch station. Ambulances conveyed many of the sick and wounded at Savage Station, toward Harrison's Landing. A sufficient means of transportation not being found, all who were not able to walk were left to the tender mercies of the enemy. A vast quantity of commissary stores, hospital supplies, and ammunition, which could not be removed, were by the orders of McClellan destroyed. A train of four cars, containing ammunition, was run into the Chickahominy, at the bridge, which had been destroyed. The sufferings of the wounded, as they hobbled along to escape capture, were intense. Men might be seen, weak and faint, with undressed wounds, making the best of their way to a place of safety. Ambulances were crowded, and as many of the wounded as possible conveyed on the wagon train. The artillery rumbling along with a thundering noise, and fugitives and sutlers, teamsters and negroes, min. 212 BATTLES OF PEACH ORCHARD AND SAVAGE STATION. gled in the tumult and din which resounded on all sides. At times, a panic would seize this motley crowd, as a report arrived that the enemy was approaching, but hope would again spring up, and the movements be livelier than before. The White House was finally abandoned on Saturday afternoon, June 28th, at four o'clock, by the transports and steamers, and at seven o'clock the enemy's pickets found the place deserted. On Sunday morning, June 29th, at three o'clock, General McClellan, with his staff and body-guard, rode to Charles City. He ordered his generals to abandon their works, and follow with their troops. Should the enemy try to cut off the retreat, they were to fight him. General Smith left the same morning at daylight, followed soon after by Heintzelman, Keyes, and Franklin, with their divisions. McCall, and the Reserves came next, and Hooker and Kearney brought up the rear. The Union army was no sooner in motion, than the rebel generals began to follow in close pursuit, and later in the day brought on the battles of Peach Orchard and Savage Station. The enemy advanced by the Williamsburg road, and was greeted with a terrible discharge from the Union guns, at the distance of three hundred yards. In a contest, lasting from eight o'clock until noon, the rebels vainly attempted to turn the Union flank. Ineffectual efforts were made by charging the brigades of Burns, Gorman, and Dana, to defeat them separately, and destroy them by piecemeal. The men fought with great bravery under Heintzelman, Richardson, Sedgwick, Sumner, and Meagher, and no exertions of the enemy could force them back, or drive them from the position they had taken. When the wagons, ambulances, and cattle had proceeded across White Oak swamp, and were secure from attack, the troops were ordered to fall back. This movement was executed in good order, and at Savage Station, being drawn up in line of battle, they presented a bold front to the enemy. The battle of Savage Station, which was fought later in the day, was fierce and bloody. The enemy, previously, had been largely reinforced, and their onset was consequently more fierce and deadly than before. A thick wood concealed their advance, until they were within a short distance of the Union lines. Suddenly swarming from the wood, and planting four batteries on high hills, they commenced a BRAVERY OF THE IRISH BRIGADE. 213 rapid fire of shot and shell with such vigor, that the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania broke and gave way in a panic, after leaving one hundred of its number killed and wounded. The Union cannoneers having been picked off by rebel sharpshooters, or driven from the guns, the artillery for a time was of little use. The rebels fought with great resolution, and several times during the battle the Union situation was critical. An entire brigade of the enemy, at one time was quietly moved down to attack the right flank, but the design was frustrated by the grape and canister hurled on them by Petit's battery, and retiring hastily, they abandoned the design. The Irish regiments fought bravely, charging at times up to the cannon's mouth, and once dragging off a battery and spiking the guns. The intervention of night brought no cessation of the combat, and the sound of artillery, in the deafening roar, mingled with the incessant musketry rattle. The flashes of light from the guns, revealed the different positions to the combatants, and the woods, fired by the bursting shells, blazed amid the dense smoke and lent increased horror to the scene. The work of destruction went on till near midnight, with great loss on both sides. The enemy had massed now upon this, now upon that portion of the line, and was repelled at all points with great slaughter. The hospitals, in which the poor wounded patriots lay, were fired into, though white and red flags marked the places which, in civilized warfare, are considered sacred. General McClellan, at noon, ordered the Union commanders to fall rapidly back from Savage Station, through White Oak swamp, in order to frustrate the attempts of the enemy to intercept them. The wounded were left behind at Savage Station, in the enemy's hands. The brave troops who had fought so well all day, had now to pursue their way through the miry swamp, and the retreat, begun in good order, would now become a flight, in which despair would nerve the Union troops till they should safely arrive at their new base, on the banks of the James. The retreat to the swamp was one of great effort, as the enemy pressed on and harassed the rear, while a large body attempted to cut off the Union forces in front. The assaults were warded off by the divisions of Heintzelman, Sumner, and Franklin, who presented a line of battle, and repelled |