North Anna at a transit intermediate between the points of passage of Hancock and Warren, his advance division, under General Crittenden, suffered very severely in the operation. Moreover, when Warren attempted to extend his line by sending down Crawford's division from the right to connect with Crittenden, this force also was assailed, and with considerable difficulty made its way back. Then the Confederates interposing, cut off connection between Hancock's and Warren's corps, and therefore between the two wings of the army.

The game of war seldom presents a more effectual checkmate than was here given by Lee; for after Grant had made the brilliantly successful passage of the North Anna, the Confederate commander, thrusting his centre between the two wings of the Army of the Potomac, put his antagonist at enormous disadvantage, and compelled him, for the reenforcement of one or the other wing, to make a double passage of the river. The more the position of Lee was examined, the more unpromising attack was seen to be; and after passing the two following days in reconnoissances, and in destroying some miles of the Virginia Central Railroad, General Grant determined to withdraw across the North Anna and take up a new line of advance.*

The withdrawal from the North Anna was begun at dark of the 26th of May, when the Second, Fifth, and Sixth corps retired by different bridges to the north bank. It was designed to make the movement secretly, and this purpose was successfully accomplished. Not a picket shot was fired, and no sound broke on the midnight air save the low rumble of the artillery and wagons, and the tread of armed men as they moved across the bridges. It was near daylight before the rear of the long columns had filed across. The army then headed eastward and southward to cross the Pamunkey.

* General Grant's statement of the situation is vague, and is in the following words: "Finding the enemy's position on the North Anna stronger than either of his previous ones, I withdrew on the night of the 26th to the north bank of the North Anna." Report, p. 9.

The Sixth Corps led the van, followed by the Fifth and Ninth corps. The Second Corps held position till the morning of the 27th, when it covered the rear.

From the North Anna the line of march of the army made a wide circuit eastward and then southward to pass the Pamunkey. This river is formed by the confluence of the North and South Anna; and the Pamunkey in turn uniting with the Mattapony, forms the York River, emptying into Chesapeake Bay. Thus the successful passage of the Pamunkey would not only dislodge Lee from the lines of the North and South Anna, but would bring the army in communication with a new and excellent water-base. While the army was at Spottsylvania Courthouse it had used Fredericksburg as a depot; when it moved to the North Anna, the base was shifted to Port Royal on the Rappahannock. Cutting loose from this, it had White House as a depot.

The Sixth Corps, preceded by two divisions of cavalry under Sheridan, had the advance on the night of the 26th; and on the morning of the 27th, after a beautifully executed march of twenty-two miles, the head of the column struck the Pamunkey at Hanovertown. Nothing was present but a small mounted force in observation: this was readily dispersed or captured. The Sixth Corps thereupon made the passage, uncovered the fords, and took position to await the arrival of the remaining corps of the army. These continued their march during the day, and on the morning of the 28th the Fifth and Ninth corps had joined the van on the south side of the Pamunkey. The Second Corps bringing up the rear, retired from the North Anna on the morning of the 27th, and on the same afternoon made the passage at a ford four miles above Hanovertown. The whole army was thus across the Pamunkey; and the routes to White House, at the head of York River, being opened up, the army was put in communication with the ample supplies floated by the waters of Chesapeake Bay.

Grant's new turning movement was met by a corresponding retrograde movement on the part of Lee, and as he fell back

on a direct line less than half the distance of the great detour made by the Army of the Potomac, it was not remarkable that, on crossing the Pamunkey, the Confederate force was again encountered, ready to accept the gage of battle. Lee assumed a position in advance of the Chickahominy, covering the Virginia Central and Fredericksburg and Richmond railroads. His line of battle, as thus formed, faced northeastward. This front of opposition compelled dispositions to dislodge the Confederate force before essaying the passage of the Chickahominy. The cavalry was immediately pushed out on the Hanover road, and at a point known as Hawes' Shop, the brigades of Davies, Gregg, and Custer became warmly engaged, on the afternoon of the 28th, with the Confederate cavalry under Fitz Hugh Lee and Hampton. The troopers, as usual, dismounted, and for several hours fought with great obstinacy, and unusually large loss--Sheridan losing upwards of four hundred, and the Confederates nearly double that number. The combat ended, however, in Sheridan's retaining possession of this important junction of roads, which enabled the entire line of the army to be thrown forward in advance of Hawes' Shop. The Confederates retired behind the Tolopotomy.

The region in which the army was now operating revived many reminiscences in the minds of those who had made the Peninsular Campaign under McClellan; for it was at Hawes' Shop that the extreme right of the army then rested, and here that Stuart, in moving from Hanover Courthouse to make his famous raid, first struck McClellan's outposts. Gaines' Mill and Mechanicsville were within an hour's ride; Fair Oaks could be reached in a two hours' trot; Richmond was ten miles off, and to those within that city the morning air daily wafted the booming of hostile guns.

Meantime, where Lee had taken up his real vantage ground was uncertain, and, with the view of developing his position, strong reconnoissances by all the corps were next day thrown forward: the Sixth Corps was directed on Hanover Courthouse; the Second Corps on the road from Hawes' Shop towards

the same point; the Fifth Corps towards Shady Grove Church, and the Ninth Corps to be in position to support either the Second or Fifth.* Wright, with the Sixth Corps, passed around the Confederate left, and succeeded in reaching Hanover Courthouse; but it was not long before Hancock and Warren were brought to a halt. Hancock, advancing towards Hanover Courthouse, was suddenly arrested at Tolopotomy Creek, an affluent of the Pamunkey, on the south bank of which the enemy was found strongly intrenched. The stubborn resistance encountered compelled Hancock to bring up the rest of his corps, and next day the Ninth Corps was formed on his left; and the Sixth closing in to the left, was placed on his right, with the design of forcing the position. Heavy skirmishing took place; but, though Hancock succeeded in carrying an advanced line, the main position, strongly intrenched and covered by marshy ground, was found to be entirely too formidable to assail.† Warren, on the left, experienced a like check in his advance towards Shady Grove Church, on the road to which, and at the point where the main branch of the Tolopotomy crosses that road, the enemy was found in line of battle. It was ascertained that the whole of Ewell's corps held position at Shady Grove Church, and as the enemy soon afterwards appeared to be threatening to move round by the Mechanicsville pike and turn Warren's left, Crawford directed one of his brigades to the left to cover that road. This brigade of the Reserves, under Colonel Hardin, had hardly reached the vicinity of Bethesda Church, on the Mechanicsville pike, when Rodes' division of Ewell's corps, moving by that road, assailed it furiously on the flank. After maintaining the unequal contest for a few minutes, the brigade fell back to the Shady Grove road with the enemy in pursuit. Here, however, the Confederates were held in check by the excellent practice of a battery, and at this moment General Crawford brought up the

* General Meade: Order, May 29th.

Hancock's Report.

remainder of the Reserves. With these, and the brigade of Colonel Kitching, Crawford took up a good position, and gave an effectual repulse to a very impetuous assault by Rodes. The left was then extended so as to cover the Mechanicsville pike at dark.

These reconnoissances showed Lee to be in a very strong position covering the approaches to the Chickahominy, the forcing of which it was now clear must cost a great battle.

VI.

THE BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR.

The Chickahominy may be regarded as a wet ditch in front of the outer fortifications of Richmond. It was therefore absolutely necessary, for further advance upon the line taken up by General Grant, to force the passage of this stream. But it was clear from the development of the enemy's strength that the effort to carry a direct crossing where the two armies faced each other, had little promise of success. It was accordingly judged advisable to extend towards the left and endeavor to pass the Chickahominy below by a movement by Cold Harbor. This place, which, as the point of couvergence of all the roads leading whether to Richmond or to White House (now the depot of supplies of the army), was to be considered as a strategic point of the first importance, had been secured after a brisk action by Sheridan's cavalry on the afternoon of the 31st. The same night the Sixth Corps was detached from the extreme right of the army and directed on Cold Harbor, towards which also a body of troops from Butler's command was then en route. On this point explanation may be necessary.

Finding that Butler, after his retirement within the cul-desac of Bermuda Hundred, could readily hold his narrow front with a fractional force, General Grant ordered him to form