THE
SIEGE OF RICHMOND:
A NARRATIVE
OF THE
MILITARY OPERATIONS OF MIAJOR-GENERAL
GEORGE B. McCLELLAN
DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE, 1862.
BY
JOEL  COOK,
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIIlE P'II1,.\I)E!I,P!iIA PRESS WITII THE
AR3MY OF TIIS POTOMIAC.
PHILADELPHIA:
GEORGE  W. CHILDS,
628 & 630 CIIESTNUT ST.
1862.




Entered according  to Act of Congress, in the, yc ar iS(;2, by
GEORGE IW. CII!LDS,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Unitcd States in and for the
Eastern District of Pennusivania.
STEREOTYPED BY L. JOIINSON & CO.
PilILADELPHIIA.




CONTENTS.
INTROl)UCTTON-BY  BENSsON J. LOSSING...............................   V
CHAPTER I.
PRELIIINARY...................................................................    7
CITAPTER  11.
THE ORGANIZATION OF TIIE ARMIY OF TIIE POTOMAC..................  19
CHAPTER IiI.
ENCAMPIMENTS AND?MARCtIES...................4...........................  42
CHAPTER IV.
FR03m CUMIBERLAND TO WHITE HOUSE.............................  S
CHAPTER V.
FROI WVIIITE HOUSE TO TIIE CIIICKAHOMIINY..........................  99
CHAPTER VI.
TITE  PENINSULA............................................................... 144
CHAPTER VII.
THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAS................................................     -1
iii




iv                                      CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE COMMENCEMENT OF TIIE  SIEGE....................................... 225
CHAPTER IX.
THE  INCIDENTS OF A  SIEGE................................................. 248
CHAPTE1R X.
THE  SIEGE...................................................................... 276
CHAPTER XI.
THE RETREAT................................................................. 301
CHAPTER XII.
THE CONCLUSION.............................................................    344
RESUMI OF PLANS AND MOVEMENTS IN FRONT OF RICHMOND.... 352




INTROD UCTION.
AN eminent English author once said, "All histories are
but splendid fictions."  The student, perplexed by conflicting statements, and laboring vainly to reconcile discrepancies,
is inclined to assent to this sweeping declaration; while the
general reader, who accidentally discovers opposing testimony concerning important facts, is often compelled to feel
the cooling shadows of doubt resting upon his mind when
it is all aglow with the thougtlts which the record of great
and good actions creates.
The historian, however honest and truthful, laborious and
skilful, is every moment liable to fall into errors of fact or
opinion when relying upon  the reclris or statements of
others, or even when consulting the impressions of his own
senses and experience.:He can only hope, at the best, in
producing his picture as a whole, to display general truths
in form  and color and expression, without essential errors,
conscious that in minor details there are many almost invisible departures from  tlhe striet line of fact, and many false
colors, scarcely discernible in the mntass except by the eye of'
the subtle critic.
To form a correct judgiament of the value of' a record, it is
historian views the field of his observation.  If the inifluences
of self-interest, partisaushnip, personal likes or dislikes, national or sectional prejudices, Lhe pride of opinion, and the
score of other causes which may give a bias to his judgment
1V




VTi.                   INTRODUTJCTION.
and feelings, form  the surroundings of that observatory, we
have a right to question the absolute truthfulness of his report
of the sayinDgs and doings of men.
The historian of the Great Rebellion which is now desolating a portion of our land, and is smiting with the rod of
affliction once happy homnes in every part of the Riepublic,
will have a most diflicult task.  Ile will be compelled to
search diligently for the nutritious grains of Truth in vast
heaps of the dusty chaff of Error; and he will often find, to
his dismlay, that much of -his cherished treasure is counterfeit.
A,'i.:.i..':::s for suspecting falsehood, on every hand,
ex;:i::.:-d    i.-..:  oJieial documents will falil to give materials
i'l', >i:; ~:biutely truthful picturle.
When the Dulke of Wellington was applied to, several years
after the battle of Waaterloo, for correct information concerning that event, by a person who was about to write its history,
the great commander said, in substance, " No man is more
incapable of giving you the required  aid than nlyself.  Of
that battle I only scatw what came within the limited range
of' my own vision: the remainder I heav'r'l from others.  Take
all the official reports and the descriptive writings on both
sides, and, with the best judgment you possess, seek for the
truthi.  You will more certainly find it by that method than
by any other."  Such will be the nature of the task of the
historian of this Rebellion.  Yet he will possess the advantage
of assistance from a power alrmost unknown in such relations
in the time of AWellington and XNapoleon.  i mean the ruF.ss.
Its deportment is kingly, and i.ts: power sublime.  Its ambassadors are virtually in every courit alnd conclave, and its representatives receive the un iversm:l lon em   e of the people.  They
are popular oracles in civil ii'e; aLnd in this war they have been
welcome gunests in every  nationl:l ei;iip, n ald coumrageous soldiers
on every field of battle.,The'\my Cjorrespondent'   formls
a1 )pat of' every military stalf;'nla Ihis ltnre;trained fieedom
of action in marches, in biou:    Cs, in recol,oissanees, and in




INTRODUCTION.                      Vii
battles, gives him  opportunities for the accurate observation
of men and thing-s around him.  Our leading newspapers all
over the land are filled with his records; and comllanders
of troops are amllazed and gratified by the general accuracy
of his delineations of passing events.  A  thousand things
which the official reporter of a malrch, a battle, or a siege
would never hint at, are noticed and described by him; and
these "studies from nature" will add charm and value to the
material fromn which the historian must select the forms and
colors for his great picture.
The most honest, conscientious, and diligent "Army Correspondent" may be often deceived: so may the military commander and his subalterns.  There may be incompetent and
dishonest mien among thelm: so there are in every pursuit of
life. P1ut it will be found, I think, that as a class they are
most competent and truthful.  I have studied the events of
this war with great care and intense interest, and have had
occasion, a hundred  times, to compare the statements of
"Army Correspondents," written illlmediately after the occurrences described, with the official despatches furnished soon
afterward, and in lImost cases there has been a relmarkable
coincidence in the narratives of substantial facts.  Like
Froissart, they tell us of what their own eyes have seen and
tleir own ears have heard; and, like him, they will deserve
the thanks of posterity.
Thie brief campaign on the Virginia Peninsula, so graphically described in  all of its essential features in the followiiIng pages by an "Army Correspondent," appears as one
of the most relmarkable on record; and in the history of the
Great Rebellion it will loom up in Alpine grandeur above all
others, in the  displays of patient endurance, indomitable
courtage, splendid fighting, and skilfmll military movements.
Tts implortance and grelatness cannot now be estimated nor
comprl.1rehended.  It has been more written about already, and
will be imore written about hereafter, than any other distinct




Viii                  INTRODUCTION,
movement durinog the war.  The mragnitude of the forces
engaged and of the stake at issue, invested that campaign
with momentous interest from  the begillling; and its apparent failure invites thorough analysis and exhaustive investigation.  The time for that ordeal has not arrived.  IMuch —
now hidden in the bosom of official reticence-of the secret
history of the inception and progress of that campaign must
be learned before we can determine the proper places for the
actors and the actions in the chronicles of the nation.  Only
in the light of a full revelation of all the facts, which a wise
prudence, perhaps, now withholds, can a proper estimate of
that campaign, as a military imovement, be formed.  Every
thing done in the sunlight has been seen and studied by different observers, and by none with more apparent intelligenllce
and vigilance than the author of this little volume.  He has
constructed a narrative, after personal observati on and inquiry,
which is rich in incidental k-nlowledoe and congruous inl
arrangement and proportion.  its value as an authentic
record —so anpparent to the eye of our present informationcan be certified only by the tests of future revelations of
truth.
B. J. L.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., October, 1S2.




THE
SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER I.
PRELIMINARY.
A CORRESPONDENT leaving his home in the North to
connect himself with an army advancing in the field,
in the few days required to make the necessary journey,
changes the whole course of his life. He leaves dwelling-houses, comforts, gentle fare, and pleasant friends,
to find tents, coarse living, and cold and suspicious
men. His occupation is changed, and so is his dress.
Regular habits of daily life are of necessity broken in
upon. At all hours of the night he may be roused
from his bed on the ground, to commence a weary
march, or collect the particulars of some desperate
conflict. His life is no easy one. Clad in a suit of
shabby clothirg, carrying all his wealth in his haversack, he wanders about, observing here, questioning
there, ever and anon writing, and compelled to be
always on the look-out to avoid the retailers of false
news.
His reception in the army, and treatment whilst
there, depend solely upon his own conduct. Politeness
~r




8            THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and gentlemanly bearing, carefulness in conversation,
and, above all, a strict adherence to the truth in all sent
home to his newspaper, will always secure the confidence and friendship of military men. No class is
more hospitable; none more easily offended. Honor
seems to vie with anxiety for military distinction in
every officer's mind; and the correspondent who appreciates this, and conducts himself as a true gentleman,
will always find a welcome in every marquee in the
army.
Before entering the lines of the army, it is necessary
for the correspondent to procure a pass from the War
Department at Washington. This is granted "by order
of the Secretary of War," and signed by the "Military
Supervisor of Army Intelligence." It is an elegantly
printed letter-sheet, bearing the following words:"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, May 13, 1862.
"Permission is given to A. B., a correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press, to pass within the lines of the United
States forces as a newspaper reporter, subject to the following conditions:"First.-That he is loyal to the Government of the
United States.
" Second.-That he gives his parole of honor that he will
faithfully observe the order of the War Department, and
publish no intelligence contrary to the orders of the War
Department,.and will observe such rules and regulations as
may be prescribed by the commanding general.
"By order of the Secretary of War.
"E. S. SANFORD,
"Military Supervisor."
"I accept this pass on the above conditions, and give
the parole required.                         A.B."




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.                 9
The parole attached to this pass is signed in duplicate; one copy being filed among the archives of the
War Department, the other remaining in the possession
of the correspondent. Accompanying the pass, printed
in ordinary type on an oblong slip of paper, is a warning from those in authority, giving hints about "contraband news:"
Notice to the Correspondent.
"SIR:-You are hereby notified that the following are
some of the items of intelligence which are deemed objectionable by the Wa' Depaatrbnent, as tending to give aid and.
comfort to the enemy, and to injure the military operations
of the United States Government, viz.:-The location or
change of location of the head-quarters of generals; the
names of generals, regiments, brigades, or divisions in the
field, except when engagements have taken place; the
number of regiments, brigades, divisions, batteries, or pieces
of artillery, or the proportion of cavalry in service at any
point; statements of the kind of arms or ammunition, or
the number of days' rations served; the number of transports used for any movement; the description of any
movement, until after its object shall have been accomplished or defeated; allusions to the objects of movements,
or suggestions of future movements or attacks; the position1 or location of camps, pickets, or outposts; and pictures, representations, or maps of Federal fortifications or
lines of defences?
"The only restriction in the description of battles or
engagements will be upon such information as will indicate
the strength of troops held in reserve, or the future movements of our armies. Accounts of skirmishes, cases of
sicklness, wounds, or death, may be forwarded by telegraph,
or other medium, at any time, and the name of the regi



10           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
ment in which the cases occur be given, but not of the
brigade or division.
"You are not to infer that the above items comprise all
which are objectionable, but must use your judgment in
withholding other improper information.
" Respectfully,
"E. S. SANFORD,
"Jlfilitary Sajpervisor of Army Intelligence."
These restrictions of the War Department were very
sweeping, and, had they been observed to the letter,
much less news' would have been sent North than was
daily printed in its hundreds of newspapers. Correspondents often went to the very edge of the contraband, and perhaps in some cases overstepped it. A
description could scarcely be written, without the
writer's being unconsciously betrayed into what might
be construed a violation of his parole,-it is so natural
to put down the names of generals as commanding divisions or brigades, and to state the force engaged in
battles.  Still, the Department was quite lenient, and
none of the correspondents were ever called to account
for what they wrote home from Virginia.
The offer of the telegraph-line to send accounts of
"skirmishes, cases of sickness, wounds, or death," to
the North, was one, no doubt, generously made and intended for the public benefit.  But so far as correspondents were concerned it was a sealed book; and
so it was usually to all.  Very few cases of sickness,
wounds, or death ever could have been telegraphed
home. The slow-moving, constantly delaying mailbags carried all such news. The telegraph, whenever
a correspondent inquired about it, was exclusively reserved for "official business."




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.               11
Upon the first arrival at general head-quarters, the
pass granted by the War Department was always shown,
and its bearer would receive another, signed in duplicate, like the first, and with the two in his pocket the
correspondent could pursue his calling without fear of
molestation. This second pass, differing slightly from
the first, read as follows:Pass, with parole appended.
" FORTRESS MONROE, April 17, 1862.
"Mr. A. E., an authorized correspondent of the Philadelphia Press newspaper, has permission to join the army
of the Potomac, in the field near Fortress Monroe, to practise his vocation under such rules and regulations as the
GENERAL COWIMMANDING, and the MILITARY SUPERVISOR
OF ARMY INTELLIGENCE, may prescribe.
"By order of the SECRETARY OF WAR.
" E. S. SANFORD,
"if il'tary Super'visor of Arvmy Inttelligence."
Parole,
"I give my woerd of honor that I am a loyal citizen of
the United States, and that in my discharge of the duties
of a correspondent of the Philadelphia Press newspaper,
and of any and every other newspaper, under the authority
above accorded to me, I will not write, make, or transmit
any intelligence, opinion, statement, drawing, or plan,
whatsoever, that will give, or tend to give, aid or comfort
to the enemy, or be injurious, or tend to be injurious, to the
Federal cause, or the military operations of the United
States Government.
"I make this promise with full knowledge of and free
assent to all the penalties imposed by the 57th article of
war, upon the imparting of direct or indirect intelligence
to the enemy.                                A. B."
2




12          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.'HEAD-QUARTERS, ARIY OF THE POTOMAC, May 15, 1862.
[Here was printed the "notice to the correspondent,"
given above.]
"Approved,            R. V. MARCY,
"Chief of Staff"
The fifty-seventh article of war threatens an ignominious death to all persons found giving intelligence
of military plans or movements to the enemy.
The journey down Chesapeake Bay was a most
pleasant one. The steamer Louisiana, a snug sea-boat
of moderate speed, was the one upon which the author
embarked. Every one who entered it at Baltimore
had to show a pass, and his full name, residence, and
occupation were taken by a young man who wrote
them upon a long sheet of paper. He was part of
the Baltimore provost-marshal's clerical force, and
his object was to procure a complete list containing
the names and residences of all leaving for the fortress, besides making a strict examination of the
passes.
The Louisiana was one of a line permitted to be
run by private owners for their profit, but which was
paid a weekly or monthly stipend to carry all the passengers and freight that the Government chose to send,
even if it excluded every thing else from the decks.
Cattle, boxes of ammunition, and beef recently killed,
were the usual freights on Government account. The
line also carried the mails, and its owners were under
bonds to make a daily trip each way. Nine-tenths of
the passengers had Government orders for free transportation. The boats were usually much crowded;
though generally thllore was no difficulty in procuring




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            13
state-room accommodations. A fine table was always
kept.
The majority of the passengers were army and navy
officers and men, paymasters, and sutlers. Some of the
officers and men had been just discharged from hospital, or had been home on furlough or the recruitingservice, and were on the way to their regiments.
Others were newly-appointed officials, with "hay-seed
still sticking to their collars," as the phrase goes. The
paymasters and sutlers were bound on their usual journeys to the scene of their employment. The few civilians were occasional Congressmen and correspondents,
anxious owners of vessels reported to have been condemned by the Government, and sight-seers. The great
majority of those in civil life were on pious errands, to
relieve the wounded, or search for and take North the
bodies of soldiers who had given their lives as proof of
devotion to their country's cause.
The boat was fast alongside the Government wharf
at Fortress Monroe early on the next morning after
leaving Baltimore, and the passengers, upon landing,
found themselves under guard, and standing amid all
sorts of military goods, awaiting the pleasure of the
blue-coated sentries who held them in temporary confinement. The object of this was to prevent any one's
straying away before the provost-marshal had seen and
"sworn" him. Afterward the party were marched
off to a little box-office in the I-Iygeia Hotel, and there
each took the oath of allegiance. Having thus proven
their loyalty, all were at liberty to go where they
pleased.
The veteran General Wool was at that time in command at the fortress, and but a few days previously had




14           THE SIEGE OF RICHtMOND.
captured Norfolk. Earnest attention was, of course,
directed to the scenes presented by that recently liberated town, and hundreds of curiosity-hunters filled up
every vessel which plied between Monroe and Norfolk.
Fragments of the blown-up Merrimac had been fished
out of the roadstead, and were upon exhibition in a
dozen places around the fortress. The ancient quietness
of Old Point Comfort had left it. Its fine hotel, for
years kept as a fashionable watering-place for Southern
families, was used as a hospital.  Nearly every private
residence-and before the war there were many of great
beauty —had been converted into a Government storehouse. Huge piles of round-shot, boxes of ammunition,
cannon, and other kinds of ordnance stores, filled every
available square foot of ground. The ammunition, carefully protected from the weather, was of all descriptions;
musket-cartridges, rifled shells, grape and canister,
shrapnel, and all the species known to military men,
but in naming which a civilian will always become bewildered.
The hotel and buildings are between the fortress and
the sea, and back of the fortress is the destroyed village
of Hampton, and the half-burned bridge across an
estuary known as Hampton Creek.  Three miles distant, across the water, nearly in the direction of the
mouth of the bay, is a huge, ungainly mass, rising up
from the scse, having the Stars and Stripes floating over
it, and known all over the country as the " Rip Raps."
Sewell's Point is the cape upon tile left side of the
mouth of Elizabeth River, and is within range of the
Sawyer guns mounted on the Rip Raps.  Newport
News is a point of land at the mouth of James River,
and may be called the cape boulndinmg the western side




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            15
of Hampton Bay, Old Point being its eastern limit.
The Rip Raps were originally quicksands, and, being
admirably situated for the site of a fort to defend the
entrance of Chesapeake Bay, the attention of the
Government was early directed to them. On their
improvement since 1810, millions of dollars have been
spent. These quicksands were very unstable; but the
amount of stone poured upon them. for half a century
has been almost enough to rear an island, even if none
had been there before. Now the work seems to be
successfully progressing, and the occasional sinking and
sliding which for years annoyed every contractor appears to occur very rarely. Within a few hundred
yards of the beach at Newport's News is the wreck of
the ill-fated frigate Cumberland, the history of whose
strange destruction by the enemy's ungainly ram has
taken its place among the romances of the war. The
frigate lies careened over, the masts visible for a few
feet below the tops, and every rope and ratlin as the
attack of the Merrimac found them. Few sadder sights
meet the eye than the ruins of this devoted vessel.
Between Fortress Monroe and General McClellan's
head-quarters, in May last, the Government ran two
mail-boats, by way of the York and Pamunky Rivers,
so timed as to make a connection with the boats to and
from  Baltimore. Then, two most miserable boats
were employed, though since the best and speediest
of the Government transports have been placed upon
the line. The I. F. Secor, upon which the author
made his passage up the two rivers to Cumberland (at
that time the head-quarters), was not only a very slow
boat, but had a most unaccommodating set of officers.
There was scarcely a seat upon it; and no one could
2*




16           TIIE SIEGE OF RICIHMONID.
procure a morsel to eat. The rnmail, thrown in a most
promiscuous pile upon the upper deck, was left to guard
itself, and, when a shower of rain threatened to drench
it, all hands-capt'tin, crew, and passengers-were
called into service as a fatigue party, to throw it downstairs into what professed to be a "'ladies' saloon." This
boat, and its accomminodations and habits were evidently
behind the age. Nearly all the passengers who had
come down the bay went up the York River upon the
mail-boat.
The lower part of York River, like that of almost
every other Virginia seaboard stream, is very wide, and
one may journey ibr miles without seeing land.  Until
the boat approached Yorktown, its qourse was far away
from either shore; and the tediousness of a five hours'
journey upon an uncomfortable steamboat, with nothing to be seen but a vast waste of waters, was almost
insufferable.  The dim  sight, late in the afternoon,
however, of the brown bluffs in the vicinity of Yorktown, soon relieved every passenger's gloom; and the
arrival at the wharf, with the motley assemblage there
of negroes, soldiers, and warlike munitions, all three of
which seemed to be mixed up in an inseparable mass,
turned every sad look to laughter. The army had left
the town severl dclays before, and a small garrison
took charge of the United States property and joked
with the poor negrioes.
A few miles farther up is West Point, the head of
the York River. Here two tortuous, though naviable,
streams, the Pamunlmky (accent upon the first syllable)
and the Mattapony (accent upon the last syllable), join
their waters and form the York River.  West Point is
the terminus of the Richmond & York River Railroad,




THE SIEGE OF RICIHM,1OND.           17
of which any one at all familiar with events in that
locality must have often heard. For several days West
Point had been a supply-post for the army; but their
passage farther up the Peninsula had rendered it useless. Its neighborhood, too, had been the scene of a
battle and Federal victory.  Quite a fleet of vessels
were at anchor in the harbor, although, so far as could
be learned, no troops were stationed upon the shore.
From  West Poilnt the railroad runs up the northern  bank  of the Pamunky, and, crossing  it at
White House, passes due west to Richmond.  This
road was of great use to the Confederates in carrying their army to Yorktown.  When Manassas was
abandoned, and they discovered that General McClellan was landing upon the Peninsula, the railroad
was used to its utmost capacity for the speedy transportation of troops to their new  line of defence.
When Yorktown was abandoned, all sorts of craft were
employed to carry the soldiers up the river and place
them  at the earliest possible moment around Richmond.  All along firom West Point to White House
this railroad and the telegraph-line accomlpanying it had
been broken and cut in a hundred places.  Ten miles
above West Point there was a high, dangerous embankment, clown which, during the haste to get to Yorktown, had crashed a train loaded with troops, many of
them being drowned in the river.
Oyster-beds met the eye in every direction, in both
the York and Palmunky Rivers.  The numerous bends
of both were the favorite haunts of these shell-fish.
The Pamunky is one of the most crooked streams in
toI  Umnioin.  From  West Point to Cumberland in a
(il'i:t line is ten miles; by the river it is thirty.




s8           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
From  Cumberland to White House is five miles; the
river runs thirteen. On each bank, as the mail-boat
passed up, were evidences of the recent evacuation by
the Rebels. Burned boats lay on the shores, and pieces
of wrecks were driven about by the tide. The few
houses alongside the river all had little white flags
upon them, to avert the fancied vengeance which ignorant Virginians feared would be wreaked upon their
property. Deserted earth-works peeped out from the
midst of trees and bushes. At one place was a barn
filled with corn, which the enemy had endeavored to
burn, but the quick advance of the Federal troops prevented it. Its sides were burst out and partly thrown
down. Two miles below Cumberland the enemy had
endeavored to obstruct the river by sinking old Mwrecks
in the channel. The river-bed bein(g of the softest
saind, of course these obstructions had been moved
about by wind and tide in all directions.  One day the
passage would be open, the next, closed; and the latter
happened to be the case when the Secor endeavored to
pass them. In the night she could not do it, and,
atdlmost within sight of the wharf at Cumberland, was
cumpelled to cast anchor and wait until morning gave
light and help.  The result was that her passengers
-though not without a fair share of grumbling-each
hitad to pick out sleeping-places upon the decks, and
a'ss the night upon them. Six o'clock the next morninHg the boat was moored to the wharf at Cumberland,
and, goin ashore, the author found the general head(!icarters, showed his War Department pass, procuring
the second one, which has been quoted on a previous
page, and fromn that time was regularly attached to
the Army of the Potomac.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             19
CHAPTER II.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
BEFORE  commencing  the  narrative  of  General
}McClellan's military movements, it would perhaps be
well to devote a few pages to an explanation of the
organization of his army, the duties of each branch
of the service, and a description of the occupations and
habits of his troops.  With such previous knowledge,
the military terms and movements will be better understood, the exact meaning of words and phrases which
usually render military descriptions so incomprehensible
to civilians being known.  With a knowledge of the
internal arrangement of the army and the feelings and
sentiments of the soldiers, one can always hear of their
achievements with a deeper feeling of interest.
Military Organization.
The army of the Potomac was commanded by George
B. McClellan, of Pennsylvania, senior major-general in
the regular service, his commission being dated 2May
14, 1861.  The first subdivision of the army was into
six parts, fiveof them called "provisional army corps;"
the renmaining one, containing a large proportion of
c-lavalry, beinl  considered  anl indepiendlent division.
These were commauclnded by the six higliest brig-adier-genlerals in that army: Brigadier-loneiral Edwin V.
Sulmner, of New York, and of the regular service, commissioned NMarch  16, 1]861, and Brigcadier-Generals




20           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Samuel P. Heintzelman, of Pennsylvania, Erasmus D.
Keyes, of Maine, Fitz-John Porter, of the District of
Columbia, and William B. Franklin, of Pennsylvania,
all commissioned May 17, 1861; and George Stoneman,
of New York, commissioned August 9, 1861, all holding rank in the volunteer service.  General Stoneman
was the commander of the independent division of
cavalry, and was called the "chief of cavalry." These
were the commander-in-chief's field-marshals,-the great
generals of the army.*
The subordinate divisions were, first, of each corps
into what were technically called "divisions," there
being generally two, but sometimes three.  These were
commanded by brigadier-generals, and were numbered
in each corps according to the seniority of the commander, being "first division," or "second," or "third."
A division generally contained three brigades of infantry,
a detachment of cavalry, and several batteries of artillery. A battery numbers six pieces; and both cavalry
and artillery were always under the immediate orders
of the commander of division. A brigade was commanded by a brigadier,-though, in consequence of promotions, casualties, and the constant mutations of military life, at least one-third of the brigades were commanded by their senior colonels.  Four regiments of
infantry were usually contained in a brigade.
The generals of division were all famed for bravery,
military skill, and the confidence of their troops. They
were Philip Kearney, of New Jersey, Joseph Hooker,
* In mentioning rank, the highest commission held by the officer
during the author's stay on the Peninsula will be the one given,
unless otherwise stated.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             21
of California, Darius N. Couch, of Massachusetts, Israel
B. Richardson, of Michigan, Henry W. Slocum, of New
York, George W. M3/orell, of New York, George Stoneman, of New York (cavalry), William F. Smith, of
Vermont, John Sedgwick, of Connecticut, Silas Casey,
of Rhode Island, and George Sykes, of Maryland.
George A. McCall, of Pennsylvania, whose force of
Pennsylvania Reserves made an additional division,
joined the army a few days previous to its march to
the James River.
The generals of brigade were also brave and courageous officers. Of them the author remembers John
H. Martindale, of New York, John F. Reynolds, of
Pennsylvania, William F. Barry, of New York, George
G. Meade, of Pennsylvania, Abram Duryea, of New
York, Oliver 0. Howard, of Maine, Daniel E. Sickels,
of New Yorf, Thomas Francis Meagher, of New York,
Willis A. Gorman, of Minnesota, Daniel Butterfield,
of New York, John Newton, of Virginia, Winfield S.
Hancock, of Pennsylvania, William H. French, of the
District of Columbia, William  T. H. Brooks, of Ohio,
and David B. Birney, of Pennsylvania.
The organization of regiments of cavalry and in
fantry, and of batteries, both in the regular and volunteex
service, varied. For field and staff officers in cavalry,
the regular service allowed to each regiment one
colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors (in one
regiment three), one adjutant, one regimental quartermaster, one sergeant-major, and one quartermastersergeant. The company officers were ten captains, ten
first and ten second lieutenants (in the regiment having
three majors there were twelve of each).  In the
volunteer service there were always three majors, three




22           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
sergeant-m ajors, and three quartermaster-sergeants,
and there were twelve of each grade of company
officers.  In each of the old regiments of regular infantry there were one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel,
two majors, one adjutant, one regimental quartermastezr,
one sergeant-maj or, and one quartermaster-sergeant,
and ten of each grade of company-officers.  The new
regiments had sixteen of each  grade of company
officers, two sergeant-majors, and two quartermastersergeants.  A volunteer infantry regiment was formed
upon the plan of the old regiments, excepting that one
major filled the place of two. A few volunteer regiments, however, followed the example of the new regiments.  The batteries in the army of the Potomac were
generally collected in regiments, and had field, staff,
and company officers as the above-noticed exceptional
regiment of regular cavalry.  Still, each battery was
always known and spoken of by the name of its
captain.
Of regimental commanders whom the author met
amid the dreary swamps and bloody fields of Virginia,
there were Colonels Simmons, Gallagher, Magilton,
Tucker, Woodbury, Gosline, and  Miller, all killed
whilst bravely fighting their country's battles.  And
of the living, Lieutenant-Colonel Hatch, a prisoner at
Richmond, a courageous Jerseyman, who preferred
being captured with his regiment to leaving it; and
Colonels Henry L. Cake, one of the bravest of officers
and kindest of men, Baxter, Owen, Morehead, Ballier,
Davis, McCandless, and Irwin, of Pennsylvania, all
eminent for military skill; Taylor, of New Jersey, and
Bartlett and Howland, of New York, of whom no word
of praise need be spoken; and Farnsworth and Averell,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.               23
of the cavalry service, one of whom was a besom of destruction to rebel guerrillas, and the other acknowledged to be one of the most accomplished officers in the
army.  These were but a very few of those regimental
leaders of the army upon whom  its original enlistment, gradual instruction, and present efficiency almost
solely depended.
The General Staff.
All the heads of different departments of service in
the army not purely military, but still necessary for its
daily existence, witih their secretaries and clerks, and
also all the aides-de-camp of the commander-in-chief,
were embodied into one mass and known as the general
staff. These always remained with General MLcClellan,
— when at rest, formningl  a grand encampment, when on
the mairch, a brilliant cavalcade of elegant horsemen.
Brigadier-General it. V. l Marcy was chief of stagff, and
througllh hllim  all documents not colmil  officially from
some of the departments, and all visitors, had to be
presented to General MceClellan.  The subordinate officers of these departments were, of course, distributed
throughout the army, the working of nearly all of them
being brought home daily to every soldier. An explanation of the duties of each will not prove uninteresting.
The Aides-de-Camp,
These were gentlemen of the rank of colonel and
below it, some of whom were chiefs of departments or
assistants to higher officers, and the others, with no
fixed duties,. assistants to the commander, liable to
be called upon at any moment to carry important
lespatches, or ride to battle-fields, or accompany the
3




24           TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
general on his constant journeys to all parts of the
army, or attend at head-quarters to introduce visitors,
pass letters, despatches, &c.. through the chain of sentinels to General Marcy, the chief of staff. These
gentlemen performed a hundred important duties of all
descriptions, and perhaps were among the most useful
and hardest-worked of the army. Among them were
the English, French, and German dignitaries who have
crossed the ocean to study an American war.
The Adjutant-General's Department.
The adjutant-general was the official dispenser of all
military orders, and the receiver of every species of
military report, document, suggestion, &c. requiring
the notice of the commander.  His office transacted a
rather large business; nine-tenths of it, however, being
routine work.  Brigadier-General Seth Williams, of
Maine, was the ad jutant-general.  Assistant adjutantsgeneral of adequate rank were assigned to every corps,
division, and brigade. All of these-and such is the case
in most of the other departments —form an independent roll in the lists of the army, having its fixed duties
and system of promotion.  Every document intended
for the perusal or approval of the commander had to
ascend regularly from its starting-point through the
line of adjutants, and be first read or approved by
each general to whom any one of these adjutants was
assigned.  If any of tlhem  disapproved of it, its upward course was not in every case arrested, but its
hopes of a final perusal or approval were much shaken.
I-Iaving ascended to the top of the line, it was returned
through the same course to the first holder. Every
military paper is al-rs signed "By order of General




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             25
A. B., C. D., Assistant Adjutant-General."  The adjutants are the secretaries and clerks of the army, keeping all its records and accounts. Besides their civil
duties, they have various military ones to perform, a
description of which does not come within the scope of
this work.
The Quartermaster's Department.
General Stewart Van Vliet, of New York, presided
over this department, which took charge of all the
transportation of the army and also supplied it with
forage. All the army-wagons, public horses and mules,
and vessels, were controlled by quartermasters. Persons entitled to transportation had it allowed them by
weight, and means of carriage, upon both land and
water, were always furnished upon application to the
quartermasters.  The department also carried all the
army-supplies, taking them  to the points ordered by
the commissaries of subsistence.  They did "no loading
or unloading, however, the simple carriage being the
extent of their duties.  Of forage they had complete
clharge, transporting it and delivering it to those entitled to draw it.  Several thousand wagons, and the
Richmond & York River Railroad, were em loyed for
land-transportation; and steam-versels, brigs, schooners, sloops, and barges, almost without number, brought
the supplies.  The Pamunky, from White House down,
was alive with craft, and every Northern port had
scores of vessels at its wharves, all controlled by the
quartermaster's department of the army of the Potomac.
Affairs both in it and the subsistence department were
always excellently managed.




26           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
TPe Subsistence Department.
Colonel Henry F. Clark, of Pennsylvania, was the chief
commissary of the army. His subllordinates received all
the supplies of provisions and clothing as they arrived
at White House, had them unloaded from  the transports, and, after transportation to the camps, delivered
them at three or four great depots of supply, first to
brigades and then to regiments. The subsistence dJepartment also sold at cost-prices to commissioned officers those articles of food provided  by the United
States, of which sales, however, a most rigid account
was kept.  Commissioned officers receive a commutation in money for their rations, and when in the field
they have to purchase food of the commissaries. The
Government provides a few staple articles not given to
the men., which are sold to the officers.
The Miedical Department
The surgeon-general of the army was Dr. Charles S.
Tripler, of New York, and his department had supreme control of the sick. and wounded, medical stores,
ambulances, and hospitals.  A  surgeon was attached
to every brig:ade, and two to every regiment, and each
regiment had a hospital steward, who acted as apothecary and general overseer of the regimental hospital.
The medical department had complete sanitary control
of the army; its duties in this being somewhat like
those of Boards of Health and Quarantine.  A few of
the surgeons were learned men and experienced physicians; but the maijority were scarcely competent for the
responsible posts they filled.  Emeargencies such as
biattles or skirmishes were the great tests of medical




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             27
ability and bravery, and these trials saw many lamentable failures. The only badly-managed department of
General McClellan's army was the medical departmfient.
The Pay Department.
There was no head of the pay department upon the
general staff. Once in two months every paymaster
came from Washington with his pay-rolls and money,
and visited each regiment in his charge.  Five or six
regiments, and some batteries, would be the number
paid by each paymaster.  To arrange his accounts at
home, go to the capital and pass through the official
forms, draw his money, visit the army, return to Washington and settle his accounts, would occupy the entire
two months.  The paymaster's position was a mosf
laborious and responsible one.
Engineers and Topographical Engineers.
These were the architects, surveyors, draughtsmen,:tnd map-makers for the army.  They planned, staked
out, and superintended the digging of intrenchments
and building of forts; surveyed and built roads and
bridges; made maps of the country; sketched the
enemy's positions; calculated distances for artillery when
brought to bear upon masked or concealed positions of
the enemy; constructed railroads; and performed all
such duties,-d-uties which require  great skill and
thought.  They were a useful body of men, doing an
immense amount of work, and usually of a kind which
was not rewarded by the praises constantly showered
upon the more glittering achievements of their brethren
who fought the battles. Yet their labor was almost all
of the siege of Richmond.  The army crossed the




28           THIE SIEGE OF RICHMIOND.
swamps upon their corduroy roads, and the watercourses upon their bridges.  The troops protected
themselves in the engineers' rifle-pits, or moxunted the
enemy's works by means of their ladders and fascines
and sand-bags.  The corps constructed numberless intrenchments and redoubts, all places from behind which
artillery and infantry could use their arms with safety.
They would run lines of works up to the enemy's pickets and compel them to retreat,.  A vast field which at
dusk gave no sign of the Federal presence would at
dawn be crossed by a frowning earth-work, filled with
Federal troops and bristling with Federal cannon.
The engineers were truly a most useful body of men.
The Inspection Department.
Colonel Sackett was chief inspector of the army, and
various division-inspectors formed his corps.  Their
duties were at intervals to inspect the troops and report the condition of their arms and anmmunition.  A
visit from the inspector always caused a general cleaning of every thing the soldier carried. A regimental
inspection by the colonel took place every Sunday
morning.
TAe Ordnance Department.
The chief of ordnance in the army of the Potomac
was Colonel Chal-les r. Kingsbury, of New York. The
duties of his department were almost similar to those
of the subsistence department, relating, however, instead of to provisionls and clothing, to arms and ammunition.  The o-rduance corps sulperintended the receipt
f'omr arsenals and depots at the North, and the delivery
to the troops, of cannon, small arms, shot, shell, car



TI-E SIEGE OF 1-ICHIIMOND.            29
tridges, mortars, sand-bags, accoutrements, and every
thing which comes under the great head of ordnance.
They supplied that which took away life; the commissaries, that which sustained it.  This department was
admirably managed.
The Provcst-HIarshal's Department.
This was the great police office and force of the army.
Brigadier-General Andrew  Porter, of Pennsylvaaia,
was provost-marshal general.  His force was made up
principally of details of officers and men fiom cavalry
regiments.  The provost-guard extended all through
the camps; picked up straggling soldiers and negroes,
and if they had no passes sent them  to the nearest
division guard-house, from which the soldiers were sent
to their regiments, and the negroes to the subsistence
depots if they were wanted there, or, if not, they were
kept until otherwise disposed of. The guard picked up
all stray horses and mules, and returned them  to the
public herds; they traced out stolen property, and were
generally the fortunate seizers of Rebel spies. They also
took charge of all prisoners, wh o were always turned
over to them  by the captors.  The provost-guard was
a terror to evil-doers: the pulnishment inflicted upon
them was always summary.  A departlnent like this is
a necessity in every large army.  Better order never
was kept alnywhlere on the continent than in the army
of the Potomac.
The Post-Office Department,.
The post-office of the army was at general headquarters, with sub-offices at the head-quarters of each
dlivision; and 2ir. William  B. IHIazlett, of Pittsburg,




30           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Pennsylvania, was the postmaster. Letters to the army
were sent from all the Northern offices to Washington,
assorted there, and tied up in bags directed to each
regiment; then sent to Baltimore and carried down
Chesapeake Bay and up the York and Pamunky Rivers
to White House.  From  that place they were transported by railroad and wagon to the general post-office,
from which they were sent to each division. Letters
to the North were collected at division head-quarters
and sent to the general post-office. Thence they went
to Fortress Monroe, where they were assorted, an entire
day being lost, during which they lay there. Afterward, by way of Baltimore, they were sent to their
several addresses.
The post-office at head-quarters was a large tent, with
a rail fence running across the middle of it to keep off
the crowd, whose pressure was often too strong for
more feeble barricades. The front was generally wide
open, and at one side there was a bag for the deposit
of letters. Back of the fence a long table stood, upon
which the assorting was done, and upon each side and
to the rear of the enclosed space there were rows of
rude boxes, labelled with the names of generals and
chiefs of departments. Upon the arrival of a mail, all
the bags were thrown under a covering of stretched
canvas in front of the tent, by the agent who brought
them from White House, those for each division being
immediately collected and sent to it. Upon the Richmond & York River Railroad there always seemed to
be a war between sutlers and mail-carriers about the
mail-car. Each brought his treasures up the river
upon the mail-boat, and each was entitled to transportation, one car often being all allowed them. When




TILE SIEGE OF RPICHMONID.           31
a large sutler's stock and a heavy mail came up, the
reader may judge of each one's efforts to be ahead of
his opponent. The successful one, when his goods filled
the car, of course thought it all right; whilst the other
loudly complained of the deprivation of his fair share,
andl could see nothing but wrong in the transaction.
Considering that the army was such an itinerant,
unsettled body, the affairs of the post-office were generally well managed.
The Printing-Office.
A small printing-office, with a complete assortment
of types and paper, and a hand-press, always accompanied the general head-quarters.  It was under the
direction of the ad jutant-general.  All the general
orders issued to the troops were printed by it in the
shortest possible time. A travelling printing-office has,
it seems, become a regular item in the organization of
modern armies.
The Guides.
Certain persons, having the requisite lhnowledge,
were always hired, during the marches and encamprments, to explain localities, roads, plantations, and
every natural or artificial feature of the country
through which the army desired to pass. These were
termed the "guides," and received most liberal pay.
They formed to department, each one being separate
Mand independent of the others, and most of them were
closely watched.  They were presumed to be able to
give a history of the public and private career of every
influential citizen in the neighborhood of the army.
\.WVhere the residences of men able to do this accurately
must have been before thile  ar can be readily imagined.




32          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
The Balloon Corps.
This was an extra department, tried at first as an
experiment, but soon, from its great usefulness, adopted
as a recognized branch of the service. Its chief was
Professor Lowe, who had two balloons of large size,
ample arrangements for the manufacture of hydrogen,
and complete apparatus for the speedy inflation of his
delicate globes. These balloons ascended in all parts
of the camp, and employed every moment of favorable
weather in observations of the enemy's movements and
positions.  The topographical engineers and signalmen ascended in them to make sketches and estimate
the numbers of troops and strength of earth-works and
batteries.  Officers of the day looked over the edge of
the basket to learn the nature of the ground in front
of the picket force they commanded. Many went up
out of mere curiosity; but every one who saw the
grand and universal view the balloon afforded had its
sublimity deeply impressed upon his memory. The
enemy had no balloon, and the ability the Union officers
had of spying from safe distances into their most
secret places gave them paroxysms of rage. They
often brought out their artillery to shell the balloon,
or shot musketry at it, or cried at it in derision. It
was a most tantalizing thing to them to see the little
ball and smaller car, standing one beneath the other
in the air, a black speck or two in the car, too far
distant to be injured, but not too far distant to note
the minutest movements made by their troops. The
balloon never ascended that scores of Rebels did not
curse it.
When a balloon-ascension is made, a strong cord,




TIE SIEGE OF RICT-IMOND.              33
which varies in length -from  one thousand  to two
thousandc feet, holds the frail instrument to the earth.
A pulley-and-tackle arrangement worked by men below
is the power employed to pull it down, and, this being
secured by heavy weights, there is but slight danger of
the balloon's escape.  Colonel Lowe aind his assistants
very seldom  ascended, officers  and  others having
authority for the ascension being sent up by twos or
threes at a time, and after a few minutes' stay hauled
down.
Every one has seen a balloon in the air, and knows
what appearance it presents; but very few have seen
the earth from a balloon, and fewer still have viewed
from  it the encampments of two contending armies.
A newspaper correspondent thus describes the sight,
the ascension he writes of having been made near
Gai=nes' MIills, seven miles east of Pichmond:"When the balloon has ascended to the end of its. tether,
a grand view of both armies is unfolded. Within a circle
of two miles in radius the sight, is very perfect; beyond
that the angle of vision becomes so nearly horizontal thlat
woods, houses, and hills materially interfere witlh the view.
The landscape has three marked objects upon it, which are
the first to strike the eye. The Chicahominy, almost beneath one's feet, bordered by its dark-green swamps, runs
like a thread from where it rises on the horizon, away off
to the northwest, to where it blends with woods and hills
in the southeast.  The James River, in front, though distant, runs in a deep, crooked valley, and bears on its bosom
hundreds of craft, that in the distance look like specks upon
the blue waters.  Richmond, covering a large portion of
the western horizon, is, however, the principal sight. It
appears to the balloonist as a confused medley of red, white,




34             THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and black; and heavy brown fortifications stretching Irona
the right to the left, with thick earth walls and plentifully
sprinklecl with cannon, surround it on all sidles.  Tshe
Capitol Square can scarcely be discerned, being too thickly
surrounded by buildings.  The white Capitol, however, is
quite conspicuous, and, of course, the Stars and BaLs flo tt
over the roof.  Three church-spires, seemingly all in one
spot, are the brightest part of the town, and catch the eye
almost before the observer is aware he is looLing at Pichmeond.  But little else, however, can be distinguished,although, for a general view of the town, nothing could be
better than that from the balloon.  The space between the
Chickahominy and the fortifications around Richmond is
alimost filled with Rebel camls. A thousand cavalry horses
wvere picketed in one field, and( others were plentifully
sprinkled all about. Wedlge-tents, used by the officers, and
little dog-tents, by the men, shone in every direction as the
sun's rays  strclck  them.  Intrenchmnents and  rifie-piis
lined the front of their position, thllough vei'y few  gens
were mounted. Several guns of heavy calibre are spriunlled
along these earth-works.  Rebel camps, however, are tllhe
most proninent of all the sights: they show in every direction, and the northern and -western horizon seems to be their
only boundlry.
"Of our own plosition, as seen from the balloon, I must
be silent.  One thing, however, in the whole view, is most
remarkable.  Right through the centre of the picture runs
a curved belt of dark-green and yellow, about a mile wide.
Not a man, gun, tent, or wagon appears upon it.  It is the
line between the two arulies.  Over it, cannon-balls are
thrown, and on its surface scouts and pickets hidle fromn
each other, but no military sign is to be seen upon it.
]Everywhlere else, stretching as far as the eye can reach,
-are the thousand-and-one things incident to war; but this
broad, quiet, deserted  belt of land, so loniely, so sonmbre,




TIHE SIEGE OF BRICIMOND.             35
varying only as it is swamp or field or stream, lies there
so still that it almost inspires the beholder. Jupiter's belts,
or Saturn's rings, never were a grander sight than this
belt of land on which nothing like tent or gun appears."
Telegraphing from the balloon was an ordinary thing
during the siege of Richmond.  During the progress
of the battle of Fair Oaks, the balloon was constantly
in the air, a wire being run from it to the nearest telegraph-station.  The telegraph-operator in the balloon
writes the following' account of it:" The telegraph has been called upon to perform a still
more mysterious wonder. For some time past I have been
ordered by Colonel Eckert (our superintendent of military
telegraphs) to try a telegraphic experiment from a balloon.
Saturday morning, when we heard that a great battle must
be fought, Professor Lowe notified me that I should extend
the wire to his balloon, and we would try it. In one hour
we had brought the wire a mile and a half, and I was ready
to ascend with the professor. The battle had commenced.
When it had reached its zenith, Professor Lowe and myself,
with the telegraph, had reached an altitude of two thousand feet. With the aid of good glasses, we were enabled
to view the whole affair between these powerful contending armies. As the fight progressed, hasty observations
were made by the professor, and given to me verbally, all
of which I instantly forwarded to General McClellan and
division-commanders, through the agency of the obedient
field-instrument which stood by our side in the bottom of
the car. Occasionally a masked Rebel battery would open
upon our brave fellows. In such cases the occupants of the
balloon would inform our artillerists of its position, and the
next shot or two would, in every case, silence the masked
and annoying customer. For hours, and until quite dark,
4




36           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
we remained in the air, the telegraph keeping up constant
communication with some point. From the balloon to
Fortress Monroe-a distance of over one hundred milesthis wire worked beautifully. A number of messages were
sent and received between these two points; and, had it not
been for the tremendous rush of business on the wire, I should
have telegraphed you directly fiom the balloon while the
battle was raging. Sunday morning, at daybreak, we again
ascended. Early in the morning the battle was renewed,
and with more fierceness than the day before. Incessant
firing of musketry and artillery was kept up until noon,
when I had the extreme pleasure to announce by telegraph
friom the balloon that we could see the enemy retreating
rapidly toward Richmond. At this time we could see
firing on the James River, to the left of Richmond,-distance
from the balloon (some said) fifteen miles. This fire was
of short duration.
"The streets of Richmond in the morning presented
a deserted appearance,-but very few people to be seen
in them. During the afternoon and evening of Sunday
nothing of interest transpired, beyond the removal of
the Rebel dead and wounded, all of which we could distinctly see from the balloon. Every available machine that
had wheels was brought into requisition for this purpose.
From the scene of battle into the city of Richmond the road
was literally lined with ambulances, wagons, and carts,
conveying dead and wounded. About twilight we saw
camp-fires innumerable around the city; smoke issued from
all their hospitals and barracks; which showed us to a certainty that the main body of their army had fallen back
to Richmond. Monday morning we made several ascensions, and found a small force near the last scene of action,
and thousands of troops marching out from the city: so
you may look momentarily for a report of another severe
battle."




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            37
The Signal Corps.
One of the most important and, at the same time,
most modest branches of the public service was the
signal corps. It was an independent body, under the
special and immediate control of the commander-inchief, and was made up of details of officers and men
from each brigade in the army. Major Myer presided
over its operations. It constructed and worked the
telegraph-lines, accompanied all reconnoissances, and
was constantly on the alert for the transmission of
intelligence to and from general and division headquarters.  All over the extensive  field of work
apportioned to General McClellan signal officers were
found, each one closely watching the enemy's movements.
The officers and men composing the corps were originally selected by a military board which examined
their qualifications. Candidates presented themselves
to it, and were asked various questions, all of which
were intended to test their quickness of memory, and
their ability to learn and remember the dumb-motions
required in the service. Good eyesight was also considered an essential requisite.  It is astonishing to
what proficiency some signal officers arrive. By the
naked eye they can discern troops and batteries on the
enemy's lines, where others entirely fail. They can
sit in a room surrounded by hundreds and talk by
means of the signal code, and that they were doing so
could never be discovered. The ordinary motions of
the arm, always used when people are not intentionally
keeping themselves perfectly quiet, effectually conceal




38          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
the three simple motions, combinations of which are
employed to transmit information. Then, again, officers
standing at great distances can converse by swinging
their arms.  It is truly wonderful; and the great
results which have been brought about by the corps
cause utter astonishment to both armies.
There are two systems of signalling used, —by telegraph and by flag. The telegraph was employed upon
permanent lines, as between White House and headquarters, or head-quarters and the division quarters of
generals whose ground had been effectually gained from
the enemy. Uncertain lines, which, though having a
prospect of permanency, were nevertheless at any moment liable to be removed, were run by the patented
insulated wire, which has so often astonished the troops,
who invariablv take it for some vile Secession invention. This is a small wire, insulated with gutta percha
and covered with twisted cotton, the whole making a
flexible cord about one-fourth of an inch in diameter.
It is carried on a reel. A line five miles in length can
be constructed and placed in working-order in two
hours. The reel is run along the fields and roads, the
attendants fastening the cord to trees or bushes at
points where it might be accidentally disturbed. When
a field is crossed, it lies on the ground, and is found
to suffer no harm from the contact. Portable magnetoelectric machines, invented by a gentleman named
Beardsley, are used for the transmission of signals.
These are light boxes about the size of a knapsack.
Indeed, the whole telegraphic system of the army of the
Potomac was of an itinerant character, and the bottled
lightning ran about on horseback as rapidly as the
operator who controlled it. The code used was the




THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            39
alphabetic dial-plate of the fire-alarm telegraphs of our
large cities.
Flag signalling, however, was the form most generally used, and was the most dangerous. Each signal
officer was provided with three square flags,-a white
one with a red centre, a red one with a white centre,
and a black one with a white centre. These colors had
nothing to do with the signal code, however,-the different flags being employed for different kinds of weather and with different backgrounds, that one being
used which will be most conspicuous at a distance.
These flags transmitted signals by swings, and at night
a torch was substituted for them.
The manner of their use can best be shown by illustration. Suppose part of the army makes an advance
of several miles within the enemy's lines; a detail from
the signal corps always accompanies it.  When it
leaves the permanent telegraph-station, an officer with
his flags is stationed there; at the first turn of the
road taken, another is placed, and so on at every point
where bends in the road, or trees, or hills, or other obstructions, intervene, and prevent a direct view of the
last flag. Every observation made, if it be thought
necessary, is readily signalled to the permanent station.
The commanding officer of the body of troops sent out
tells the flagman with him the message to be conveyed,
and the latter gives his flag the swings which correspond
to it.  The next in the chain observes and repeats, and
so the message goes, with lightning-like velocity, back
to head-quarters.
In battle, the signal corps is of the utmost advantage. The general commanding the forces engaged
places himself on a convenient spot with his flagman.
4':'




40           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
High hills in the vicinity, out of danger, but excellent
for viewing the enemy's movements, are selected, and
lagrmen placed upon them.  Every thing done by the
enemy is indikated.  Smoke may hide an approaching
column from' those on whom it is quickly marching.
Some of the signal officers, perched like hawks about
the field, are sure to observe the advance, and the next
instant the general knows it and has warned his subordinates of the threatened danger.
Batteries throwing shot and shell at an enemy concealed from them by intervening hills or woods have
all their movements regulated by signals. MIiles to the
right or left, but in a position where the enemy can be
seen, stands the signal-man with field-glass and telescope. One of the guns is fired, but the shell flies wide
of the mark.  "A  little to the right," is signalled.
The next shot is nearer, though still ineffective.  The
flags swing for "a little to the left."  The third falls
short.  "Two hundred yards further," speeds over the
line.  The fourth strikes; and "a good shot" informs
the artillerymen that their range is correct.
Signal duty, from the exposure of those engaged and
their conspicuous flags, which are so many targets for
the enemy's shot, is one of the most dangerous in the
whole service. The bravest and coolest men are required to perform its duties.  Sharp eyesight, knowledge of distances, and great judgment are equally necessary to make a good signal officer.  The code employed is, of cotrse, known only to those in the secret.
Since the becginning  of the war, it has been changed
once, an alteration being rendered necessary from the
desertion of an officer who communicated the former
code to the enemy. Now, however, but little dangel




TIlE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           41
of the revelation of the secret is feared. The importance of the signal service may readily be conceived by
any one who knows the great distances of opposing
columns and the wide spread of an attacking army. A
commanding general can be in but one place, and it is
absolutely necessary that he should have the latest information of the condition of every part of his command. Every battle yet fought by the army of the
Potomac has been regulated by signals. The advance,
the retreat, the attack,-all are done by the command
of a small flag which receives its impulse from a general who may be sitting in a tent a dozen miles away.
Every discovery of the enemy's intentions, as shown by
their conduct on the field of battle, was made by Major
Myer's efficient corps. These men are among the most
useful in the army; yet they never pull a trigger, and
seldom draw a sword. They toil on at their dangerous
task during all hours and through all weathers, and to
their exertions are owing many brilliant victories
achieved by the Union troops.
The foregoing is a brief view of the organization of
the army of the Potomac, a marshalling which has been
pronounced upon all sides to be most excellent. Confidence and courage were the characteristics of the military line, and nearly all the departments were managed
in a most praiseworthy manner. In routine business
the adjutant-general's office was somewhat dilatory,
and a shadow was cast over all by the lack of an
educated medical staff,-a fault which all deplored
deeply.




42           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER III.
ENCAMPMENTS AND MARCHES.
BEFORE the army sat down to the siege of Richmond,
it was rapidly marching toward the Chickahominy, only
encamping Wvhen it was necessary to rest the troops or
allow the advanced guard time to scour the country.
After the siege was commenced, the troops were nearly
all the time encamped,-movements made for attack, or
defence, or picketing, or intrenching, not necessarily
causing a change of the camping-ground.
The encampment of general head-quarters was the
most regularly laid out and strictly guarded. Its
ground-plan was a parallelogram, with the staff tents
upon the long sides, and the commander-in-chief's tent
upon one of the short sides, the guard tents being upon
the other.  At the commander-in-chief's side of this
parallelogram a space a hundred feet square is marked
out, constantly guarded by sentinels, and upon which
no one is allowed to encroach.  In the centre of this
sacred spot are two large wall tents, each some twenty
feet square, pitched alongside of each other, though
with a slight intervening space.  One of them is occupied by General McClellan, the other by General
Marcy, the chief of staff. Both are furnished alike;
each has a stove, camp-stools, and table, lounge, campbed, desk, and toilet-materials; and various wine-bottles
standing about show the means used, even by majorgenerals, to beguile weary hours and entertain visitors.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             43
In front of these tents a hundred-feet-wide street runs
to the guard tents upon the opposite side of the camp.
Upon each side of this street the staff tents are pitched,
whose occupants decrease in rank according as they are
more distant from the hundred-feet square. In these
are found the provost-marshal general, the adjutantgeneral, the inspector-general, the heads of departments, the aids to the commander-in-chief, &c. A row
back of these staff tents is devoted to under-officers
and clerks, and a third row to servants.  Outside of
all the horses are picketed,-for every one in this camp
rides,-and farther still is the baggage-train, so useful
in moving all the paraphernalia. Each tent is like a
small parlor, well furnished, and having every comfort
and luxury one could expect. The officers occupying
them are always about, chatting and talking, the business of many of them not requiring their attention
more than one-fourth of the time. The clerks and
aids, however, have more onerous duties, preparing
every thing for those they assist, a simple reading or
signing being usually all that is required of the superior officer. Amid the quiet and seclusion of this
encampment the business of a great army was transacted.
In the march toward Richmond, as each corps, or,
in some cases, each division of the army, was moving
forward to gain a certain point, some at nearer, some
at more remote periods of time, an encampment of
troops, excepting at Cumberland, White House, and
around Richmond, scarcely ever contained more than a
single corps or division; the relative positions of the
regiments always varying according to the nature of
the ground.  Grass or grain fields were always pre



44           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
ferred for camping-grounds, and a ploughed field or
one containing the long stalks and spongy soil left by
the last year's corn-crop was never taken, except when
nothing better could be had. Convenience to water
was usually considered. In a division encampment the
infantry brigades would, if it were possible, arrange
themselves in a line side by side; but all ways and
manners of forming the camp were forced upon them
by hills, woods, and swamps. Necessity has sometimes
placed regiments upon hill-sides so steep that a man
could scarcely ascend them. On other occasions they
were compelled to pitch their tents in the woods. No
camp was ever placed in a swamp; it might have been
on the borders of one, or swamps may have surrounded
it, but the officers were too careful of the men ever to
place them in the mud and mire where they would
sicken and die.
In a brigade encampment the four regiments usually
formed a square, two going to the front and the other
two to the rear. The nature of the ground sometimes
encroached upon this, too, rendering a change in the
arrangement necessary. The brigadier-general would
pitch his tents near his brigade, generally to the front
of it, and the general of division selected a spot upon
the outskirts of the division camp. The corps commander made his encampment at a point most convenient to all his troops. If his divisions were separated,
it would perhaps be far distant from either, but still at
the most eligible spot for both; if they were together,
it would be with them.
Regimental encampments were easily formed and
very convenient. Every regiment is divided into divisions each of two companies, and these would be ordered




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             45
into line one behind the other, with intervals of thirty
to fifty feet between them, the two companies of each
division, provided there was room enough and the
colonel wished it, being moved to the right and left to
form a centre street of fifty or a hundred feet in width,
running from front to rear of the camp. Standing as
thus placed, the troops stacked arms and unslung knapsacks and pitched their tents in a row behind the
stacks. Officers' tents were placed on the sides of the
centre street, if it was wide enough; if it was not, or
there happened to be no street, they were put on the
outside of the encampment, each on a line with its
occupant's company. The field and staff officers usually chose a place upon the edge of the camp, to the
front, rear, or sides, and there their tents were pitched,
forming the regimental head-quarters.
Each non-commissioned officer and private, although
in winter he slept in warm barracks and huts, was
furnished with a piece of water-proof canvas some five
feet square, having buttons and button-holes arranged
on its sides. Four of these, when buttoned together,
made quite a large piece. This would be thrown over
a musket or fence-rail supported by two sticks driven
into the ground, and a fifth piece of canvas buttoned
to one end of the rude tent thus formed effectually
kept off the wind or rain. The other end was left open,
and the lower edges of the canvas were secured all
around by stakes stuck into the earth. Five men slept
comfortably under one of these "dog-tents," as they
were universally styled, only suffering inconvenience
when a drenching thunder-storm set the whole camp
afloat.
In addition to the field, staff, and soldiers' tents,




46           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
there were various others necessary for the transaction
of the business of the regiment, which were placed upon
the edge of the encampment. These were the surgeon's
tent and the hospital steward's tent. The first was the
office where patients called, were prescribed for, and
given advice and medicines. The other was supposed
to be the medical dispensary,-though it seldom really
was; for a steward taken from the plough or workbench, as nine-tenths of those in the army were, would
scarcely be trusted to mix medicines, even for a quack.
These tents were usually near the regimental headquarters. Besides the above, there was always a large
hospital tent to the rear of the camp, in which lay the
sick who had been ordered into hospital. The commissary tent, under which the quartermaster-sergeant or
regimental commissary kept his few days' supply of
rations and served them out to the troops, was also to
the rear of the camp.
Camps were named in a most arbitrary manner, and
generally without recourse to system. General headquarters on one occasion was called "Camp Lincoln."
Then the army were earnestly working at the siege.
But upon all other occasions its camp was named after
different places in the neighborhood, such as "Tunstall's Station," or "Coal Harbor," or " New Bridge."
Division and corps encampments were rarely named,
and regimental camps were called after the various
captains, or by numbers, or perhaps had no designation
at all. No one was ever at a loss for a name; for
" Camp,  ~ miles from Richmond," or, " Camp on the
road to Richmond," always answered for an emergency.
In camp, the daily military duty was to mount guard,
which was performed by each company in succession,



THE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.            47
one company's tour of guard duty being twenty-four
hours. Mounting guard consisted in placing a chain
of sentinels around the camp, policing all the streets,
by removing dirt and garbage from them, and furnishing all the "details," as they were called,-squads of
men, which might be required for cattle or head-quarter guards, or other purposes outside the regiment.
Of course, the principal duty was the posting of sentinels, and this, when there were numerous points to be
watched, required a great number of men. There is
always a guard tent, or guard head-quarters, and the
nearest sentinel to it is named "Guard Number One."
The next is number two; and so on until the circuit of
the camp is made and the starting-point is reached.
A sentinel stands on his post for two hours, when he is
relieved by another man. He is always instructed explicitly as to the particular duties of his position, which
are always of the simplest character,-to prevent any
one's passing a certain way, or entering a door, or to
announce visitors to an officer, or to see that no one
touches some piece of property he is guarding; duties
which, to be correctly performed, require but little
mental ability.
Some of the most amusing incidents of the war are
those in which sentinels take the principal parts.  No
challenging ever took place in daytime; the countersign was given out at dusk, and then the strict watching commenced. Some sentinels were surly and gruff,
others polite; but, generally, their assumed stoicism,
or real awkwardness, was most ludicrous.  Every one
is instructed to salute a general or field officer, when
such a one passed him, by presenting arms, but for a
company officer shoulder arms was the custom. Some
5




48           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
would present arms to all; some shoulder to all; and
some would merely raise their hands to their caps,the ordinary military salute. It was after dark, however, when the most laughable instances of sentinelship
occurred. An officer lying in bed would suddenly have
his attention called by a hasty challenge:" Halt! who comes there?"
"A friend, with the countersign."
"Advance, fiiend, with the countersign."
And then the "friend" would whisper the word to
the sentinel, which, if correct, would pass him. This
was the usual form of challenge and reply. But, if
the "friend" did not happen to know the countersign,
which was usually the case,-for until the army had
fairly sat down before Pichmond there was scarcely
any one but straggling soldiers abroad after dark,the form was somewhat altered:"Halt! who comes there?"
"A friend," or "a friend without the countersign."
"Stand, friend, where you are."
And the sentinel would at once call out the number
of his post, which, if it happened to be far away from
the guard head-quarters, would be echoed after him,
one after the other, by the entire string, all the way to
the guard tent.
" Corporal of the guard number ten!" shouts the sentinel.
"Corporal of the guard number ten!" is nine times
echoed, in nine different ways, by nine styles of voices.
Directly, carrying his musket with a precision which
any soldier might envy, the corporal is seen solemnly
marching along the line of posts to "guard number
ten," to ascertain thio trouble.  The sentinel reports




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.              49
and the " friend" tells his story,-his case usually turning out to be that of a lost and straggling soldier who
nas unwittingly passed within hail of the guard.  The
corporal takes him to the officer of the guard, who
disposes of him as he thinks proper.
Once the commander of a picket tour, by some mistake, did not receive the countersign.  His men were
posted upon a road, and the hour was much later than
it was advisable to permit an unchallenged passage.
Farther along the road some cavalry sentinels were
pacing up and down, and, taking a musket from one of
his soldiers, he walked toward them.  Assuming the
posture and appearance of a sentinel, he challenged the
first one who approached him, who promptly answered,
giving the countersign; and thus the officer procured
it.  When parts of regiments were detached upon distant service, they were sometimes overlooked in the
delivery of the countersign.
The countersign for each night was selected by the
aidec-de-camp at general head-quarters who at that
time happened to be on duty as staff officer of the
day.  It was sent to the head-quarters of corps, and
from them  through the different gtrades to the regiments, being given to each at about four in the afternoon. It was written upon a curiously-wrapped piece
of paper.  The officer of the guard in each regiment
was furnished with it by the adjutant. Any one whose
business took him through the calmps after dark first
procured the countersign; otherwise he would be halted
and questioned at every twenty yards.
There are hundreds of anecdotes floating through
the newspaper and periodical p)ress of the country,
whose wit is founded llpOLI tle( mistalkes or sharpness




50           TIlE SIEGE OF RICHMIOND.
of sentinels. The two given below are new, and their
truth can be vouched for.
The chaplain of a regiment once had a friend visiting
him, who remained rather late, and started for his own
regiment without taking the precaution of previously
ascertaining the countersign. The chaplain bade him
good-bye at his tent-door, immediately stepping into it.
The other commenced his homeward walk, and had
gone a few steps, when he was suddenly brought to a
stand-still by a gruff challenge:" Halt! Who comes there?  VHO COMES THERE?"
"Me,-a friend of the chaplain."
"Have ye the counthersign?"
"No."
"Faith, an' if ye were a frind of the divil, and had
no countilersign, ye couldn't pass here."
The other is told of a quartermaster, who came to
the lines of his own regiment and was challenged.
When he entered the colonel's marquee, he reported the
following for the conversation.  The sentinel was, of
course, an Irishman.
" Halt! who comes there?"
"A friend, without the countersign."
" \Well, an' what d'ye want?"
"Well, I am the quartermaster, and this is my regiment, and I want to get into it, but, not knowing the
countersign, I suppose I shall have to go back where I
came from and get it."
"Is that all? An', be jabers, what's to prevint my
givin' the counthersign to ye?"
"Nothing, I suppose."
The Irishman whispered it to him; then, challenging




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             51
again, the quartermaster gave him. the countersign
and entered the lines.
Such ludicrous scenes as these are continually occurring; but nothing was more laughable than the string
of echoing voices which would at dead of night roar
out, " Corporal of the guard number ten!" or " Corporal of the guard number six!"
The usual military drill, whilst in camp, was two
hours each favorable clay at the bayonet exercise, one
of the most healthy, graceful, and instructive exercises
in the manual of arms. Other drills were usually
dispensed with, as the men were considered to have
attained enough perfection in them.
There was, of course, much leisure time, when the
men were not called upon for any military duty. These
spare moments were variously employed, according to
each soldier's tastes. Many read, as there were an
abundance of newspapers in camp, bundles of them
being sent as donations from the North, and several
first-class dailies from  Philadelphia and New  York
being offered for sale upon the second day after publication, and bought up with avidity. Others wrote, all
sending letters home to their friends, whose answers
gave additional reading-matter. Numbers of the men
kept diaries of their regiment's daily history.  Some
were artificers, and did the tailoring, shoe-mending, or
carpentering for the rest.  Then there was the neverfailing supply of leaf tobacco found everywhere, which
converted almost every smoker into a cigar-maker, and
every chewer into a flourisher of the pestle.  Nothing
perhaps indicated the genuine life of a soldier better
than a cigar-maker,  with his workshop, wares, and
customers. Aln old board was his tablle and the ground




52           THE SIEGE OF RICHAIOND.
his chair; a Barlow, which for years had answered all
the purposes of a case-knife, tooth-pick, and general
knife, was his tool. Upon the board he prepared the
tobacco, moistening it from a cup of water, and then,
rolling it and cutting the ends, produced an elegant
cigar of pure, unadulterated, Virginia tobacco.  These
cigars were sold at low rates to those uninitiated into
the mysteries of the tobacconist's art, and, though somewhat rank from being so freshly made, were no doubt
greatly enjoyed by their buyers.
The vast stores of tobacco left behind by the fleeing
Virginians were most tempting to Northern dealers.
who came South by scores to attempt their collection
and transportation home. They all failed of their purpose. On land it could not be collected, because they
had no teams, and, if they had, there would have been
no means of transportation to Fortress Monroe.  It
would not be allowed on the mail-boats, and all the
transports were engrossed with other duties.  These
dealers sometimes managed to get small stocks to the
North, but they were seldom  of sufficient value to
repay the trouble.
If a paymaster had happened to visit the regiment
a short time previously, then the troops would set aside
nearly every thing else for what has been somewhere
styled America's national game, —the game of "poker."
A blanket thro-wn upon the ground extemporized a
table, around whllich the parties seated themselves, with
the spectators in a second row behind. The banker
would produce an ear of corn, taking off the grains and
selling them to the players. Timid parties made each
one -worth a penny, but bold ones would have it five or
tlln or twenty-five cents, some even going so high as a




THE SIEGE OF RIC-IMOND.           53
dollar. Then they played " going it blind" and "straddling" and " going better" and "bluffing," until some
call to duty or a noisy quarrel ended the game, each
man upon counting his grains usually finding himself
worth neither more nor less than when the day's work
was commenced.  Playing "poker" was allowed in
some regiments, excepting upon the Sabbath and late
at night, when any one discovered at it was severely
punished.
The men had a hundred devices to kill time and get
amusement. They flocked in droves to all ox-killings
and horse-burials. The shooting of a sick horse upon
the borders of a camp was usually the signal for an
hegira. A broken-down wagon or one fast in the mud,
however, they viewed at a distance: they might be
requested to help mend it or push it out of the mire.
A dress parade or bayonet drill of another regiment
drew large crowds, and ones, too, strongly inclined to
criticism. When the army neared Richmond, the soldiers went in droves as far as they could to the front,
to see the Rebels and watch their movements. Some
of them, at a loss for other amusement, arranged lotteries of all kinds and descriptions; and among the
most ingenious and profitable was one invented by an
enterprising soldier of General Slocum's division. The
man's nationality never could have been detected from
either shape or. voice or countenance; each belonged
to a separate race; but he had enough shrewdness to
discover that the Virginia statute-book legalized lotteries. His stock in trade was a dirty stocking-leg, one
end sewed up and-a running string through the other,
a dozen numbered tickets, and a lot of cheap scissors,
combs, and trinkets.  " Only twenty-five cents a draw,




54           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and no blanks," was the generous announcement he
made to the wondering group which surrounded him.
If a bystander's curiosity overbore his caution, the
lottery-dealer would take his twenty-five cents and
allow him to poke finger and thumb into the filthy be:g
after a ticket, and then, scrutinizing it carefully to correctly ascertain the number, the dealer would pull out
of a mysterious rent in his coat a pair of scissors, (a
knife, a comb, or a rinl, or some other equally valuable
article, and, presenting it to the ticket-holder, infornm
him that it was the "highest prize."  One act of justice, however, which this man always did, is not usually
found amono those who deal in more valuable prizes.
If the drawer of the "highest prize" did not happen to
be satisfied with his supposed good fortune, the lotteryman, with the greatest possible frankness, would offer
to exchange the money for the prize, and, if the tender
n-as accepted, always did it, giving as his reason for
such rare generosity, that there were plenty of other
soldiers who would be glad of the chance to draw it.
These lotteries gave great amusement to the troops,
and, although arranged upon so petty a scale, were as
earnestly sought after and argued about as if they
were of the utmost importance.
When no amusement was offered,-no ox-killing,
horse-funeral, or Rebel-shooting,-the soldiers lay under
their little tents, or hunted cool places in the woods,
where they would go in small parties, and talk, smoke,
or read.  This lounging in the woods once produced at
most laughable result.  The army had not yet reached
the Chickahominy, but the enemy, as was occasionally
the case in its march across the Peninsula from White
House, was reported to be in great strength close at




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            55
hand. A beautiful piece of woodland, cool and inviting, and jutting out into a field so as to make the
cleared portion in the form of an L, interposed between
one of the regiments and the part of the country where
the enemy were said to be. Of course, numbers of
soldiers were scattered through it. A body of troops
who had been upon picket-duty came up to the edge
of the wood upon the opposite branch of the L and
fired their muskets into the air, making a terrible
noise. Instantly there was a most inglorious scampering out of the woods, some in their great hurry tripping over the stumps and roots, and rolling out, heelsover-head. To a man, they reported that the enemy
were attacking the camp; and some even declared that
they saw Rebels. Those in the camp who knew the
truth soon enlightened the others, and a laugh all
around was the end of the matter.
The numerous religious associations of the North
were most assiduous in sending tracts, books, and
Sunday-school newspapers to the soldiers. The newspapers and books were much sought after and earnestly
read, and so were the tracts, but not to so great an
extent.  MIore papers and little books, if sent, would
find plenty of readers.
A Sunday in camp was spent in a way to make it as
nearly as possible a day of rest. At ten in the morning was the inspection of arms and accoutrements by
the regimental commanders.  That over, there would
be divine service, if the chaplain chose to hold it. The
remainder of the day the men had to themselves. It
was the policy in the army to give the men this day as
one of perfect rest, if it could be done. The commnllder-in-chief adopted the plan at the earliest mo



56           TIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
mnent after he took command; and every officer is aware
of its good sense. WVhen the siege commenced, however, Sunday was, of necessity, almost ignored.
The food of the troops was, each day, one ration for
every soldier. The different articles forming the ration,
and their amount, are regulated by act of Congress.
In the food given an army, too much sameness is always
the great fault. It caused much dissatisfaction in the
army of the Potomac. Though each soldier received as
much as lie could eat, yet day after day he would be compelled to take the four or five old things he had eaten for
a year. It naturally caused discontent and grumbling.
These rations are always drawn from the subsistence
department.  Orders are sent by the general officers to
each regiment, commanding that requisitions be made
for one, two, three, or four days' rations, the number
of days varying according to the length of contemplated marches and the supply on hand at the issuin'depots.  These requisitions, after being approved by
the commander of the brigade, are taken to the brigadecommissary, who delivers the food, which is carried to
the regimental commissary tent and there issued to the
various companies.  The articles served to the troops
are, for each day's ration, either salt pork, or salt
beef or fresh beef, first one and then the other beiung
issued (after the commencement of the siege, fresh
beef was issued every day); pilot-bread; desiccated
vecgetables or beans; flour or corn-meal; coffee or tea;
sugar, molasses, salt, vinegar, and pepper.  Desiceate-d
vegetables were thin plates composed of all sorts of
vegetables, potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, squaslhes,
parsnips, &c., which were prepared by being first cut
into small pieces, and then compressed by an enormous




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.              57
prnossure into a hard, thin plate, entirely devoid of
moisture.  These were intended to be made into soup,
but usually produced a substance of so sickening a
character that the soldiers loathed it. Yet the surgeons considered it so very healthy that orders were
issued forcing the men to eat.  After the arrival of the
arnmy upon the James Liver, this mixture was discarded, and fresh vegetables issued in its stead.
In addition to the above, after the hard work of the
siegke had commenced, a ration of whiskey of one gill
daily for each man was served out.  From  fifteen to
twenty-five gallons, the amount varying with the numnber of soldiers, was each regiment's daily allowance.
The delivery of a ration of whiskey to a company was
irresistibly comic. The orders were, a half-gill morning and evening; and so soon as the whiskey-carrieror, as he was universally called, the"jigger-boss"-came
with the precious beverage, the whole company would
flock around him, and, the captain superintending, each
man received his allowance and drank it with extreme
gusto, expressing his enjoyment in all sorts of lively
ways.  The troops were always on the look-out for
whiskey, and in some cases they have paid smugglers
as high as seven dollars a pint for it.  When the commissary-wagon went around to the various companies in
a regiment to deliver stores, there was always a universal cry for whiskey, and, if there happened to be
none, the waoon and its attendants were saluted with
groanis.  Whiskey seemed to be the object all were
striving for; but the provost-guard did its duty so well
that there was rarely any drunkenness in the army.*
* In such statements as the one contained in this last sentence,
the author, of course, refers only to the time he was with the army.




68           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Each company's cooking was superintended by one
of its sergeants, who also drew its rations,-the four sergeants, in most cases, relieving each other at intervals.
A detail of one or two men from the company assisted.
These men would procure fire-wood, for which they
had recourse to the neighboring worm fences, or, if
fence-rail stealing was forbidden, they went to the
woods and cut green timber.  Trees a foot in diameter
have often been felled to procure a half-dozen sticks of
small-sized wood from the upper end; and a new tree
was usually taken to supply the fire for preparingi
every meal. Pine and red and white cedar were the
species of wood taken.  The sticks, when carried to
camp, were laid in a long, narrow pile and kindled. A
cross-piece set upon two forked stakes, so soon as the
fire was started, supported the four or five long black
three-gallon  camp-kettles in which each meal was
cooked. One contained coffee or tea, another salt meat,
a third fresh meat, a fourth bean soup or soup made
from the desiccated vegetables, and the fifth-if there
was a fifth-boiling water, or salt pork, or something
else which the company had been fortunate enough to
procure. The cooks worried over these kettles, roasting themselves and sometimes spoiling the food, until
in their opinion each article was ready for eating.
Then the sergeant would cry, with a loud voice, "Company A, fall in for soup," or, "Company B, hot coffee,"
or any other expression but the customary ones of
breakfast, dinner, and supper, and the men, as hungry
as wolves, would quickly fall into line, each with his tin
cup and plate.
The coffee, soup, andl meat were then served out,
every one getting as muchl as he could eat. Previously




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             59
to the announcement of the meal, sugar is generally
stirred into the coffee-kettle, thus saving any trouble
about teaspoons. The men eat in messes, sharing their
victuals freely not only among themselves but with
strangers. Extra plates could always be had by laying
down as many pilot-crackers as were needed.  MAeat
could be easily cut upon them, and the only way of eating them with any satisfaction was by first soaking
them in coffee. The mess at a meal was usually the
party who joined tent-cloths.
The food issued to the troops was very wholesome,
but, as the same four or five articles were placed before
them day after day, they would become surfeited, and,
in the anxiety for a change, spend their money at sutlers' stores for unhealthy pies and  cakes, mouldy
crackers, and expensive sauces and spices. It was a
common circumstance for a man to spend four or five
dollars for a jar of mustard or catsup or Worcestershire sauce. There was always a great demand for
these things, and prices ruled high. The sutlers' wagons and tents were filled with them. Sweet cakes,
sodden pies, and candy were the great bane of the
army. Such things were the staples of a sutler's
stock, and from their sale he made his largest profits.
Precept and example were used-uselessly, howeverto prevail upon the troops to relinquish their unhealthy
and expensive habits. They ate and sickened, and the
sutler would thrive.
The cooking for each officer was done by his servant,
who was either a negro or one of the soldiers, and he
also purchased upon the officer's orders the requisite
supplies of food from the commissaries.
Upon forming a new encampment, the search for
6




60           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
water was always the first exploration of the immediate
neighborhood. Water for cdrinking, cooking, and washing was used by gallons, and every one interested in
either started off to find it.  Sometimes a hundred
went, each with a canteen to bring back a drink for his
friends. The soldier was always generous. The searching parties would go down into every hollow place,
and trace up and down every stream, carefully scanning the banks on either side, to find all hidden springs.
The Peninsula between White House and the Chickahominy was full of springs and brooks. The neighborhood of that river, however, was found to be different.
Running through a swamp, of necessity every tributary stream would be absorbed long before it reached
the main channel, and although there were hills in
plenty bordering the swamp, yet scarcely a spring could
be found. At an encampment, water was usually found
in sufficient quantities to supply all. Sometimes it was
taken from a single spring, sometimes from several, all
of which had boxes or barrels sunk in them  to keep
out the dirt, and each one being guarded by a sentinel
to keep thoughtless fellows from washing their clothes
there. The kind of water procured was seldom very
good. A fine white mud, in most cases, boiled up with
it out of the spring, coloring it quite perceptibly and
imparting a bad taste.  The nearer Richmond, the
worse was the water and the harder to get at. An
adequate supply of water is every thing to an army;
and one of the greatest of the soldier's troubles in Virginia was his inability to procure it good, clear, and
cool.
The clothing of the troops was usually in pretty good
condition, though stains and patches showed some rough




TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            61
usage. The suits worn during the siege had been the
soldiers' constant wearing-apparel during the previous
year, and in them the men had wintered opposite Manassas and besieged Yorktown. All had seen hard service; and yet, after passing through it, scarcely a man
was ragged, and the rags were generally at the pantaloon-ends, where constant rubbing over the rough and
sharp-edged shoes would soon wear the stoutest fabric
into holes. The under-clothing and stockings were
always good. The Government, througch the agency of
the Quartermaster's department, issues to each man
twice a year what is styled a ration of clothing.  If
carefully preserved, this ration will be an ample supply,
and in some cases more than the soldier will require:
the value of any articles not drawn is placed to his
credit on the pay-roll, but, if more than the allowance
is drawn, the extra articles are charged to him and
deducted from his next payment.  The careless and
imlprovident —those who when on marches throw away
their clothing, thinking the loss of the pound or two left
on the roadside materially lightens the burden they
have to carry —are the ones who need and draw more
than the Government ration, and, when the paymaster
visits them, are always astonished at the amount which
must be deducted.
The universal color for the uniforms of all arms of the
service is a dark blue, with yellow cords on the seams
for cavalry, and red for artillery.  The Rebel uniform
was generally an iron-gray, the color of the homespun cloth of which nearly all their clothes seemed to
be made. Rebel field and company officers wore the
same clothing as their men, stars upon the lappel indicating rank in the first, and bars upon the shoulders in




62           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
the other. Federal and Confederate general officers
seemed to dress with about equal taste and style, the
uniforms being somewhat alike in shape.
"To police a camp" —a term of daily usein the army
-is to send a party through it to collect all the dirt and
garbage and burn or bury it. This was the great conservator of health, because upon the cleanliness of the
camp depended very much the purity of the atmosphere
the men were breathing. The commander of a regiitent, so far as its internal affairs were concerned,
always had the health of his troops in his own keeping.
A  careful man would superintend the cooking, and
have all the remnants, whose decay otherwise impregnated the air with noxious gases, instantly removed.
A slovenly officer was different. In his regiment the
cooks regulated themselves, and, if any one threw out
garbage, it lay where he threw it until by decaying it
removed itself. Happily for the service, however, a
colonel was very rarely found who was careless of the
health and comfort of his men.
To personal cleanliness the troops were quite attentive, the lack of large streams interfering very slightly
with the regularity of their ablutions. Every stream
of any size was always filled with swimmers, and little
brooks would be constantly lined with bathers. Every
man in the army washed his own clothes, the Governmental provision for "two washerwomen to each company" not appearing to apply to the army of the
Potomac. Of course there was some good washing
done, and a great deal of very bad; but the strenuous
efforts of all to learn the mystic art of combining soapsuds and friction in such proportions as to extract dirt
deserved the highest commendation.  Some earnest




TI-E SIEGE OFl' ICIIMOND.             63
washers made themselves wash-boards, which they carried about, but no one was able to manufacture a tub.
To nearly all, the muddy banks of some Virginia stream
would be not only tub but wash-board, and, half kneeling, half sitting, they would for hours rub and scrub at
a stubborn subject, rendered more intractable by their
inadequate materials.  Yet all managed to wear clean
clothes, and have a stock on hand for an emergency.
Many of the officers and soldiers sickened from the
unhealthy country in which they sojourned, and the
exposure they necessarily encountered.  These cases
were mostly confined to a very few diseases.  Rheumatisrn troubled some, but fevers were the almost universal maladies, typhus and typhoid holding the principal
sway.  Typhus is the proper name for camp-fcver, shipfever, jail-ifever, and others arising  among people of
uncleanly habits when crowded together in unhealthy
or confined places.  It is the great scourge of military
life; and one of our most respected rmedical writers has
said that "it dogs the footstqps of retreating and discomfited armies and  settles in their tents."  It is
strange, but none the less true, that defeat and low
spirits have equally as much to do with causing typhus
as dampness or dilt.  A retreating army, or one which
when lying in trenches or in camp constantly "feeleth
that hope deferred which  maketh the heart sick,"
always has the greater part of its sickness caused by
typhus.  Great nervous depression is its characteristic,
and the patient friequently dies from the inability of his
system to react.  Typhoid is of the opposite type.  Inflammation and delirium, with all the exhibitions of the
wildest insanity, torment tile poor soldier whose body
is a prey to this terrlible disease.  He rushes to battle,
54,




64           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
commands an army, defeats the enemy, flies from the
foe, shouts for help, drills his company, and clutches at
some terrible imagination, all at the same moment. A
hospital filled with typhoid and typhus patients is a
harrowing sight. The dull, inanimate stupor of the
one, and the fearful, uncontrollable excitement of the
other, both appal us.
The gnawing of home-sickness, too, is a cause of illness in the army. Few will believe it, but many cases
have been caused by this sad mental ailment. The
most marked cases of this the author ever saw were
at an army hospital at Quincy, Illinois. The surgeon
pointed out two men who had been in the hospital there
for months: home-sickness was their only trouble. It
had unfitted them for every camp-duty; and, so weak
that they could scarcely walk, and so depressed that
they ruminated only upon home, home, they had been
sent to the hospital. The surgeon stated that there
was but one cure, and it would be almost instantaneous
in its effect. If he could give them the joyful news that
they were to be sent home,weakness, depression, all would
leave them, and they would in a few days walk about,
strong, healthy men. Another man had been sent to
hospital with these two, and for the same cause; but
his agony was too terrible: he succumbed to it, and
his body now lies under a green sod upon the banks of
the Mississippi.
Of course, many soldiers feigned sickness to avoid
the disagreeable and dangerous duties of military life;
and it depended upon the shrewdness and tact of the
surgeons to hunt out these dissemblers. They generally were successful; and "shamming" became quite
an unprofitable business.  A surgeon of a year's ex



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            65
perience of the constitutions and characters of the
soldiers in the regiment to which he was attached,
rarely was deceived by unsteady walking, whines, or
groans.
A sick man in a regiment, so soon as discovered,
would be reported "sick" by the surgeons and sent
to the regimental hospital. If this hospital was in the
camp, it would be the tent referred to upon a previous
page of this chapter; but sometimes, especially when
the army became settled, it was a deserted house near
the camp. These hospitals in many cases were kept
in a most slovenly manner, and a man or two from the
regiment detailed to nurse the sick would take charge
of them. General hospitals were also established at
various points, to which sick were sent from these when
they were too full, or when the malignity of the disease was such as to need carefill treatment.  White
House was a general hospital; and so were Savage
and Fair Oaks Stations, upon the Richmond & York
River Railroad. From these large hospitals many
patients were sent to the North for treatment.  Very
little comfort was found in any of these hospitals, and
the soldiers' hatred for the whole of them was most
intense.
Soldiers in camp usually appeared very well and very
cheerful. Of course, under so hot a sun as the one
which darted his rays upon Virginia, laziness throve
amazingly. The troops, however, contentedly performed
all required of them. "Poker" was the infallible timekiller, and, much to the disgust of the chaplains, was
indulged in to an astonishing extent. The men always
had a kind word for a visitor.  Ignorance, however, of
what was passing around them, and of things which




66           TTIE SIEGE OF RICITMOND.
were daily brought to their notice, strangely enough
seemed to be universal among the common soldiers.
Ask them  the simplest questions, and they would
answer negatively, or, Yankee-like, with another.
"What regiment do you belong to?"
"Thirty-first New York."
"Well, where's your brigadier-general's head-quarters?"
"I don't know; but look a-here, is there ary a sutler over your way?"
A private soldier seldom had more than two questions to ask a stranger,-where his regiment lay, and
where was the nearest sutler.  EIe scarcely ever answered any, because he did not know how.
About one-half of the regiments of the army had
fine bands of music, enlisted before the law was passed
prohibiting.the future enlistment of regimental bands.
Each band consisted of one principal musician, ranking
as first lieutenant, twenty players, two enlisted with
each company, and a drum-corps of ten boys, one from
each company.  There was always an abundance of
mUsiC, especially upon the pleasant evenings, when
every band in the army would play its sweetest notes.
As Richmond was approached, however, band-playing
was prohibited, as it indicated the Federal force and
position to the enemy.  Glee-clubs, some of them containing admirable singers, then were formed, each one
enlivening the monotony of its neighborhood.  The
army always had an abundalnce of vocal and instrumental music, and it was one of the most useful enjoyments allowed the troops.  It cheered them, and gave
renewed health and spirits.  Many a man owed his
fieedom from sickness to his regimental band or regi



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            67
mental glee-club. They were a better sanitary commission than the medical department.
A corps of pioneers, usually containing ten men, was
also attached to every regiment.  These men, on
marches, cleared the roads of obstructions, and mended
bridges and impassable places. In battle they were of
great use,-opening passages, obstructing roads, break.
ing down bridges, and throwing every possible obstacle
into the way of the enemy's advance. They worked
hard, and often in most dangerous places. Better
woodmen than the pioneers of the army, America never
produced.
By military law, a sutler is allowed to each regiment,
being appointed by the colonel. Many regiments, however, had no sutlers, they either having been sent away
for malpractice, or the colonel refusing to name any.
No position in the army could have been made more
useful, and was at the same time more abused, than that
of the sutler. Congress, at the solicitation of Hon.
Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, recently passed a law
stating the list of articles sutlers would be permitted
to sell, and prescribing the regulations under which
they were to transact their business: so that the sutler
acts as it were by legislative sanction.  These men
took their stocks of goods to White House by authority
of clearances granted at some Northern port, and made
oath that they only brought such articles as were
allowed by law. When the sutler reached the camp,
he erected his tent, and the United States guaranteed
him payment for goods purchased by the troops to the
amount of one-third of their pay. This he collected
as the troops were paid, and, in case of a dispute, the




68           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
account, verified by oath, could be collected from the
paymaster.
If a regiment so decided, a tax of ten cents per
month for each officer and soldier contained in it could
be collected from the sutler. This would average some
sixty or seventy dollars.  When collected, the money
is made up into a fund for the support of a band, the
education of children born in the regiment, and to stock
a library. It was very seldom collected in the volunteer
service, though there was full authority for doing so.
Very few sutlers charged what may be called reasonable prices for their goods.  Five times as much as the
worth of an article was the usual charge for it. Even at
this exorbitant rate they disposed of their stocks in an
exceedingly short time.  A sutler arriving at camp
early in the morning with five thousand dollars' (at the
selling-price) worth of goods, by noon will have sold
three-fourths of it, and before sunset will have nothing
left but that dead stock which is the loss of every store.
Some sutlers brought their stocks, disposed of them,
and then went North to invest their profits and purchase a second.  Others remained constantly with the
army, having wagons running back and forth to White
House to transport the new supplies their assistants
brought there.
These men, taking advantage of the monopoly they
enjoyed, acted most unjustly toward the troops. There
were a hundred little articles needed by the soldier and
not furnished by the Government which he purchased
of the sutler. There being no competition, he could
not go from one to another and buy of the cheapest,
but was forced to pay the price asked, and in many
cases procure a most indifferent article. A few of these




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.              6~
prices will astonish the cheap buyers and sellers of the
NTorth.  Penny gingerbreads were from twenty-five to
thirty cents a dozen. The poorest crackers brought
twenty-five cents a pound. Four-cent sodden pies commanded twenty-five and thirty cents. Emery and sandpaper and sweet-oil, extensively used for cleansing muskets and accoutrements, sold for ten times their price in
the North.  Lemons, so poor that they would be dear
if given away, were sixty cents a dozen. A pound of
cooking-soda sold for thirty cents. Twenty cents was
the lowest price for an eighth of a gill of ink. If a
generous officer wished to "treat" a friend, he had to
pay dearly for the privilege.  Fifty cents paid for two
glasses of porter or ale, provided he furnished his own
glassware and drew his own cork.  Forty cents would
buy two glasses of beer. If he wished to take lighter
stimulants and had a piece of ice to cool it, fifty cents
would pay for two glasses of soda-water. Two mintjuleps were sold for a dollar and a half. A bottle of
brandy cost from five to ten dollars; and then it was
only sold to favored ones, who procured it after as
much diplomacy and red tape as were required to
secure a public appointment. None of these liquors
were ever sold to the privates.
These high charges were nearly all profit.  It costs
but little more to take a stock of goods to the army
than it does a country storekeeper to transport his
from a commercial centre. One of these sutlers, whose
prices endorsed the statement, told the author that
from one-half to two-thirds more than Northern rates
would amply pay for any sutler's risk and trouble.
Two-thirds at least of the prices usually charged in
the army were profit, and were transferred from the




70           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
scant purse of the soldier to the greedy maw of the
sutler. Such being the case, it was seldom that the
sutlers had the good will of the troops. All sorts of
difficulties were thrown in their way, and an accident
happening to any one in the business was hailed with
universal delight. A tariff of prices of articles sold
should be established by law, and every sutler made to
conform to it.
In their journeying to and from White House, the
sutlers suffered some risk of capture by the enemy,
-though, even considering this risk, an advance of
seventy-five per cent. has been acknowledged by the
more honest of them to give both insurance and profit. When Stewart's cavalry raid, on June 11, crossed
the White House road, it encountered a heavily-laden
sutler's wagon. The enemy took the horses, drank the
liquors, carried off a lot of shoes the sutler had, and
then spilled the remainder of his stock by the roadside.
The sutler who carried on his monopoly at General
McClellan's head-quarters, afraid his wagon could not
keep up with the others in the great march to the
James River, threw every thing out as it drove along,
a hundred soldiers scrambling after to pick up the
broken pieces. Sutlers at White House were always
in a most unenviable state of mind. All sorts of stories of reverses to the army in advance constantly
reached them, and they were terribly afraid they would
lose the trash they expected to sell at so high a rate.
Stewart's raid capped the climax. After that the
slightest rumor hurried them on board the boats, and,
until the great destruction, their goods were daily afloat
and ashore. The breaking up of the United States post
at White House upon June 27 caused the financial




TIlE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.          71
ruin of nearly all. The sutlers were a wretched class
of swindlers, and well deserved all their troubles.
Usually, each regiment kept its horses and wagons
to the rear of its camp, but upon the approach of the
Federal army to the enemy, the teams of a brigade or
division were parked. A safe spot would be selected
always, under shade if possible, and the wagons and
horses were kept there in a mass. If the wagons
were needed as a protection against threatened attacks
of the enemy, they would be arranged in long rows in
front of the Federal position, the horses being taken to
the rear.  Teamsters and ambulance-drivers were detailed from the companies for six months at a time, and
received extra pay. The teamsters of the army were
often very rude and brutal, cruel and rough to their
horses, and always in a bad humor with every one.
They were decidedly the most profane body of men in
the whole army.
For forage the Government served out hay, oats, corn,
and salt; but hay and oats could not half the time be
had. Heavy contributions were levied upon the farms
and inhabitants.  From Asllland, north of Richmond,
to White House east of it, and indeed in every direction, so far as foraging-parties dared to go, every bushel
of. grain, every ox or steer, horse or mule, was seized
and confiscated. For twenty miles square, the country
has been deprived of every thing which will sustain
life. Corn shelled and on the ear, oats, and sometimes
wheat, were brought into camp by wagon-loads, and,
when they were exhausted, wheat and oat straw were
cut from the growing fields and fed to the horses.
Good pasture offered in many cases, and was always
eagerly sought after and quickly cropped close to the
7




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
ground: indeed, horses were often pastured in fields of
standing wheat and oats.
With all the care and attention that could be given
them, thousands of horses sickened and died.  Corn
when fed alone was their great bane, and although
strenuous efforts were made to avoid it, yet when all
other forage was exhausted it had to be fed to keep
the animals from starving, and under its influence they
soon sickened.  There was sometimes much trouble in
procuring  adequate  supplies of forage.  Artillery
horses, however, were always well fed and sleek-looking.  As was proper, the stock of hay and oats was
given them first, and very few ever died. To kill an
artillery horse is in effect to disable a cannon: so all of
them were kept in the best condition. Cavalry horses
fared no better than regimental ones: both were treated
alike.
It was the duty of the provost-guard to catch and
send to the public herds every branded horse or mule
found straying. They also did the same with animals
having soldiers riding them without authority.  Stray
horses and mules were constant visitors at regimental
encampments, and were taken possession of by the
quartermaster. So many teams were disabled from
the horses having died or sickened, that such voluntary
gifts were unusually acceptable. The provost-guard
seldom recovered them if they were good for any thing,
as they could readily be passed off for old horses, especially if any were dead.
A brigade blacksmith-shop was established in every
brigade wagon-park, and at it all the public and private horses of the brigade were shod.  Mechanics also




TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMIOND.           73
performed there any smith-work needed about the
cannon or small arms.
Contratbands swarmed in all p)arts of the army, and
roamed about the country in droves.  Squads of runaways were gathered on all the marches, and at every
halt where a plantation was camped upon, the negroes
would be attracted by the music and tinsel and travel
off with the Union army.  The supply of contrabands
far exceeded the demand. They were employed in the
greatest numbers in the power of the authorities; but
still hundreds, either from choice or lecessity, prowled
about, subsisting by charity and thieving, seen one day
and disappearing the next, and some of them, no doubt,
acting as spies for the enemy.'The subsistence department gave employment to great numblers, and its officers generally gave a -very poor report of the workingpowers of the newly-liberated slaves. ]Mkany were
taken for officers' servants and company cooks, but
very often the runaways from one master became runaways from another.  Of course, in many cases, the
negroes wvorked well: if they did, they were always
kept in their places, and good servants, being such a
rarity, were well taken care of.
These negroes were a most amusing set of people,
and the soldiers plagued them terri1bly to get more fun
out of tlhem. They would catch a little negro, and give
him something to eat, and then ask hilm all sorts of absurdc questions, such as, " What relation are you to Jeff
Davis's coachman?" or, " What did General Johnston
say to you when you saw him last?"  Then they would
ask the poor fellow if he was not a "Secesh," to which
he would q(uickly answer, "No, sah," when some one
would aulgrily start up, declare that he was, say that




74          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
he had seen him talking to Rebels, and telling them
that he was as big a Rebel as any of them; or, taking
the subject in a different way, would argue Secession
up and Union down, until the young African was completely befogged. This was a process through which
nearly every negro boy entering the camps was made
to pass. He would at first stoutly deny that he was a
Rebel; but the truth became so strong from dozens of
bystanders, who had all seen him in Richmond, or Secession was supported so well by its newly-found admirers,
that the youngster would forget every thing in his
fright at being found out, or his joy at discovering
such good Rebels in the Union army, and at last confess
" dat he were a Rebel, anyhow."  Shouts of laughter,
however, would soon bring him to his senses and good
Union principles.
Old negroes never were treated in this way; but
quite as much amusement was had from them by what
may be called attempts at astonishing,-attempts which
were usually successful. No richer scene ever was
witnessed in the army than that which took place between a group of officers and an old gray-headed negro
in a camp at Mechanicsville. The man had somehow introduced himself into the party, and happened
to state," Dar be right smart o' men round hyar, but I dunno'bout dar bein' able for to take Richmond."
"Right smart of men!" said a colonel; "right smart
of men! why, this is only a flea-bite to what's coming
to eat up the Rebel army. Why, they're coming on all
sides, just like locusts. Here's McClellan with half a
million down around here" (waving his hand about
him); "and there's Burnside down there, coming up




THE SIEGE OF LICHMONID.          f75
from Carolina with a hundred thousand more; and
General Banks up there, coming down with two hundred thousand more; and General Sigel, with two hundred thousand more; and General Fremont, with a
hundred thousand more, all up there; and General
McDowell out here, coming along with so many thousand that he can't count them; and every one of them
will be here in less than a week!"
As the list of generals, with their imaginary armies,
was run over, the old fellow opened his eyes wider
and wider, expressing the most unfeigned astonishment;
and when the colonel was through he gazed intently in
his face and asked," Got all dem men?"
Which was promptly answered, "Yes;" when he
slowly rolled up his eyes, and, throwing out his arms,
ejaculated," Jesus an' de Lamrb!"
That negro was the victim, of the game of astonishment.
Wandering negroes were usually treated in this
playful manner, it being very rarely that they were
quarrelled with or in any way maltreated. Those in
Government or private employ were never molested.
The troops had a peculiar opinion about the race generally: they were in favor of freeing the slaves and of
enlisting negro regiments, but they wanted none of
these regiments to fight side by side with them. Send
such soldiers to Port Roytal or anywhere else but the
army of the Potomac, and the troops would.cheer them
on with a will, but if negro regiments were brigaded
with them they said they would almost mutiny. This
was the universal sentiment, and the officers endorsed




76  THE SIEGE OF PIICHiMOND.
it, —excepting the mutiny. Their remedy they did not
tell, but they were strenuously opposed to brigading
whites and blaclks together.
There were very few restrictions placed upon the
soldiers whilst off duty. The principal one was against
roaming outside of their camps. The stragglers were
picked up and sent to the guard-houses by the provostguard. Those holding passes, however, never had any
trouble. A pass would state that its bearer was going
to some camp, or house, or hospital, or wherever he
might be sent, and had leave of absence for a certain
length of time. They were granted by the captain of
the soldier's company, and approved by its colonel.
These secured their possessors within the prescribed
limits of the journey, until the time had expired.
A restriction upon marauding also bound the army.
Although foraging was ordered and carried on to the
utmost extent, yet good discipline required that it
should be by authorized persons. Any one going out
and taking goods from friend or foe without having the
authority to do so, was regarded as a common thief,
and so punished.  So were all persons who bought or
took from the first party any thing which had been
thus stolen, knowin(g it to have been wrongfully appropriated.  Foraging was to be for the benefit of the
whole army, and all things thus procured were to be
placed in thle public stores. Violations of this rule, if
allowed, would have converted the army in time from
a body of brave soldiers into an undisciplined horde of
indiscriminate plunderers. Stealing from  the poor,
who, perhaps, had nothing to look forward to after
their scant stock of food was exhausted, and who were
usually defenceless widows living upon their acre of




THE SIEGE OP RICHrMOND.            77
land in a wretched log hut, was also prohibited.  To
steal a chicken or an egg did very little good to any
one, yet it took the last morsel out of the mouths of a
hungry family.  Upon large plantations belonging to
Secessionists, no guards were ever placed, and but five
mansion-houses were guarded during all the march
across the peninsula.  One was White House, at the
time General McClellan's head-quarters; another was
Dr. Gaines's house, employed as a prison for spies and
doubtful inhabitants; another was HIuger's, at the time
General Hancock's head-quarters; a fourth was the
large house at Savage Station employed for a hospital;
and the fifth the residence of a Union man near Turkey
Bend, whose owner had been long ago driven from his
home onl account of hlis opinions, an1d who went across
the Peninsula with General SMcClellan to see once more
the house which had not known him for over a year.
All the other large houses, out of which every thing
valuable had generally been removed by their fleeing
occupants, were unguarded and left to be ransacked by
the troops,-though what enjoyment it was to them to
break furniture and crack window-glass, few had the
good fortune to see. Mechanicsville was first battered
to pieces by Federal and Rebel'shells, and then had a
greater part of the woodwork torn from the rickety
houses to form floors for the soldiers' tents.  The only
tenable house'in it, like every other one convenient to
the army, was used as a hospital. The only property
and plantations guarded were those known to be owned
by Union men,-men like John AL. Botts, who fought
the monster until it defeated him, and then was imprisolled. These plantations, like the others, were deserted, but their owners were pining in Southern dun



78           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
geons, not leading an enemy's forces; and even the
troops, knowing upon whose property they were encamped, refrained from doing it any injury. The house
of a former citizen of Maine was protected in this
manner, and all felt a respect for its maltreated owner.
Such protection even the most devoted advocate of confiscation will tolerate. Yet, in foraging, these men's
property was taken when grain could not be procured
elsewhere. It was their misfortune, for they lived in
an enemy's country.
Upon the 29th of May, an officer was dishonorably
dismissed for receiving stolen property, knowing it to
have been stolen. A copy of the order dismissing him
will show the court-martial procedure, and the punishment for such an offence:"General Orders, No. 132.
" I. Before a military commission, of which Colonel D. B.
Sackett, Inspector-General United States Army, is President, convened by virtue of special orders No. 144, from
these head-quarters, of May 10, 1862, was arraigned and
tried Captain John Brown, Company H, 85th Regiment
New York Volunteers, on the following charge and specification:
"Charge-Receiving stolen goods, knowing the same to
be stolen.
"Specification-In this, that he, Captain John Brown,
Company H, 85th Regiment N ew York Volunteers, did
purchase for the sum of ten dollars, from a marauder, a
mule, and did receive and take the said mule into his own
possession, knowing the same to have been stolen by the
satid marauder. This, on or about the 10th day of May,
1862, near Roper's Meeting-House, Va.
"Plea-Not guilty.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.               79
"After mature deliberation on the testimony adduced,
the commission found the accused as follows:"Of the specification-guilty.
"Of the charge-guilty.
"And thereupon did sentence the said Captain John
Brown, of Company H, 85th Regiment New York Volunteers,'To be dishonorably dismissed from  the service
of the United States, and to be confined at hard labor for
the term of three years in the Penitentiary of the District
of Columbia, Washington City.'
"II. The proceedings and sentence in the case of Captain
John Brown, 85th Regiment New York Volunteers, are
confirmed. He accordingly ceases from this date to be an
officer in the military service of the United States, and will
be sent under guard to the United States Penitentiary for
the District of Columbia, and delivered to the warden,
with a copy of this order.
"III. The military commission, of which Colonel D. B.
Sackett, Inspector-General, is President, is dissolved.
"By command of Major-General MCCLELLAN.
"S. WILLIAMS, Acljutant-General.'
The army had had so much drilling whilst lying in
front of Washington, that, with the exception of the
bayonet exercise, practice in the manual of arms and
battalion drills were generally dispensed with.  Dress
parades at receptions and inspections were, of course,
in vogue, but, Wvith the exception of these parades on
rare occasions, there was nothing to divert the attention of the troops from the siege.  Unnecessary drill
would needlessly fatigue them, and the battles and
sklirmnishes they fought conclusively proved that they
twere sufficiently versed in military knowledge to be
a fair match for the enemy. In like manner, no un



80          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
necessary labor was imposed upon them,-no grand
reviews or objectless marches, no frequent changing
of camps to suit the whims of generals. Firm  opposition was always made to every such procedure by
the higher officers with whom it lay to order marches
and reviews, and the foolish projects were usually
given up. Knowing, as the troops did, that they were
carefully shielded from all unnecessary work, they performed the duties required of them, however arduous,
with the greatest alacrity. The longest marches would
be made, the hardest picket tours watched, and the
most laborious wood-chopp-ings performed, without a
sound of dissent. The army was well disciplined, and
its officers knew how to keep that discipline and the
spirits of the men up to the highest pitch.
During Alay and June there were several visits of
distinguished men to the army. Upon May 14, Secretaries Seward and Welles made a trip to Cumberland. They were most hospitably received by General
McClellan, and as the troops were all encamped together,
upon a vast plain, under his escort they passed on
horseback through the camps. Each regiment was
paraded, and cheered them,-an honor which they
acknowledged by bows, and sometimes by a few words
from Mlr. Seward. The regular troops cheered them
with great glee,-it being the first occasion of the kind
upon which they were known to loosen their tongues,
as they reserve all their shouts for the battle-field.
The Secretaries went down the river on the following
day, much pleased with their visit.
From the Sth to the 10th of June, the Spanish General Prim was the cominander-in-cliief's guest. Being
an eminent military dignitary, he was, of course,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            81
hloorecd with reviews of all arms of the service, and
also with one of a section of a battery in action against
the enemy. He spent his time very busily, visiting all
parts of the army, and viewing the enemy's defences
(Richmold was at that time besieged) from all points.
He said that he was much gratified with the hospitality
shown him, and paid the highest tributes to General
McClellan's military genius.
Congressmen visited the army frequently, and always
were shown the greatest consideration and given every
facility for observation. Gentlemen without rank or
official position, having the requisite passes, were
treated politely, and given all information which could
be given, to aid them in accomplishing the thousand
errands which brought them to the battle-fields. Casual
visitors might tell at home what stories they pleased:
if they were gentlemen, they were received as such by
an army of true soldiers; if they were not, their treatment was according to their merits.
In their opinions and feelings the troops were much
like other men. They disliked negroes and Rebels,
and were confident of defeating the enemy in every
battle, and of capturing Richmond at an early date.
Each officer and man had his plan for its seizure,some good, some bad, and some most absurd. So prevalent was the fashion, that, rather than have no
plan, a soldier would propose a nonsensical one. The
troops had most decided opinions about every thing,
even down to the exact amount of coffee a tin mug
would hold. The army was the most inveterate set of
arguers and boasters one need ever be thrown among.
Their arguments, however, were usually a mixture of
assertions and bets, and, with many, a contradiction




82          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
was sure to bring the discussion to the great point of
honor,-" Do you mean to say I lie?"-a course which
ends all argument and commences something more
serious.
For these reasons, military men, unless.they had
mixed much with other than military society, were not
very pleasant companions to a civilian. They usually
talked but one style,-the style militaire; and among
ignorant subalterns it was in a strain of the most
vulgar braggadocio. Such habits, growing upon them
for the whole time they were in the army, of course,
would produce jealousies and social schisms. It has
done so in every army, and did so in this; and officers
of the same State, or brigade, or regiment, would cling
together and speak harshly of their brethren.  The
soldiers imitated their officers, of course. Army-jealousy is a terrible vice.
Amid all this Babel of opinion and argument, however, there was one sentiment in which the whole of
the army, officers and men, agreed. All had the firmest
confidence in their commander-in-chief, and expressed
it upon every occasion in the plainest terms. The
generals approved of his plans, and the troops, if he
ordered it, would cheerfully incur the greatest perils.
That confidence seemed as if it could not be shaken:
every victory strengthened it; not a disaster impaired
it. The enemy even breathed the infection, and, in
their fear of McClellan, became bewildered in their
movements, and expressed the most marked discontent
with the conduct of the war.
In the army of the Potomac there were two species




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            83
of marching employed,-in "heavy marching-order,"
and in "'light marching-order."  The former meant
that the troops were to carry all they possessed with
them; the other was to march with only the musket,
ammunition, haversack, and canteen, thus being in
trim for working or fighting. Every order to march
specified one or the other manner. For heavy marches,
two or three hours' notice were usually given, so that
time might be had for preparation; light marches,
unless to picket, were generally to be commenced on
the instant. Another style of order, always implying
light marching-order, was sometimes made. This was
"to be held in readiness to march at five minutes'
notice."  Such an order as this was given when an
engagement was in progress or anticipated, and the
soldiers stood in line behind their musket-stacks until
the order was rescinded or they were marched off in
accordance with it.
In a heavy march to a new camp, the generals of
division and brigade would first arrange the order of
the brigades and artillery in the line of march, and
next the order of the regiments of each brigade. This
would all be specified in the official order commanding
the march, and every part of the whole would be able
to, and usually did, fall into its proper place in the line,
without confusion.  The division general and staff
preceded the division, and each brigadier and staff
rode at the head of his brigade. Artillery rolled along
in regular order-cannon, caisson, forge and ammunition wagon-to the end of their line. A regiment
marched in the following manner: first the adjutant;
then the pioneers; then the band and drum-corps;
then the colonel and lieutenant-colonel; then the regi8




84          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
ment, each man with his knalpsack, halversack, canteen,
and arms; and, bringing up the rear, the major, chaplain, and two surgeons, and, on foot, the hospital-knapsack-carrier.  The colonel and adjutant sometimes
exchanged places, however.
When these marches commenced, the men would be
in regular military order, four abreast; but the first
half-mile usually broke up all regularity.  The men
before they had walked that distance would become
dispersed all over the road, some walking along the
banks and others in the ditches: a squad straggling
along the centre would be all the orderly part of the
regiment. Some ran down into gullies to search for
water, and others started off to see curiosities.  Many
on long marches became exhausted by fatigue, and lay
down under the trees to rest. In warm weather these
marches-if prolonged to six or eight miles-were
most trying. The suffering for water was usually the
greatest trouble,-men carrying such heavy burdens as
the soldiers requiring a great deal, and good water
in any quantity being rarely discovered.  Several
halts of an hour or half-hour each were made in these
marches, to allow the men to unsling knapsacks and
rest or search for water, and to give the stragglers
time to come up. The wagon-trains of each regiment
followed at the rear of the division in the same order
as the regiments marched.  Each regimental quartermaster and quartermaster-sergeant attended the teams
of his regiment.
A march to battle would be made in light marchingorder, the men four abreast, and generally on the
double quick. The men were held under strict discipline during such marches. The march from the field,




TIiE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.          85
however, was far different. If a victory had been
gained, the men would cheer and talk, and the officers
imposed no restraint. If a defeat had been suffered,
angry arguments about its cause would foreshadow the
disaster long before they reached the camp. A march
to picket was in light marching-order, and at common
or quick time, and, when the picket tour was approached,
it was conducted with great care and quietness. Homeward it was the same.
A march to chop wood or build roads and bridges
would also be in light marching-order, at common or
quick time, and-if the place to which the troops were
going was not a dangerous one-without arms. Upon
reaching the scene of labor, the command was usually
given to an officer of engineers, who, through their
company officers, directed the movements of the men.
The march back to camp was as the one from it.
The general conduct of the troops upon these
marches was such as could scarcely be found fault
with. The burdens carried in heavy marches, and the
discipline exercised in light ones, usually kept them to
the road,-though, of course, in the former some would
stray and visit the deserted houses in the fields.
The inmates of every negro-hut were besought for
"hoecakes;" and when the amazed woman would
naturally say, " Why, bress de Lord! how can I
gub one cake to all o' you?-dar, ye see dat I hab but
one!"-some oily customer's reply would come, " Give
it to me, aunty; I asked you first."  Plaguing the
negroes for " hoecakes" was usually the greatest extent
of lawlessness when the troops were marching. No
rapine or wanton destruction disgraced the marches
of the army of the Potomac.




86          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER IV.
FROM CUMBERLAND TO WHITE HOUSE.
OWHEN the Rebels evacuated Yorktown, a portion of
their army retreated up the York and Pamunky
Rivers,-partly on transports, and partly by swift
marches along the roads bordering those streams.
This body passed quickly up to and garrisoned White
House and its vicinity. Their main body, however,
retreated along the centre of the Peninsulat,-the rearguard giving the Union troops battle at West Point
and Williamsburg, —and then passed into the Chickahominy valley, crossing that river on the' numerous
bridges below the Richmond & York River Railroadcrossing and strongly garrisoning all the passes.
A large body of General McClellan's troops did not
take part in the siege of Yorktown.  They remained
on transports in the river, prepared at any moment to
land and aid their comrades on the shore. Part of
these, after the evacuation, landed, and fought the
battle of West Point, and, continuing ashore, became
the right wing of the army. General McClellan left
strong garrisons at Ship Point, Yorktown, and West
Point, so long as they were depots for landing supplies;
but, after the marching of the troops had rendered these
posts useless, the garrisons were removed.
Yorktown-occupied by the remnants of one of the
most gallant regiments in the service, the Forty-fourth




TtIE SIEGE OF nICIIMOND.          87
New York Volunteers, the "Ellsworth Avengers"was evacuated the latest of the three. Williamsburg,
an inland town, whose heavy intrenchments witnessed
sonime hot fighting before the Federal troops carried
them, was for some time a military post of importance,
and Colonel David Campbell, of the Fifth Pennsylvania
Cavalry, was named as military governor.  Passing
events, however, soon deprived the town of its strategic
value, and before the middle of May every Federal
soldier had left it.
The main body of the Rebels retreated by West
Point and Williamsburg to the Chickahominy valley,
and General McClellan pressed strongly upon theml so
long as they continued in front of him. The battle
of West Point was fought by Pennsylvania and New
Jersey troops; and at WNilliamsbuLrg Generals Sickels
and Hooker by their brilliant charges gained high
honors.  Afterward, finding  the  intention of the
Rebels to be to gain the Chickahomliny and post themselves along it, the commander-in-chief conceived the
plan of marching rapidly to lWhite House, securing its
good harbor and railroad as his means of landing and
transporting supplies, and then, after passing across
the Peninsula, of laying siege to Itichmond.  So, as
swiftly as the rains and mud would allow, he brought
his army up the roads before used by the body
of Rebels who retreated to White House, and, on the
14th of May, rode with his staff into a vast plain at
Cu'nberland, —a small village upon the Pamunky, —
which he designated as the camp for the entire army.
His baggage-train, however, was not so fortunate.
The road the general took, and upon which the train
was to follow, forked at a place called New Kent Court



88           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
House, two miles south of Cumberland.  The wagonmasters brought their charge safely to New Kent, but,
instead of taking the side of the fork leading toward
Cumberland, they drove off the other way, directly for
the enemy's pickets. Soon a force of Rebels, supported
by a battery, advanced against them, and the entire
train was thrown into confusion, when the timely advance of two regiments of regulars put the Rebels to
flight.  The wagons were afterward placed on the
right road and proceeded to their destination.  No
damage was done to either army in this skirmish.
All the afternoon and evening of the 14th, troops
from below were marching upon the vast plain and
taking their allotted places in the encampment, and at
dawn on the 15th, the commander-in-chief had all his
soldiers within a circuit of four miles around him.
Every division of the army was encamped upon that
plain, and, by ascending a hill to the southeast, observers
had a complete view of the largest encampment ever
formed upon the continent.  It was upon this hill that
the artists of the pictorial newspaper press made their
sketches, engravings from  which were scattered so
profusely over the country.  But no engraving could
ever present the grandeur of the sight, and one could
only truly view the "Camp at Cumberland" from that
higch and barren hill.  There never was such a scene
presented afterward.
On all sides but the north there were tents,-high
marquees for the officers, and low shelter-tents for tile
men.  To the northward was the river with its gunboats, and, beyond, Manassas, with General McDowell's
corps d'armnce, and, farther still, Washington, with the
gro'eat, earnest, rebellion-hating North looming up be



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            89
hind. That side of the hill needed no part of the army
for its protection. In every other direction, though,
there was a solid mass of tents and artillery and
wagons, extending to a great distance. Twenty square
miles were estimated to have been covered by that
camp, and all over those twenty miles the eye would
wander and view the vastness and power of the grand
army. Its discipline and bravery, both before and
since, have been proved on many a well-contested field.
The camp was surrounded by a fringe of woods, which
formed a fit bordering for such a scene. On but two
other occasions —at White House and during the siegewas the army all encamped together, but in neither
case was there any commanding spot from which the
encampment could be viewed.
With the camp at Cumberland commences the military history of General McClellan's operations, as personally viewed by the author. At that point he joined
the army, continuing with it until the 7th day of July.
At Cumberland the march upon Richmond was really
commenced.  The corps d'armene were arranged into
wings and centre, and Generals Stoneman, Philip St.
George Cooke, and Emory, with their cavalry forces,
were the advanced guard. General Keyes, with his
corps, was on the extreme left, then General Heintzelman. General Sumner was in the centre, with General
Fitz-John Porter adjoining, and General Franklin on
the extreme right. The enemy woere in force upon the
Richmond side of the Chickahominy River, and had
strong bodies advanced across it, but they made no
demonstrations against the Federal army.  General
McClellan proceeded slowly and cautiously, abstaining
from all offensivc movements until the supply post at




90          THE SIEGE OF RICIHMOND.
White House was established and the whole army free
to act in concert.
White House was peaceably evacuated by the enemy
on the evening of May 10, and was immediately
taken possession of by General Stoneman. Previously
to their evacuation the Rebels burned the Richmond
& York River Railroad bridge, a rude structure built
upon piles and crossing the Pamunky, making a break
in it just large enough to allow the Federal gunboats
to pass through and ascend the river above. This
destruction was thus a positive benefit to the Union
cause, and at ally rate could not have inflicted any
injury, as the intention of the supply department was
to use the railroad from White House to the Chickahominy, abandoning the section leading to West Point.
The orders given to General Stoneman, when he occupied White House, were to hold it until the enemy
appeared with stronger force, in which case he was to
retreat. A transport, with supplies, sent up from
Cumberland on Sunday, lMay 11, landed them, with
every thing arranged for a hasty departure if danger
appeared. The enemy did not come, however, and on
May 12 several thousand infantry marched to the
place, and formed an adequate garrison.
On the morning of Friday, May 16, the camp at
C(umberland was broken up, and the army left for
White House, five miles northwestward.  Troops were
constantly leaving Cumberland until Saturday, and
Sunday morning saw the last teams of the United
States army being slowly dragged from the once so
thickly-peopled plain. A rain, which began on Thursday and continued all night, converted the roads into
deep mud, and the marching troops and artillery cut




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            91
them up terribly. This movement was most sadly
delayed. Many of the teams had to be assisted along
the whole distance by details of men, and it took
nearly all of them thirty-six hours to pass between
the two.places. Virginia roads, after a rain-storm, are
execrable.
The troops of Generals Franklin, Porter, and Sumner, upon their arrival at White House, encamped upon
a piece of level ground extending along the Pamunky,
and which had been planted with corn and clover.
Generals Keyes and Heintzelman were to the south of
them. Until his baggage-train arrived, General McClellan made the White House his head-quarters. Troops
and teams were arriving from Friday until Sunday,
and it was not until the afternoon of that day that
every thing became settled and quiet. Monday morning, early, saw the vast army move again. The supply
post had been established and had commenced operations, and the army was free to begin the earnest work
before it. Generals Heintzelman and Keyes marched
toward Bottom's Bridge, a crossing-place of the
Chickahominy ten miles east-southeast of Richmond
and thirteen west of White House.  These generals
commanded a force of forty thousand men of all arms
of the service, and were well supplied with artillery.
The main body left by roads crossing the Peninsula
north of the railroad, though near it, and by noon on
]Monday, May 19, the entire army of the Potoinac was
on the direct road toward Richmond.
Before leaving White House, the commissary post
and its operations, together with the condition and usefulness of the contrabands employed there, ought to be
fully described. At the time the armiy left, the post




92          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
was not in full operation; but the following week saw
a port on a tortuous, scarcely-known river of Virginia,
which was a fair rival of New York, Philadelphia, or
Boston in the extent of its coastwise commerce. Steam
and sail vessels continually arriving and departing,
extensive wharves, with cargoes constantly unloading,
crowds of negroes, carrying boxes, rolling barrels,
dancing, singing, and joking, officers, armed with a
little brief authority, giving orders with stentorian
voices, and all the hubbub and confusion of a large
port, were found at White House. It was a busy town,
without a single warehouse in which to store its goods.
Lines of railroad ran to the river-side, and beside them
the commissary stores were piled, and, as they were
needed by the army before Richmond, were loaded
upon the cars and sent forward. All was under the
superintendence of two most excellent officers. The
quartermaster's department was presided over by
Lieutenant-Colonel R. Ingalls, and the subsistence
department by Captain G. Bell. Both were honest,
hard-workinc men, and they conducted the business
of the post admirably.
The Pamunky between Cumberland and White House
is a crooked stream, bending about in all sorts of ways.
This section, however, is the most pleasant portion of
the river. A ride between its green banks, rolling and
rich, skirted with beautiful hills and dotted all over
with patches of dark woods, was most enchanting; and
every bend enhanced its beauty. A few miles above
Cumberland, bordering the northeast bank, were a
series of islands, upon one of which were a few log
huts, inhabited by half-breeds. This place was called
Indian Town, and its inhabitants were said to be the




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            93
last remnants of Powhatan's tribe.  Near the huts
there had been a ship-yard, and the half-burned ruins
of a gunboat lay upon the river-bank and lined the
shore below. Just above, at a point where its guns
could sweep for miles both up and down the stream,
was a Rebel earth-work, partly hidden by the trees, and
with one end adjoining a house which claimed protection under one of the omnipresent white flags.
Several traps for fish-catching were placed in eligible
spots on either bank.
The approach to White House was one worthy the
pencil. A beautiful curve of a mile in length, the
outer side of which was a low bluff surmounted by
trees, changed the course of the river. In the centre
of this curve was the White House and its grounds,
and above it were the wharves and landings. Land
and water blended to produce the scene; and the life
given it by the moving craft on the river and the toiling negroes on the shore rendered the whole most
picturesque.
An unending stream of vessels passed both up and
down the river. A fleet at Fortress Monroe fed the
upward current, and another of anchored transports at
White House received it. As the supplies were needed,
the vessels containing them were brought to the
wharves and unloaded by the negroes; and as soon as
the cargo iWas discharged the vessel was sent off to
a Northern port for another. Some of the transportsespecially those containing ordnance stores —-remained
for months at anchor without being once disturbed.
All kinds of craft were employed by the government,brigs, schooners, sloops, canal-boats, barges, steamboats, and propellers,-every thing which could float,




94          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and whose owner could get the Government to employ it.
Some of the vessels chartered by the Government
were the greatest oddities. The North seemed to have
been ransacked to find all the queer, old, worn-out
steamboats and broken-down barges and canal-boats.
Steamboats which had, from age or debility, been discarded from Northern pleasure-lines, and which during
1861suddenly disappeared fromNorthern bays and rivers,
were all found plying up and down t~he York and Pamunky Rivers. Old tow-boats, familiar servants to the
ship-owners of large cities, long, lank propellers, which
neither nature nor art ever intended to be models either
of speed or beauty, sprightly tugs, once frisking about
in Northern harbors, all had been transferred to the
Pamunky, where they puffed and labored and made the
hills echo their shrill whistles.
Some vessels in Government employ were new and
in excellent repair. By far the greater portion, however, were in bad condition, and were held at exorbitant prices, —prices promptly paid, and in many cases
without adequate services rendered. Some were completely broken down,-leaky hulls and leaky boilers,and others managed to get rid of doing any work. One
owner is said to have gone up to White House to look
after his vessel, when he was told by some one in the
quartermaster's department,"The Government is going to discharge the boat."
"Why so?"
"Because the captain keeps'dodging about and hiding
among the big boats, and don't carry one cargo in six
months."
Boats out of repair were condemned, and sent home




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            95
to be fined up, the payment of charter-money being
stopped in the mean while. Unless damage was caused
by Government officials, the authorities never paid for
its repair. The boats on the Pamunky were condemned by scores.
Coal was always furnished steam-vessels by the Government. Hundreds of barges from the Lehigh and
Schuylkill regions of Pennsylvania came to White
House loaded with fuel, and, wchen the stock on any
boat was low, the captain procured an order to fill his
bunkers, and, hauling alongside the nearest barge, took
what was requisite. Contrabanlds were always furnished for coal-heavers, and the order having the number of tolls taken marked upon it was a sufficient
voucher for the captain of the coal-barge. This coal
was bought by the Government, under some of the
numerous contracts which were so famous during the
summer of 1861. It was of all qualities,-a great deal
of good, but still a great deal of bad.
Sail-vessels were generally chartered at prices very
near the ruling ones inl the freight-markets.  They
were employed to carry cargoes from Northern ports
to White House, were paid fair freights, and the usual
allowances for delays in unloading.  When its cargo
was discharged, the vessel usually sailed back to the
North free of Government control. Still, in some instances the course taken with steam-vessels was followed in the case of the others, and as exorbitant
prices paid to charter indifferent hulks as were ever
paid the owners of dilapidated steamboats. Coal-boats
were generally bought, being made into wharves when
their cargoes were all out. All the landing-places at
TWhite House were old barges and canal-boats securely
9




96          1THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
lashed together and laid side by side until they extended to deep water. Lumber was sent up from Fortress Monroe to cover them, and to make floors upon
which the stores might be piled on shore.
All the labor of unloading stores or transferring
them from one boat to another was performed by
gangs of negroes.  Twenty or thirty were placed
under the charge of a sharp negro overseer, whose pay
was generally regulated by the amount of work his
gang performed.  These negroes would commence at
daylight and work until dark, every one arguing, ordering, singing, or shouting.  A  boat-load of negroes
with no officer by was unbearable, and the overseer,
whose supreme authority was most prominent in all
his acts, generally led the rest in their noise by all
sorts of unintelligible orders. Let an officer step on
board, though, and all would be quiet, each man rolling
his barrel or carrying  his box, but keeping most
careful watch over his tongue.
These negrroes were paid good wages by the Government, and were fed with soldiers' rations. Each gang
slept on a barge, and one of the number, exempted
from other labor, did the cooking.  The negro quarters
were always a popular place of resort after nightfall
for all who wished to be amused. Songs, dances, stumpspeeches, and arguments, in which "words of learned
length andcl thundering sound" were used without reference to grammar or dictionary, would be heard for
hour after hour.  A negro is an exhaustless wit; and
these original Virginians, brim-full of every kind of fun,
talked politics, discussed the war, gave characters to
their former masters, and settled the fate of Richmond,
nightly.  But eve:.!.uinor often becomes listless; and




TIlE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             97
theirs, as midnight approached, usually waned. Each
weary fellow crept off to what he called his bed, the
last one kicking over the candle. And until dawn
Africa was quiet.
The usual statement of the officers of the subsistence
department, as to their working-abilities, was that if
free negroes from the Slave States could be exclusively
employed they would wish no better help. Slaves who
were runaways, or who had been emancipated by the
advance of the Union troops, were very poor workmen.
A Virginia negro never performs a quarter of a day's
work on his master's plantation.  If he is a houseservant, he is usually a favorite, and, of course, knows
nothing of the really hard labor required on the transports.  Field-hands plough, plant, and hoe corn, reap
the crops, and husk the ears; but the greater part of
them work when they please, and even then have no
employment for a large part of the year. Even when
wages are offered, the stimulus is not sufficient to overcome ancient habits of laziness. The department was
always anxious to rid itself of these lazy runaways.
Parties of fugitives from all parts of Eastern Virginia came daily into the lines of the army.  The
majority flocked to White House to seek employment.
Of course, they were taken if there was the slightest
possible chance of giving them work, either there or at
the issuing-depots on the railroad.  These negroes had
strange ideas of what they expected to find in the
North.  One of these numerous parties was asked,-'Well, what made you leave your master? Wasn't;
lie kind to you?"
"Oh, yes, massa, berry kind, berry kind."
" Well, didn't he _give you enioough to eat?"




98          TIHE SIEGE OF RICITMOND.
"Oh, yes, plenty of dat; nuff to eat."
"Well, what made you leave him?"
"Why, de trufe am dat he made us work."
Another squad were questioned,"Well, what made you leave your homes?"
"Why, we'd heerd'bout de Norf bein' such a nice
place, so we tort dat we would go to um."
"Nice place! Why, how do you mean?"
"Well, we were told dat nobody did no work up dar."
The usual idea with all the runaway slaves was, that
once out of the Confederacy and they would be free of
work. Many a one who has had day-dreams, and nightdreams too, of living without work, has been terribly
disappointed when he stepped upon the White House
wharves. A free negro never has such ideas. He had
to work too hard to support himself and family before
he thought of leaving his home, ever to believe such
rumors. No negro artificers or mechanics ever came
into the Federal lines. They were always pressed into
the Rebel service, where their skill in their various
callings was employed to the utmost extent, and they
were watched too closely to allow of desertion. The
habits of the White House contrabands were a fruitful
source of study, and gave amusement to every one
there.
The army, however, was marching from  the Pamunky, and. leaving White House daily farther and
farther in the rear,-a vast supply post, with hundreds
of vessels and thousands of laborers.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             99
CHAPTER V.
FROM WHITE HOUSE TO THE CHICKAHOMINY.
ON Sunday afternoon, May 18, the main body of the
army was quietly encamped behind and below White
House, the majority of the regiments having been there
since the day before.  On Sunday morning, after inspection, divine service was hell in many of them, the
simplest and most impressive form of worship being
the one selected.  Upon such occasions, all the officers
and men take part, singing the hymns, joining in the
prayers, and listening attentively to the sermon. An
hour and a half thus occupied always repays its expenditure. It directs the soldier's thoughts to different
things from those he is accustomed to think of, turns
away his attention from the bloody war before him, and
makes him a better man and easier-ruled subordinate.
The Government has been most generous in its provisions for the religious welfare of the soldiers. Chaplains are appointed, one for each regiment, to be regularly-ordained clergymen of such religious belief as the
nLajority of the troops in the regiment for which they
are named. The Tract and Bible Societies of the North
are allowed to send free thlrough the mails huge bundles of newspapers, tracts, and books for distribution
to the men. The great schism between Catholicism
and Protestantism, by a master-stroke of policy, is
prevented from raising its hydra-head in the army.
Roman Catholic regiments have priests for their chap



100          TIIE SIEGE OF RICI-IMOND.
lains, and, in other regiments, where there were any
number of Roman Catholics they were always allowed
to join in the worship of the nearest reg(iment of their
brethren, and receive the ministrations of its chaplain
in their own. Religion in the army was well cared for,
and many a soldier has doubtless been deeply thankful
for it.
The morning being given to religious devotions, the
men had Sunday afternoon to themselves; and at White
House great numbers took the opportunity to enjoy a
delicious bath in the Pamunky. The evening, however, was passed most pleasantly of all. As soon as
the sun set, the bands all over the vast encampment
assembled in front of the marquees of their regimentcal
commanders, aandl each commenced playing.  These
bands before the war had been favorites in their native
towns and cities, and had generally enlisted bodily into
their respective regiments.  Their members were no
doubt excellent players then, but competition since
with distinguished musicians  from  all parts of the
North had given them a delicacy of touch and their
instruments a sweetness of tone which made their
music irresistibly charming.'Fifty bands were playing
at one time on that Sunday evening at White House,
and a far-distant listener, though he could discern no
single tune, heard a constant strain of the richest
melody.'T(he eve of the departure of the army for
Richmond was Avell cllebrated.
At three o'clock on the morning of Monday, May
19, the troops began moving from White House, and
all the forenoon a constant stream poured along the
roads toward Richmond. The left wing marched among
thie earliest, part advancing along the railroad, and




THE SIEGE OF nICILMOND.          101
part marching to the south of it and then pursuing a
course parallel with it. The centre maintained a communication with the left, and it and the right wing
passed to the north of the railroad and then marched
westward. General Stoneman's advance, which had
been posted some three miles west of White House,
marched on Sunday afternoon.  He drew in his force
from the left, which then threw out its own advanced
parties, and his forces afterward acted as advanced
guard only to the centre and right. General Stoneman
proceeded most cautiously, marching some six miles by
Monday morning. This was a rapid advance for him.
He had to beat up all the woods, search for masked
batteries, throw out reconnoissances for miles to the
right and left to discover lurking parties of the enemy
and effectually clear every acre of ground he passed
over. The main body marched without preparation
for battle, depending on the exertions of the advanced
guard.  Some of the most widely-known officers of the
army are the commanders of cavalry regiments in
General Stoneman's division, and they gained a great
part of their fame by the good service rendered whilst
the army was marching upon the Peninsula, from
Yorktown to the Chickahominy.
The army was at length fairly on the road to Richmond. At the time of its departure speculation was
rife as to what would be the events as the troops
neared the enemy's capital. Many were of opinion
that Richmond would be evacuated. Others thought
a fierce battle at an early date, with a Federal victory,
would send the enemy out of the city they had been at
so much pains to fortify. The majority, however, were
of opinion, and justly so, that, having a superior-force




102         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
to the invading army, Richmond would be defended
with a desperation worthy of a better cause. The real
intentions of the enemy can be gleaned from their
newspapers, and the official documents since made
public. It was war,-unceasing, desolating war.
On Mlay 14, the General Assembly of Virginia
passed the following resolutions:"Besolved, by the General Assembly of Virginia,
That the General Assembly hereby express its desire
that the capital of the State be defended to the last extremity, if such defence be in accordance with the views
of the President of the Confederate States; and that
the President be assured that whatever destruction and
loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result will be cheerfully submitted to.
"Besolved, That a committee of two on the part of
the Senate, and three on the part of the I-Iouse, be appointed to communicate the adoption of the foregoing
resolution to the President."
The committee appointed in accordance with the
second resolution communicated the next day with
President Davis, and immediately reported the result
of their interview to the General Assembly:"The joint committee respectfully report that their
interview with the President was in the highest degree
satisfactory, and his views, as communicated with
entire frankness to the committee, were well calculated
to inspire them with confidence and to reassure the
public mind.
"After reading the resolutions, he desired us to say
to the General Assembly that he had received the




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           103
communication of those resolutions with feelings of
lively gratification, and instructed us to assure the
Houses that it would be the effort of his life to defend
the soil of Virginia and to cover her capital.
" He further stated that he had never entertained
the thought of withdrawing the army from Virginia
and abandoning the State; that if in the course of
events the capital should fall,-the necessity of which
he did not see or anticipate,-that would be no reason
for withdrawing the army from Virginia.  The war
could still be successfully maintained on Virginia soil
for twenty years."
On the same day, Governor Letcher, echoing the
resolutions of the General Assembly, issued the following proclamation:"The General Assembly of this commonwealth
having resolved' that the capital of the State shall be
defended to the last extremity, if such defence is in
accordance with the views of the President of the Confederate States,' and having declared that'whatever
destruction and loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result will be cheerfully submitted to,' and this action being warmly approved and
seconded by the Executive: Therefore, I do hereby request all officers who are out of service from any cause,
and all others who may be willing to unite in defending
the capital of this State, to assemble this evening at.
the City Hall, at five o'clock, and proceed forthwith to
organize a force to co-operate with the Tredegar Battalion, and any other force which may be detailed for
the purpose indicated. The organization, upon being




104         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
reported to the Executive, will be recognized and properly officered, as prescribed by law, and be subject to
the orders of the Governor for local defence, under
regulations to be hereafter prescribed.
" Prompt and efficient action is absolutely necessary.
We have a gallant army in the field, upon whom we
fully and confidently rely; but no effort should be
spared which can contribute to the noble object. Thle
capital of Virginia must not be surrendered. Virginians must rally to the rescue.
"JOHN LETCHER."
The meeting called in the proclamation assembled at
the hour named, and appointed a committee to receive
the names of recruits for the proposed organization.
Several speeches were made. Joseph Mayo, the Mayor
of Richmond, and a descendant of the founder of the
city, among other things, said,"If the city of Richmond was ever surrendered to
our enemies, it should not be by a descendant of its
founder.  He would sooner die than surrender our city;
and if they wished a mayor who would surrender the
city they must elect another in his place."
Governor Letcher also spoke, and, after a strain of
the bitterest invective against the North, concluded by
stating that," the city should never be surrendered by
the President, by the mayor, or by himself." The
meeting appeared to be enthusiastic in favor of the war,
and of the defence of Richmond to the last.
The newspapers printed in the capital at that time
advocated the destruction of the city rather than its
surrender.  The Richmond " Dispatch" said,



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            105
"The next few days may decide the fate of Richmond.
It is either to remain the capital of the Confederacy, or
to be turned over to the Federal Government as a
Yankee conquest. The capital is either to be secured
or lost,-it may be feared not temporarily, —and with it
Virginia.  Then, if there is blood to be shed, let it be
shed here: no soil of the Confederacy could drink it
up more acceptably, and none would hold it more gratefully. Wife, family, and friends are nothing. Leave
them all for one glorious hour to be devoted to the
Republic.  Life, death, and wounds are nothing, if we
only be saved from the fate of a captured capital and
a humiliated Confederacy. Let the Government act;
let the people act. There is time yet.
"If fate comes to its worst, let the ruins of Richmond be its most lasting monument."
The "Dispatch," in another article, said,"We are proud of the spirit of our Governments,
Confederate and State, relative to this question of
holding and defending this State to the last.  The
army will not abandon the sacred soil of Virginia.
That has been made the battle-ground, and on that
must the enemy establish his superiority in a fair
fight before it will be abandoned to him. The evacuation of the sea-coast positions and cities became a
necessity. There was no avoiding it, in consequence
of the immense advantage enjoyed by the enemy in his
possession of the entire navy of the United States, and
the material and mechanical skill for the rapid construction of iron-clad gunboats, while we had neither
a navy nor the material and mechanical force to enable




106          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
us to compete with him in any sense. It is true we
had the Virginia [Merrimac]; but, besides her, nothing. Her destruction, and the questions it involves,
suggest matters of debate which afford neither satisfaction nor benefit now to discuss. Our inability to meet
the enemy on the water, as a general question, was
clear and indisputable, and the withdrawal from the
sea unavoidable.
"Second to Virginia is the defence of this city, for
manifold reasons; and it is in keeping with the general
purpose of both Governments that they should resolve
to the uttermost to defend Richmond. All the means
in the power of the State and the Confederacy are
pledged to this; and we may be assured that the enemy
will not be allowed to gratify the prominent desire of
his heart,-to hector and domineer over the inhabitants
of this far-famed and beautiful town, —tintil every means
is exhausted.
"The President nobly takes the stand that, though
Richmond should fall, there are plenty of battle-fields
yet in Virginia to fight for the cause for twenty years.
The sentiment is as truthful as patriotic.  The Confederate Government assures us that the Old Dominion
is not to be given up. God forbid that it should! It
would be giving up much more than Virginia. The
cause would be, indeed, itself wellnigh surrendered in
that event.  The Government is not only just, but wise,
in its determination to stand by Virginia to the last.
"To lose Richmond is to lose Virginia; and to lose
Virginia is to lose the key to the Southern Confederacy.
Virginians, Marylanders, ye who have rallied to her
defence, would it not be better to fall in her streets
than to basely abandon them and view from the sur



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           107
rounding hills the humiliation of the capital of the
Southern Confederacy? To die in her streets would
be bliss to this, and to fall where tyrants strode would
be to consecrate the spot anew and to wash it of every
stain.
"The loss of Richmond, in Europe, would sound like
the loss of Paris or London; and the moral effect will
scarcely be less. Let us therefore avert the great disaster by a reliance on ourselves. It is better that
Richmond should fall as the capital of the Confederacy,
than that Richmond exist the depot of the hireling
horde of the North.  But Richmond can be defended,
and saved from pollution. The fate of the capital of
the Confederacy rests with the people."
At a later date, the editor of the "Dispatch" again
wrote,"The Yankees, it appears, are so certain of soon
being in possession of Richmond that they are already
making preparations to start the old line of boats from
Washington to Acquia Creek. These boats, having
performed their mission in bombarding and burning
the defenceless homesteads upon the banks of the Potomac and in kidnapping  the negroes, are now to be
transformed into messengers of peace, and in cementing by social and commercial intercourse the glorious
Union with our murderers and conquerors. That interesting people seem to take it for granted that as
soon as they have whipped us into submission we shall
forget the past and be ready to make up and be as
good friends as ever.  As they advance into our
country, they will inundate us once more with their
10




108         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
wares and notions, their books and missionaries; the
men now employed in cutting throats will be competing with each other for our custom, each one accusing the other of having been in the war, and swearing that he himself was always opposed to it; the ships
which are ravaging our coast will come to our harbors
laden with the products of Yankee industry, and go
back with the teeming riches of our soil. Such, at
least, is their expectation, founded on that knowledge
of human nature which is derived exclusively from the
study of their own character.
"We do not pretend to doubt that there are people
in the South who would fulfil these expectations, but
are sure that few of them are of native growth. There
may be men from New England and from other countries who would hail with rapture the overthrow of
the Southern capital, but they are a minority even of
their own countrymen resident in the South.  The
great mass of them are loyal; and as to the native-born
disloyalists, they are too few in number to deserve
mention. Toryism is not in the South what it was in
the Revolution.  Then the Tories were powerful in
numbers, and often respectable in character and position. Nor did they conceal their Toryism; for they
were too strong to have reason for concealment. They
proclaimed their sentiments boldly, and not only that,
but fought, us in the broad light of day. There are
few Tories in Virginia. Whatever may have been the
divisions of sentiment at the beginning of the war, the
Yankee conduct of it has made us one people. Such a
thing as union with them is hereafter an impossibility.
If they conquer us, they must hold us by the strong
arm; for all respect, all confidence, all love, has de



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           1.09
parted forever. They may force their hateful presence
on our people; they may perfume our air with the
balmy aroma of codfish, and make it musical with their
nasal intonations; but they cannot recreate the Union.
They might as well attempt to galvanize a (lead body
into life, and make it perform all the functions of
healthy humanity.
" It will only be when the South is dead, physically
and morally, that they can become masters of our
country. Their empty vaporing and gasconading pass
by as the idle wind. They may take our cities, but
our immense territory remains, and not an inch of it
will be theirs but the ground they stand on. They
may plant their feet firmly, but it will be as a vessel
plants its keel upon the waves, only to conquer that
portion of it which it touches, and always to be at its
mercy when it rises in its anger. Even their boastful
menaces of the capture of Richmond are no better
founded than their menaces uttered this time a year
ago. They were just as exultant, and confident of
the future, then as now. Their grand krmy brought
telegraph-wires with them, to be extended as they advanced, hand-cuffs to be placed upon our limbs, and
halters upon our necks; and they had arranged a programme for a magnificent ball in this city to celebrate
the victory. They had even rented a large warehouse
in Washingtan, wherein to deposit the host of prisoners
who were to be taken at the battle of Manassas. The
good Book advises those who put on their armor not
to boast as those who take it off."
And on May 19 and 22 the same editor printed the
following paragraphs:



110          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
" The plan of the enemy has been fully unfolded by
his press, as well as by his demonstrations at Yorktown immediately upon his advance there.  He will
essay to take this city by encroachment, with the protection of parallel lines. He will throw up dirt as soon
as he reaches the proper point, and he will try to reach
the heart of the city with the spade. If he is allowed
to proceed in this way, he will most assuredly get here.
His advance is not far from Richmond, and, if not molested, we shall soon see that he is flinging up dirt.
But we do not apprehend that he will be allowed to go
on undisturbed with this kind of strategy. He will
never get to Richmond with that economy of bloodshed
and life imagined by McClellan.
"The determination on the part of the people and
their representatives to defend Richmond at any and
all hazards, meets the unqualified approbation not only
of all Virginians, but the people of the South. A
Charleston paper, commenting on the resolve, says the
words of Virginia's Governor and of the citizens of
Richmond art those of earnest men.  Her Legislature
has resolved that the capital must never be given up.
It is settled that neither the threat of bombardment,
nor bombardment itself, is to induce a surrender, and
that the honor of the Old Dominion must be preserved
though her fair capital in ashes be the sacrifice. This,
it is said, is. also the determination of the President;
and so we will cling to the hope that Richmond will be
saved, or that, if it should fall, it will only be after a
desperate struggle worthy the interests that are at
stake."
The Richmond "Examiner," though fully as earnest




TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          111
in its advocacy of the defence of Richmond, was neither
so desperate nor so reckless as the "Dispatch."  It
fearlessly criticized the administration of the Confederate Government, and, in an editorial upon the progress
of the war, roundly abuses President Davis for "telling
his beads instead of fighting." Out of the city there
appeared to be some despondency as to the condition
of affairs at the capital.  On May 15, the Memphis
"Appeal" availed itself of its despondency to give its
opinion of the Rebel Secretary of the Navy.  Its
editor writes:"We do not much like the aspect of affairs at Richmond as presented by telegraph. Four Federal gunboats are reported as having started up James River,
and, so far as we are advised, there is no sufficient
obstruction in that stream to prevent them from
reaching the capital. Is Richmond to go the way of
Nashville, New Orleans, and Norfolk?  If so, the
result may be attributed to the unnecessary destruction of the Merrimac, and the notorious incapacity
of Mallory, whom  itr. Davis forced upon the country
against the earnest and unanimous protest of the
nation."
Every thing indicated the unanimous purpose to be
to fight to the last.
Whilst the army was in camp at Cumberland and
WVhite House, and preparing for the march across the
Peninsula, Richmond was threatened from a new quarter. The Merrimac had been blown up in the second
week of May, and, the only obstacle to the ascent of
the James River being thus removed, a strong gunboat1I 0i




112         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
expedition was at once prepared, which, on MIay 16,
sailed up the river.  Commodore L. M. Goldsborough,
a talented and experienced officer, commanded the
squadron.  His flag-ship was the steam-frigate Susquehanna, and he was acsompanied by a numerous
fleet.  Rebel batteries were found at several points
upon the lower James River, but all, as far up as
Jamestown, had been hurriedly deserted,-their cannon
being mounted, and, in many cases, having the Rebel
flag flying over them. These cannon were captured
and sent to Fortress Monroe.
At Jamestown the commodore met the advanced
division of his squadron, which had previously gone up
the river, under the leadership of Commander John
Rodgers. This division contained, among others, the
gunboats Monitor, Galena, and Naugatuck, and on the
previous day had fought a most gallant action with the
celebrated earth-work known as Fort Darling. In
their advance up the river, the gunboats had compelled the evacuation of all the Rebel batteries below
the fort. Their officers also discovered that, a short
distance above the fort, the channel had been effectually
blockaded.
The action before Fort Darling was a most spirited
one.  The gunboats Galena, Monitor, Naugatuck,
Aroostook, and Port Royal, on May 16 moved slowly
up the riverabove City Point, getting aground several
times, but meeting with no artificial impediments, until
they neared Ward's Bluff, eight miles below Richmond,
where they encountered a heavy battery (Fort Darling),
and two separate barriers formed of piles, steamboats,
and sail-vessels.  These barriers extended along the
river-bank, in front of the battery, and were secured




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           113
with chains. They were intended to prevent the landing of an attacking party. As the gunboats passed up
the narrow river, they were welcomed by a sharp fire
of musketry from both banks, which in some cases
resulted fatally. The stream at Fort Darling is but
two hundred yards wide. The Galena, which led the
fleet, ran within six hundred yards of the battery, as
near the piles as it was deemed proper to go, where she
let go her anchor, and at a quarter before eight, on the
morning of May 17, opened upon the battery. The
Monitor came up about an hour later, ran above the
Galena, but found she could not elevate her guns sufficiently to strike the battery, which was upon a high
bluff. She immediately dropped below the Galena,
anchored, and opened fire.
The iron-coated Galena, at first, successfully resisted
the steel-pointed balls from the enemy's rifled cannon,
but at last it was found they were piercing her. Thirty
of the shot struck her, and lodged in her armor, whilst
two passed entirely through. A shell burst in the
Galena during the engagement, which killed and
wounded several of the crew. The Naugatuck resisted
all the enemy's balls, but, upon the eighth discharge,
her rifled gun burst, killing two men and wounding
three.  The Monitor stood three hours' fighting, without the least injury. The remaining vessels not being
iron-clad, they did not enter into the engagement.
A few minutes past eleven o'clock, the Galena having
expended all her ammunition, the gunboats drew off,
and discontinued the action.  There were thirteen
killed, and fourteen wounded, on the Federal side.
The aiming is reported to have been most accurately
done by both parties, heavy shells pouring into the




114         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
fort and rattling against the iron-clad gunboats. The
enemy lost some killed and wounded, but there has
been no means of ascertaining the number. The only
official report of the action ever made public by them
is the following brief despatch:" SIR:-We have engaged the enemy's five gunboats for
two and a half hours. We fired the Galena (iron-clad).
She has withdrawn, going down the river, accompanied by
the three wooden vessels.
" Our loss in killed and wounded small.
" Respectfully, your obedient servant,
" E. FARRAND.
"Hon. S. R. MALLORY, Secretary of the Nav-y.
Commodore Goldsborough afterward kept gunboats
continually plying up and down the James River, between Fortress Monroe and Fort Darling. No Rebel
batteries appeared on the banks of the stream until
August. Although in this contest the Galena proved
not to be perfectly shot-proof, and the Naugatuck met
with a misfortune, yet the result of the action was very
favorable to the Union cause. The expedition opened
the James River, drove away the enemy's artillerists
formerly posted all along its banks, capturing numerous cannon, buoyed out a channel, tested the range
and calibre of the guns of Fort Darling, and procured
much valuable information of the strength and position
of the enemy. It made a fearful inroad into the
enemy's country, depriving them of almost the whole
of their favorite river.
The news of the exploits upon the James River
reached the army just as it was leaving White House




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           115
early on the morning of May 19, and raised the spirits
of the troops to the highest pitch. Generals Keyes and
Heintzelman were on their march to Bottom's Bridge,
and the remainder of the army, with General McClellan,
that day advanced as far as Tunstall's Station, on the
railroad, seventeen miles from Richmond. They encamped to the north of it. This march occupied four
hours, and was directly westward, through a country
abounding in beautiful scenery, although the land had
been mostly worn out. The roads passed through mut-h
fine timber. This part of Virginia was rather rugged,
with high, steep hills, and was almost universally
covered with forest. The camp formed at the end of
this march was named "The Camp near Tunstall's
Station." The army which was united at White House
had commenced to widen its front. The centre-General Sumner's corps-advanced along the railroad. The
left wing, somewhat in advance, was to the south of
the railroad, and the right wing slightly to the rear,
spread out two or three miles north of it. The front,
whilst the army was marching westward, presented a
west-northwestern face.
The apparent slowness of the centre and right, however, was fully compensated by the alacrity of General
Stoneman. On May 19, he advanced seven miles, reaching
the Chickahominy at the railroad-bridge.  This was a
long trestle-work structure, and two spans of it had
been burned. General Stoneman drove the enemy away
from the neighborhood and took immediate possession,
an engineer force being sent for to repair the bridge.
General McClellan, whose activity knew no limits, rode
from the camp at Tunstall's Station on the afternoon




116         TEIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
of the 19th, and made a reconnoissance of the bridge
and its vicinity.
General Stoneman did not cross the Chickahominy:
he had cleared a passage for the centre and left, and
he was now to secure the way for the right wing. So,
handing over possession of the bridge to BrigadierGeneral Naglee, commanding the advanced guard of
General Keyes's corps on the left wing, on May 20 he
marched six miles northwestward, to a place called
Coal Harbor. This was the destination of the right
wing, and was ten miles west of the camp near Tunstall's Station, which they did not leave until they had
intelligence of the occupation of Coal Harbor by the
advance. At Coal Harbor was found the first strong
force of the enemy. Their pickets were driven beyond
the place, and General Stoneman encamped there for
the night. Whilst here, one of his cavalry regiments
captured a large Rebel baggage-train, with forty mules
and eighty oxen. About noon on the 20th, the right
wing advanced five miles west of Tunstall's Station,
encamping at dusk within five miles of Coal Harbor.
Upon leaving White House, the three bodies of the
army diverged, and on May 20 were thus situated.
The left wing had reached Bottom's Bridge and the
railroad-bridge, having marched twelve miles in a day
and a half. The centre, advancing first along the railroad and thren in a line slightly north of it, had also
arrived at the Chickahominy, and was in close communication with the left. It too had advanced twelve
miles in a day and a half. The right wing was encamped three miles north of the centre, keeping up a
connection with it, and had marched eleven miles since
leaving White House.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           117
The portion of the Chickahominy the army was approaching runs a course from northwest to southeast.
At the Meadow Bridge, the crossing of the Virginia
Central Railroad, the river is five miles north of Richmond; at the York River Railroad Bridge, which
crosses twelve miles below, it is eleven miles east of
Richmond. Bottom's Bridge is three-quarters of a
mile below  the  railroad-bridge.  Halfway between
Meadow Bridge and the railroad-bridge is New Bridge,
it being six miles east of Richmond. This bridge is the
nearest point of the Chickahominy to Coal Harbor,
which place is three miles northeast of it and sixteen
miles from White House.
On the morning of May 21, the right wing commenced to march to Coal Harbor, encamping there
about four o'clock in the afternoon. The roads were
very crooked, and, the day being quite sultry, a great
deal of time was necessarily consumed in this march.
The course was still through a beautiful country,
mostly woodland, and but little cultivated. Headquarters were moved to Coal Harbor on the same day.
The right wing was thus six miles northwest of the
centre, and hlad three miles farther to go to reach the
Chickahominy.
On the 20th of May, General Naglee's brigade-the
advanced guard of General Keyes's corps upon the left
wing-crossed the railroad-bridge without opposition,
and carefully examined the Chickahominy from that
point to Bottom's Bridge. The general held his position across the river, and was at once strongly reinforced. On the evening of the 20th he encamped at a
place called the "Chimneys," one and a half miles
beyond the river. On the next day General Stoneman,




118         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
on the right wing, advanced to New Bridge from Coal
-Iarbor, meeting with no resistance from the enemy.
He was thus but six miles from the capital. The
policy of the Rebels seemed to be to allow the
Federal troops to advance to the Chickahominy, and
even to cross it, without disputing the way. The left
wing of the Federal army on the 21st was firmly
established at the Chimneys, within nine and a half
miles of Richmond.
On May 22 an armed reconnoissance of two regiments of infantry, a company of cavalry, and a battery
was sent out from  Coal Harbor westward toward
Mechcanicsville.  It advanced five miles, to within one
mile of the village, when the enemy were discovered.
This advanced position was held for four hours, when
the expedition returned, having had a slight skirmish,.
in which one man was killed and one captured. Several
spies-all negroes-were brought in by the reconnoissance.
New Bridge being an important crossing of the
Chickahominy, it was fast becoming a place of great
interest. The enemy were in strong force opposite the
bridge, and it was determined to drive them away.
So, on May 23, a detachment of the Second Artillery,
under the direction of Major Robertson and Captain
Fithall, mounted their guns on the high hills on the
Federal side, and went briskly to work to shell the
enemy out of their camps. The balloon made an ascension near one of the batteries, and, from its elevated
position, a note was made of the. effect of the different
shots, which was communicated to those in charge of
the battery.  The enemy made no reply, but, after
receiving the bombardment for a half-hour, suddenly




THE SIEGE OF' RICHMON-D.         119
broke camp, and left with their baggage-trains. The
practice of the artillery was excellent.
This driving of the Rebels from the vicinity of New
Bridge was followed the next day by a movement which
completely surprised them. Four companies of the
Fifth Louisiana regiment were picketing on their side
of the bridge, and some distance to the rear of them a
brigade was bivouacked. Part of the Fourth Michigan
regiment, commanded by Colonel Woodbury, and a
squadron of the Second Cavalry, led by Captain Gordon, crossed the stream  a short distance above the
bridge, and got between the picketing regiment and
the briigade, —the Federal troops on the hills above
New Bridge in the mean time making a diversion which
attracted the enemy's attention.  The first notice the,Rebels had of the presence of the Yankees was the
firing of a volley close behind them, which caused a
serious panic. The Federal troops remained but a few
minutes across the river, and, the brigade coming after
them at double quick, they re-crossed, wading breastdeep in water. One man was killed and one wounded
in the Fourth Michigcran.  The enemy lost seventy-five
killed and wounded and twenty-one prisoners. This
was one of the most daring expeditions of the siege,
and so pleased General McClellan that he wrote in his
official despatch of May 24 to the War Department
at Washington,'The Fourth Michligan regiment about
finished the Louisiana Tigers.'
A Richmond newspaper, speaking of this expedition,
says:"We must confess that in one instance, at least,
the enemy has outgeneralled us unmistakably. Semmes's
11




120         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
brigade, stationed on the Nine-Mile Road, were in
hohrly expectation of the enemy's appearance; and,
to repel their advance, the Fifth Louisiana were thrown
to the front,-but whether with proper available support remains unexplained. Somewhat indifferent, perhaps, two companies of this regiment were ordered to
guard the bridge, —situated, we believe, on Garnett's
farm,-with the remainder of the regiment in support
with stacked arms. As anticipated, the foe made his
appearance at the bridge; and a lively fire was opened,
much to our apparent advantage; but, unconscious of
trickery, the enemy suddenly appeared upon our flank,
and, with great impetuosity, opened a heavy musketryfire of great destructiveness and precision. Staggered
at this unexpected and sudden manceuvre, the Fifth
fell back in good order, but with much rapidity, successfully caring for their killed and wounded. That
such a gallant and fine regiment as the Fifth should
have been so roughly treated, remains unexplained,
though upon all hands it is universally conceded that it
followed from a disgraceful'surprise.' The loss from
this affair was extremely severe,-not less than fifty or
sixty of the Fifth being rendered hors de combat."
On the 23d of May, part of the right wing advanced
to the Chickahominy, and on the next day Mechanicsville was captured, the reconnoissance of May 22
having brought such information as would secure the
Union troops from ambuscades or masked batteries.
A portion of General Stoneman's command, with General Davidson's brigade, a part of General Franklin's
corps, on May 23 advanced up the Chickahominy
from New Bridge, w-hlich is four miles southeast of




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            121
Mlechanicsville.  At Ellison's Mills, a mile from  the
village, they encountered the enemy, who had four
regiments of infantry and some cavalry and artillery.
The Federal troops manceuvred to turn the enemy's
flank, their artillery shelling the enemy, who briskly
replied, whilst the Federal infantry outflanked them.
Upon this being done, the Rebels retreated to the village, and at dusk took shelter behind its woods and
houses. Both parties slept on their arms, and early
next morning the cannon of both recommenced the
action.  The Federal troops manmnuvred as before, and
soon the enemy made a precipitate retreat, part going
to Meadow Bridge, a mile and three-quarters to the
northwest, and part rushing down the -Mechanicsville
turnpike and across its bridge.  Both parties were
followed by plenty of shells, and by noon every Rebel
had crossed the river.  The enemy carried off all their
killed and wounded but one wounded man. The Federal loss was two killed and four wounded,-among the
latter, Colonel Mason, of the Seventh Maine regiment.
This was a brilliant victory for the Federal cause, and
opened a large section of country. The Richmond " Dispatch" acknowledged it to have been a bad defeat.
General McClellan paid lMechanicsville a visit immediately after its capture.
Whilst the right wing was so active, the left was by
no means idle.  On the 23c, General Naglee, with
General Keyes's advanced guard, made a reconnoissance
from his camp at the Chimneys, along the Quaker road,
to within two miles of the James River, securing much
valuable information.  On the following day, the general received orders from the commander-in-chief, "if
possible, to advance to Ilhe Seven Pines, or the forks of




122         THE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.
the direct road to Richmond, and the road turning to
the right" (Nine-mile Road) " into the road leading from
New Bridge to Richmond, and to hold that point if
practicable." This would be a direct march along the
Williamsburg road, westward from the Chimneys, toward Richmond. So, with his brigade, assisted by a
cavalry regiment commanded by Colonel Gregg, and
two batteries of Colonel Bailey's First New York Artillery, General Naglee proceeded to fulfil his instructions. He pushed his advance, not without considerable opposition, to the Seven Pines, encamping there
on the night of the 24th. The forces which had opposed him proved to be five regiments of infantry, one
of cavalry, and two batteries, commanded by General
Stewart.  General Naglee, when he engaged them,
found that they made but a feeble resistance and soon
retreated.  On the 25th he advanced a mile and a half
beyond the Seven Pines, and on the 26th a quarter of a
mile farther. He was thus within four and three-quarter
miles of Richmond. On the 27th he established his
picket line, which ran north from  the Villiamsburg
road, along which he had made his advance, two miles,
to a house a mile and a half southwest of New Bridge,
known as the " Old Tavern."  From this point the line
ran northeast to the Chickahominy, near New Bridge.
This picket tour was three miles and a half long, and
on May 28 was picketed by the whole of General
Casey's division of General Keyes's corps. The position upon the Williamsburg road, to which General
Naglee advanced, was the nearest point to Richmond
attained by the left wing. It was only held until the
31st, when the enemy in the first day's fight of the
Fair Oaks battle drove the Federal troops from  it.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           123
The Federal front upon the Williamsburg road after
the battle was half a mile to the rear of General Naglee's former position.
On May 24 the general head-quarters were moved
two miles west of Coal Harbor, the camp being called
the " Camp near New Bridge," which bridge was nearly
two miles south of it. Upon the next morning the remainder of the right wing moved westward to the Chickahominy, a short march of three miles taking them there.
Upon the evening of Sunday, lMay 25, the Federal
position was as follows. The advance of the left wing
was a mile and three-quarters beyond the Seven Pines,
and held the country to the north. It was four and
three-quarter miles from Richmond, and six and a quarter from where it crossed the Chickahominy. The main
body of' the left wing was at the Chimneys and the
Seven Pines. For five or six miles above the railroadbridge, the railroad and river run in very slightly-diverging lines, the river at New Bridge being but two
miles north of the railroad. As the left wing advanced,
General Sumner, with the centre, marched up the opposite bank of the river so as to be continually near it,
and, upon the occupation of the Seven Pines and the
country beyond them, he encamped upon a beautiful
spot of ground just below New Bridge, and but three
miles north of the extreme left. He, of course, at once
set to work at building bridges, so as to maintain his
communications, and in two or three days had built
Grapevine and Sunderland bridges across the river opposite the camps of the two divisions composing his
corps. The right wing, which was encamped behind
fringes of woods on the borders of the Chickahominy,
extended from  the camp of the centre to Meadow! L*




124           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Bridge, a distance of six miles.  General Stoneman
had his cavalry force scouring the country for several
miles back of the right wing, his object being to prevent the incursions of guerrillas upon the Federal rear
and the roads to White House.  The front presented to
the enemy was the concave segment of a circle facing
the southwest, one extremity being east of Richmond
and the other north of it. It was upon this Sunday,
when every thing was progressing so favorably in the
army of the Potomac, that General Banks, pursued by
General Jackson, was making his famous retreat up the
Shenandoah valley and startling the entire North.
Pleased with his success, General McClellan upon
that day issued the following general order:"IEA)D-QUARTERS, ARnIr OF THE POTOeMAC, May 25, 1862.
" I. Upon advancing beyond the Chickahominy, the troops
will go prepared for battle at a moment's notice, and will
be entirely unencumbered, with the exception of ambulances.
All vehicles will be left on the eastern side of the Chickahominy and carefully packed. The men will leave their
knapsacks, packed, with the wagons, and will carry three
days' rations. The arms will be put in perfect order before
the troops march, and a careful inspection made of them, as
well as of the cartridgle-boxes, which, in all cases, will contain at least forty rounds; twenty additional rounds will
be carried by the men in their pockets. Commanders of
batteries will see that their limber and caisson boxes are
filled to their utmost capacity.
" Commanders of army corps will devote their personal
attention to the fulfillment of these orders, and will personally see that the proper arrangements are made for packing
and properly guarding the trains and surplus baggage,
taking all the steps necessary to insure their being brought




THE SIEGE OF' RICHMOND.             125
promptly to the firont when needed; they will also take
steps to prevent the ambulances from interfering with the
movement of any troops: they must follow in the rear of
all the troops moving by the same road. Sufficient guards
and staff officers will be detailed to carry out these
orders.
" The ammunition-wagons will be in readiness to march
to their respective brigades and batteries at a moment's
warning, but will not cross the Chickahominy until they
are sent for. All quartermasters and ordnance officers are
to remain with their trains.
"II. In the approaching battle, the general commanding
trusts that the troops will preserve the discipline which he
has been so anxious to enforce and which they have so generally observed. He calls upon all the officers and soldiers
to obey promptly and intelligently all orders they may receive: let them bear in mind that the army of the Potomac
has never yet been checked, and let them preserve in battle
perfect coolness and confidence, the sure forerunners of success. They must keep well together, throw away no shots,
but aim carefully and low, and, above all things, rely upon
the bayonet. Commanders of regiments are reminded of
the great responsibility that rests upon them: upon their
coolness, judgment, and discretion the destinies of their
regiments and success of the day will depend.
"By command of Major-General McClellan.
"S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Acdjtant- General."
During all these marches and skirmishes, Rebel prisoners were continually captured, and the enemy also
took many Federal soldiers.  Men strayed beyond the
lines, some when upon picket were entrapped, and in a
hundred ways Union troops were taken and sent to the
clungeons in Richmond.  How  they lived there the
reader may judge from  the following extracts from a




126         THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
letter written on the first days of May by one of the
prisoners:"Our condition is most dark and dreary. There are
only three windows in the room, and those on one end.
The floor is always in a filthy condition. It having
been used for a pork-warehouse (immediately before we
were removed to it, however, for a slave-pen), the floor
is perfectly saturated with grease. This makes it impossible to get it clean, and causes it to be coated with
an amalgam of pork-fat and all kinds of dirt. In
walking, this vile stuff adheres to the shoes, and we
need a scraper more in walking here than you do in
walking in the street. Then add to this the filth that
comes from above. Almost four hundred men are on
the two floors above us, and frequently, as it has now
been the case for two days, their water-closets overflow
and discharge their awful contents upon us. This
comes down sometimes in torrents. Yesterday it poured
down where a captain was lying with a broken leg.
He had to be moved as quickly as possible, and has not
been able to occupy his place since, on account of this
stream  of pollution flowing from  above. A similar
stream, with scarcely an intermission, has been now
for two days pouring down into the cook-room, which
is a room partitioned off in one corner of the one which
we occupy. All our cooking is done in this room. You
will say,'How can you eat?' I answer, that I have
scarcely thought of the matter in relation to eating.
Our schooling has prepared us for it. You will wish to
know what my food is. This I can soon tell you,
-though I might give you a dietetic history which
would painfully interest you. Our food, as furnished




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           127
by the Southern Confederacy, consists in the morning
of bread and meat; for dinner, meat and bread; for
tea, meat and bread and bread and meat. This is all:
and this is all we get unless we have money to send out
for articles.  Many times we cannot do this when we
nhave the money, as we have not been able to do so now
for three days. Therefore we have had no sugar, no
coffee, no potatoes. All these articles are rarities, costing immensely. We have made out to supply ourselves
comfortably well, by the blessing of a kind Providence.
"ll3ay 1.-It is /May-day; but what a dreary one!
dark and lowering without, and the floods which
have continued all night still pour down upon us from
the sinks above. We are the sewer for near four hundred men. There is not a foot in the cook-room, excepting under the stove, which is not covered with
water. A hole has been cut in the ceiling, which lets
most of the water down in one place, instead of sifting
it down all over. Several holes in the plank of this
floor have been cut this morning to allow the water
standing on it to pass through into the basement, which
has long since become an awful muck-hole.  Thus,
every thing is being prepared for disease when the warm
weather shall come. The measles have already broken
out among us.
"On the whole, we are in a most deplorable condition; and what very much aggravates this unbearable state is the sending home of the men and noncommissioned officers, while the officers are still held in
custody. All the officers wear the most gloomy faces.
Our fate is uncertain. So far as we can judge (being
denied the papers entirely, one man being a few days




128         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
ago gagged, and then made to keep time half a day at
a time, in order to compel him to tell how a paper
was got in), our army from the Rappahannock seems
to be moving on this place. In this case we shall by no
means be suffered to remain in Richmond, but will undoubtedly be sent South. You can imagine the undesirableness of this.
"J lfa~y 2.-The rumor is that the officers are to be
taken South. This is very probable. Report says we
are to be taken to Salisbury, North Carolina. It may
be interesting to you and others to know something
about what are here called'citizen prisoners.' They
are Union men, citizens of the Southern States. I do
not know whether this is the only depot for this kind
of prisoners. But there are hundreds in this place. I
know but few of them. Some act as cooks in the lower
kitchen, and bring our meat and bread in to us. All
these men are, in every respect, very worthy. There
were three ministers among them. One has died. The
cause of his sickness and death reveals the barbarism
of the Rebels, and at the same time what the Union
men suffer. This Mr. Webster-for such was his name
-was a citizen of Fairfax county, and taken prisoner
about a month before his death. He was taken with
the following men, who were engaged in the peaceful
occupations of life: —William S. Speer, aged fifty-two
years; Isaac Wibert, sixty-five years; C. White;
William Showers, seventy years old. These men were
not in one instance permitted to go into their houses
for money or clothing, or to bid their friends good-bye.
They were marched with the army eight days, during
which time they slept out-of-doors-it being in the
month of January-and had but one meal per day.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           129
WVhen the age of these men is considered, the barbarism
is unparalleled. But something worse than this follows. On the second day's march, AMr. Showers, who
had reached his threescore years and ten, dropped
dead on the road. The battalion halted not for a
moment, and the officer in command forbade any attention whatever to be paid to the dead man, save to carry
the body and place it by the wayside. There it was
left. On the third day's march a negro dropped down
dead, and his remains were served in the same way.
The desolation wrought by these heartless Rebels is
actually beyond description. I have seen men by
scores taken to the prison, frequently followed by their
wives and children until they were repulsed by the
guards; and in one case the husband and wife kissed
over the bayonet, the husband disappearing within the
prison, while the wife went weeping away. I could
write much more on this painful subject; but this will
suffice to give you some idea of the state of things.
"Evening, KJay 2.-We have had a most terrible
day. The floods from above continue. At one time,
while writing this letter, the pipe from the upper
closets burst, and discharged its contents within a few
feet of our dining-table. Every man lit his pipe, and
smoked for his life. The awful stench is still in the
room. I do not write this to add to your affliction, but
I have concluded you would like to know just how we
are situated, and I am convinced, also, that the people
of the North ought to know how their officers are
treated. AMany who have gone home have not given
the true view. I have told the truth in this letter.
You are at liberty to publish extracts from it. You
must not permit my name to appear; for one man, for




130          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
getting a letter through telling facts, was put into a
criminal cell, and fed on bread and water for ten days.
Many of the letters of the prisoners published at the
North appear in the Southern papers."
The treatment received by prisoners captured subsequently to General McClellan's march to the Chickahominy was equally barbarous with that which they
experienced before.  William P. Haney, an intelligent
orderly sergeant of the One-hundred-and-fourth Pennsylvania regiment, was captured at the battle of Malvern Hill in the beginning of July. The following is
taken from his statement:
"I was shown into that spacious mansion on the
corner of Nineteenth and Cary Streets, known as Libby
& Son's Warehouses.  On inspection of the room, I
found it contained about two hundred and fifty men,
representing every department of our army,-soldiers,
sutlers, teamsters, laborers, citizens, and negroes. The
floor was covered with dirt, and the cracks filled with
lice, the extermination of which occupied the time of
the prisoners. It was with great difficulty that I could
find space sufficient to stretch my limbs on, when bedtime came. This was the first time and place I ever
played checquers with my nose through prison-bars,
and it shall.be the last.
" My term in this prison luckily proved to be a short
one, as two days afterward we were all marched over
to the Manchester side of the river, and from there to
Bell Island, on the south side of the city of Richmond.
This island contains about fifteen acres of land. The
upper portion, about ten acres, is very high table-land,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            131
while the lower is low and flat, barren of trees, and
with no spring or well upon it. On this latter part of
the island we were encamped, in tents of every pattern
and every color imaginable. Here, with naught but
worn-out canvas to protect us from the scorching rays
of the sun, we spent the remainder of our term of imprisonment, in hunger, and want of even the most
common necessaries of life. Here, in the space of two
hundred and fifty yards in diameter, were crowded together, at one time, forty-five hundred men. We were
allowed only one hundred feet of the shore, where we
could wash, and occasionally bathe. At first we were
compelled to drink the dirty water of the river; but
soon we found tolerably good water by digging five or
six feet in the ground.  Our food consisted of ten
ounces of bread per day, six ounces of fresh meat
every alternate day, with an occasional cup of soup.
The bread was sour, and meat generally tainted before
we got it, for the want of salt,-which article is as
scarce in Secessia as hens' teeth. The only facility we
had for buying any thing was from the quartermaster,
who would occasionally bring over a boat-load of bread,
pies, sugar, molasses, &c., which he readily disposed of,
at prices ranging as follows:-bread, twenty-five cents
per loaf of ten ounces; pies, fifty cents each; sugar,
one dollar a pound; molasses, a dollar and a half a
quart; eggs, one dollar per dozen; coffee, three dollars
a pound; soap, home-made, at a dollar a pound; and
other articles in proportion.
" United States Treasury notes, gold, silver, and even
Northern bank-notes, of almost any description, are
held in Richmond at nearly thirty-three per cent. pre12




132          THE SIEGE OF IRICHMOND.
mium. The fact is not known, nor believed, by their
army in the field.
"Lieutenant Shay, from Alexandria, had charge of
all the prisoners on the island, and treated us as well
as prisoners of war could expect. The conscripts who
stood guard over us were, with few exceptions, harmless creatures indeed. Their arms were of the poorest
kind, some without bayonets, ramrods, and even locks.
They were ignorant, and did not understand their business, as twenty-seven prisoners escaped from their lines;
and, if kept there another week, one hundred more
would have been missing from the island.
"Our cooking was done by a detail made from our
own men.  To kill time, the boys would practise
carving bones for rings, bracelets, slides, &c., which,
when well executed, would sell for high prices. Reading-matter was scarce. Few papers could le gotten,
and they only by smuggling. The Richmond journals
are a disgrace to the art,-poor in paper, miserable in
print, and filled with abominable lies. They are rank
on the questions at issue, and preach up the doctrine
of no quarter to the Yankees.  The'Dispatch' wishes
General McCall hung, and the black flag hung out.
The city of Richmond is controlled entirely by refugee'Plug-Uglies' from Baltimore. It wears a gloomy
and deserted appearance, and appears to be inhabited
only by th& lowest class of society.
" When taken into the Rebel capital, by the Central
Road, I noticed no fortifications save those immediately
around the city. Their line of defence appeared very
strong, but badly in want of artillery. Along an extent of nearly one mile I could count but five guns.
These were heavy siege-guns, from thirty-two to sixty



THE SIEGE OF IRICHMOND.          133
four-pounders. These guns were not mounted, but lay
upon the parapet diagonally with the line of intrenchments. It would be an easier task for an attacking
force to storm the works than those upon the right of
their line before Yorktown."
Sergeant Haney's statement of the scarcity of salt
is corroborated by a proclamation of the Governor of
Virginia intended to make some regulations as to its
sale and price. This proclamation was made on the
19th of August.
It seems that the treatment of prisoners in all parts
of the Confederacy is the same.  Lieutenant Frank
Parker, of Pennsylvania, who %vas confined in North
Carolina, and was exchanged on July 23, tells a sad
story of his sufferings.
" He was confined at Salisbury, North Carolina, in a
cotton-mill, to which were attached six brick tenement
houses, a frame barn, and three log huts, the whole
surrounded by a board fence of ten feet in height.
There were about one thousand prisoners, Northern
Union soldiers, and Southern Union citizens from
Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, and North
Carolina. The main building contained nine hundred
souls, being an average of one man to every three feet
of space, eight of whom only were allowed to be out
at one time, for all purposes. The commandant of the
post offered to allow the officers to parade the grounds
attached to the buildings, under a double guard, the
officers giving their parole not to attempt to escape or
aid other Union prisoners in escaping, which offer was
rejected by Lieutenant Parker and five others.
"Lieutenant Parker, and the five who rejected the




134          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
liberal offer, were then placed in a close room, ten feet
by twenty, where they were subjected to many indignities, especially at the hands of Lieutenant Bradford,
son of Governor Bradford, of Maryland, who has disavowed his disloyal son. This treatment they endured
until the commandant of the post was changed, A. C.
Godwin, formerly a California gambler and blackleg,
taking charge, who brought from Richmond over two
hundred Union prisoners, who were confined in this'black hole.' Instead of their sufferings being ameliorated by the change, the tyranny was more insufferable than ever. This monster, Godwin, cut down
the before scant rations of six ounces of musty, maggotty pork, and fourteen ounces of sour flour, which
produced the death, from actual starvation, of some of
the prisoners, after which the officers were compelled
not only to feed themselves, but to furnish rations to
the prisoners at their own expense. Godwin would
not allow the officers to send outside for food, but
started a sutler's store in the prison-enclosure, and
charged them four hundred per cent. more than the
price for which they could have purchased the same
articles outside.
"On the 2d of July, a lieutenant died of typhoid
fever, and the officers, having requested Godwin to
allow them to give him a decent interment, were met
with a flat refusal, he ordering a colored man to take
him off in a cart and bury him in a tanyard, saying'a
negro slave was all the guard of honor an invader
deserved.' 
Exchanged Union prisoners all tell the same tale of
the barbarity of the enemy's Government and the
cruelty of its officers. Northern men would }blush for




THE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.          135
shame did the Federal Government impose upon the
captured Rebels one-tenth of the horrors of Southern
dungeons.
For two or three days General MIcClellan had been
meditating a blow against the enemy, which, in the
end, proved entirely successful. Two railroads pass
out of Richmond toward the North,-the Virginia Central Railroad, crossing the Chickahominy at Meadow
Bridge, and running north fourteen miles to Hanover
Court-House, and then west five miles to Ashland,
where it crosses the other railroad; and the Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad, which passes out
of the capital toward the northwest, crossing the
numerous brooks forming the head-waters of the
Chickahominy, six miles above Meadow Bridge, and
gradually curving around in its course until it comes
to Ashland. The former of these roads, after leaving
the Ashland junction, goes west to Lynchburg; the
other running north to Acquia Creek upon the Potomac
River. Ashland is twenty miles north-northwest of
Richmond; Hanover Court-House is nineteen miles
north.  The two villages are five miles apart.  A
turnpike, crossing the river at Mlechanicsville, connects
Richmond with  Hanover Court-House.  The blow
meditated was the destruction of both railroads at the
junction, the absence from the enemy's left of General
Jackson, who was in the Shenandoah Valley, favoring
the enterprise.  On the 26th of May a cavalry reconnoissance was sent out to test its practicability. This
detachment passed up to Hanover Court-House, cutting
the Central Railroad in three places, but meeting with
no resistance. It returned in the afternoon, and, upon
the favorable report made by its commanding officer,
12*




136          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
it was determined to send out a strong expedition to
complete the destruction.
The night of the 26th of May and the morning of
the 2Tth were rainy, and the roads were converted into
the foulest mire. After a night's rain, however, the
clouds cleared away at ten o'clock of the morning of
the 27th, and the sun came out.  At three A.M.,
General Porter's corps, which had been selected for the
expedition, were routed out of their tents, and at four
General Morell's division started in the midst of the
rain, at a quick march, along the road to Hanover CourtHouse.  General Stoneman's division was held as a
reserve, ready to march at an instant's notice, and
followed General Morell to within six miles of Hanover
Court-House, halting there to await the result of the
expedition. General Sykes's division, the remainder of
General Porter's corps, advanced, as an additional supporting column, before daybreak on the morning of the
28th, but halted several miles from the Court-House.
General Morell's division marched through the rain
and mud, the troops wrapping themselves in their
water-proof blankets, and carefully guarding their
muskets from the wet, until they were some four miles
south of Hanover Court-House.  Here the advanced
guard, composed of the Twenty-fifth New York regiment, Colonel Johnson, some cavalry, and two guns,
discovered the pickets of the enemy, who skirmished
with the Federal scouts, but at the same time fell back.
The enemy, from their movements, evidently thought
the small force in sight was the entire Union strength,
and, to convince them of the contrary, General Butterfield, one of the brigade commanders, ordered the
Eighty-third Pennsylvania, Colonel McLane, and the




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           137
Seventeenth New York, Colonel Lansing, to pass into
a wood on the left of the road and to outflank the
enemy.  In a few moments the two regiments had
passed diagonally forward through the wood and were
drawn up in line of battle in a wheat-field to the left
of the Rebels. The Sixteenth Michigan, Colonel Stockton, and the Twelfth New York, Colonel Weeks,
marched through the wood a few moments after, and
formed to the rear of the others as a supporting party.
This movement, entirely unanticipated, took the enemy
completely by surprise, and, after a few volleys, their
infantry broke and fled. The artillerists continuing
to work their guns, a charge was ordered, which drove
them away. The enemy were completely routed, the
Federal troops pursuing them for a long distance along
the road to Hanover Court-House. All their guns
were captured, proving to be twelve-pounder smoothbore howitzers, belonging to a celebrated battery from
New Orleans, known as Latham's battery. This initiatory repulse seemed to confuse the enemy, for they fled
beyond Hanover Court-House, pursued by the Federal
cavalry, who gathered prisoners at every step. General
[MIorell's troops advanced briskly to the Court-House,
and, finding it deserted, halted there for a brief interval.
Whilst here, the Twenty-second Massachusetts, Colonel
Grove, took up several hundred feet of the Virginia
Central Railroad, afterward moving westward along
it toward Ashland.  There being indications of an
enemy in large force in the neighborhood, a strong
force was ordered forward to Colonel Grove's assistance.
At this moment the signal officers discovered and at
once reported to General Porter, who was upon the




138          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
field, that tlle enemy were advancing from Richmond
up the railroad to attack the Federal rear, it no doubt
being their intention to get General Morell between
two fires and destroy his troops at leisure. General
MIartindale, a brigade commander, stationed the Second
Maine regiment, Colonel Roberts, in line of battle
facing the rear, and extending from the railroad to the
turnpike upon which the Federal advance had been
made, the two roads being but a short distance apart.
Along and between these two roads it was expected
that the enemy's forces would advance. The Fortyfourth New York, Colonel Stryker, and 5Martin's battery, supported the Mlaine regiment.  The Twentyfifth New York was afterward added to the supports.
The enemy soon appeared before this hastily-formed
rear-guard, and Martin's battery opened upon them.
The Forty-fourth New York being upon the Federal
left, it was ordered to march into a piece of woods upon
that side and clear it of Rebel skirmishers, in order to
protect a hospital which was upon that flank, though
some distance to the rear. The regiment started; but
an attempt of the enemy to turn the Federal right
caused it to be recalled,-when it returned to its first
position and vigorously engaged the enemy.  The
three regiments and battery all fought with the greatest
earnestness, pouring volleys and shells into the enemy
with terrible effect. The Rebels were much stronger
than their opponents, having six regiments of infantry,
besides cannon. They appeared to be anxious to turn
the Federal right flank, and directed almost all their
attention to the Second Maine regiment, which was
upon that flank, its right resting upon a wood. Having
so much greater numbers to contend against, soon ex



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           139
hausted the regiment's ammunition; and, this being
reported, the Twenty-fifth New York was ordered to
relieve the gallant Maine regiment, which filed off to
the left in order to allow the Twenty-fifth, which was
to the rear, to march forward. This movement, for
some reason, exposed the remaining regiment of the
rear-guard to a fire upon the flank, from which it suffered severely, and which, for a few moments, could not
be resisted.  Still, beyond killing and wounding the
troops, the enemy made no impression; the handful of
troops stood as firmly as a rock,-no one faltering, no
one ceasing for an instant the quick firing of his
musket.
Whilst these brave troops were successfully checking
the advance of an enemy double their number, the
other brigades of General Morell's division, who had
been in advance along the railroad, were quickly returning to their aid. They formed in line in the wheatfield, near the spot where the first engagement took
place, and, pursuing almost the same manceuvres as in
that contest, took the enemy a second time in flank.
The Eighty-third Pennsylvania, Sixteenth Michigan,
and Ninth Massachusetts, Colonel Cass, fiercely attacked
the enemy's left flank; whilst the Sixty-second Pennsylvania, Colonel Black, beat up a small wood upon
their right. The Twelfth and Fourteenth New York
regiments advanced to the aid of the Federal rearguard, attacking the enemy in front, and Colonel Berdan's sharp-shooters, posted upon all sides, with unerring
aim picked off Rebel after Rebel. Nor was this all.
Griffin's battery came galloping down from Hanover
Court-}House to the assistance of Martin's, and was
ready for action and briskly shelling the enemy in a




140         TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
moment. These sudden advances upon all sides, totally
unanticipated by the Rebels, who thought their every
shot would cause the heroic rear-guard to fly, were too
much. Fire in front and to the right and left, with
murderous shells from twelve swiftly-worked cannon,
was an attack too hot to be borne. They wavered and
broke, and fled from the field, throwing away muskets,
colors, and even parts of their clothing, in their anxiety
to run the faster, and, rushing pell-mell into a dense
forest, quickly disappeared.
The enemy's attack upon the Federal rear having
been repulsed and defeated, attention was at once
turned to the foe in advance. Strangely enough, not a
regiment could be found, and the Federal troops advanced along the line of the Central Railroad, beyond
Hanover Court-House and toward Ashland, destroying
the road, but meeting no enemy. The Fifth and Sixth
regiments of regular cavalry proceeded to Ashland
and burned a bridge, five hundred feet long, over the
South Anna Creek, one of the tributaries of the Pamunky, which river flows within a mile of Hanover
Court-House. This bridge was upon the line of the
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad. The
cavalry also destroyed an immense amount of commissary and quartermaster's supplies, which were
stored at Ashland. A railroad-train was also captured
and burned.
The results of this expedition were highly favorable
to the Federal cause. Besides the immense destruction of stores, communication on both the railroads was
effectually broken up, and was kept so during all the
subsequent siege. Six hundred and twenty prisoners,
several cannon, and numerous small arms were cap



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           141
tured. The Federal loss was fifty-three killed, and two
hundred and ninety-six wounded and missing. The
enemy's loss, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, was fifteen hundred.
Ashland and Hanover Court-House are both most
insignificant villages, mere railway-stations, but, like all
other localities in Virginia, each one has a place in history. Before the war, Ashland had a hotel, at which
passengers between Richmond and Washington stopped
for meals. It also had a celebrated race-course. It
was the birthplace of Henry Clay. Hanover CourtHouse, though one of the oldest county seats in Virginia, can scarcely boast twenty houses. In the elder
days, its court-rooms were the scenes of many of
Patrick Henry's forensic triumphs.
The Rebels engaged in these battles were from
North Carolina and Georgia, with one Louisiana battery. On the afternoon of the 28th of May, the captured prisoners were sent down past Mechanicsville, on
their way to White House. They were a sorry-looking
set of men, and most of them were clothed in gray
homespun. The majority seemed rather glad to have
been captured. One German, from the manner of his
walk and the grin on his face, was evidently going
North to search for the heart he could not find in the
Southern country. "There goes a good Union man,"
cried a bystander. "Yes, me a Union man," answered
the German, amid the cheers of the surrounding crowd.
There were numerous company officers in the party,
and one field officer,-a major. With a very few exceptions, the Federal troops treated the prisoners with
politeness.  But few reproached or tantalized them,




142         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and they were at once stopped by their better-bred
companions.
General McClellan rode to Hanover Court-House on
the morning of Mcay 28, and highly commended the
gallantry of General Morell's division. During all of
that afternoon, and also upon the next day, the troops
of General Porter's corps were marching back to their
camp, which they had left amid the rain and mud to
go upon the expedition which resulted so successfully.
General Stoneman also brought his troops back to the
vicinity of Mechanicsville, leaving scouts in the country which he evacuated.  After the 29th, Meadow
Bridge was the extreme right of the army of the Potomac.
The frequent skirmishes and actions of the last days
of May, all resulting favorably to the Federal troops,
with their rapid advance to and successful crossing of
the Chickahominy, began to make the enemy uneasy.
Their troops were becoming dissatisfied, and the people
at home began finding fault. Their newspapers were
outspoken, and the following, from the "Richmond
Enquirer," will show the temper of those who were
anxious spectators of disaster after disaster:" We are now looking to General Johnston with great
interest, and not without some solicitude. He has just
beautifully executed some very judicious retreats. We
are now anxious to see him display the more positive
qualities of a military commander. The time has come
when retreat is no longer strategy, but disaster.  It
must therefore give place to battle. We have no idea
that Johnston contemplates a retreat.  We are perfectly satisfied that he does not. We verily believe




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          143
that, if he did contemplate one, he would fnd himself
unable to execute it. The temper of the army would
deny it. The men are weary of toilsome and destructive marches and the privations necessarily attending
them, and almost clamor to be led against the enemy.
The march from Manassas, and then from the Rapidan,
and next from Williamsburg, thinned our ranks more
than many battles would have done. The campaign
has ripened for the battle, and the battle is at hand.
We need now at the head of the army the clarion-call,
and the battle shall be bold and enthusiastic."
At forty minutes after six on the morning of
May 30, General Halleck entered Corinth.  Federal
success seemed to be looming up on every side. The
troops before Richmond were in the highest spirits,
eager for anticipated victories. The enemy during all
the time from  May 26 to May 30 were unusually
quiet, and apparently lying idle in their camps. Thus
was the condition of affairs upon the dark, rainy night
of May 30, which proved to be the eve of one of the
bloodiest battles of the war.
13




144         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER VI.
THE PENINSULA.
FROM the time it left Yorktown, every step trodden by
the Federal army was upon classic ground. Williamsburg was the ancient capital of Virginia. Hanover
and New Kent counties were the roaming-places for
Powhatan's famous tribe of Indians, and the Chickahominy Swamp the scene of John Smith's capture by
them.  Its vicinity doubtless witnessed Pocahontas's
heroic exploit, the treaty between the red and white
man, and Smith's final release. It was here that the
Englishman Rolfe wooed and won the sable princess;
and her descendants, known as the "first families of
Virginia," live upon all parts of the Peninsula. The
old house upon whose site "White House" was built
was the residence of Mrs. Washington. Coal Harbor,
or its vicinity, in Hanover county, gave birth to
Patrick Henry, and Ashland, in the same county, to
Henry Clay. Chief-Justice Marshall lived all his private life in Richmond, and General Washington has
ridden or walked over the whole neighborhood of the
capital. Every inch of soil is famous as the residence
of some patriot or hero whose ashes now lie in his
honored grave. The ground was all sacred, and upon
it two vast armies fought to decide one of the most
momentous questions which ever agitated the world.
The soil upon the Pamunky River differs materially
from that upon thle Ttames. The ground in the Pa



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           145
munky Valley, and indeed all across the ridge to the
Chickahominy, is sandy, changing easily into dust or
mud. It is almost white in color. The valley of the
James has the same soil, though with a large proportion
of clay, and it changes into mud just as readily as that
upon the Pamunky. The earth upon the Peninsula
seems to have the greatest affinity for water, attracting
it even when there is no rain, and when there is,
changing in two or three hours into a vast mud-puddle
a foot deep. This attribute of the soil was one of the
greatest impediments to military movements.  Men
could scarcely walk through the deep, thick, sticky
mire, and drawing artillery and wagons through such
a mixture was an impossibility. This mud came and
went in the shortest possible time. Three hours of
rain would convert the entire country into mire; three
hours of dry weather made half of it disappear.
To one accustomed to the thrifty farms and scientific
agriculture of the North, Virginia farming presented
few attractions.  Corn, wheat, oats, and tobacco were
usually raised, and the majority of the houses had
small gardens. Virginia farms were always immense
plantations, at least three-fourths being woodland. It
was the policy of the large land-owners, for political or
personal reasons, to buy out the small ones and drive
them away. A dozen men would thus become the
owners of a wxhole county. Wheat and oats were sown
broadcast, never drilled; and the fields were just ripening when the advance of the Union army compelled the
land-owners of Secession proclivities to leave their
homes. These crops were all seized by the Federal
troops for forage.  Corn is planted one grain to a hill,
and tle hills and rows are each from four to five feet




146          THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
apart.  The stalks are never cut as in the North, the
ears being pulled from  the top, and the stalks left
standing until the plough turns them under the surface. Ten bushels to the acre is the average yield of a
Virginia cornfield.
Rotation of crops is not resorted to, and the soil did
not seem ever to have been nourished by fertilizers.
Every fifteen or twenty years the old farm wears out,
and a new one is cleared from the woods. Fields in
every stage of exhaustion were presented on all sides.
In the woods there was very little of the original forest
remaining, the timber being principally of the second
growth springing up on the exhausted fields of farms
which were abandoned years ago.  It was very sad to
witness all these evidences of sloth and waste; their
causes have been Virginia's customs for centuries. If
this war, by introducing new inhabitants or new ideas,
renders the Northern system of farming prevalent in
the Old Dominion, all the desolation it has caused there
will have been amply atoned.
Very few streams, either large or small, run to the
three large rivers of the Peninsula. Springs were unusually scarce, and every stream  had its contents discolored by Virginia mud. The slightest rains dislodged
this mud in immense quantities, and the running water
of the streams always did it. The water, therefore, was
always marred. The James River for a great part of
the year is the color of light coffee. Such liquids were
almost loathsome to Northerners, used to cold, sparkling water in every brook, and accustomed to finding
springs under the roots of almost every tree.  In a
rain the first hour sufficed to saturate the ground, and
then every gully became a roaring cataract. The water




THIE SIEGE OF RICJIMOND.          147
from a thunder-storm would pour off through every
opening, carrying bushels of mud with it, tearing up
fences and fields, bursting through woods, and reaching
the first stream, over whose bed it would rush in the
wildest confusion. By the time the clouds of a storm
had cleared away, its surplus water would all have run
down from the high grounds, and could be heard roaring through the valleys as it drove its onward course
to the swamps.
Virginia has two species of rains,-the usual northeasters of the Atlantic seaboard, and thunder-storms.
The latter were the ones which deluged the camps,
caused the freshets, and carried off bridges.  They
generally came in a series, one following another from
all points of the compass for six hours at a time.
Northern thunder and lightning seldom reached the
sublimity shown in these almost daily scourges. Constant peals and flashes fbr ten minutes at a time were
not infrequent, and the torrents of rain usually soaked
through every thing,.  Tent-cloth, however, stood the
test without yielding, when the water, foiled above,
often made its attacks from beneath, running in torrents under the edge of the canvas and along the
ground. During a night thunder-storm, it was a common thing for a soldier to wrap himself up in his
water-proof blanket and have a small brook purling on
each side of him. Such invasions were made by Virginia storms upon Union troops. Each storm, however,
cooled the air, and, with all its inconveniences, was
welcomed.
The effect of these rains upon the roads was most
horrible. During and for several hours after the storm,
most of them were converted into all impassable mire.
J13*




148          THE SIEGE OF RICHMIONrD.
After the deluge, a day or two was required to insure
safe travelling, and usually,. long before that time had
elapsed, another rain would put them into as bad a
condition as before. Of course, from these impediments,
military movements were constantly delayed. A broken
wagon in a miry road necessitated the construction of a
new passage around the obstruction through the adjoining fields or woods. Such labor required time, and, of
course, every tlling had to be delayed until it was performed. The miserable roads of the Peninsula are to
blame for half the time spent by the army upon it.
A Virginia road was generally made with but slight
reference to the points between which it was intended
to run. It turned and twisted almost as badly as the
rivers.  Usually passing through the woods, no sheep
or cow path ever was laid out with less idea of the laws
regulating straighllt lines. These roads were made a
hundred years ago, and their courses have not been
altered since. In a country of horsemen, where a halfdozen donkey-carts and one or two carriages are all the
vehicles in a county, very wide roads are not needed.
These were exceediilgly narrow, and in many places
had to be widened to allow a. passage for Federal artillery and wa~gons. The roads often ran between steep
banks and sometimes in gullies.  Nowhere but upon
the level ground could two wagons pass. Some of the
roads were styled "turnpikes," and upon them  were
the remnants of gates and toll-houses. These, however,
were just like the rest,-quite as narrow and crooked
and as easily converted into mud. The Old Dominion
seemed sadly in want of instruction in the art of roadmaking; and General McClellan has left there some
evidences of Northern skill in that business which will




THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.           149
give it. Woodbury bridge and its approaches, Grapevine bridge, the road to Savage Station from Woodbury
bridge, and the one across White Oak Swamp, are
rmonuments of free Northern labor which it is to be
hoped Rebel vandalism never will deface.
The climate of Virginia was not near so changeable
as that of States farther North.  The air seemed most
favorable for those afflicted with throat and lung affections. The soldiers seldom  took cold; such troubles
were almost forgotten. The rays of the sun were most
powerful, and could scarcely be borne. Under the shade
of the trees or tents, however, a cool breeze generally
tempered the extreme heat and rendered the day somewhat pleasant.  Early morning and evening were
always cool; but in the neighborhood of the swamps
a dense fog rose up at duslk, obscuring every thing and
making the air damp and disagreeable. There were
few dull, cloudy days without rain. It was either clear,
with those fleecy clouds which always chase each other
across the heavens on sunshiny days, or else rainy;
and changes from the one to the other were always
quickly made.
The swamps usually occupied every lowland and the
borders of all the large streams. They could generally
be crossed with the aid of boards. The smaller swamps
were passed by stepping from one "tussock," or small
clump of grass and roots, to another. The water in these
swamlpS mostly lay stagnant, the storms-except in
extraordinary cases-failing to produce more impression
than to cause it to rise a foot or two. Scarcely any
current was ever perceptible in the swamps, and the
streams which ran into them were all swallowed up on the
border. Such places as these must have caused a great




150          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
amount of sickness in the armies encamped around
them; and, from the forms of disease prevalent in the
Federal hospitals, the miasm  from  the swamps no
doubt was the cause in the great majority of cases.
Encamping beside them  was always unpleasant,-a
"chorus of thousands of frogs, of all styles of croak,
being music by day and lullaby at night. It was most
painful, and pleased no one but some stray Frenchmen
who had enlisted, and who caught and ate their favorite
animal by hundreds.
The surface of the country was generally rolling. It
sloped gradually upwards from the Pamunky, and was
broken into gorges and valleys for the passage of every
small stream. On the Chickahoininy the land was very
high, running down in very steep slopes to the borders
of the swamp, thus forming on both sides a range of
lofty hills. Three-fourths of the surface was wooded,
but little of the primitive forest, however, remaining.
These old pieces of woods were found to be filled with
oak, beech, elm, ash, hickory, and cedar, and were
usually free from undergrowth. Land once cultivated,
but deserted, bore second-growth timber of all ages.
This was pine and cedar exclusively, and was sparsely
grown, also without underbrush. Virginia has inexhaustible supplies of timber for every purpose to which
it could be applied. Walnut, cherry, locust, and chestnut were occasionally met with, though usually they
were single trees standing alone in the fields, having
been planted there, or allowed to remain in the general
clearing of the woods when the land was first reclaimed.
The universal opinion of all observers of Virginia's
agriculture was that the soil was not half cultivated,
and what was done was in such an awkward manner




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           151
that it was much more expensive than it would ever
have been made by a Northern man. The adoption of
Northern habits of farming, and the cutting up of the
large plantations into small farms, were considered by
all as two great means of amelioration. Hundreds of
tillers of sterile soils in the North looked with sorrow
upon the riches allowed to waste in Virginia. They
saw her natural advantages, her facilities for navigation, the ease with which a market could be reached,
and the really good soil and favorable climate; and,
knowing so well the remedy which in a few years would
make each field the garden-spot its first settlers found
it, they almost wept over the desolation caused in a time
of profound peace by the narrow policy of a few lordly
land-owners. It is to be trusted that Virginia will be
regenerated. An infusion of energy and free labor can
easily do it.
The people the army found in Virginia seemed to be
an entirely different race from that living in the North,
-one which had degenerated in intellect, energy, and
every thing which makes up the character of true manhood. A state of war may have changed the aspect
of society and driven off the higher classes, but those
left as the inhabitants of the Peninsula-from  whom
one was to make up his estimate of the people of the
State-were certainly as debased and degraded as the
poor negroes who surrounded them. Still, in all their
abject misery they were kind and hospitable. They
lived in their cabins,-for only the wealthy land-owners
had houses,-were visited by our troops, and treated
every one as well as they were  able. Very little
beauty was vouchsafed to the females, and the habits
of all were such as to astonish sober, steady-going




152          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Northerners.  Every able-bodied man was in the
Rebel army, and, of course, but few males were left in
the country. If a cabin was visited, a strange sight
was seen. An old man generally lolled on the doorstep, with uncombed hair and grizzled beard. invariably smoking. The old lady, with a negro-turban on
her head, and a pipe in her mouth, wandered about,
grunting and grumbling,-not the slightest motherly
appearance being traced in the sharp features and
bony form of the ever-restless body.  The young
people were but little like young people of the North.
The boys chopped wood and built fires, and the girls
did the house-work and cooking, but neither were usefully employed a tithe of the day. The clothing for
all was made of the cheaper kind of goods, being usually
purchased at Richmond for very high prices. Crinoline of enormous proportions adorned all the younger
females, —its entire absence from the dress of the older
ones making a most ludicrous contrast. The malesgrlandsire, father, and son-were all clad in that sadcolored mixture known as "homespun."
These Virginians never conversed in a sprightly
manner. Their talking was always a drawl.  The
blacks and poor whites spoke exactly alike, using the
same phrases and expressions and seeming to have the
same ideas. When one's back is turned, and a Virginian's voice is heard, the greatest linguists cannot
tell whether it comes out of the mouth of a white man
or a black one.  "Thar," "whar," "befo'," "sah,"
"right smart," " powerful weak," "a heap," et id omne
genus, are used alike by all colors; and unless a Virginian be of high cultivation, his language is on an
exact level with that used by the slave whom he drives.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            153
A talented Virginian, however, who is of good family,
-and the talents appear to have been given only to
that class,-cannot be excelled in beauty of expression
and justice in the choice of language.
There is a great difference between the people of the
North and of this region in the matter of energy. A
Northern man is never contented: he always -wants
more,-is always pushing ahead. A Virginian, so he
can have his allowance of whiskey and be at liberty to
swear at the Abolitionists, is satisfied to live on as he
has from his boyhood, cultivating his single acre and
pasturing his single cow. He never wants to be richer
or better. He never wishes to leave his clearing to see
the world, or to desert his log cabin, even though it be
to inhabit a fine mansion. He chooses his political idol,
follows him through all the turnings and twistings of
the political pathway, until one or the other, the patron
or his client, is laid in the grave. He never changes
his church or his religion. The gray-headed clergyman at whose altar he worships in manhood pressed
his infant head at the baptismal font. He swears the
same oaths, sings the same songs, and tells the same
stories that he did twenty years ago. And his children after him, should not this war make a most
marked alteration in Virginian society, will do as he
has done, and be as perfectly satisfied with their course
as he has been with his.
The opinions of all were usually in favor of Secession; and even the presence of the Federal army could
scarcely repress the expression of treasonable sentiments.  A few families, scattered sparsely throughout
the country, favored the Union cause, and had suffered
the severest hardships and privations from the Rebel




154         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
authorities. By these, Union soldiers were always
regarded as true friends; by the others they were only
wanted so long as they paid extravagant prices for
milk and strawberries.  Some of the wives wished the
war over, to have their husbands back and reduce the
starvation-prices they had to pay for all they bought.
Others, however, held out,-wishing untold horrors to
the Federal troops and terrible destruction to the
North. The women were, by all odds, far worse rebels
than the men. They sent information to the enemy,
trumped up false charges against the troops, of which
investigation would at once prove the untruth, and
made all sorts of traps to catch unwary officers. They
were a sorry set of jades, and a disgrace to their sex.
Southern newspapers "fired the Southern heart,"
daily, with all sorts of misstatements. These had circulated extensively through all the Peninsula up to the
time of the advance of the Union army. When reprinted at the North, the absurdity of the stories in
them was plain: Virginia Secessionists, however, regarded them as truths, and treasured up every one as
daily evidences of the increasing prosperity of the Confederacy.
Almost every man of Secession feelings who had
any thing to lose by the advance of the army proclaimed himself a Union man. Such tricks, however,
were soon discovered. An indiscreet expression, or a
leaky negro, would easily betray all; and it was excellent practice at dissimulation which helped Mr. Rebel
safely through the gauntlet he ran. A perjured Union
man was always harshly treated. There was a respect
shown for those who boldly expressed their opinions
and strove to take no unfair advantage; but the poor




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           155
traitor whose Union disguise had been dragged from
him was always regarded as the vilest of men.
The women did most of their injury by their bad
wishes and their endeavors to entrap Union officers.
They would "wish that the rain would come down
ever so fast down thar on the swamp," and "wish that
Beauregard would come," or "General McClellan fall
sick, or get shot, or the Yankees get beaten." They
had plenty of unfriendly wishes, and plenty of unfriendly snares. The anecdote of Mrs. Mills and the
two Federal officers, in which each played upon the
other, the lady relying upon the approach of Stewart's
cavalry at the time it made the raid to White House
and around the army, although it has been extensively
circulated, will bear repetition. Being a friend of both
officers, and at the camp of their regiment when they
swiftly rode into it and told their story, the author
can vouch for its truth. Mrs. Mills's house was five
miles east of ~Mechanicsville, and situated on a road
along which Stewart and his force marched a few
moments after the Federal officers left. The anecdote
is the following:" Quartermaster S.-  and Commissary Zack B.,
of one of the regiments, are both of them very good
fellows, and also very brave soldiers when either of
their departments of transportation or supply are
brought into conflict with the enemy.  Each one
mounts a mettled steed, and can control him with a
grace which even General McClellan might envy. This
morning they started out in company to forage for the
officers' mess. Well provided with money to meet the
exorbitant demands of the egg and strawberry huck14




156         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
sters of the section of country to which they were
going, they gayly vaulted into their saddles, and, bidding good-bye to their friends, briskly trotted off on the
road toward Oakland.  Having reached there, they
turned off on the White House road, and, after a short
ride, stopped at a small house by the roadside to inquire what articles they had for sale. B]3    was the
spokesman, and, at his summons, out came a blooming
damsel of eighteen summers to answer the inquiry.
"'Have you any eggs, or butter, or milk, or any
thing of the sort, to sell?'
"'Whereabouts do you come from?'
"'About four miles from here. We belong to the
Union army.'
"'You do, eh?  Well, I don't allow a Yankee to
come within twenty yards of me, much less to speak
to me.'
"The officers opened their eyes at this desperate
declaration, and, riding into the yard, the commissary
continued:"' Say, look a-here: don't you know that such folks
as you are the only kind of meat we have down in our
camp?'
"'Yes indeed,' broke in fair Secessia:'I've heard
that much about you.'
"' Well, I suppose you have; and it's all true. Why,
at the battle of Fair Oaks the Yankees ate eight hundred just such looking Rebels as you; and it took ever
so many soldiers to guard the three thousand dead
ones, and keep them off.'
"At this barbarous speech, which might have provoked most terrible results, if the young lady's flashing
eyes were any index of her state of mind, the parents




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           157
appeared, and, gently checking her, accosted the Union
officers, and said they had nothing to sell. The father
seemed somewhat amused at his daughter's spirit, and
explained:"'That ere gal's got a beau in the Confederate
army, don't you see, and, you know, that's a good
reason for her being so much opposed to the Yankees.
Just you make an offer to capture her, and see if she
don't haul down her colors.'
" But the officers were not accustomed to doing such
unmanly things, and, finding they could procure no
eatables at this place, they withdrew to the road and
continued their journey. Going a short distance along
a road which turned off to the left, they stopped at a
house where a lady lived whose husband was in the
Rebel army. Mrs. Mills received them in a most bewitchingly friendly manner, spread out a glorious dinner, and offered to sell them oceans of milk and bushels
of cherries. With a pleasant smile, so different from
the excitable lass they had just left, she invited them
into the house, setting chairs for their accommodation,
and, after some pressing, made them consent to unsaddle their horses and turn them  out to graze.
Nothing could exceed the politeness of Mrs. Mills.
She was so glad they had come, and so fearful that
their long ride under a scorching sun might have
fatigued them. And were they not hungry? Wouldn't
they allow her to set out something for them to eat, to
stay their stomachs until dinner? She was so sorry
their camp was so distant; for nothing would delight
her more than to send them strawberries and milk and
cherries, and every thing which her garden could
furnish. She thought the Union soldiers were such




158          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
nice gentlemen, —so gallant and brave, and so considerate toward the poor Virginians who had lost their
all in this sorrowful war. And couldn't they stay to
dinner, and allow her to treat them with true Virginia hospitality?
"Such a loving reception, extended by the wife of a
Rebel soldier to two perfect strangers, was so very
unlike other earthly things, and so very like the concluding chapters of the' yellow-kivered,' that it astonished the two officers. The commissary looked at the
quartermaster, and the quartermaster, thinking that he
detected a wink of B's eye, returned it, and both
together they entered the house. With many thanks
and protestations that nothing was further from their
intention than to give trouble, they took seats on the
chairs set out for them, and, whilst the lady bustled
about in the preparation of dinner, had time to look
about them.
"They were in a cleanly, well-kept Virginia log
house, with old-fashioned furniture, and were evidently
partaking the hospitalities of a lady of cultivated manners and excellent understanding. Their ride had been
a long one, and the brush they had previously undergone so contrasted with this kind treatment that their
hearts were almost melted in gratitude toward their
fair benefactress. A few moments sufficed for the preparation of the meal, and the lady, placing chairs at
the table, invited them to be seated.
"Of course, nothing on that humble board could, in
her estimation, suit the epicurean palates of two such
gallant officers of the Union army. IIer bread she
was afraid was too heavy and her butter too soft. Her
milk had soured, and she was almost ashamed to tell




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            159
it, but the very last piece of fresh meat had been eaten
that very morning, and she had nothing but ham to
offer the gentlemen, but then the ham had been her
father's own raising, and she knew they would like it.
Perhaps they would taste some of her early cherries
and strawberries, and asparagus, too; but no, the
cherries were under- and the strawberries over-ripe,
and that good-for-nothing wench that did the cooking
had left the asparagus too long on the fire, and it was
boiled all to pieces. She knew the gentlemen wouldn't
like it. And her potatoes, too, she had taken such
pains with them, and just to think how sodden they
were! Oh, it was awful!
"'My dear madam,' broke in the polite quartermaster,'pray don't apologize any more.  The meal is
excellent; I hardly ever sat down to a, better.  Have
you, Zack?'
"'No, indeed,' said Zack:'why, at home I never
had any thing like it.  Salt pork and small potatoes
are all we get up in our country.'
"The lady was terribly afraid that the gentlemen
were not being suited, and that they really thought
her dinner a poor one;'but then, you know,' she added.
with a smile,'I am doing my best, and if I could do
better I would.'
"'Of course,' said the quartermaster.
"'Of course,' echoed the commissary.
"'And if my butter is soft it is not my fault, is it?'
"'Oh, certainly not,' exclaimed both in concert.
"The lady was so bewitching that for two hours the
officers sat at her table, eating and talking. The quartermaster made the apologies, and the commissary
adroitly put the questions. The fair Rebel no doubt
14*




160          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
thought that she had effectually caught the two simple-hearted gentlemen who sat meekly before her, and,
glorying in the triumph which another hour would
bring, was slightly unguarded.
"'I believe, madam, that your husband is in the
Confederate army,' said B;'you must be very
lonely without him.'
"'Oh, no, not with such good company as you are;
and then, besides, I hear from him every two or three
days, and he tells me all that is going on. Only a day
or two ago I had word from him.'
"The quartermaster treasured this up, and the commissary, looking ten times more simple-hearted than
previously, ejaculated,' How very nice!'
"'Yes, and he says that Beauregard's army, or a
good part of it at least, is at Richmond, and that soon
the Yankees will be driven away from about here, and
then he can come and see me whenever he wants to.'
"The quartermaster took a mouthful of water, and
the commissary said,'Indeed!'
" After a pause the quartermaster asked,'But,
madam, suppose your husband should be shot: how
would you take it?'
" Oh, never you mind her,' broke in B:'she
knows very well that if he's killed I will come down
here and marry her.'
"'You Northern gentlemen are so kind!' said the
lady.'Why, I never did see a finer set of fellows,and every one unmarried, too. How very strange!'
"'Not strange at all,' replied the quartermaster,'because only single men come to war: the married
ones stay at home to take care of their wives.'
"The lady thought a moment, and said,'I wish that




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           161
was the case with us. I was so sorry to lose my husband, and he was so sorry to go. Only the other day
he was here, and some rough men came along and
forced him to leave.'
"'Don't cry about it,' said kind-hearted Zack, as the
lady's tears began to come;'you know very well I'll
make it all right for you if he's taken prisoner.'
"' Will you?'
"'Oh, yes. You see, my friend here is a quartermaster, and his sister knows a young man that was
present at General McClellan's wedding, and I, too,
frequently write letters to the general, and he will do
any thing for me. Why, only the other day I sent him
a letter, asking him for a barrel of whiskey, putting
"commissary" after my name, so that he would know
it was me, and he sent it to me right away.'
"'Did he?'
"'Yes; and there's no end to the boxes of crackers
and barrels of pork and barrels of sugar and coffee and
boxes of candles he sends me for myself and my regiment, and when his wagons-you know he keeps three
or four-are doing something else, why, my friend, the
quartermaster here, jumps aboard of his and drives
over, and, handing the servant a piece of paper from
me, comes back with lots of them. Why, the general
will do any thing for me.'
" The lady thought she had found a friend, indeed,
and gave him her husband's name and regiment. Zack
took the name down, and said if the gentleman was
captured he would send him over to her'as soon as he
could.'
"They sat talking for some moments, each one becoming more interested in-the other, until the quarter



162          THE SIEGE OF RICIHMOND.
master espied a Federal horseman galloping along the
road in front of the house. His manner was excited,
and the lady, suddenly turning toward the door, muttered,'Have they found out so soon what our friends
are about?' Neither of the officers changed countenance,-as they were fully prepared for what was
coming, and had not ridden three miles outside of the
Federal lines to be gulled by any female manceuvres. The
commissary continued talking, and, after a moment, the
quartermaster went out, and, leading the horses to a point
where the lady could not see his movements, briskly
saddled them. When he finished, he re-entered the
house, and joined in the conversation as if nothing had
happened.
"' But, Mrs. Mills,' said he, after a moment's small
talk,'haven't you any milk or butter you could sell us?
I almost forgot it, but we came here to buy something
for the starving fellows in camp.'
"Had he seen the'starving fellows in camp' about
this time, perhaps he would not have talked so placidly
of them. The telegraph-line had signalled danger to
them, and with it came the order to prepare for a fight.'Where is the quartermaster?'' Wilere is the commissary?' were heard on all sides. They had been gone
since early morning, and here, at four o'clock, they had
not returned.'The enemy advancing in force,' had
been signalled from the very direction in which they
had gone, and their long absence was almost a sure
indication that they had been captured.  Heavy bets
were staked upon it.'I bet two and a half to one,'
said a colonel.'Take it,' cried a major:'they've got
fast horses, and can go a streak.' Every one was
anxious.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           163
" But, with minds free from anxiety, the two officers
still stayed with Mrs. Mills, procuring all sorts of dainties, and filling their bags and baskets with them. They
rose finally, however, saying they must be going, and
the commissary took out his pocket-book to pay for the
articles they had bought.  He flourished its contents
pretty considerably, and the lady higgled about the
change, and couldn't calculate, and had no dimes or
quarters, and must go up-stairs for some small money.
B] - didn't object, but winked to his friend, who
brought up the horses, and they both mounted.
"' Mrs. Mills,' he shouted,'I have the right money;
here it is.'
"Down-stairs came the lady, and sought to engage
them  in conversation again. She reluctantly took
the money, and, finding that they would go, was
at a loss for further means of detention.  But hospitality came to her aid, and she asked them to dinner
next day. Of course they consented, and, thanking
lier, arranged what dainties were to be provided. Two
minutes more settled that point, and, as they bade her
good-bye, a shadow passed over her countenance.
They walked their horses leisurely to the road, and,
giving one look behind them, each one clapped the spur
into his horse's side, and, with lightning speed, they
galloped off. Five minutes afterward a Confederate
troop came riding by,-some stopping at the house to
search for Unionists. An hour after, and the two
officers had reported to their commander the important
news they had gleaned from Mrs. Mills's unguarded
conversation, and, with their companions, sat comfortably around the mess-table, quietly eating the lady's
berries and drinking her milk."




164          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
The ill feeling generally held toward them by the
inhabitants, of course, did not improve the opinions the
soldiers freely expressed of all Virginians; and when
knavery was commenced by one side it was adopted
and continued by the other. The people charged extravagant prices for all they sold, demanding payment
in gold or Confederate notes: they would scarcely look
at a Federal Treasury or Northern bank-note. Soldiers
who had gold generally seized the articles wanted, cut
down the price one-half, and, laying down the money,
walked away. Others had a different plan. They accepted the offer to take Confederate notes, and presented the
lithographed copies sold in Northern cities and hawked
about by the sutlers at five cents apiece. With such
money, it mattered little what price was paid for any
thing. The people freely took these notes, praising
their newness and good looks, and in some cases, when
the genuine and copy were offered side by side, preferred the copy. These counterfeits were much betterlooking than the originals, and were passed away in
the army by hundreds.
The style of living of Virginians differed, as they
were divided into the higher and lower classes. Tile
latter were the " mean whites," who owned no slaves,
and generally less than a half-dozen acres of land.
Their lordly neighbors looked down upon their poverty
and ignorance with a contempt which was no doubt fully
reciprocated; but still they tilled their little farms,
lived in their log huts, ate their meals, smoked their
pipes, and were content.
The log huts of this lower class are so poor, and so
unusual at the North, that a just description will
scarcely be believed. They were set about the country




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           165
without reference either to beauty or convenience.
They are built of round hewn timber, joined at the
corners, with the chinks filled in with mortar or clay.
Never more than one story high, that one is so low
that a tall man has to stoop in entering the door.
Some logs thrown across above form the ceiling of the
room and the floor of the loft, and a ladder of the
rudest description, leading through a hatch, is the grand
staircase. These huts have usually one room; a tworoomed hut is a rarity. Sometimes the ground is the
floor, the poverty of the owner preventing the purchase
of floor-boards. A large fireplace, built also of logs,
and a log chimney, finish the building; whilst a shed,
sloping the rain off from the door-yard only to run
back again when it has fallen to the ground, is balcony,
portico, and awning for the residence. Poor and restricted as these buildings may seem, yet they are
homes for some one, and, as such, are no doubt as much
beloved as the finest houses in the land.  Large
families of children are often reared in them, and many
a distinguished Virginian first saw the light in one of
these buildings. Old Hanover county, in Virginia,
has always been proud of her Henrys,-her Patrick
Henry, and her Henry Clay. One was born in a
miserable hut whose ruins stand hard by the road from
Coal Harbor to New Bridge; the other drew his first
breath at Ashland, where, five years since, stood just
such a hut as has been described.
Sometimes a change was seen in the almost universal
order of things. A poor farmer would keep his house
and lot in good order, and become an example to his
less thrifty neighbors. One instance of this deserves
to be noted.  About a mile from Woodbury Bridge




166         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
was the home of one of these deserving men. He lived
in a rather comfortable log cabin in the centre of a
twenty-acre field.  Out-houses were scattered about
irregularly, but all embosomed in vines and shrubbery,
which betokened the careful habits of the wife. The
principal part of the field was an orchard, containing
some of the finest peach and apple trees. Cows grazed
contentedly beneath them, apparently ignorant of the
war which raged around this little oasis. In a fenced
enclosure, garden-vegetables were raised, and seemed
to have been well cared for. The owner of this property must have come from the North.  There were,
so many little arrangements about the buildings and
grounds that one never sees in Virginia, but which
are so common in the North,-so many comforts
and conveniences, and such a civilized way of building gates and fences,-that, if the man was not a
Northerner, he was at least a strange specimen of a
Virginian.
The field had all been cleared from the centre of a
vast wood; yet every stump had been pulled out, and
the land, even under the trees of the orchard, ploughed
and cultivated to its greatest capacity. Two roads
ran along, one on either side of the property, and a
lane through the field, fenced by its owner, connected
them. General McClellan gave this man a guard
for his property, and granted him that protection
which the white flag waving over the roof of his house
claimed.
It is most gratifying to find such thrift in one of the
lower class, when all around him live in wretchedness.
Cleanliness and comfort seem to be usurped by the rich.
Only those who have their tens and hundreds of slaves




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             167
can boast a well-stocked plantation. This man was not
one of these. Not a negro was near his house, and
very likely he was too poor to own one. Every day's
labor taken to keep that garden-spot fertile and productive must have been the work of his own hands;
and where a single white man is found who violates the
universal rule of sloth which hangs like a pall over
Virginia's prospects, lie should have his virtues given
to the world.
The higher classes, of course, hta.1 plenty of money
and owned thousands of broad acres; but their style
of living was scarcely what would be expected of such
great and showy people. Their mansion-houses, grand
beside the wretched log huts of their neighbors, were
generally tawdry, uncomfortable, and out of repair.
The present owners rarely built them: it was usually
done by the parents or grandparents. All of them,
therefore, presented an air of antiquity which was most
unseemly. The grounds surrounding theinm were seldom
carefully laid out.  A grove of oaks or elms was the
front, and, behind, negro-huts, sheds, and shanties were
planted around with a total disregard of all the rules
of order. In these mansion-houses the "first families"
lived, surrounded by their slaves and their plantations.
Exclusiveness was their great vice. No intercourse
was ever had with poor people; such were left to talk
with the negroes. With an overseer to superintend the
plantation, they lived in sloth, the negroes doing all
the work, their masters and mistresses seldom watching how it was done. The usual means resorted to by
such people to pass time were in great vogue in Virginia. Fox-hunts, pigeon-shootings, and such amusements, were very popular. Years ago in their idleness
15




168         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
they invented the doctrine of State Rights and commenced its discussion. At a later day it changed to
Secession.  Then  came high-running politics, and
finally military musters and drills, until the iron rule
of the majority, against the protest of vast numbers of
her citizens, thrust Virginia from the Union and began
her ruin and degradation. But this is wandering from
the subject.
A description of some of the mansion-houses which
in the progress of the war have become celebrated
will suffice as a type of all.
Mr. Toler's House, at Cumberland.
This was a two-story frame building, having a porch
in front, and was almost entirely imbedded in foliage.
Brick chimneys were built at each end, and the house
was surmounted by a high-peaked roof. Mr. Toler,
the owner, was a Secessionist, though one holding
peculiar opinions. He firmly believed that foreign intervention would end the war. It was upon this man's
extensive plantation that the Federal army encamped
whilst at Cumberland.  Upon the approach of the
Union troops, Mr. Toler's negroes, with the exception
of a few women and children, all disappeared. They
were doubtless among the commissary gangs at White
House. This house was much decayed, and was a poor
representative of Virginia mansions.
White House.
This, though one of the smallest and most insignificant of all the great manor-houses, from the historical
associations connected with it was by far the most celebrated. It was built upon the site of a white house




TIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           169
much larger and more pretentious, and which years
ago had been removed to make way for the present
structure. This first house-the real " White House"was the one in which iMrs. Custis had lived, and at
which General Washington visited her. The second
house, far from being a white one, was painted a sort
of pink color. The Lee family are the owners of the
property,-A. S. Lee, of the Confederate army, son
of its present commander-in-chief, Robert E. Lee,
having, previous to the commencement of the war,
resided there with his mother. The house was plainly
built, in the form of a centre building and wings, its
entire front being about forty feet and its depth twenty.
It was two stories high, with a peaked roof, and porches
ornamented the main building. Inside there were main
halls, and a staircase occupying the centre, and a room
on each floor in each wing. Two attics were under
the roof. The whole structure was of frame. A building such as White House could be erected at the North
for one thousand or fifteen hundred dollars.  The
grounds around the house were simply a grass-field, in
which grew several large trees. There seemed to be no
flowers. The house was fifty yards back of the river,
and the negro-huts and garden were on the bank of
the stream below.
When General Stoneman's troops occupied White
House on the evening of May 10, the guard placed
to protect the mansion found a paper pinned to the
wall of the main corridor, upon which was written, in
a lady's hand, the following words:"Northern soldiers who profess to reverence Washington, forbear to desecrate the home of his first mar



170         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
rled life,-the property of his wife, now owned by her
descendants.
"A grand-daughter of Mrs. Washington."
This was written by lMrs. Robert E. Lee; and below
it, upon the wall, one of the guard wrote an answer:"A Northern officer has protected your property in
sight of the enemy, and at the request of your overseer."
White House was used as a hospital in June, and
upon June 27 was set fire to by some Vandal and
needlessly burned. The destruction of the railroaddepot at that time made did not call for the destruction of the house, and those who had charge of the
United States property disavow the act.  Some one
beyond their control kindled the flames.
Dr. Gaines's House.
This was the largest of all the houses in the vicinity
of Richmond.  It was some six miles east-northeast
of the capital, and had a hill beside it firom which a
view could be had for miles along the Chickahominy
Valley. The house is celebrated as being fought around
during the whole of the battles of June 27, the first
of the series which rendered the flank movement to the
James River so bloody. The house was a large square
one, two stories in height, partly frame and partly
stone.'There was no architectural beauty about it,
but every one envied its owner the noble grove of oaks
which sloped down at its back toward the Chickahominy. A coo], refreshing breeze always came beneath




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           171
their broad limbs, and fanned the weary wayfarer who
stepped under them for rest. The owner of the house
was a rampant Secessionist, and was kept under guard
in his own dwelling.
Hogan's House.
This was a mansion of frame, built like Dr. Gaines's
residence, but on a smaller scale. It was a mile north
of the other. Usually the head-quarters of some of the
Federal generals, " Hogan's IHouse" became the heading of numerous orders. An enormous oak stood in
front of it, at about two hundred yards' distance, on a
lane which led out to the road. This tree was faultless. It was almost a perfect sphere, and covered with
foliage which was without break or imperfection. It
was the cynosure of all eyes; and thousands of dollars
would have been willingly spent by Federal officers to
have had that tree before their homes in the North.
It gave a glory to Hogan's house greater than could
be imparted by all the generals in the world.
Oakland.
This celebrated mansion was seven miles north of
Richmond, and was a fine two-story brick and frame
building, surrounded with elegantly laid-out grounds
and well-cultivated gardens. It was the residence of
"George W. Richardson, attorney-at-law," as he had
it painted over the front basement-window. This man,
evidently not over thirty-five years of age, had been a
year absent from his home, being a colonel in the Rebel
army, and commanding a Virginia regiment. He was
a bachelor, having, in the year 1855, been disappointed
in love through the aversion of his intended's parents.
15*




172          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
The colonel's house was well furnished, and had been
hurriedly deserted by his foolish family upon the day
of the first reconnoissance to Mechanicsville. One side
of the basement was the kitchen, the other the lawoffice, in which there was a valuable law library and
numerous private papers.  Above the kitchen was the
dining-room, and over the office the parlor. The second
story and the half-story above it were used for bedrooms.  The neg(roes, of whom there were six or seven,
were rambling around as usual, and an old, sour-looking graybeard was pointed out as the overseer.  Little
chickens played around the house, and behind it were
acres of garden-land, upon which every species of vegetable were being raised. The house and grounds were
well kept, and the rural beauty of the place far exceeded that of any other mansion which the army
passed.
Colonel Richardson was evidently a man of note in
Virginia politics. He had been a Whig; and one of the
addresses of the Whig committee of 1859, sent to every
prominent Wlhi, in the State during the Goggin-Letcher
campaign of that year, was lying on the floor. For the
instruction of politicians of the present day, it is reproduced here:-'IRICHMiOND, April 18, 1859.
"DEAK SIR: —I am instructed, as Chairman of the Opposition State Central Committee, to correspond with our
political fiiends in each county and town in the State upon
the subject of the organization of our forces for the fourth
Thursday in tlay. The committee would know what steps
have been tlaken in your county to this end. Have your
committees been tippointed for the precincts or magisterial
districts, to circulate documents, reason with voters, and




T-HE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             173
bring them to the polls?-steps deemed indispensably
necessary.
"The signs everywhere are 1most auspicious. ~We think
that if we canll make our vote what it was in 1855 for
Governor, such is the depressed and disorganized state of
the Democracy, our success is sure. Our aggregate vote
was then 73,354: that of your county was 553. Can you
not, by engaging the co-operation of discreet and influential
men in every neighborhood, in seeing voters and urging
them to attend the polls, and by circulating documents and
spreading information generally, increase the vote you then
gave?
"Let us hear as early as possible what you are doing and
expect to do. Send here for documents if you need more,
and direct how we shall send them to yon.
"Very respectfully, yours,
"R. T. DANIEL,  icaw'man.
It seems that Virginia politicians are not a whit
more modest than those of a colder climate.  Among
Colonel Richardson's papers was the following businesslike announcement of an aspirant for official honors:-'TO THE VOTERS OF HANOVER COUNTY.
"FELLOW-CITIZENS:-It will devolve upon you at the
ensuing spring election, in May next, to elect a commonwealth's attorney for the county of Hanover. I take this
opportunity to announce myself a candidate for said office,
and respectfully solicit your support for the same.
"WILLIAM R. WINN."
There was also among his papers a letter urging him
to withdraw his opposition to Judge Dabney, who was
runlning for attorney-general; and another, written
when he was raising his Secession regiment, declining




174          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
a staff appointment because it cost too much to get an
outfit.  Here is the letter:"COLONEL RICHARDSON.
"DEAR SIR: -With much reluctance I am constrained to
decline the honorable post which you have so kindly tendered me in the staff. I was in Richmond yesterday, and
ascertained that it would cost me the sum of one hundred
and eight dollars to equip myself, which sum my circumstances at present will not justify me thus to expend. With
many thanks for your kindness,
"I am, respectfully, yours, &c.,
"EDWIN T. SHELTON."
Colonel Richardson's greatest trait, however, was his
love-making, and several soldiers carried off love-letters
as trophies, in which the lovers poured out their whole
souls in perfect rhapsodies of affection. One lady,
though, utterly refused all his advances. His house
was used by the Union troops for a hospital.
A Rebel General's Head-Quarters.
Opposite Mechanicsville, some distance to the right
of the road leading to Richmond, and mounted on a
commanding hill, was an elegant mansion. Embosomed
in shrubbery, with an ornamented portico and tastefully-decorated grounds, it was a marked object on a
horizon which showed nothing elsewhere but log huts,
woods, cannon, and Rebels. Being so prominent, of
course hundreds of officers and soldiers watched it, and
they saw all that passed there. It was evidently the
quarters of some Rebel general, and he, too, one high
in command. Prancing horses stood pawing at the
gate-post. Orderlies were lounging about, and aids




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           175
constantly coming and going with messages. Every
day a retinue started off from it and disappeareld
among some of the many neighboring woods, returning
afterward, though sometimes at long intervals. Fleet
horsemen came and went, and lazy sentinels walked the
rounds, keeping off the vulgar crowd.
Who the great man was who kept such a fine house,
and commanded the services of so many, was a subject
of earnest speculation. Field-glasses did not bring the
house and its occupants near enough to discern features, and so the question could not be decided. If the
occupant really was what he seemed, he showed great
taste in the choice of his residence; and a correct appreciation of the beautiful is said to be an unfailing indication of a great mind. His house was two stories
high, with an ornamented porch surrounding it. A
cornice, such as is universal in the North, though seldom seen in Virginia, surmounted the walls. The building was of frame, painted white. Shrubbery of every
description was planted about in great profusion. The
grounds were laid out partly as lawn and partly as
garden, and, though shut to the common herd, were
filled with Rebel officers. The spot upon which this
house was situated was one of the most beautiful upon
the Peninsula.
Hopewell Baptist Church.
Church-architecture in Virginia is of the simplest
description. The Hopewell Baptist Church is near
Tunstall's Station, on the Richmond & York River
Railroad.  It is a modest little buildincg, about twentyfive feet square and fifteen feet high, built of frame,
painted white, and kept very clean. A road is some




176         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
few yards distant, and the church-door faces it. Inside,
the building did not present quite so favorable an appearance as outside. There was a small gallery, capable
of seating some thirty persons. This gallery had a
separate entrance from the outside, and was not connected with the floor of the church. Opposite the gallery was the pulpit, the rostrum standing upon a small
platform a step above the floor. The entire church
would perhaps seat a hundred persons comfortably.
A large folio Bible, bearing the imprint of "Thomas,
Cowperthwait & Co., Philadelphia, 1850," and having
"Hopewell Church" written opposite, lay upon the
rostrum. A New York edition of the Baptist collection of hymns was on a table before the pulpit, and in
the table-drawer were the records of the church. A
little desk alongside contained a few Bibles and Testaments and about twenty little books,-the Sundayschool library. All of these were printed in New York
or Philadelphia, many of them having been issued by
the American Sunday-School Union. The only blot
upon the whole scene was the twenty or thirty square,
wooden spittoons, filled with tobacco-quids, which were
upon the floor.
One of the most peculiar consequences of the relations of master and slave is that, before a slave can
associate himself with any religious congregation, the
written consent of the owner must first be obtained,
Several of these papers were among the records of
Hopewell Church, and, as they-are curiosities, copies of
a few are given:" Introduced by Charles Canby, a highly respectable serf
vant of the Retreat Farm, is Lavinia, Patsey Jr., Patsey Sr.,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           177
and Arena, as asking permission to be baptized; which
lease I grant to any, a regularly-ordained Baptist preacher.
"WM. P. BRAXTON, Agt.
"For DR. C. C. COOKE and Miss ANN C. DAVIS.
"June 21st, 1856."
"Martha has my permission to unite with the Baptist
Church.                            SAM'L WEBB."
"My man Luke and woman Katy have applied to me
for permission to join the'Church.' They have my full
consent to do so, hoping it may make them better servants.
"W. H. MASON.
"To THE M/INISTER AT HOPEWELL CHURCH."
"To THE PASTOR OF HOPEWELL CHURCH:
" SIR: —My servant-woman Caty has this morning asked
me to let her join the Baptist Church at Hopewell. Should
the pastor of that church think her prepared, I have no
objection to her doing so.
"I am, respectfully, yours,
"HENRY WEBB."
A report of the Dover Baptist Association, which
was also among the records, stated that J. F. Parkinson
was pastor of the church, and that he had seventeen
white and one hundred and ninety colored members
under his care. This clergyman had charge of other
churches in the neighborhood, and seems to have been
an itinerant. The Sunday-school was reported "flourishing," there being fourteen teachers and seventy
scholars. The church appeared to be in excellent condition, and, had not an advance of the army caused its
members to desert it, perhaps it would have continued
throughout the war a place of God's worship, filled by




178          THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.
a pious membership, and dispensing the blessings of the
gospel where they are most needed,-among the poor
negroes.
A Virginia Store.
Near Coal Harbor there was a store which had been
deserted by its proprietors.  It was a log building, a
story and a half high, with two rooms on the groundfloor, and no cellar.  The building-which was old and
dilapidated-was set upon four piles, one at each corner.
Inside, a pale fence ran across one of the rooms, somewhat in the style of a Northern counter. Some shelves
were fastened to the walls, and boxes and barrels lay
around, but no merchandise could be seen. The other
room seemed to have been a stable, as it was divided
into stalls. Inside the store and about the door lay
scattered the account-books and papers of the concern,
and also parts of a copy of the Statutes of Virginia. This
store-from the character of these papers-seemed to
have been engaged in a peculiar kind of business; a
business never transacted at stores in the Northern
States.  Nine-tenths of the merchandise sold was
whiskey; and, from  the prices, the article generally
sold must have been of the most villanous character.
If other Virginia stores were any thing like this one,
people need be at no loss to account for the cause of
that mania which took the State out of the Union.
One page of the day-book (page 1240), dated "June 8,"
but having no year written upon it, was picked up by
a soldier. It contained thirty-seven entries, of which
thirty-one were for rum and whiskey. Credit was in
each case given, even for a drink.  One man gave a
note, at four months, fcr  a debt of one dollar and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             179
seventeen cents. Whiskey was sold at seventy cents a
gallon, and rum at a dollar.  A drink cost four cents
(cheaper than at most places in the North).  Liquor
was, in many cases, sold upon orders: indeed, there was
not a single order found among the papers of the concern which did not in some way refer to the article.
One bill, and six orders, picked up from the ground one
after the other, all referred to whiskey. The bill shows
how much the whiskey cost:" Messrs. Paisley and Brown, Bought of Wilson Williams,
January 8, 1861, one barrel rectified whiskey, 43 gallons,
at 24c., $10.32.
This stuff, bought at twenty-four cents, was retailed
at seventy,-quite a small profit. The six orders were
rich specimens both of chirography and orthography,
and are given below:"March 8, 1857.
"Mr. Brown you will Pleas send me 1 gallon of whiskey.
" Respectfully yourse,
"ELIJAH KELLEY."
" Mr. Brown & Paisley, you will send me one lb. of coffee
& 1 of shugar, & five lbs. of six penny nails, & a quart of
corn whisky, and much oblige
"WM. B. GOODLY.
"March 12, 1857."
"Mr. Brown, you will pleas send me half gallon of brandy.
"Yourse, Respectfully,
"ELIJAH KELLEY."
"June the 6, 1856.
"Mr. Brown, you will please send me a half pound of
candles and a quart of common whiskey and a half gallon
16




180          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
of molases. I have sent you 25 cents to pay for the candles and whiskey; the molases you will please charge.
"MAnRGRET K. BIRATT."
"Mr. Pirsley and Brown will please send by the bearer
six lbs. of sugar, 2 lbs. coffee, 1 lb. of candles, 1 quart of
best whiskey, 1 pair of lines, and one plug of tobaco.
"W. F. ROBINEAU.
"May the 27, 1859."
" Mr. Brown, plese send me for pounds of brown shugar,
2 pounds of wrise, 1 pound of crackers, for which I send
you the money.
"You will plese send 3 pounds of lard, 2 yards of your
best yellow cotton, 1 bottle of whiskey that you sell
at 60 cts. per gallon; plese send a bill, I will settle in a
corse of a fortnight.
"JAMES S. KELLEY.
"Sept. 19th, 1859."
The Virginia slave code requires that all slaves found
wandering, or engaged in any business at a distance from
their homes, without a written permission, shall be
seized as fugitives. Several of these slave-passes lay
on the ground, of which the following was by far the
most elaborate:~' The bearer of this, Joe, belonging to Mr. Joseph Pauly,
of this county, has permission to sell, for my woman Betsey,
two and a half dozen chickens, in the city of Richmond, and
in the county of Hanover and Henrico, as he may deem
best.
"WM. C. SMITH.
"EASTERN VIEW, HANOVER, August 24, 1855."
This store, exhibiting the vice and ignorance of Virginians, was within twelve miles of the Rebel capital.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           181
If a community is judged by its mode of domestic life,
Hanover county, Virginia, must be a very poor place.
The Lager-Beer Saloon at Mechanicsville.
Lager, pretzels, old cheese, brown bread, and sourkrout, seem to have had as many admirers among the
ton of Richmond as elsewhere. At Mechanicsville there
was a large-sized lager-beer saloon and garden. Counters, taps, kegs, and glasses flourished in the house, and
fine York River oyster-shells lay in a pile in the back
yard. The garden was some ten acres of oak, cleared
of the undergrowth, and rural chairs and tables were
scattered around. The turnpike from Richmond to
Hanover Court-House ran by the house, crossing the
river a half-mile distant, at a most beautiful spot, and,
after winding among the hills, entering the capital from
the North. From the city to this saloon was a favorite
drive, and every convenience was had there which Virginia chivalry could need. The beer sold at this place
came from Philadelphia breweries, and the glassware
and furniture were also of Northern manufacture.
A Virginia Mill.
Ellison's Mill, at which point the Federal troops first
met the enemy upon their advance to capture Mechanicsville,, stands upon a road leading up the left
bank of the Chickahominy, and is a mile below the
village. It is a grist-mill.  In the North people are
used to large mills, with all the modern conveniences
for cleaning the grain, bolting the flour, and facilitating
the storage and transportation of the manufactured
article. Until Ellison's Mill was examined, the author




182          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
never knew that grain could be ground by so small an
amount of machinery.
The building was of frame, two-thirds of its height
being the peaked roof surmounting all Virginia houses.
It was set on piles, and the wheel was alongside, uncovered, as likewise were the minor wheels and axles
which conducted the power to the building. The wheel
was ten feet in diameter, and driven by water conducted over it by one of the old-fashioned troughs.
Two or three cogged wheels served to alter the direction of the power from vertical to horizontal, to regulate it, and to conduct it to the mill-stones inside. The
floor of the mill was of broad boards, with all sorts of
chinks and knot-boles.  On a raised platform at the
back stood a single pair of mill-stones, a crane for removing the upper one when necessary being fastened
into the wall. The machinery here was of the rudest
and simplest description. The grain, without any previous preparation, was led between the stones, and
afterward fell through a constantly-shaken sieve of
bolting-cloth into a bin, out of which it was taken and
given to customers. There was no means of separating
wheat from bran, or of granulating the flour, or of separating the products of the different cereals. Everything
-wheat, oats, rye, corn, barley, and whatever else was
brought for grinding-went between the same pair of
stones, and its product fell into the same bin; and half
the flour sold from this mill, no doubt, was a mixture
of all the grain grown on Virginia's soil. The poorest
machinery and most unskilful arrangement, necessarily
insuring the poorest product, seems to be the rule in
all Southern industrial manufactories. After the war,




TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          183
perhaps, a new era in manufactures, commerce, and
patriotism will commence.
The style of architecture in Virginia was scarcely
worthy an age of semi-civilization. For a people with
so great a history and such large pretensions, it was
deplorable. But little genius has been evinced in the
Old Dominion in its latter days. All has been a mass
of laziness, sloth, and ignorance, which the desolations
of war could scarcely make worse.  An infusion of
energy is sadly needed in every Virginia community,
and the sooner it is given the better will it be for its
prosperity.




184          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER VII.
THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
IT is no easy task to describe a great battle,-especially one of which such contradictory accounts are given
as of the battle of Fair Oaks.  Spectators viewing
limited portions of the field for a short time give their
descriptions; and soldiers who have fought in the strife
and survived it sit down afterward and write their
impressions. All tell the truth as they saw it or heard
it, but to reconcile their narratives is almost impossible.
Then, when the official reports are made known to the
world, they usually lack what is most needed,-a comprehensive description of what they profess to report.
The materials from which the history of a battle is
written (are usually most uncertain and unreliable; and
the subsequent narrative of the battle of Fair Oaks is
given to the reader with many misgivings, -though if it
has errors they are errors derived from the materials
which the author has been compelled to use, and, if it
is incomplete, the early date after the conflict at which
it is written is his apology.
This celebrated battle has two names. In the North
it is known as the "Battle of Fair Oaks," receiving
that name from a cluster of beautiful oak-trees some
six and a half miles from Richmond, and a short distance south of the Richmond & York River Railroad.
In the South it is called the "Battle of the Seven




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           185
Pines," a cluster of pine-trees near a frame house a
mile southeast of Fair Oaks, and the spot to which the
enemy drove the Federal forces upon May 31. The
name of Fair Oaks is fast usurping the place of the
other, however, and will doubtless in time become the
universal designation.
The battle-field of Fair Oaks was upon a very flat
country, mostly swampy, and nearly all covered with
forest. The railroad ran in an east and west line
through it. South of the railroad, and distant but a
half-mile, was the Williamsburg road, which was parallel with the other. The Seven Pines were upon this
road; and another, called the "Nine-Mile Road," started
from the first, opposite the Seven Pines, and ran a mile
northwest to the railroad, crossing it near Fair Oaks,
and continuing beyond, a mile and a half in the same
direction, to a house but a short distance from New
Bridge,-known as the "Old Tavern."  The peculiar
name this road bears is given it because the Seven
Pines are nine miles from Richmond if this road be
travelled to the Old Tavern, and then one running
from New Bridge, past the tavern, to the capital, be
taken for the remainder of the journey. To the westward, the direction of Richmond, the woods were very
dense, and along the edge had been felled to obstruct
the passage of troops. Thick forests also ran along the
Federal left to the south of the Williamsburg road.
These forests and their "abatis," the felled portion,
entirely obstructed the view of an approaching enemy.
It will be remembered that on the 26th of May part
of General Keyes's corps was advanced along the Williamsburg road to within four and three-quarter miles
of Richmond, and a mile and three-quarters beyond




186         THE SIEGE OF tRICTHMOND.
the Seven Pines, the enemy retreating before it. Upon
the morning of the 31st, General Keyes's forces were
all in that vicinity. General Heintzelman was at the
Seven Pines. General Sumner was upon the other side
of the Chickahominy, near New Bridge, and by road
four and a half miles distant from General Keyes. He
had built Grapevine and Sunderland bridges, and was
prepared at any moment to cross to the assistance of
the left wing. These three corps were all the Federal
troops that were engaged in the battle of Fair Oaks,
and they numbered in all some fifty-four thousand men,
of whom some forty-six thousand were in the battle.
Th1e [Qrce of the2 enemy in postio  numbred about
sixty-four thousand. There were four divisions of their
army, each one corresponding to a Federal corps
d'arme, and were commanded by Major-Generals
Smith, Longstreet, Hill, and Huger.  Forty-eight
thousand of them fought in the contest.
At about four o'clock on the afternoon of May 30,
there commenced a series of the he    t thunderstoswhich had visited that section of coun or a
long period. Incessantly until midnight the rain fell
in torrents, and it was accompanied by the severest
thunder and lightning.  The 31st day of May was
dark and lowering, with a short space of sunshine at
noon; June 1, however, was a bright, clear day. This
deluge filled- all the streams, and by noon on the 31st
had changed the slow-motioned Chickahominy into a
roaring torrent. Upon this rise in the river the Rebel
commander relied; for he says in his official report
that "heavy and protracted rains during the afternoon
and night, by swelling the streams of the Chickahominy, increased the probability of our having to deal




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            187
with no other troops than those of Keyes."  General
Sumner was separated from his friends at Seven Pines
by that swollen river. The object of the attack the
enemy were premeditating was to cut off the Federal
left wing, speeches to that effect being made to their
troops before they were marched to the battle-field.
Stating this to have been his intention, the Rebel commander-in-chief begins his official report with the following paragraph:"Before the 30th of May, I had ascertained, from
trusty scouts, that Keyes's corps was encamped on this
side of the Chickahominy, near the Williamsburg road.
On that day Major-General D. B. Hill reported a
strong body immediately in his front. On receiving
this report, I determined to attack them next morning,
hoping to be able to defeat Keyes's corps completely, in
its advanced position, before it could be reinforced."
The enemy did not appear to be aware that General
Heintzelman was across the river and in a position to
support General Keyes.
The disposition of General Keyes's corps upon the
morning of May 31 was one scarcely calculated to resist an attack. A rifle-pit and a redoubt were constructed, three-quarters of a mile in advance of the
Seven Pines, and there was an abatis one-quarter of a
mile in front of them. Parties of men were laboring upon
these works on the morning of the 31st. General Casey's
division, numbering five thousand troops, was encamped
near the redoubt, and in advance of it, pickets being
thrown out some distance to the front. A half-mile to
the rear of General Casey, General Couch's division
was encamped.  He had eight thousand men.
For several days previously-indFedlaio't con



188         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
stantly since the advance of the 26th-there had been
skirmishing between the Federal and Rebel pickets,
and iac case a regiment, or a part of a regiment,
would be ordered out to support the pickets and end
the skirmish. This force was usually adequate to the
work, and was strong enough to compel the enemy to
retire. Upon the 29th of May, the enemy were driven
back, with a number killed and wounded, the casualties upon the Federal side being two killed and two
wounded, one of the former being Major Kelly, of the
Ninety-sixth New York regiment. Upon the next
day the enemy's attacks were equally as well repulsed,
six of their dead being left upon the ground. Upon
the 31st, Lieutenant Washington, an aid of the Rebel
General Johnston, was captured  by the Federal
pickets.
The   )el commander s Ian of attack was an excellent on eTt was intended to force General Casey's
position ea on the morning of the     To do this,
Major-General Hill, with sixteen thousand men, was
to advance along the Williamsburg road, Major-General
Longstreet, who had the direction of operations upon
the enemy's right wing, supporting him with sixteen
thousand more. Major-General Huger, with his division of an equal number, was to move down the Charles
City road (a road running southeast from Richmond
and passing three miles south of Seven Pines), in order
to attack in flank the Federal troops who might be
engaged with Generals Hill and Longstreet, unless he
found in front force enough to occupy his division.
Major-General Smith, with sixteen thousand more men,
from the Rebel centre, was to march to the north of
the Federal troops, along the road leading from Richl




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.         189
mond to the Old Tavern, thus turning the Federal
right flank and covering the Rebel left. This plan of
attack, had it been fully carried out, would have completely overwhelmed the handful of troops in General
Casey's command. It, however, failed in several important points.
It was the intention that all the enemy's columns
sTiould move at daybreak; but the same cause upon
which they relied as an insurmountable obstacle to the
passage of Federal reinforcements across the Chickahominy-the rain-storms of the afternoon and evening
of the 30th —retarded their own movements. Generals Hill and Longstreet were in position upon the
Williamsburg road early enough to have attacked the
Federal camp by eight o'clock upon the morning of
the 31st, and General Smith had his division posted
upon the road to Old Tavern at the same time, and
could also have attacked at the same hour. But, for
some reason, General Huger did not attain his post upon
the Charles City road. The commander of the body
of troops forming the left wing-General Longstreetwas unwilling to make a partial attack, instead of the
combined movement which had been planned, and
refrained from giving the order to advance until General Huger was in position. Hour after hour, from
eight in the morning, he waited for his assistant, but
no word came from him; and about half-past eleven he
resolved to make the attack without General Huger.
That general did not make his appearance at any time
during the battle, and his division was not engaged in
it. Several miles to the rear, inextricably mixed up
in swamps, his immovable artillery blocking the passage, he spent the day, his troops raging with the




190         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
thought that the elements forbade their sharing in the
anticipated plunder of the captured Federal camps.
Just at the commencement of the action, General
Johnston, the Rebel commander-in-chief, arrived upon
the ground and took command of the troops. He
posted himself with General Smith's division upon the
road to Old Tavern, in his report of the battle giving
as his reason for choosing that position, "that I might
be on a part of the field where I could observe and
be ready to meet any counter-movement which the
enemy's general might make against our centre or left."
At half-past eleven o'clock General Hill disposed his
division in line of battle extending on both sides of the
Williamsburg road, and sent out artillery and numerous skirmishers in front. General Longstreet placed
his troops in line immediately behind General Hill, and
this mass of thirty-two thousand men at once began
moving toward the thick wood which had hidden them
from the Federal pickets.
General Casey's division does not appear to have had
much knowledge of the immense force which was
marching to attack them, and grave charges of having
been surprised have been brought against the general.
In such a case, it is best to let him speak for himself.
In his report he says,"On the morning of the 31st May my pickets
toward the right of my line succeeded in capturing
Lieutenant Washington, an aid of General Johnston of
the Rebel service. This circumstance, in connection
with the fact that Colonel Hunt-my general officer
of the day-had reported to me that his outer pickets
had heard cars running nearly all night on the Rich



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             191
mond end of the railroad, led me to exercise increased
vigilance.  Between eleven and twelve  o'clock, a
mounted vedette was sent in from the advanced pickets
to report that a body of the enemy was in sight, approaching on the Richmond road.  I immediately
ordered the Ore-hundred-and-third regiment Pennsvlvania Volunteers to advance to the front for the
purpose of supporting the pickets. It was soon afterward reported to me by a mounted vedette that the
enemy were adlvancing in force; and, about the same
time, two shells were thrown over my camp.  I was
led to believe that a serious attack was contemplated,
and immediately ordered the division under arms, the
men at work on the abatis and rifle-pits to be recalled
and to join their regiments, the artillery to be harnessed up at once, and made my dispositions to repel
the enemy.  Whilst these were in progress, the pickets
commenced firing."
General Naaglee, who commanded the first brigade
of General Casey's division, says in his report,"Two shells thrown into our camp first announced
the hostile intentions of the enemy. Nho alarm was
felt by any one; for it was seldom  that twenty-four
hours passed that we did not exchange similar salutations.  Soon after, it was reported that an attack was
impending, the usual orders were issued, and within
half an hour the troops moved to positions that were
assigned to them by General Casey."
Spratt's battery of four guns was posted to the north
of the Williamsburg road, in an open field, and but a
17




192          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
short distance from the wood behind which the enemy
were advancing. The Rebel skirmishers came through
the wood just at noon, and on the instant the Federal
pickets commenced firin.- The vast body of advancing
troops being hidden by tl -Cood, the attack was mistaken
for one of those skirmishes which had constantly been
fought for three or four days previously, and but one
regiment, the One-hundred-and-third Pennsylvania,
was ordered out to support the pickets. It marched
quickly along the Williamsburg road to the edge of
the wood, thinking that a handful of skirmishers would
be its only opponents, and almost stumbled upon the
Rebel troops advancing in line of battle.  On the instant they fired a murderous volley from thousands of
muskets at the surprised regiment, and one-fifth of its
number fell killed and wounded.  The remaining soldiers were unable to reply,-the surprise was too great;
and, despite all the efforts of its officers, the regiment
broke shortly, and, completely demoralized, retreated
along the road it caml  being joined on the way by a
great many sickl. \This mass of stragglers, as they
passed along throuo~ General Casey's camp and to
General Couch's, in the rear, conveyed an exaggerated
idea of surprise and defeat. The conduct of the Onehundred-and-third Pennsylvania has been much censured, and, scarcely knowing the overwhelming disadvantages under which it fought, people at home have
spoken harshly of Cit   This is unjust.  No regiment
in the army, undeTil, circumstances, could have done
better. Sent forward, as its soldiers supposed, to check
the advance of a few straggling skirmishers, thirtytwo thousand Rebels, whose line of battle extended far
to the right and left', uirldenly rush upon it, and, in the




TIHE SIEGE OF RICliMOND.I.        193
midst of the surprise, thousands of them fire a deadly
volley at it. The rout was excusable. Upon such a
surprise, veterans would have hastily retreated.
This handful of opponents being disposed of, on came
the thirty-two thousand, anxious to engage General
Casey's six thousand spread out in line of battle ill
front of the rifle-pit and redoubt.  Spratt's battery,
and Regan's, Bates's, and Fitch's, which were behind
it, commenced the action at once, and Spratt's was supported by the One-hundredth New York regiment,
standing in the NVilliamsburg road to the left of it, the
Ninety-second New York to the rear, and three companies of the Eleventh Maine, numbering ninety-three
men, and eight companies of the One-hundred-andfourth Pennsylvania, in the field to the right.  These
troops were all from General Casey's division, and, as
soon as the enemy were clear of the wood, were ordered
to charge.  Colonel Davis, of the One-hundred-andfourth Pennsylvania, thus describes it:"The regiments sprcang forward toward the enemy
with a tremendous yell. In our way was a high wormfence, which cut our former line of battle; but the boys
sprang over it into the same enclosure with the enemy,
where we formed, and renewed the fight.  The battle
now raged with great fury, and the firing was much
hotter than lbefore. Spratt's battery, during this time,
had kept up a lively fire in the same direction."
The artillery-practice wv-as excellent, and the guns
were worked with a speed which only the excitement
of a great battle could give. At first each battery
threw what are called " spherictal case shot," a deadly




194           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
missile, consisting of a clotted mass of seventy-six
musket-balls, with a charge of powder in the centre,
which is ignited by a fuse in the same manner as a
shell.  The ball first acts as a solid shot, ploughing
its way through masses of men, and then, exploding,
hurlsl forward a shower of musket-balls, each one as
deadly as if discharged from a rifle.  The four Federal
batteries threw from sixty to eighty of these shot in a
minute, aimed at every part of the advancing Rebel
line, each shot telling' with frightful effect.
The enemy, however, marched steadily on, and hurled
a perfect tempest of musket-balls upon the batteries
and their supporting reriments.   Still the cannon
workred,as swiftly, pouring their deaLdly shot into the
dense masses of the foe.  The Federal missiles tore
their ranks wide open, malking  frightful gaps filled
with falling dead and wounded men.  Still they came
steadily on, closing every gap, and minding the terrible
hail of the guns no more than if they had been shooting blank cartridkces.  When they were within four
hundred yards of Spraft's battery, the Federal infantry
opened fire, and the artillerists chlanged their case shot
to canister.  These missiles were as murderous as the
others.  I    rundreds of the enemy fell before the fire of
those te4ic lcannon, but still all the gC)ps were closed,
and they marched on, hrllihcg musket-balls upon the
Union troops,-doing it all with an order and discipline
which were admireil7'.
Still the canister Pfre through their lines, and still
they steadlily advanced, through the field, over tlhe
high worm-fence, through the field a gain, and up to
the muzzles of the Federal cannon.  When the brave
artillerists delivered their last fire, the enemy were




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           195
but twenty yards distant.  The commander of the
battery ordered it to retire; but, all the horses of
one of the pieces being killed or wounded, that gun
could not be saved. The four supporting regiments
had lost hundreds of men, and, as the overwhelming
force of the enemy came down upon them, they fell
back with some disorder to the rifle-pits and redoubt.
In this contest the colonel of the One-hundredth New
York was killed, and Colonel Davis badly and his
major mortally wounded.  This was the first reception
given to the thirty-two thousand by General Casey's
handful of men.
Those of the division who survived were now together, and they made a second stand at the redoubt.
Two batteries, Bates's and Fitch's, were in position.
The Federal line still extended from the Williamsburg
road northward. /The enemy, upon capturing the
deserted cannon, ha  l a few moments, and brought
forward four batteries, which opened upon the Union
troops.  The Federal guns replied, and the enemy
again began their advanc   They came on as steadily
as before, sending before tlem showers of musket-balls.
The Rebel artillery worked swiftly, and so did the
Federal, and every infantry soldier in both armies
loaded and fired as quickly as he could. The noise was
overpowering, and the scene-the dead, the wounded
men groaniirg, the fierce battle raging, and over all a
pall of the whitest smoke-was so awful that few can
realize its horrors. Still the enemy's line advanced,
storming the redoubt, and, after a short, fierce contest,
capturing it. The guns of Bates's battery had to be
left in the redoubt, and were taken; Fitch's battery
was saved.  Almost cut to pieces, every regiment.4,~




196          THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOJLrD.
having suffered fearfully, the division retreated again,
this time falling through the line of battle formed by
General Couch, and going to the rear.  They were not,
as a body, engaged afterward. This retreat yielded up
their camp to the enemy.  In this second contest
Colonel ]Billey and AIajor Van Va(lkenlbtur, both excellent officers, fell whilst directing thle movements of
the First New York Artillery.
Bet.ween the points of General Casey's first and last
rels-tance is about a third of a mile and General Couch
was a half-mile farther to the reaTIt was not until
half-past three o'clock in the afternoon that General
Casey's troops fell back exhausted to General Couch's
line, and thus, for three and a half hours, they resisted,
and gave General Heintzelman's corps a chance to come
up.  The official report of General Kearney, one of the
commanders of division in  that corps, thus speaks of
General Casey's conduct:"As it wats, Casey's division held its line of battie
for more than three hours, and the execution done upon
the enemy was shown by the number of Rebel dead
left upon the field after the enemly had held possession
of it for upward of twenty-four hours."
When it is considered tlat six thousancd men for
three hours resisted the advance of more than five
times their number, doing it with an immense loss and
under a murderous fire of cannon and small arms, the
conduct of Casey's division deserves praise instead of
blame. The unavoidable rout of the One-hundred-andthird Pennsylvania caused all the stormn of censure
Vwhlich has been undeservedly heaped upon a brave body,fi troops -lwho nobly fought their first battle.




THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.           197
The commander-il-chief, in his telegraphic report of
the battle sent from the field to the Secretary of War^,
censured General Casey's division. Subsequently, however, when time had given him a correct knowledgce of
the devotion of that division to its country's cause, he
retracted that censure, except as to one brigade.
It is proper that General Casey's defence of himself
should be given to the world. He and General Naglee
both have repelled the accusations made against the
division. General Casey says,"I think it my duty to add a few remarks with regard to my division. On leaving Washington, eilght of
the regiments were composed of raw troops.  It has
been the misfortune of the division, marching through
the Peninsula, to be subjected to an ordeal which would
have severely tried veteran troops.  Furnished with
scanty transportation, occupying sickly positions, exposed to the inclemency of the weather, at times without tents or blankets, illy supplied with rations and
medical stores, the loss from sickness has been great,
especially with the officers. Yet a party from my division took possession of the railroad-bridge across the
Chickahominy, driving the enemy from it, and my
division took the advance on the 23d day of May, and
by an energetic reconnoissance drove the enemy beyond
the Seven Pines. Notwithstanding all these drawbacks,
and the fact that there were not five thousand men in
line of battle, they withstood for three hours the attack
of an overwhelming force of the enemy, without the
reinforcement of a single man at my first line.  The
Fifty-fifth Regiment New York Volunteers reached my
second line just before it was evacuated. If a portion




198          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
of my division did not behave as well as could have
been wished, it must be remembered to what a terrible
ordeal they were subjected: still, those that behaved
discreditably were exceptional cases. It is true that
the division, after being nearly surrounded by the
enemy and losing one-third of the number actually engaged, retreated to the second line: they would all
have been prisoners of war had they delayed their
retreat a few minutes longer.
"In my opinion, from what I witnessed on the 31st,
I am convinced that the stubborn and desperate resistance of my division saved the army on the right bank
of the Chickahominy from  a severe repulse, which
might have resulted in a disastrous defeat.
"The blood of the gallant dead would cry to me
from the ground on which they fell fighting for their
country, had I not said what I have to vindicate them
from the unmerited aspersions which have been cast
upon them."
General Naglee says,"The list of casualties shows that of the First 13rigade there were taken into the action 84 officers and
1669 men; and that 35 officers and 603 men were
killed, wounded, and taken prisoners,-being 42 per
cent. of the former and 37 per cent. of the latter. Of
the 93 of the Eleventh Maine that were led into the
fight by Colonel Plaisted, 52 were killed and wounded.
"The brigade was among the last enlisted: it had
been reduced more than one-half by sickness. That it
fought well none can deny, for it lost 638 of its number: bodies were found over every part of the field,




TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           199
and where these bodies lay were found double the
number of the enemy.
"The enemy, more generous than our friends, admit'that we fought most desperately, and against three
entire divisions of his army, with two in reserve, that
later in the day were brought in.'
"For three and a half hours we contested every
inch of ground with the enemy, and did not yield in
that time the half of a mile. We fought from twelve
Mi. until three and a half P.M., with but little assistance,
and until dark, with our comrades of other regiments
and of other divisions, wherever we could be of service;
and when, at dark, the enemy swept all before him, we
were the last to leave the ground.
"I am most happy to refer to the kind treatment
extended by the enemy to many of the wounded of the
brigade that were taken prisoners.
"None of the brigade, regimental, or company baggage was lost. Some of the shelter-tents, knapsacks,
and blankets fell into the hands of the enemy, which
was the natural consequence of being encamped in
close proximity with the outposts.
"Conduct such as this, if it be not worthy of commendation, should not call forth censure; for censure
undeserved chills the ardor and daring of the soldier,
and dishonors both the living and the dead."
The enemy halted a short time at General Casey's
clsoerted camp, and it was four o'clock before they
a(a in took up the line of mnarch   against General
Couch's line of battle.  At that hour the Rebel cormancider-in-chief ordered  General Smith, with his
division, which had hitherto taken no part in the




200          TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
contest, to march forward to the Old Tavern and down
the Nine-Mile Road to attack the Federal forces on
their right flank. General Couch had eight thousan.
men, with artillery, and he was in a short time reinforced by General Heintzelman's corps, numbering sixteen thousand.  Against these forces were advancin[l
the column of thirty-two thousand in front, and another of sixteen thousand on the flank. General Couch
had some slight intrenchments, and the nature of the
ground was somewhat in his favor. His position was
a short distance north of the Williamsburg road, and
his right flank was near the railroad.
~eneral Couch's line of battle was not parallel to
the enemy's front: it was obliqued in such a manner
that the right became first engaged. It was half-past
four when the renewed advance of the enemy brought
them to General Couch's line, and the woods once more
resounded with volleys of musketry.  The Twentythird Pennsylvania regiment, Colonel lNeille, was the
first engaged. Its gallant colon'2ett-lnt from one end
to the other of the line, encouraging his men. He reserved his fire until the enemy came very near to him,
and before his troops were able to discharge more than
six volleys they and the enemy were face to face.
Then the order was given to charge; and all along the
line the glittering bayonets were thrust forward, and
the regiment rushed upon the enemy with a shout.
They gave way and scattered before it; but, as it came
out beyond General Couch's line of battle, the enemy
upon both flanks poured volley after volley into it.
Having suffered most severely, the colonel ordered it
back to its place. During this charge, which was over
rough and uneven ground, many men stumbled and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            201
fell, besides those who were killed and wounded, and
upon rising could not find their regiment. So seriously
weakened by these losses as to be unable to muster a
fourth of its number, the regiment re-formed upon the
next one in the line, the First Long Island.
The battle which was thus commenced upon the extreme right soon became general along that wing.
There it seemed to form a nucleus, and )supports were
poured in to the aid of the Federal trod.- From the
left, the Ninety-third and  One-hundire&-and-second
Pennsylvania and Sixty-second New York were hurried across; and to the right, General Kearney, leading
General Birney's brigade,-the first reinforcement from.
General Heintzelman's corps,-marched forward along
the railroad and joined in the contest.  He brought
some twenty-seven hundred men to the aid of General
Couch.  Brigade after brigade of General Heintzelman's corps, with Generals Hooker, Sickels, Patterson,
Berry, Jameson, and others, and cannon after cannon,
came swiftly upon the field, and the regiments formed
by their commanders in line of battle were soon engaging the enemy.  Part of General Casey's division,
too, bravely attacked a second time the foes who had
previously forced them to retire.
General Birney has been blamed for his tardiness in
reinforcing General Couch; but explanations since have
certainly exonerated him.  He commands one of the
three brigades forming General Kearney's division, and
that division is one of three forming General Heintzelman's corps.  Early on Saturday, General Birney was
ordered by his corps commander to advance along the
railroad.  He proceeded promptly to do so, and whilst
on the march General Kearney sent him orders to per



2)02         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
form another duty.  He performed it, and then proceeded to execute his first orders, his brigade arriving
at General Couch's post at about five o'clock in the
afternoon. In the confusion incident to a battle, General Heintzelman, hearing of General Birney's delay, and
knowing no cause for it, thought it deserved reprehension, and ordered the general under arrest.  General
Kearney, so soon as this was made known to him, explained the whole circumstance to his superior, who,
seeing the injustice which had been done, sent General
Birney his sword and replaced him in command of his
brigade.  Time has exonerated all parties from blame,
and mutual explanations have settled a difficulty which
might have resulted in driving a brave officer from the
service.
Just as General Birney's brigade arrived upon the
field, the Rebel General Smith, with his division, advanced through the woods and fields in line of battle
and joined his forces with those of Generals Hill and
Longstreet. Their commander-in-chief came with him.
Forty-eight thousand of the enemy were thus attacking
some twenty-six thousand Federal troops.  ~he movements of the Rebels were personally directe -y their
highest officer. About this time, General McClellan
arrived, and took command of the Union troop-   Miller's and Brady's batteries were the principal artillery
supporting General Couch's line, and they poured shot
and shell into the enemy with fearful effect.  Soon,
however, some Rebel guns discovered the range of
Miller's battery, and it wcas compelled to change its
position.  Three other Federal batteries also played
upon the advancing foe. The scene at this moment
was awfully magnificent.  The faint smoke of the




THE SIEGE OF RICHAMOND.          203
musketry arose lightly all along the lines, just so that
the heads of the men could be seen through it; sudden
gusts of intense white smoke burst up from the mouths
of the cannon all around; bullets filled the air and
whistled swiftly by, or struck into trees, fences, boxes,
wagons, or, with their peculiar "thug," into men; and,
far up in the air, shells burst with sudden flame, like
scattered stars, and passed away in little clouds of
white vapor, while others filled the air with a hissing,
rushing noise, and hurried on to burst far in the rear.
Above, the sight was grand; below, it was horrible.
Every inch of space was packed with  dead  and
wounded, the latter groaning, and clutching at the
troops as they advanced or receded by them.
B]ut no efforts could  retard the advance of the
enemy's overwhelming force-j They rushed on, and
General Couch's division had to retreat to General
Heintzelman's line, unfortunately getting divided in
executing the movement. General Heintzelman, seeing
that the enemy were outflanking him, ordered the whole
force to retreat, it being the only way to save it.
Every one thought the day was lost, and all eyes were
strained to secure a sight of the expected reinforcements.  Ge6neral Sumner was known to be advancing
upon thD  right, and every man prayed that, like
Blucher of Waterloo renown, it might be to turn the
fortune of Athe day1  The defeated and almost desponding soldiersThowever, could see or hear nothing
of him.
The greater part of the Federal troops upon their
retreat fell back toward and along the Williamsburg
road, the enemy following them. General Couch, however, knowing the strong force the Rebels were preis




204          THE SIEGE OF RICTIMOND.
cipitating upon his right flank, and not thinking that
his left and centre were falling back, went at the moment of the retreat to the right wing with three regiments to aid Brady's battery, which, with one regiment,
the Thirty-first Pennsylvania, was bearing the brunt
of the contest with the Rebel General Smith's advance.
He had scarcely reached there, however, before lhe discovered his mistake, but too late to remedy it.  The
balance of his division had fallen back, and the advancing enemy had cut off his road of communication
with it. His first thought was to send a regiment,
upon a charge, down the road through the column of
Rebels, and thus open a path to the rest of his command; and orders were at once given to the Sixtysecond New York to prepare for the charge.  It was
too late even for that, however, for the regiment when
half-way down the road found it blocked up by imposing masses of the enemy preparing for a charge
toward it. Upon seeing the Sixty-Second coming at
them with a run and with the deadly bayonet fixed,
the enemy chanced their tactics, and, breaking to the
right and left, took positions in the bordering woods to
give the Federal troops a deadly fire on both flanks as
they passed through along the hastily-opened road.
This caused all idea of a charge to be given up, and,
recalling the regiment General Couch retreated with
his troops across the r i   wt4'd, which was close at hand,
and Brady's battery was at once placed in position to
cover the road.
Had the Rebel General Smith known of the critical
position of General Couch   could easily have captured
him and all his command  He was fortunately not
aware of it, and, General  eintzelman's retreat allow



THE SIEGE OF RICH3MOND.           205
ing his comrades —Generals Hill and Longstreet-to
advance, he passed to the south of General Couch, and,
although cutting him off from part of his division, left
him, for the moment, safe. Of course, in that handful of
brave soldiers all thoughts were upon General Sumner,
and all wondered at the delay of his expected arrival.
Night was approaching, and a drizzling rain had cornmenced from the low, heavy clouds which hung lowering over the battle-field. All seemed disheartening,the rain, the constant series of defeats, and the failure
of reinforcements, —but still there were stout hearts
with General Couch who never desponded.
After a consultation with his officers, the general
concluded to remain where he was, and proceeded amid
the rain to form a line of battle in the shape of an L,
one side facing the westward-the direction of the
enemy's approach-and  the other the south, the
direction of the column which had passed to his rear.
Havingr completed this, he proceeded cahlmly to await
the course of events. He did not do it idly, however,
for Captain Brady, of the battery, was sent out to
examine the neighboring roads, and soon returned with
the news that one leading to the rear would enable him
to form a connection with General Birney, whose brigadle was but a half-mile distant. Elated with this
good news, General Couch resolved to maintain his
position, and i'ode along the lines encouraging his men.
General Heintzelman retreated in front of the advancing enemy, along the Williamsburg road, fiercely contesting every inch of ground.  Strongly-defended positions were behind him, and he knew that when he
reached them he could check the victorious march of
the Rebels.  Delay was what was now wanted,-delay




206          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
until the arrival of reinforcements,-and, whilst hle
anxiouslv awaited General Sumner's coming, he still
repelled the attacks of the enemy.  Step by step, however, they forced back his soldiers, and, although the
general never despaired, the men began to despond and
their repulses of the enemy became wveaker and weaker.
It seemed as if thle dreary night of Mlay 31 would come
upon a discomfited Union army, and be its only salvation, when an unexpected misfortune and almost simultaneous attack upon the left of the enemy's victorious
column turned th]e tide of fortune.
It is time now to describe General Sumner's movements, and explain the reason of his delay in reinforcing his almost defeated comrades. Upon the morning of the battle, General Sumner's corps was quietly
enc(amped near New Bridge, across the Chickahominy,
-General Sedgwick's division being a short distance
above General RPichardson's.  Opposite the camp of the
former there was an excellent bridge across the stream,
built by the division, and known as Grapevine Bridge.
A crazy affair, weak and shaky, was opposite General
Richardson's camp.  It was called Sunderland Bridge.
General AIcClellan crossed the latter with his staff early
in the afternoon, all on the full gallop to the battlefield, and just afterward the rushing torrent, caused by
the heavy rains of the previous afternoon and evening,
came along, roaringr and surging, and seriously endangerinc  the two bridges.  The Grapevine bridge withstood the flood, but Sunderland tottered and shook, and
finally sank beneath the surface of the water.  In a
short time it was rendered impetssable.
At about three o'clock General Sumner received
orders to cross immediately and march as speedily as




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            207
possible to the aid of Generals Heintzelman and Keyes.
Both of his divisions were at once placed under arms
and started at a double quick march for their bridges.
General Sedgwick found his-the Grapevine bridgesafe; but, fearing it might be endangered by fast marching when such a flood pressed upon it, he took his
troops very carefully over.  General Richardson, not
so fortunate, found his bridge impassable, and was compelled to retrace his steps to his camp, and then march
up to the other bridge and cross it.  This caused him
a long delay, and prevented his troops being engaged
in the battle of Saturday.
General Sumner crossed with General Sedgwick, but
the roads were so horribly cut up that, with all their exertions, the troops made but slow progress. Upon getting
out of the swamps near the river, however, and reaching the higlher ground, the roads were found to be in
better condition.  It was four miles and a half from
General Sedgwick's camp to the Seven Pines. But two
or three pieces of artillery kept up with the infantry
of the division.  Eight thousand troops marched with
Generals Sumner and Sedgwick.
Just as Captain Brady was reporting to  General
Couch the good news of his being able to communicate
with General Birney, the sharp eyes of the soldiers
espied dimly through the drizzling rain a column of
troops away to the right, upon the full run toward
them.  "Is it General Sumner?" was the question
upon every one's lips, and all eyes were strained and
every breath lhshed during the first moments of uncertainty.  At last all doubts were removed.  The
proper signals informed them that it was General Sumner, with the long-expected reinforcements. The news
18 




208          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
spread like wild-fire among General Couch's small but
brave party, and never was a sight so gladly welcomed.
The overjoyed soldiers could scarcely contain themselves; they would have shouted to express the intenlsity of their feelings, but all noisy demonstrations, as
they would give warning to the enemy, were carefully
suppressed.
Whilst General Sumner was thus marching to the
retIef of the wearied troops who had fought so bravely
for hours, the enemy still kept up their victorious
march after General Heintzelman's retreating forces.
But in the midst of their success their commander-inchief, General Johnston, who was pressing forward as
briskly as he could, was hurled from his horse, severely
wounded by the fragment of a sac       He was badly
hurt, and had to be carried from  the  eld.  The Rebel
troops in the vicinity, who saw the misfortune, were in
consternation, and the most stringent means had to be
resorted to to prevent the others learnincg the sad news.
For a moment, all was confusion near the spot where
the general fell, and, until General Smith, the second in
command, could be sent for, the victorious army was
without a head.  The  intelligence at that instant
brought, that a large Federal force was preparing to
attack the left wing, increased the disorder.  General
Smith was soon told of the disaster, and having learned
the state of affairs at all points, after a brief consultation. with the officers around him, determined to turn
all his attention to the new enemies who had appeared
on his left, those in front, as he supposed, being entirely
defeated and cut to pieces.  To carry out this plan,
orders were at once despatched, checking the further
advance of the column on the WVilliamsburg road, and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            209
the division which he had so lately commanded was
formed in line of battle facing the North, and every
thing was prepared for an attack upon the force which
menaced their left flank.
As General Sumner's regiments one by one came up,
the veteran general himself placed them in line. Brady's
battery, of General Couch's division, was in position
commanding the road by crossing which the enemy
had cut off communication between the two portions
of the Federal army. As regiment after regiment
came quickly up, they were formed in line of battle to
the right and left of this battery.  The three guns of
Kirbt-y's battery, which had succeeded in forcing their
way over the heavy roads, were also placed in position.
All this was quickly done, and, not knowing exactly
where the enemy would show themselves, the line stood
facing the south, ready to give them a reception. That
proved to be the right direction, for in a few minutes
the Rebels were seen through the thick woods and
along the road, advancing in line of battle. They came
to the edge of the woods, and, when just outside of it,
the whole force fell upon their knees and delivered
their first fire. The Federal troops at once lay down
upon the ground, and over, through, and past them
there was a perfect rush of musket-balls.  It sounded
like the fierce crashing of the wind through the rigging
of a storm-tossed ship. It passed over, and up rose the
Federal soldiers, firing a volley, simultaneously with
the opening of work by Brady's and Kirby's batteries.
Each man, both infantry and artillery, worked as hard
as he could. i Thle officers rushed up and down the lines
cheering an'-stnimulating the men, and in every part
of the field General Sumner seemed to be, his gray




210          THE SIEGE OF iICHMOND.
hair streaming in the wind as he shouted the words of
ornlmand or praiscd the good practice of the gunne~s
It was a critical moment, for the enemy were forming
for a charge.  The hands of the soldiers flew as they
loaded and fired their muskets, and such was the
rapidity of the cannon-shots that it took five extra men
to each gun to keep the ammunition supplied.
Captain Brady, of the battery, gives a graphic account of the scene at his guns at this moment.  He
says,"'Canister! canister!' was all I could repeat.  Men
fell and horses were cut down around my guns, but
still there was no cessation in the cry for' canister;'
and the hurrying to and fio for more, with the mad
gesticulating of the sweating rammers, as they sent
home the charges, made a wild scene.'Canister is
out!' caught my ear, and in an instant, unthinking, I
sung out,' Shell without fuse!' The next moment our
guns belched bursting shell and spherical case right in
the face of the enemy.  Just at this critical juncture
they charged, advancing half-way in the field, right on
our guns, scarce twenty yards from the muzzles,-but
no farther: the' rotten shot,' as one of the poor wounded
Rebels graphically termed it the next morning, was too
much for them.'No one,' lie said,'could stand, for it
flew every way.' Those that charged were buried there
ne~_ 4,day."
Not only in front of the battery was that charge resisted,
but along the whole Federal lint In front of the handful of troops who had so bravely supported G-eneral Couch
there was a fence, and behind it the men, upon their
knees, were loading and firing, each soldier picking out
his maln. The enemy in their charge swiftly advanced




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            211
toward that fence, but the fire was too murderous -to
be withstood. They wavered, but still came forward,
and, when some ten yards from the fence, broke and
retreated in confusion. /ice again the enemy charged,
but neither time witht~  ch force or confidence as at
firs<) Both charges were successfully resisted, and
cannon after cannon of General Sedgwick's artilleryhaving forced their way over the roads-were being
brought upon the field every moment, and added to the
ability to repulse these attacks. Each instant of time
the Federal troops seemed to grow stronger and the
enemy weaker, and a few moments after the third
charge the Rebels retreated through the woods, leaving
all their dead and wounded behind them, and yielding
General Sumner the victory.  It was almost dark, after
eight o'clock, upon a lowering, rainy evening, when
the fierce contest of that memorable Saturday ceased.
Upon learning the disastrous result of the battle
with General Sumner, the enemy's column, whose pursuit along the Williamsburg road had been stopped,
was ordered back, and, retreating about a half-mile,
rested for the night.  The Rebel General Smith's division, commanded by Generals Whiting and Pryor, each
having three brigades, was rallied after its repulse by
General Sumner, and, having retreated but a short distance, there bivouacked.  The enemy's front stretched
from the Williamsburg road to the railroad, presenting two faces,-an eastern one toward General Heintzelman, and a northeastern toward General Sumner.
Upon their retreat, Generals Kearney and Hooler at
once moved their divisions forward, possessing thew, possessing tmselves of the ground which had been fought upon
during the last three hours of the battle. At dark




212          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
General Richardson's division of General Sumner's
corps, which had been delayed in crossing the Chickahominy, reached the battle-field, and, passing in front
of General Sedgwick's fatigued troops, halted in line
of battle within hail of the enemy.  General Kearney's
division, with some remnants of General Casey's, was
upon the left of the bivouackiing Federal line.  It contained the brigades of Generals Berry, Birney, and
Jameson.  General Hooker's division joined it upon
the right, with General Siclkles's Excelsior Brigade,
— which held the Williamsburg road-and part of
General Patterson's New Jersey brigade.  Then came
General Richardson's division, almost at right angles
with General Hooker, and containing the brigades of
Generals French and Howard and General Meagher's
Irish brigade. General Sedgwick's division and the
remnants of General Couch's were moved from  the
rear to the right of General Richardson.  The divisions
of General Sumner's corps faced the railroad. Thus
lay the Federal troops during the stormy night of May
31, waiting for the Sabbath to renew the strife.
whilst the fierce battle was raging at Fair Oaks,
General McClellan sent orders to Mechanicsville-six
miles distant and upon the right wing of the Federal
army-to have a feint made as if the troops were
intending to attack the enemy in strong force. Accordingly, a brigade from  General Franklin's corps,
with a battery, were placed in position for the supposed
attack. The battery opened a fierce cannonading upon
the Rebel works opposite the village, and the infantry
marched in column down the roads and fields toward
the Chickahominy.  The feint had its desired effect.
All the enemy's cannon in the vicinity commenced




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            213
shelling, and their troops disposed themselves to resist
an attack.  A strong body which was passing down
the roads toward Fair Oaks-apparently to the assistance of the troops engaged there-was halted, and
turned back. This Mechanicsville battle lasted for three
hours, and hundreds of shells were fired at the enemy,
finally silencing all their guns.  This diversion produced its effect upon the contest at Fair Oaks. It
prevented the enemy's sending reinforcements to attack
General Sumner.
It was afterbThile contest had closed upon Saturday
evening, that General McClellan-who  from  four
o'clock in the afternoon had personally directed the
Federal movements-turned, fatigued and  wearied,
toward his camp.  Followed by his staff, he took the
road toward Sunderland Bridge, which he had crossed
early in the afternoon, and proceeded to the river.
The bridge, as the reader knows, was almost destroyed
by the flood: sunken and broken, the cuirrent surged
over it, passing on in its headlong course, and
every moment making the weak structure tremble to
its very foundations. Expecting to find it still standing
as when he had first crossed it, the commander galloped
up to its former place-to see the bridge almost destroyed.  The staff stood aghast at the appalling fact.
But, nothing daunted, General McClellan dashed into
the current, through which his horse safely carried him
to the opposite shore. Admiring his courage and presence of mind, some of his followers crossed after
him; but the majority passed the stream at Grapevine
Bridge above. This was a daring act, but one which
shows the perfect coolness of the general, after leaving
one of the bloodiest battle-fields of modern times.




214          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
The night after a battle is worse than the contest;
and the field of Fair Oaks was enough to try the
nerves of the strongest. The cries of the wounded for
water, and the sight of the dead-with the varied expressions of countenance, some biting a cartridge,
others in the act of ramming their muskets, and in
countless positions-covering every foot of ground, and
in some places lying in heaps: —it is a horrid scene, of
which one sight in a lifetime is too much. Yet, upon
that dark, rainy Saturday night, amid such sounds and
scenes, forty-eight thousand Rebels and thirty-two
thousand Federal soldiers were waiting to renew the
conflict upon the next morning,-the Sabbath.
During the night General Richardson sent out scouts
and pickets across the railroad, which ran parallel to
his line and in front of it, and prepared every thing
for a sudden attack. He personally superintended the
postingT of the advanced guards.  It seems that his
division was the only one at all disturbed. About midnight his scouts across the railroad reported that the
enemy in great numbers had come into the woods in
front of them. The words of command could be distinctly heard as their regiments were brought up and
placed in line of battle. This body of the enemy proceeded to fell the trees in front of them, so as to impede
any advance the Federal troops might make the next
day. Whilst this work was going on, and hundreds
of axes could be heard hacking and chopping, lights
were observed in the wood some distance to the right,
and a company sent forward to reconnoitre came back
and reported it to be a detachment of the enemy, numbering some two hundred and fifty men. Another
small party, sent forward to confirm this report, came




THE SIEGE OF RICHMDOND.          215
back with the news that it was correct, bringing some
prisoners with them.
Just at daybreak upon Sunday morning, a mounted
orderly rode out of the woods into the Federal lines
and asked a colonel, who was standing by, where General Anderson was.  "Here he is," said the colonel:
"what do you want with him?"  "I have a despatch
for him from General Pryor," said the orderly,-when,
to his utter astonishment, he was told that he was a
prisoner. The despatch was taken from him and at
once sent to the corps commander, General Sumner. It
was written in pencil, and stated in substance where
General Pryor was posted, and gave directions to General Anderson for the movements of Sunday. An officer
who had had his horse shot under him confiscated the
orderly's steed, and that gentleman was sent to the
rear, to ruminate upon the fortunes of war.
At six o'clock upon Sunday morning, General Heintzelman, who commanded the Federal left, ordered reconnoissances to be made diagonally to the right and
left of his position. The detachments sent out soon
came in, reporting the enemy in strong force opposite
both his flanks. The general then ordered General
Hooker to prepare to attack the enemy in his front,
where they lay in a wood. At about half-past six the
division advanced to the attack: General Sickles's
Excelsior Brigade was to charge the enemy, whilst
General Patterson's poured volley after volley into
them. Before commencing the attack, General Sickles
encouraged his men with an appropriate speech, which
was received with shouts. He then marched his troops
along the Williamsburg road, filing into the fields upon
the right.  General Patterson's New Jersey Brigade
19




216         THE SIEGE OF iRCHMOND.
formed upon the left of the road. The word was given
to move forward, and, whilst General Sickles charged,
the other brigade advanced, briskly firing at the
enemy. They were received most warmly, and scores
of~ Federal soldiers dropped out of the advancing lines.
~Sadily to the woods the charge advanced, however,
firing a volley as it came to the edge, and, rushing in,
driving the enemy before it, who broke and retreated
in confusion.  They were pursued for eearly a mile,
each step increasing the enemy's disorder. }Once they
attempted to stand, but there was notfe-iugh time to
form  their lines. The charge came upon them  too
soon, and they broke again. This was the enemy's
retreat upon the Federal left. Farther to the left,
General Kearney advanced his division as the charge
proceeded, driving the Rebels before him. General
McClellan arrived early upon the ground and took
command.
To the right the battle commenced raging as early
as it did to the left. General Meagher, after giving
the enemy several volleys, quickly advanced, starting
upon the railroad, but pressing forward, driving the
enemy before him diagonally toward the Williamsburg
road, and moving in a line with the Excelsior Brigade,
which advanced along that road. After a mile's march,
the two brigades met, the Rebels, a demoralized mass,
fleeing before them.
Farther to the right were the brigades of Generals
French and Howard, of General Richardson's division,
and General Sedgwick's division, and early in the
morning the battle was commenced by General French's
brigade advancing diagonally toward the Williamsburg
road, at the same tinme the charges were made upon




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            217
the left. The battle spread to the right of General
French, and soon the whole of the troops were marching forward, cheering and firing, the enemy retreating
before them. The Rebels resisted, but the force of
Federal troops was too strong. Like their fellowsoldiers farther to the left, they could not withstand
the attack: their lines became broken and confused,
and the>'etreat was almost a disorderly ro. Rough
ground, amps, fences, woods, and trees cont-ributed
materially to the Federal success.  The retreating
enemy stumbled into and over them, breaking the
ranks and adding to the demoralization.  The Federal
troops suffered somewhat from these obstacles, but the
order of their lines was in most cases well preserved.'lhs  simultaneous advance of the whole Federal
line gained them  thely    The enemy were driven
on, through the plunder6de camps of Generals Couch
and Casey, along the roads and through the woods for
a mile beyond the Seven Pines, when the pursuit
reached Fair Oaks. There, the enemy ceasing to offer
resistance, it was stopped, and the position was at once
strongly occupied, General Heintzelmau being upon
the Williamsburg road and General Sumnner upon the
railroad. Upon the evening of June 1, the two generals
advanced a short distance farther, slightly beyond the
Fair Oaks, and intrenched themselves.
The battle of Fair Oaks was over; and now came
those solemn duties which, after a battle, are always
the first thought of the soldier, the collection of the
wounded and the burial of the dead. Stretchers and
ambulances were brought upon the ground, and small
parties detailed for the purpose began collecting the
wounded.  Upon a field scarcely a mile square, there




218          THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
were lying between seven and eight thousand dead and
wounded men, many having lain there, trampled upon
and mutilated by the malching troops, for twenty-four
hours. Hundreds of those wounded early in the battle
had perished for want of attention, and the others
were lying where exhaustion had overcome them  as
they endeavored to crawl away from the terrible
battle,-some hidden, some seen, amid the swamps and
trees and bushes of that awful place. Their groans
attracted the fatigue-parties, who speedily collected
them, and they were sent back two miles to the rear
to a hospital hastily established at Savage Station.
But many were not carried from the field. Some were
in inaccessible places; some were hidden; some overlooked; and, even whilst the collection was going on,
others died, their poor bodies failing longer to perform
their functions. Federal and Rebel were treated alike:
-all found were sent to hospital.
The gathering of the wounded occupied Sunday and
part of the evening, anlld, when all who could be found
had been sent away, the buri-al of the dead commenced.
The sorrows of the former labor of love were deepened.
Parties from each regiment passed over the ground,
finding their slain brethren; and as each comrade who
had fallen in the terrible strife was seen lying dead
upon the field, the searchers could be heard weeping
over his fate, As they bore his body to the spot selected
for its last resting-place, their sorrows would increase.
Many a stout soldier engaged in thatt last act of earthly
kindness has given way to emotions which since childhood never before overcame him; and as he gazed upon
the grave which had been dug, or the mound the earth
formed over it, his tears came thick and fast. A few




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           219
green leaves or flowers tastefully decorating the grave,
and a modest head-board which, in plain handwriting,
tells who lies beneath, ornament almost all the graves
of Federal troops upon that dismal field.
Day and night the burial proceeded, each hour increasing its horrors. Decay had begun in many cases;
and the almost universal swamp forbade the digging of
graves more than two or three feet deep. Scores of
wounded men had rushed into the miry places, and,
sticking fast, had died there, and their heads could be
seen thrust out from the mud and water, the countenances telling too well the terrible death they suffered.
In places to which the burial-parties could not go, to
this day they remain where they died, grim beacons
amid the awful desolation which surrounds them. For
a week parties explored all parts of that battle-field
to collect and bury the bodies, and when, two weeks
later, the author visited the place, the stench was too
horrid to be borne. Yet, amid all this, regiments were
encamped, the necessities of a desperately defended
siege keeping them there.
General Casey's camp was the saddest of all places
upon Sunday afternoon. The scene there baffles all
description. Caissons, with horses shot dead in their
traces, ambulances, wagons, boxes, old tents, clothing,
arms, and'ruins of every thing used in war, filled the
once clean and orderly camp. Some two hundred
wounded men were lying there, who had fallen on
Saturday and been in the enemy's hands all that night.
They spoke kindly of the Rebels, and said they had
been treated very well. The enemy's dead, mixed with
Federal, were lying all through the camp. At one
place, upon a small open space, not forty feet square,
19*




220          TIE STECTE OF RICHIMOND.
fifty-seven dead Rebels, besides others from the Union
army, were counted.  The wounded begged piteously
to have the dead removed.  The sight and stench were
intolerable.
The Savage Station Hospital-to which the wounded
were sent-was another sad place.  It was, in some
cases, forty-eight hours before wounded men could be
attended to, and many lay for a whole day where the
enemy's bullets struck them  down. We owe to a
correspondent of the New York "Tribune" a most
pathetic description of the sorrows seen at Savage
Station:"The poor, helpless, wounded soldiers,-how  they
suffer! Those away friom water have inexpressible
agony.  Those in the wet,-how they contract new
disease, and how tlhey undergo tornlents from the chilly
nights!  And after they are bought to the hospital,
the groaning everywhere over the three acres of lawn
upon which they are laid, the cries for help, for food,
for drink, for shade, the delirium  of the dying, the
blood, discoloration, disfigurement, and dirt and wretchedness, spread all over those three acres,-an uninterrupted stream of unfortunates pouring in from  the
battle-field, and another going out toward the great
hospital-tent, as one by one they are taken to be cared
for by the surgeons,-it is terrible.  In that tent the
scene is, if possible, more horrid. The ceaseless work
upon the operating-table, the use of knife and probe
by lantern-light, the dressing of ghastly wounds all
night and all day, and the screaming of stout men
under the surgeons' knives,-all this will render Savage
Station a ghastly remembrance for years."




TIIE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.            221
The battle of Fair Oaks has been claimed by both
sides as a victory: by the enemy, because they captured Federal cannon, and drove their troops back upon
May 31, and also after the end of the battle occupied
a half-mile of ground formerly held by them; by the
United States, because its army upon June 1 drove
the enemy to Fair Oaks, and at the end of the conflict
held possession of the principal part of the field. The
Rebels made an attack upon the Federal troops, for
the purpose of cutting off their left wing. That purpose
was defeated: the left wing was not cut off, but, on the
contrary, those who attacked it were compelled to
retire. The capture of a few cannon —though their
loss, to be sure, is one to be deplored-has nothing to
do with gaining or losing a victory: ground lost or won,
and advantages secured or yielded up, are the criterions
by which to estimate success or defeat. The defeat of
the enemy's purpose is a great Federal advantage, but
still a half-mile was surrendered to the enemy.  One
success will counterbalance the other, and Fair Oaks
may properly be considered a drawn battle.
In the Rebel commander-in-chief's official report, he
sums up the results of the contest as follows:"We took ten pieces of artillery, six thousand muskets,
one garrison-flag, and four regimental colors, besides a large
quantity of tents and camp-equipages.
"Major-General Longstreet reports the loss under his
command as being about.................................... 3000
"Major-General G. W. Smith reports his loss at... 1233
" Total.......................................................  4233
" That of the enemy is stated in their own newspapers
to have exceeded ten thousand,-an estimate which is, no
doubt, short of the truth.




222           THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
"Several hundred prisoners were taken, but I have received no report of the number."
General Hill's division was under General Longstreet's command.
The Federal commander-in-chief's official statement
of killed, wounded, and missing is the following:Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total.
General Sumner's 2d corps...... 183   894   146   1223
General Heintzelman's 3d corps. 259   980   155   1394
General Keyes's 6th corps....... 448  1753   921   3122
890  3627  1222
Grand total, killed, wounded, and missing.............. 5739
About one thousand Rebel prisoners-among them
General Pettigrew-were captured.
Upon June 5, General Kearney, proud of the bravery
shown in the battle by lis troops, issued the following
order to his division:" HEAD-QUARTERS, THIRD DIVISION, THIRD CORPS, June 5, 1862.
" General Order No. 15.-1. Brave regiments of the division, you have won for us a high reputation. The country
is satisfied; your friends at home are proud of you.
"After two battles, and victories purchased with much
blood, you may be counted as veterans.
"I appeal, then, to your experience, to your personal
observation, to your high intelligence, to put in practice on
the battle-field the discipline you have acquired in camp.
It will enable you to conquer with more certainty and less
loss.
"2.'Shoulder-straps and chevrons,' you are marked
men: you must ever be in the front.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.              229
"Colonels and field-officers, when it comes to the bayonet,
lead the charge; at other times circulate among your men,
and supervise and keep officers and men to their constituted commands, stimulate the laggard, brand the coward, direct the brave, prevent companies from'huddling
up,' or mixing.
"3. Marksmen, never in the fight cheapen your rifles:
when you fire, make sure and hit. In woods and abatis,
one man in three is to fire, the others reserve their loads to
repel an onset, or to head a rush. It is with short rushes,
and this extra fire, from time to time, that so much ground
is gained. Each man up in first line, none delaying, share
danger alike. Then the peril and loss will be small.
"4. Men! you brave individuals in the ranks, whose
worth and daring, unknown perhaps to your superiors, but
known to your comrades, influences more than others; I.Know that you exist. I have watched you in the fire:
your merit is sure to have its recompense. Your comrades
at the bivouac will report your deeds, and it will gladden
your families; in the end you will be brought before your
country.
" 5. Color-bearers of regiments, bear them proudly in the
fight, erect, and defiantly in the first line. It will cast
terror into the opponents to see it sustained and carried
forward. Let it be the beacon-light of each regiment.
The noblest inscriptions on your banner are the traces of
the balls.
"6. Again, noble division, I wish you success arwnew
victories, until, the cause of our sacred Union being triumphant, you return honored to your homes.
" By order of BRIGADIER-GENERAL KEARNEY."
And upon June 3 General McClellan  caused the
following order to be read at the head of every regiment:



224          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
"HEAD-QUARTERS, A-RwY OF THE POTOMAC, June 3, 1862.
"Soldiers of the army of the Potomac, I have fulfilled
at least a part of my promise to you. You are now face
to face with the Rebels, who are held at bay in front of the
capital.
"The final and decisive battle is at hand. Unless you
belie your past history, the result cannot be for a moment
doubtful.  If the troops who labored so faithfully and
fought so gallantly at Yorktown, and who so bravely won
the hard fights of Williamsburg, West Point, Hanover
Court-House, and Fair Oaks, now prove worthy of their
antecedents, the victory is surely ours.
"The events of every day prove your superiority.
Wherever you have met the enemy, you have beaten him.
Wherever you have used the bayonet, he has given way in
panic and disorder.
"I ask of you now one last crowning effort. The enemy
has staked his all on the issue of the coming battle. Let
us meet him, and crush him here in the centre of the
rebellion.
" Soldiers! I shall be with you in this battle, and share
its dangers with you.
"Our confidence in each other is now founded upon the
past. Let us strike the blow which is to restore peace and
union to this distracted land.
"Upon your valor, discipline, and mutual confidence the
result depends.
"GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,
" fZajor-General Commanding."




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          225
CHAPTER VIII.
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIEGE.
WHEN General McClellan had fought the battle of
Fair Oaks, and intrenched himself there, his army was
placed in the position occupied by it, with but slight
alterations, during the entire siege of Richmond. The
Federal troops were upon both sides of the Chickahominy,-three corps upon the Richmond side, and
two with General Stoneman's command upon the other.
The enemy were confined exclusively to the right bank,
scarcely a single scout crossing the stream. One corps
of Federal troops afterward crossed toward Richmond,
making four upon that side, and General McCall's division of Pennsylvania Reserves, which arrived on June
18, were added to the force which the subtraction of
that corps weakened.
The Federal position on the Richmond side of the
river was a strong one, fully intrenched, and supported
by large masses of troops. The left wing, General
Keyes's corps, rested upon the White Oak Swamp, a
mile and a half south of the railroad, and six miles
east-southeast of Richmond.  In front of this corps,
pickets were advanced a short distance beyond the
intrenchments, which were a little over five miles from
the capital. General HIeintzelman was encamped to
the right of General Keyes, his intrenchments being
the same distance from the city. General Sumner, to




226          THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.
the right of General Heintzelman, had the railroad
passing directly through his encampment, and his front
line was the same distance from  Richmond as the
others.  These three generals were all encamped upon
or near to the Fair Oaks battle-field, and their troops
sickened by scores.  The ground they occupied was
in wet weather a swamp, and in dry, half of it was
covered with stagnant pools. Timber originally covered
three-fourths of the surface, but military operations
had converted the whole into a most forbidding wilderness. Acres upon acres of forest were " slashed," that
is, cut off about five feet from the ground, so that the
butts will rest on the stumps, the tops falling over.
This slashing is done to prevent the passage of the
enemy's troops, or to clear the ground for the effectual
use of artillery; and the cut timber is called an "abatis."
This destruction gives the most shocking appearance
imaginable to a wood, —that of an abandoned waste
without any thing to redeem its barrenness.  Slashing
was done on an extensive scale in the neighborhood of
Fair Oaks.
Trees on the battle-field, which were not cut down,
all bore marks of the war. Shells were imbedded in
their trunks, and musket-balls had marked them in
dozens of places. The swamps were in little patches
upon all sides, some bare and open, some concealed by
the woods. Here were graves of Federal and Rebel,
side by side, with huge trenches filled with dead, many
of them but half covered with earth, while a stench
almost too stifling to be borne filled the air.  Upon
this place, shocking to every sense, McClellan was
obliged to keep a force tunder arms: it was changed,
however, every third day.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           227
General Smith's division of General Franklin's corps
crossed to the right bank of the Chickahominy upon
June 5, taking a position upon a high hill east from
Richniond, and bordering upon the river, called Lewis's
Hill. Here he at once intrenched himself, building a
strong earth-work, known as Fort Davidson,-being so
named in honor of one of the most talented of his
brigadiers. This hill commanded the enemy's works
both to the west and north, and was the counterpart of
another high hill just below Dr. Gaines's mansion upon
the opposite side of the river.  The remainder of
General Franklin's corps crossed upon June 18, and
encamped between General Smith and General Sumner.
This corps was thus the right wing of the army engaged
in the siege; the troops across the river being an army
of observation, watching the enemy to prevent his getting to the rear and cutting off their supplies.
The Federal army proper thus presented nearly four
miles of front to the enemy, the left flank resting upon
White Oak Swamp, and the right upon the Chickahominy. The former was upon an almost flat surface;
the latter, upon hills. All had intrenchments, the first
parallel of the siege-works, before them. Between the
left wing and the James River, in a line running
toward the southwest, was at least five miles of open
space, uncontrolled by the United States army, through
which guerrilla parties constantly passed to the lower
parts of the Peninsula. As the siege progressed and
the army advanced, this space slowly closed, but still
it was wide enough open, up to the time of the movement to the James River, to allow the enemy an uninterrupted passage.
Across the Chickahominy, General Porter's camps
20




228          TIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
surrounded Dr. Gaines's house, and extended two or
three miles northwest of it. His artillery commanded
all the Rebel hills, from General Smith's position upon
Lewis's Hill up to those opposite MIeadow Bridge, a
mile and a half northwest of Mechanicsville.  The
Federal pickets in front of that village were the nearest
soldiers to Richmond, being but four miles distant, in
a north-northwesterly  direction.  Meadow  Bridge,
General Porter's extreme right, was the Virginia Central Railroad crossing, and was slightly over four miles
north of the capital.  His corps was the main body of
the army of observation, and presented a front of four
miles to the enemy. The troops of General Stoneman,
the remainder of that force, were most erratic in all
their actions. To them was given in special charge
the prevention of the passage of guerrilla parties around
from the north of Richmond, who might cut off the
Federal supply-trains.  Such a duty required his
cavalry forces to keep'a watch through all that section
of country. One day they would scour all along the
Virginia Central Railroad, past Hanover Court-House,
and to Ashland, twenty miles north of Richmond. The
next they would pass across the Peninsula to White
House, reconnoitring for miles north of the road connecting that point with Mechanicsville.  At all times
they were upon such expeditions, capturing the enemy's
trains and numerous prisoners, and keeping the railroads to the north of Richmond constantly impassable.
This army of observation had a far finer country to
encamp upon than their brethren who were conducting
the siege. High hills, running streams, and pleasant
woods all contributed to their comfort.  The troops
were generally healthy, being far removed from the




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           229
swamps and battle-fields.  The country they held is
well worth a description. Southeast of Dr. Gaines's
house, there was a long hill sloping down to the fields
bordering the river. It was occasionally wooded and
occasionally bare, bending around with the river, until
lost in the distance. No gorges or gullies seemed to
break its symmetry. Its top was smooth and level;
its side descended abruptly to the fields. These fields,
submerged in wet weather, furnished the richest pasture
in dry. Hundreds of horses fed upon them, and beyond
were the bridge-builders and pickets of the Federal
army,-the one working, the other watching. Below
Dr. Gaines's house, this long and beautiful hill had
ceased to be of any military value, the Federal positions
upon the opposite side of the Chickahominy being so
far advanced as to deprive it of any importance. If
warlike things were not upon it, however, there were
others which will. bear description. A house half-way
down the slope was a bleak monitor of the desolation
which had swept past it. Every board had been torn
from it and carried off, leaving only the frame standing.
The wind moaned through it and the rain beat in, no
obstacle opposing their progress.  Not a living thing
approached it. On the top of the hill, and (such was
its abrupt rise) almost above this deserted house, was a
small burial-ground, enclosed with one of the most tasty
fences ever' seen in Virginia. This little spot was the
centre of a vast field.  Myrtle covered the ground
within it, and an oak and cherry threw a grateful shade
around.  It had once been carefully attended, the
myrtle trimmed and the trees pruned, but their rank
luxuriance was now its greatest beauty. This was the
cemetery of the Govan family, who seem to have once




230          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
been the owners of all that neighborhood. A dozen
graves of them and their relatives reared their white
tombstones, all of Northern make, from the midst of
the omnipresent myrtle.
Above the Gaines mansion the country was wooded,
though the land was still as high. The front sloped
down to the river, and was covered with enormous trees.
This was the condition of the surface for a third of a
mile, when open ground again appeared. On this open
ground were part of General Porter's camps, and encamped in a vast field were the reserve artillery of the
army of the Potomac. The entire Federal position, all
the way to MIeadow Bridge, was this elevated ground.
gently rising and falling, with its front sloping off at
various angles to the fields and swamps on the river's
edge.  For a fourth of a mile from the woods to the
right of Dr. Gaines's house, the country was open.
Beyond that, thin fringes of woods ran along, at first
on the hill-top, and then on the slope.
It was behind these fringes that the greater part of
the Federal army of observation was encamped, they
affording a complete mask from the enemy across the
river.   General MlcCall's division was the farthest
northwest of the army.  Beyond his camp the hills became high again, and the woods thick, very few open
spots being on the front.  A large portion of General
McCall's troops were always at Mechanicsville, as a
picket in force.  Here the hills were very high, and
mostly covered with woods. Mechanicsville was a small
village of a half-dozen houses and beer-shops, a halfmile from the river.  Several days' shelling from both
armies had almost battered it down. A road ran to
the river here, and crossed it on a bridge which the




THIE SIEGE OF PICHMIOND.         231
enemy had broken.  This was the Mechanicsville turnpike, one of the direct roads to Riichmond. To the
right of this road was a woods cleared of undergrowth,
which had been used as a beer-garden. During Federal occupation it served for a camp. The beer-saloon
was back of this woods, and had been completely ransacked. A house upon the opposite side of the road
had been the prettiest one of the village, and, being the
least injured of all, was used as a hospital.  Flowerbeds were tastefully planted in the front yard, honeysuckles and woodbines being trained up the trelliswork porch.  A large vegetable-garden, which had
been well cared for, extended along the roadside, some
distance toward the river.
Beyond the beer-garden, all the way to Meadow
Bridge, the country was open, being a high hill sloping
down toward the river and the railroad.  The fields
in front of all these hills were strongly picketed, their
tops being crowned by numerous pieces of artillery.
Picketing in the Chickahominy swamps was always a
wet, disagreeable duty, besides being highly dangerous,
from the constant watch kept up by the enemy's sharpshooters. Picket-shooting became general upon both
sides, in the latter days of the siege.
The different portions of the army drew their supplies from different stations on the railroad. The army
of observatioin sent to Despatch Station for food, and to
Foragce Station for forage.  These were two supplyposts, a half-mile distant from each other, and some
tell miles from White House.  They were five miles
distant from  General Porter's camps.  His troops
frequently sent their wagon-trains all the way to
White House for supplies, principally of forage. The
20*




232          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
supply of food at the issuing-stations was always
ample.
The besieging army had two posts at which to get
supplies. General Keyes and General HIeintzelman sent
to Savage Station. This, in addition to being an issuing-station, was also an immense hospital, some thirty
tents and huts and houses being required to accommodate the sick and wounded. There will be occasion to
saepak of it again, in describing the march to the James
Liver.  Generals Sumner and Franklin drew their
stores from  Orchard Station, on the railroad at the
seven-mile post. This was the nearest one to Richmond, and was within three hundred yards of the line
of intrenchments. In a direct line it was scarcely five
miles from the capital, and the enemy's shells, on many
occasions, fell quite near it.  Marks of the Fair Oaks
fight were seen on all sides, and graves reared their
humble head-boards from the midst of piles of provisions. This issuing-depot, though at first but a small
one, finally eclipsed all the others. Generals Keyes and
Heintzelman left Savage Station and drew from Orchard,
and for the last two weeks of the siege it fed threefourths of the army. A small hospital was located
there, and at it the first processes of embalming were
gone through with, the bodies being sent to White
House for the work to be completed. An immense
commissary business was daily transacted at Orchard
Station. Captain Henry N. Swift, of Dutchess county,
New York, was chief officer of the post, and performed
his duties with the greatest urbanity.
In front of the line of Federal camps and intrenchments, and between it and the enemy, there was always
a belt of country about a mile wide, upon which there




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           233
were no visible signs of either army. Creeping and
hiding, on the one side of this belt, Federal scouts and
pickets lurked, and on the other, near enough almost
to talk, were those of the enemy. This was the great
neutral ground of the siege. Cannon-balls and shell
sped over it, and skirmishes and battles were sometimes fought upon it, but usually it seemed silent and
deserted, not having upon it a single sign of a living
being. In front of the besieging army this belt was a
series of grain and grass fields, interspersed with a
great deal of forest. The Chickahominy valley was
the neutral ground in front of the army of observation.
Of course, the only real knowledge had of the enemy's
positions by the soldiers and subordinates of the army
was that gained by careful observation from the numerous hills held by the Federal troops. The reports
of scouts and spies and deserters, and knowledge gained
from balloon-ascensions, were carefully reserved for the
higher generals. Every one, however, could see a
great deal,-enough to show that the enemy had line
after line of earth-works, redoubts terracing up the
hills, and intrenchments upon the tops of them, strong
forts to command all the important passes, and riflepits wherever attacks were expected from the Union
troops. Ever since Richmond was first threatened, the
enemy have, been building fortifications around it.
During all the time our army lay in front of Washington, before the Bull Run disaster, they were digging
and building. Whilst Manassas was threatened, it was
notorious that the enemy, fearful of the consequences
of abandoning that place, were working night and day
to prepare Richmond for an assault and siege. They




234          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
held. Manassas until the capital was ready, and when
General McClellan brought his army in front of it, he
found a series of earth-works constructed in the most
perfect manner by scientific officers. The enemy scarcely
struck a spade into the ground during all the siege.
All such work had been done, and well done, long
before.
Vague rumors have reached readers in the North
as to the number, position, and strength of these fortifications, but very little that is reliable. The Richmond "Dispatch" of July 21 professes to give a list
of fortifications surrounding Richmond, which is perhaps correct, although it is impossible to judge by any
knowledge possessed in the North.  This list gives
them in regular order, with their condition at that
date, and it deserves reproduction here. They are as
follow:"Beginning on the north side of James River, west
of Richmond, and coming around with the sun, from
left to right:"No. 1. On the high part of the old fair-grounds;
not yet completed; work in progress.
"No. 2. On the new fair-grounds, commanding the
approaches by way of the Deep Run turnpike and the
Bush Hill road; not completed; negroes at work on
it; northeast of No. 1.
"No. 3. Three miles northwest of Richmond; a very
strong work; completed.
"No. 4. Two and a half miles nearly north of the
capital; commanding the approaches by the Brook turnpike; east of No. 3.
"No. 5. A little more than three miles north of the




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           235
city; commanding the approaches from Brook Run
Bridge and Meadow Bridge; northeast of No. 4.
"No. 6. A mile and a half nearly north of the city,
rather near the latter, but admirably situated on a
slope, that can be swept for two miles by its guns.
This fort was built a year ago; south of No. 5.
"No. 7. Two and a half miles northeast of the capital, between the Virginia Central Railroad and the
Mechanitsville road; built last fall; northeast of No. 6.
" No. 8. Three miles northeast of the city; commanding the approaches from the Mechanicsville bridge.
This fort was built while General McClellan's headquarters were on Dr. Curtis's plantation, only three
miles east of it, the Chickahominy being between;
northeast of No. 7.
"No. 9. Two and a half miles northeast of the city,
east of the Mechanicsville road and west of Dr. French's
plantation. A beautifully finished work, with outworks,
abatis, &c.; commenced last winter, and finished early
in the spring; south of No. 8.
" No. 10. Nearly four miles northeast of the capital;
commanding the approaches from several fords on the
Chickahominy. There is a large magazine in this fort.
General Johnston passed much of his time here while
the Union army was encamped on the left bank of the
Chickahominy. There were some guns in this fort
then, which used to throw shells at random toward
the Chickahominy. The fort was hidden by dense
woods before it, but these have been cut down during
the last six weeks. It is east of No. 9.
"No. 11. Two miles nearly east of the city; built
nearly nine months ago. It commands the approaches
by the New Bridge road; southwest of No. 10.




236          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
"No. 12. Three miles east of the city, commanding
the approaches from  Woodbury Bridge.  Immense
gangs of negroes were employed on this work, and it
was built very rapidly, the negroes working day and
night, at the same time that the engineer brigade were
buildings the Federal bridges.  It is believed to be very
imperfect in its construction, and is east of No. 11.
"No. 13. Three miles nearly east of the capital; a
work of great strength and admirably situated.' There
are some heavy guns in this fort, and also some rifled guns,
which it is said carry a ball four miles with accuracy;
all of which have been here since early in the spring.
There is also a large magazine.  It is southwest of
No. 12.
"No. 14. Two miles southeast from the city, commanding the turnpike from Williamsburg, a small,
but strong work of admirable construction; south of
No. 13.
"No. 15. Two miles south of the city, on the left
bank of the James River; unfinished, and the work on
it not progressing rapidly. It is west of No. 14.
"No. 16. Three miles southeast of the city, and, two
miles west of the Seven Pines; built since the battle
there, and men are still at work on it. It is designed to
command the approaches from the Williamsburg stageroad, and is east of No. 15.
"No. 17.l More than three miles southeast of the
city, and nearly south of the latter work.  It commands the approaches by the Charles City road and
the Central road.  The work  on it is still progressing.
"No. 18. Four miles south of the city, on the left
bank of James River; unfinished.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            237
"No. 19. Four miles nearly south of the city, and east
of No. 18. It commands the Newmarket road and the
Osborne turnpike. The work on it is still progressing.
"No. 20. More than four miles southeast of the
city, and east of No. 19. It commands the Central and
Newmarket roads.
"No. 21. Six miles south of the city, commanding
the Mill road. This is not a work of any great strength.
"Crossing the river now, we come to"No. 22. Fort Darling, which has often been described. It was commenced as long ago as April, 1861.
Its position is such that all vessels sailing to Richmond
have to pass it; that its guns can be fired down upon
all vessels coming up the river, while no vessel can get
its guns sufficiently elevated to fire at the fort.  Since
the attack upon the fort by the Monitor and Galena
on the 17th of May, the fort has been greatly strengthened and the armament has been greatly increased.
" No. 23. Six miles south of Richmond, on the right
bank of James River.  Built since the attack on Fort
Darling. Casemated, and has a powerful armament,
with guns trained to bear on river-craft.
" No. 24. Immediately south of the city, on the right
bank of James River.  Not finished, but work progressing.
" No. 25. Three miles south of the city. Commenced
in April last.
" No. 26. Three miles nearly south of the city, and
west of No. 25; well situated.
"No. 27. Three miles southwest of the city. Work
in progress.
"No. 28. Three miles west of the city, on the right
bank of James River."




238         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Of these fortifications, a refugee from the South thus
speaks: —
"He reports Richmond to be encircled with fortifications of the most extensive character. Those north of
the city are fully armed, and manned by experienced
artillerists. Those on the south side are comparatively
neglected, for the reason that they anticipate no danger
in that direction.
"Fort Darling, at Drury's Bluff, is now completed,
and mounts twenty-two guns of the heaviest calibre,
principally rifles, and the face of the work is constructed
in such a manner as to resist the passage of any projectile. It is constructed first of eighteen-inch square
timber, over which is a plating of four-inch iron, the
whole placed at such an angle that any shot striking it
must glance and fly off, without the possibility of doing
damage.
"Obstructions of the most substantial character have
been placed in the river opposite and above Fort Darling; and the most rabid of the Rebels of Richmond
advocate the entire filling up of the river between
Drury's Bluff and Rocketts, and the construction of a
railroad for army purposes, leaving the river to find a
new channel.
"HIe estimates the force of Rebels in Richmond
at the commencement of the seven days' fighting to
have been between two hundred thousand and two
hundred and fifty thousand men."
The observations of those not in the great secrets of
the army, of course, were confined to mere sight-seeing,
with the aid of telescope and field-glass. These gave
a perfect view of the appearance of the enemy's position from the Federal works, which, to all who cared




THE SIEGE OF RICHIMOND.            239
nothing for the hidden sights beyond, was in the highest degree satisfactory.  The entire firont presented by
the enemy being some eight miles in length, its description would be much like the views of a panorama;
and perhaps a series of views from different Federal
hill-tops would be the best way of conveying to the
reader an adequate idea of the appearance of the outposts of Secession.
On the Federal left there was no good point of observation.  The country being low and flat, or at best
very gently rolling, and almost covered with woods,
forbade the idea of finding any commanding spot from
which to view the front.  From the swamp protecting
the left wing all the way to and across the railroad, the
enemy's front presented a succession of woods and fields
with occasional earth-works and batteries.  The frequent woods hid the principal part of the defensive
works, and their locality was only known from  the
shells they threw at the Union camps.  It was a poor
spot for sight-seeing or sketching, and it was rarely
that an artist ventured to use his pencil there.  In
front of the Federal works, at the point where the railroad passed out, the enemy were effectually covered by
woods, on the edge of which their pickets watched,
and behind which they had all their batteries.  The
country was swampy and very nearly level.
The first good view to be had of Rebeldom was in
front of General Franklin's corps, at his left, where he
joined General Sumner. At that place there was a
wheat-field rising to a hill on the Federal side. It
was here that negro pickets were first discovered on
the enemy's outposts. The wheat-field ran down the
side of the hill, and at the bottom it stopped, a grass21




240          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
field gently ascending for nearly a half-mile on the
other side to a woods filled with the enemy. Rebel
-pickets came to the low ground. In front, just on the
edge of the woods, was a strong earth-work, with guns
pointed at the spot where the spectator is standing.
A short distance to the right another redoubt bristled
with cannon, and a battery farther beyond kept up a
constant duel with General Porter's guns across the
Chickahominy.  An old house in ruins was also upon
that side, and a tall chimney standing alone, without a
house to own it, was a hundred yards to the left. Two
houses, one with a beautiful garden, were just within
the enemy's picket-lines, and no doubt were head-quarters for their picket-reserves. This was the plainest
view to be had of Rebel earth-works, batteries, and
pickets, in full operation. Seeing it, however, was a
dangerous operation. Anywhere else but in standing
wheat, with an opportunity to "duck" whenever a
hostile rifle was aimed, it would have been too perilous
a venture.
The ramparts of Fort Davidson, General Smith's
post, and the extreme right of the besieging army, was
the next point friom which a good view could be had.
The enemy's works in sight were the same as those
seen from the wheat-field, with the addition of a few
more seen endwise upon the hills on the upper part
of the Chickahominy. The view of Rebel manceuvrinog
was not very good, even though Fort Davidson
was almost always occupied in resisting their artillery
attacks. Too much woods intervened to allow of extensive sight-seeing. The great attraction here, however, was the view of the valley of the river. Every
thing done by the ~.enemy upon the hill-sides and low



THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           241
lands on their side of the stream could be distinctly
seen, and, of course, accurately reported.  This view
extended for several miles, a bend in the stream closing
it away in the distance. General Porter's and General McCall's positions, on the high hills across the
Chickahominy, were easily discerned from Fort Davidson.
Here the river must be crossed, and the reader taken
to the other side. There the Chickabominy valley ran
along between the two armies, both being posted on
high hills, which presented, on the one hand, fine
points of observation, and, upon the other, grand
views, glorying in all the hues of summer and all the
romance of a mountain-rani)ge.
Dr. Gaines's house, or rather thle ground just to the
left of it, is a spot from which could be had one of the
best views of the field of operation.  The view from it
on the Federal side to the left and right has been given
on a previous page; and now the description is to be of
that in front.  From this hill, across the stream, two
miles distant, is to be seen Fort Davidson, appearing
as a huge square earth-work. Its importance, wedged
in between the river and the enemy, can be discerned
at a glance. The Stars and Stripes wave upon the
ramparts.  Beyond, wagons are parked, and to the
rear there is an extensive camp.  A half-mile to the
right of tha fort, and equidistant from the point of
observation, just on the crest of a hill, are a Rebel battery and earth-work, two of those seen from the wheatfield, and the neighboring woods cover other masked
ones.  Passing the eye down the hill from the battery,
a breastwork, almost concealed by bushes, can be discovered, though it is half hidden by the intervening




242          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
trees which grow beside the river. Coming nearer,
but still on the opposite side of the stream, Rebel
scouts prowl about and sharp-shooters lie in the tall
grass, each one ready to shoot some unwary Federal
picket.  But the most attractive view presented from
this hill was the admirable one of the Federal and
Rebel positions upon the opposite side.  One moment's
glance from this commanding eminence would suffice to
explain the salient points of both armies.  Federal
officers availed themselves of this; and the neverchanged signal station to the left of Gaines's house
was an evidence of the value of the secrets there
disclosed.
To the front and left of Hogan's house-the one with
the beautiful oak-tree-there is a second hill, giving a
tolerable view of the opposite ridge.  Here an angle
of woods across the stream hides Fort Davidson; but
the view farther to the left, down the valley of the
river, is magnificent.  For miles and miles there is a
succession of dark swamnp, yellow field, and brown hillside, until all blends in the blue sky at the horizon.
That view is most charming.  The appearance of the
Rebel front is almost the same as when seen from
Dr. Gaines's house, the view, however, being more extended to the right.  Batteries on the ridges, with
woods on their sides, is the rule with all the hills opposite this one. This spot, like the other, was also a
valued signal station.
A third eminence, a half-mile farther to the right, is
the next point of observation. This gave a view of
the opposite hill, somewhat confined, yet of great interest. There were batteries and woods, as upon the
ground viewed from Gaines's and Hogan's houses, but




THE SIEGE OF LtICHAIOND.          243
opposite this hill a road ran much used by the enemy's
troops, and of course closely watched by Federal artillerists. It had one or two exposed gaps, and the guns
were always in range for them. As the road was constantly travelled, the Federal gunners were continually
at work. Fearful execution must have been done by
the hundreds of shells poured into those gaps.  Many
a Rebel regiment when exposed upon that road to
Federal fire has ignominiously run.  This hill was
frequented by all lovers of exciting artillery practice.
Five hundred yards to the right of this, upon the
low ground,-for there the fringe of woods protecting
the camps was upon the hill-side,-was one of the best
places for viewing the disposition of Federal and Rebel
pickets.  The enemy's hills, across the river, were bare
of woods, and for miles their whole surface was a
series of cultivated fiells, —one or two small patches
of trees alone breaking the continuity.  Being upon
low ground, of course the view from this spot was
greatly restricted. The gaps in the wood, the prominent points seen from the last hill, are to the left, and
farther on that side-almost hidden by trees-the
waving of Fort Davidson's flag could be detected. The
flag must have been four miles distant; and from the
moving of the leaves, so momentary were the glimpses
had of it, the sight almost seemed an optical illusion. In the swamp in front, and upon both sides,
Federal pickets were watching the enemy, —an occasional rifle-crack giving evidence of their faithfulness.
Across the stream, upon the gradually-ascending hill,
Rebel picketing could be viewed in all its perfection.
Companies deployed, skirmishers moved out and in,
reserves were posted, and vedettes patiently sat in their
2'1'*




244          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
saddles, on the wide-stretched fields of grain.  Every
movement of the enemy could be plainly discerned.
Upon the crest, behind all these pickets, the enemy had
what kept the Federal troops from attacking them, —a
series of the strongest earth-works, with plenty of cannon upon them. Only one or two of these numerous
guns were ever used, and they were brought to bear
occasionally upon an exposed road on the Federal side,
along which troops sometimes marched.
Standing upon the turnpike at Mechanicsville, another interesting scene was presented. There, for a mile
to the right and le't, the enemy's hills could be examined.
Upon their tops were forts and earth-works of the
strongest character, and their sides-except where
roads broke through it- were one universal forest.
Three or four houses peeped out from among the trees
there, one of which, the prettiest, was the Rebel general's head-quarters described in a preceding chapter.
Heavy guns were mounted upon the enemy's works
opposite Mechanicsville, and their light ones occasionally gave evidence of their presence by shelling Federal pickets.  By ascending trees beside the turnpike, smokes and other indications of Richmond could
be seen.
Just above Miechanicsville, half-way between it and
Meadow Bridge, is the last hill from which a view
could be had,-as the ground beyond slopes down
toward the Virginia Central Railroad, the extreme
right of the Federal position.  Here the face of the
opposite country changes, the ranges of hills upon the
two banks of the river coming together and almost
obliterating the valley. The thick woods still prevail
upon the enemy's hill-sides, and their crests are as well




THE SIEGE OF RICIMOND.            245
provided with earth-works and batteries.  There was
always a fear that the Rebels, under cover of the woods
and swamps, would attempt a crossing at MAechanicsville, and, to resist it, that village-though really only a
picket ground-was always well provided with artillery
and infantry.  Across the river, two most striking
objects were seen from this hill-top. The road to
Richmond-a city only four miles distant-can be seen,
in every part, as it ascends the opposite slope.  It runs
directly from the point of view, and every rut and clod
is visible until it crosses the highest point, to descend upon the other side.  The other object, in a different situation, would seem insignificant; but there,
*giving rise to so many thoughts and feelings, it was
the greatest sight of all.  Just to the right of the
road a spire, rising above the tree-tops, stood out in
bold relief against the sky.  Thousands went to study
that spire. It was the only part of Richmond which
could be seen from the Federal lines.  From General
McClellan down to the lowest private, all earnestly
viewed it.
The positions of the enemy in front of the Union
army were very strong, and, in some cases, impregnable. They had used their time and talents well in the
fortifications surrounding Richmond; and this poor
description of how they appeared to the Federal soldiers may help to satisfy those anxious to understand
the history of a war as yet wrapped up in almost unintelligible newspaper-accounts of battles, skirmishes,
and raids.
To garrison their works and defend their city, the
enemy had an immense army. At the commencement
of the siege it was divided into eight grand divisions,



246          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
each one corresponding to a Federal army corps, and
commanded by Major-Generals Huger, D. B. Hill,
Longstreet, Smith, Magruder, A. P. Hill, Rains, and
Ewell. General Huger was opposite the Federal left
wing, and the others were in regular succession
around to the right. General Jackson, with his force,
was also, for the principal part of the time, opposite
the right wing of the Federal army.  HI  and his
forces were absent in the Shenandoah valley, however,
from the 20th of May to the first week in June. In
addition to these forces there was a large body of
cavalry under the command of General Stewart, aided
by Colonel Fitz-Hugh Lee.
The shell which wounded the enemy's commander-inchief, General Johnston, at the battle of Fair Oaks,
although it confused the Rebels, was the saddest shot
for Federal success that has been fired during the war.
It changed the entire Rebel tactics. It took away incompetency, indecision, and dissatisfaction, and gave
skilful generalship, excellent plans, and good discipline.
It removed the first commander, General Johnston, and
replaced him by a most eminent leader, General Robert
E. Lee. Before the battle of Fair Oaks, Rebel troops
were sickly, half fed and clothed, and had no hearts for
their work. On the 1st of June, General Lee commenced his efforts to reorganize the dissatisfied and
mutinous army. He removed their camps from the
swamps, and placed them in healthy situations. He
procured supplies of wholesome provisions, particularly
fresh beef and bread. He redressed many wrongs the
men had suffered, attentively listening to their just
complaints. He soon found his efforts crowned with
success: mutiny and dissatisfaction almost universally




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           2417
disappeared; there were no more cries for food, no
more outcries against oppression. The troops improved
in appearance. Cadaverous looks became rare among
prisoners. The discipline became better; they went
to battle with shouts, and without being urged, and,
when in it, fought like tigers. The wounding of General Johnston was one of the best things for the enemy
which had ever happened.
A more marked change for the better never was
made in any body of men than that wrought in his
army by the sensible actions of General Lee. What
effect it had upon Federal success can scarcely be estimated. Harder fighting, greater loss of life, and infinitely more work at picketing and intrenching, were
undoubtedly some results. Whether subsequent disasters to the Union arms were caused by General Lee's
humane regard for his army, time alone can decide.




248          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER IX.
THE INCIDENTS OF A SIEGE.
IN the siege of a city which is well defended, there
are many incidents which are parts of the daily routine,
and which, to be understood, need an explanation. In
a narrative of events these are constantly referred to,
but never described, and the un-military reader generally loses half the enjoyment which the perusal of a
perfectly understood narrative would give. For instance, picketing is constantly spoken of or referred to,
yet few civilians have more than an indistinct idea of
what picketing is. So of an intrenchment: they know
it is earth piled up, and have seen pictures of forts, but
how piled, and how it becomes such an excellent means
of defence, they are at a loss to comprehend.  It is a
great fault in description to take it for granted that
the meaning of military terms is a part of every man's
knowledge. Many a befogged reader has to his sorrow
discovered the contrary.  It is the intention to devote
a few pages to a description and explanation of what
will be constantly referred to in the subsequent history
of the siege.
Sieges very often give rise to BATTLES. Small skirmishes, or artillery duels, or sorties, may rapidly increase in proportion, until the number engaged, and
the ferocity of the contest, well deserve the name of a
battle. It is at such times that war rises to its highest




THE SIEGE OF RICIHMONT).         249
sublimity, and those fortunate ones who happen to be
in a safe place where the progress of the fight, or some
parts of it, can be seen, are vouchsafed a boon that
any one might envy. Very few men have ever seen
the whole of a battle. A thousand obstacles intervene
to prevent it. Hills obstruct the view of what is passing upon their opposite sides, and hide the more distant valleys.  Wdods-always a favorite place for
combatants, into which one or the other of the opposing
forces will always go-prevent a view of what is passing
within them.  Houses, usually garrisoned, are often
fiercely fought around, yet the shrubbery and shadetrees surrounding them allow but an occasional glimmering of the military operations. And then the great
distance at which an observer must be to be safe from
the death-dealing shells so freely distributed on a
battle-field, is quite an obstacle to his discerning individuals or obscure movements. All these things intervene to prevent a view of an entire battle-field; but
usually parts of it can be seen, which, for military
strategy and bloody carnage, are a fair index of the
whole.
Soldiers in battle see very little of the great work
which is in progress around them. Each man is too
earnestly engaged in performing his own duties, to
Waste any time in idle gazing. Usually lying flat upon
the ground, with a fence or a tree before him, he loads
his musket, picks out his man, and fires at him, —doing
all as quickly as possible.  Men so busily engaged
scarcely heed the whistling bullets which fly past their
ears or strike against the tree or fence in front of
them. Shells, however, they always notice. Those
deadly missiles rush through the air with a noise like




250          THE SIECTE OF RICHMOND.
a rocket, and, until fighting battles becomes a confirmed habit, the soldier is, as it were, compelled to
follow them in their course, dreading the instant at
which they burst and scatter their deadly fragments
around him.
In battle there is one moment when every man's
heart is in his mouth, and during which the cowards,
if there are any, will always show themselves.  The
enemy's volleys of musketry come too fast to be resisted by like musket-shooting; or they are assembling
for a charge; or some of their batteries have too deadly
a range to be allowed any longer to work unmolested.
In all of these cases the remedy is to be administered
at the bayonet's point. A charge is ordered, sometimes of a regiment, sometimes a brigade, sometimes a
whole division. The men are ordered to form in line
of battle. In such a case there is always a moment or
two of delay. Then, exposed to the deadly fire of the
enemy, with nothing to occupy his mind but thoughts
of the thousands of bullets flying past him, each instant
some of them striking his brethren, whose groans are
heard even above the din of battle, the bravest will
falter. Those moments of delay are the ones to test
true courage. On some occasions the mental agony
has been too awful to bear; whole regiments have
broken, and run to cover, all the reproaches of their
officers failing to have any effect. Experienced conmmanders dread those idle moments, for no man is proof
against the effects of that terrible agony which the
suspense gives him. But the delay is over.  "Trail
arms! Double quick! March!" is shouted by a dozen
prancing horsemen. Off starts the line, and, before
ten feet of ground is passed over, every man has for



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           251
gotten the torturing trial of the previous moment.
An earnest, all-absorbing attention to the work before
him  has supplanted it.  The charge proceeds; the
enemy's fire becomes more deadly; the artillerists work
faster; the infantry fire with greater precision. Dozens
of soldiers drop, killed or wounded, from the rapidlyadvancing ranks. Still they approach the enemy, each
man looking intently before him, avoiding snares and
pitfalls, and endeavoring to single out an opponent
from  the thick-clustering groups of the foe.  The
charge proceeds; it is within fifty feet of the enemy's
cannon. "Charge bayonets!" shouts the commander.
"Charge bayonets!" is echoed by every officer, and,
with a yell which can be heard for miles,-a yell
never heard off the battle-field, so demoniac and horrid
that men in peaceful times cannot imitate it,-every
musket is raised to the breast, and a long row of glittering bayonets appals the foe.  Among the cannon
the troops rush, still yelling and shouting, and the
artillerists who are not bayoneted, or do not escape,
are shot by the officers' revolvers. Past the cannon
the line goes with headlong speed, the file-closers
spiking or breaking them. The troops rush on at the
enemy's infantry. All firing of musketry from it has
ceased: other things are thought of; offence is forgotten
in the anxiety for defence. The officers endeavor to
rally it for a charge, but the avalanche of glittering
bayonets and terrific shouts swiftly coming upon it is
too much; the soldiers cannot stand quietly and meet
the attack: they break, and flee; and, whilst they
are ignominiously running away, the word "tHalt!"
stops the progress of the victorious charge. It has
done its share of the work; the enemy has been put
22




252          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
to flight, and it remains for the artillery to complete the victory. "About face!" and "Double quick!
March!" soon.clear the ground, and Federal shells,
rapidly sent after the retreating foe, decide the
contest.
An observer may see all this, if obstacles do not
intervene; and many have done so.  But, if distant
gazers do not see all, they have a correct idea of the
general scope of a battle, and are always better able to
give a description than those who take part in it.
From their point of view, they may see the whole
Federal line of battle with all its movements, or the
entire Rebel line; or they may observe the progress
of affairs on portions of both.  To them the sight is
far more impressive than to the soldier, whose duties so
engross his attention that he scarcely has time for a
moment's thought.  They see the lines advance or
recede, and know all the strategy of the contest. How
often have they witnessed a well-contested fight, where
neither party seems to have the advantage, or where
one is gradually defeating and driving the other, when
a stealthy column is discovered cautiously marching
along some hidden road to take one or the other on
the flank and thus decide the battle! Rebel flankingparties seldom caught Federal soldiers: their lynx-eyed
signal-men were perched about on too many hill-tops.
They gave the generals warning. At other times,
perhaps, these gazers would see the secret planting, by
one or the other army, of masked batteries, commanding places to which their opponents would be drawn by
well-arranged flights or retreats, when a deadly fire
would for a moment stagger and break the lines. Many
strategic movements could be observed by distant sight



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            253
seers, whose circle of vision commanded a great extent
of country.
The progress of the battle, however, usually engrossed
every one's attention.  Bursting shells could all be
traced, and their effects in many cases plainly seen. A
continuous roar of musketry filled the ears, and the
frequent discharges of cannon, as grape and canister,
solid shot or shell, were launched at the opposing parties, constantly varied the sound.  Shell after shell
would rise above the carnage, swiftly pass in its curve,
and burst, leaving its mark in smoke floating in the
air, and scattering its fragments upon all below it.
The moving of the sound of the musketry, and the
cheers of the victorious armies, indicated the advances
and retreats. The spots from which cannon were fired
were changed also. They would advance or recede, or,
if spiked, become silent. Thus would the view be
during the whole time of the battle.  Gradually increasing smoke, curling up from all parts of the field,
usually obscured it, but cannon-shot and musketry
could always be heard, and bursting shells seen. Approaching night ended all battles.  It stopped the
pursuit by victorious armies, and closed all doubtful
contests.
A SKIRMISH was the name given to a small contest,
where the victory being decided either way had no
effect upon the general result. Small numbers, very
little fighting, and a great amount of cheering were
the usual incidents of all skirmishes. They occurred
at all times and in all places. A picket shooting one
of the opposite side would provoke retaliation, which
in its turn would bring on an attack, which always
resulted in a skirmish. A regiment stationed upon a




254          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
picket tour might be attacked, and a skirmish was the
consequence. The essence of a skirmish was, that its
result, no matter how decided a victory it might be for
either party, had no bearing upon the progress of the
siege. The troops were all taught a skirmish drill, to
be used upon such occasions, which consisted in spreading themselves at wide distances,-each man, whilst he
observed the general course pursued by his company,
using his weapons in such manner as seemed to him
best. Skirmishers in battle or upon a march are
small parties sent out to reconnoitre or scour the woods,
or beat up ambuscades and masked batteries. By them
the skirmish drill was also used.
During the progress of the siege, Federal artillery
commanded every spot from which the enemy could
make attacks, and a dozen shells from them  would
quickly scatter an attacking party, and end a skirmish
in a very short space of time. The commander-inchief was very careful of his pickets, and always had
artillery placed to defend them, and attacks by sharpshooters or stronger parties resulted badly for the
enemy. A genuine skirmish, in which artillery took no
part, very rarely occurred, but, when it did, would
usually be most ludicrous. Two regiments, a Federal
and a Rebel, are standing opposite to each other.
The Rebels make a charge, and rush upon their opponents with a yell. Away go the Union troops, running
for cover, firing half a dozen shots at the advancing
enemy.  The charge being balked, the Rebel regiment retreats, perhaps previously discharging a volley,
when out start the others from behind the trees and
bushes, yelling and screaming upon a full charge after
the first. Away goes the first on a run to its cover,




THE SIEGE OF ItICHIMOND.         255
which it usually reaches, and, receiving a volley, races
the swift-running Federals back. If artillery, from
one side or the other. does not interfere, the two
regiments will run each other back and forward for
hours, until sheer exhaustion compels them to stop.
Then they report one man killed and two wounded,
in each regiment, and brag of their exploits for a
week.
A column sent out to advance to and capture some
point always presents the most interesting skirmishes.
The taking of Mechanicsville was almost enchanting,the manceuvring of the troops and out-generalling of
the enemy were so brilliant, and yet so easily understood. Its capture was entirely accomplished by skirmishes. Though well defended, a battery of artillery
and brigade of infantry, aided by a detachment of
cavalry, advanced four miles into what had previously
been an unknown country, held by the enemy, drove
in their pickets, dislodged them from rifle-pits and
woods, and finally compelled them to evacuate the
town and rush pell-mell across the Chickahominy.
This was all done by manceuvring and strategy.  The
enemy, outflanked several times, believed the Federal
troops to be in much stronger force than they really
were.  Scarcely any regular volleys were fired; a
musket-shot was rarely heard, and, when it did come,
it was from a skirmisher. Two or three shells beat up
a wood, through which skirmishers cautiously advanced.
When Mechanicsville was approached it received a
thorough shelling, which made the enemy quickly leave
it, and in their retreat along the turnpikes and roads,
and across the Mechanicsville and Meadow bridges,
shells burst all about them. Accuracy in artillery
22*




256          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
practice, and proficiency in skirmish drills, secured for
the United States the possession of Mechanicsville.
Skirmishes were sometimes as exciting, to those viewing them, as battles.  A correspondent of a leading
newspaper thus describes the first skirmish he saw:"We are all in camp together, sitting about doing
nothing,-the officers in their marquees, the men in
their tents.  A  cavalry-man rides swiftly along the
road leading from the outposts to head-quarters. In
an instant he is dismounted, enters the general's tent,
is out again, vaults into the saddle, and away he gallops
along the road he came.  An aid runs from the tent to
the different regimental head-quarters: —' Be ready to
march in five minutes, light marching-order.' A few
seconds more, and the whole camp is aroused; the
greatest listlessness is changed to the greatest activity.
Cheering and yelling at the prospect of a brush with
the enemy, each man seizes his gun, hastily examines
it to find if it is in perfect order, puts on his cartridgebox, canteen, and haversack, places himself in line, and
is ready for marching.  Then the regiment is drawn
into line, and all stand with true military stoicism
awaiting the order which will send them to confront
the enemy.
"But foot-soldiers are too slow for newspaper-men,
and, hastily picking up some friends, away we go across
field and fence, through mud and swamp, bound for the
scene of action.  A threatening storm, whose distant
thunder had been muttering for an hour, warns us of
its approach by a few large drops scattered over the
ground. We stop an instant, put on our water-proofs,
start again, and, urging our horses to their utmost
speed, plunge through the rain. We rush past sentry,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           257
vedette, and signal-man, unheeding any challenges they
might give. Shoulder-straps and head-quarter passes
are our passports through what would otherwise be
great difficulties. An hour's ride brings us to the
outposts, and when we rein in our panting horses, we
find the storm passed over, its clouds hanging like a
black pall behind us. A regiment of troops stands in a
road in marching-order.  On the right, three black
dangerous-looking Parrott guns, ready loaded, each
with gunner holding lock-string, are pointed at a pass
some five hundred yards in advance, where the road
enters a wood. On the left, some thirty yards from the
road, is an old Virginia manor-house, recently deserted
by its owners, and having some curly-headed negroes,
half frightened, half pleased, poking their heads out of
the doors and windows. In the front yard, two brass
twelve-pounders stand, pointed at the same pass as
their three black-looking brethren on the right, each
one ready to belch forth fire and smoke at an enemy.
Cavalry are drawn up in order behind the cannon.
Officers stand about, and, though all seems prepared for
a most fearful fight, laughter and conversation proceed
the same as if no danger were near.
"Directly an aid comes galloping along the road
from the advance beyond the wood, whispers a word in
the ear of the commanding officer, and then, receiving
an order, swiftly returns to the place whence he came.
A moment more, and the cannon are limbered up, and,
the infantry and cavalry preceding them, they all
march off to take a position in the advance. We follow,
finally passing through the troops, and getting to the
front. The infantry take a new position in the road
beyond the wood, sending out skirmishers in force to




258          THE SIEGE OF RICIHMOND.
the right. The cannon are rapidly wheeled into a road
to the left, turned into a field, unlimbered, and accurately aimed at a hill and wood where the enemy had
made their appearance. We take our stand with the
battery, and from there could see a wide expanse of
country. The wood commanded by the artillery seemed
a mile distant. A cavalry vedette of four horsemen
were a few feet to the left of us. Each man was
mounted, and all eyes were bent on the wood. Directly a detachment of infantry march up the hill, stop
at the entrance of the wood, fire some volleys into it,
and then enter and disappear among the trees. We
wait minute after minute in breathless suspense, but
they do not appear, nor do we hear answering shots
from the enemy. Save an occasional remark from our
own men, all is still as death.  The birds are singing
and insects chirping; two or three cows are quietly
grazing in front of us; away in the distance, over the
ridges, we can see a fringe of woods, bearing away to
the left, but not a human being is in sight.
" No one can truly describe his feelings upon such an
occasion. The enemy he knows to be near him, but he
cannot see them.  His own friends in the Union army
may be killed and wounded beyond the wood, yet he knows
it not. Not more than fifty men and a few field-pieces
are around him. On the road to the right, the regiment is resting on its arms.  His bosom heaves and
swells at what he imagines to be passing. He wishes to
be in the thickest of the fight, yet knows not how to get
there. Weapons he may bear upon his shoulder or by
his side, yet, burning as he is with zeal to use them,
no object is presented on which to wreak his vengeance
or show his courage."




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           259
A RECONNOISSANCE is a body of men, usually cavalry, sent out to explore an unknown section of country,
discover the enemy's positions, and ascertain his force.
It may be of two kinds,-a "reconnoissance" simply, in
which the detachment sent out, if opposed, is not to
fight, but return; and a "reconnoissance in force," or an
"armed reconnoissance," which is directed to give the
enemy battle if resistance be offered, and, in all events,
to carry out its instructions to the utmost extent, exploring the entire country over which it is directed to
go. These latter were usually made by strong bodies
of men, an army corps, with all its artillery, being sometimes sent out. Reconnoisssances were the great means
of collecting information of the enemy's position,
strength, and apparent intentions. Armed ones were
usually successful.
A SORTIE was an attack made by the besieged party
upon the besiegers. When closely pressed, or when
desirous of annoying the Federal troops and preventing their working in the trenches, a column of the
enemy would suddenly rush out from behind some
mask, and, protected by a furious fire of artillery, attack
the men at their labor. These sorties were always
feared, and the strongest bodies of troops were posted
at points where they were anticipated.  They were
seldom successful, the spiking of one or two cannon,
and an hour's delay in the work, being usually their
worst results. Furious battles sometimes marked the
repulse of a sortie, and artillery were always brought
extensively into play. Being generally prompted by
desperation, they were rarely well planned.
The practice of Union artillerists during all the siege
of Richmond was excellent. With splendid cannon




260          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
and the best ammunition, accurate aim and deadly
execution were always sure to iesult. Many of the
artillerists in the army of the Potomac were Germans,
whose natural taste for war always seems developed to
its greatest perfection when they are given the management of cannon. No men ever watched more closely for
opportunities to exercise their guns. When placed to
protect pickets or bridge-builders, or to command a
pass, seldom did harm come to the former or an
enemy march through the latter, whilst a cartridge
remained in the ammunition-boxes.  These Germans
were brave, too. On the battle-field no Federal cannon
ever was captured until its last shell had sped, its
horses lay dead, or itself lay broken and useless. And
even then the gunners rarely deserted their favorite.
Killed, or wounded, each one could be seen upon the
ground around it. Like the Irish as infantry soldiers,
the Germans as artillerists were among the most admired of the troops,-the pride of the officers, the
envied of the men.
Several admirable specimens of artillery practice
occurred during the siege, a description of two or three
of which would amply repay perusal. Artillery was
always in batteries, each battery having from four to
six guns, and these were distributed in pairs over any
space necessary to be guarded. If bridge-building was
in progressin the swamp, the battery to protect it
would be posted in the most eligible situations upon
the neighboring hills. A pair of guns usually took a
position from which they could command all the approaches to the bridge upon the enemy's side, thus
insuring against infantry attacks and sharp-shooters.
Another pair were generally posted away to the right




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           261
at a point where they were able to silence all the
enemy's guns which could annoy the party in the
swamp. A third pair, placed upon the left, performed
equally good service with the batteries upon that side.
Now, if the bridge-builders were attacked in any manner, Federal shells would always successfully resist it,
driving back infantry, scattering sharp-shooters, or
silencing cannon. The builders did not have to fire a
musket.
On the 1st of June, an artillery duel took place at
Mechanicsville.  It was an excellent specimen of practice, and well worth describing.  In the front of the
Federal lines there were several batteries, all commanding the hills and woods across the Chickahominy.
About three o'clock one afternoon, two brigades of
Rebel troops and a long train of wagons were espied
wending their way along the crest of the hills. They
were two miles distant, and horsemen were prancing
about upon the hill-sides nearer the river. Soon a
Rebel battery came along, unlimbered its guns, and by
the aid of a glass the gunners could be seen training
their pieces. Fun being anticipated, the Federal soldiers clustered in groups behind their guns and in the
edge of the woods, though none of them were sufficiently exposed to be visible to the enemy. The Rebels
had six guns visible, and placed them in pairs at three
different positions, each about one hundred yards distant from the other and just in front of their lines.
The brigade halted a moment, and then retired to the
woods in the rear, and the baggage-train whipped up
and drove swiftly across the open space in front of the
guns. In five minutes the last wagon had disappeared
behind the trees to the left; and, at that instant, two




262          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
companies of infantry left the Federal camp, marching
at quick time down the road toward the bridge. One
turned into the field on the left not twenty yards from
the bridge, and, presenting full front to the enemy,
halted there. The other continued on. down the road
and stopped near the bridge, three or four men crossing and boldly invading the enemy's country, thousands of soldiers of both armies observing them with
intense interest.  Directly, off goes the Rebel gun
farthest to the right of the six, and a cloud of white
smoke flirts up into the air, followed by another, nearer,
from the bursting shell, whose fragments flash into the
water just above the bridge. The lazy report comes
long after, such is the distance and the time taken for
the sound to travel. The gun has undershot its mark,
and the company still stands in the road, patiently
awaiting the pleasure of their Rebel majesties on the
distant hill. Off goes the middle gun of the six, and
the first one a second time, both almost at the same
instant, the shells curvetting through the air, one
plunging into the woods, the other into the water in
front of the brave soldiers, but still flying wide of their
mark and doing no harm, unless it be the ploughing
up of a square yard or two of Virginia soil, or the
barking of a few Virginia trees. A fourth gun blazes
out at the extreme left of the battery; and then the
middle one again; and then the extreme left a second
time.  All three shells, falling into the water and
bursting there, give the old bridge a shower-bath. No
one is hurt, and a cheer from our troops announces
their safety.
Thus far the work has all been upon one side, and
the Federal artillerists have stood idly beside their




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           263
guns, watching the bad shooting of their opponents.
The word is given; and to the right and left the Federal bull-dogs commence growling. Shell after shell
goes whirring through the air, all bursting in and over
the wood into which the Rebel brigade retired. Not
one misses its mark, and two come into rather close
proximity to the battery. The gunners stand a moment, giving a parting salute by a ball, which, for all
the good it did to them, might as well have never been
shot; for it burst about a mile from any Federal troops.
Then they stopped, and never fired a shot afterward,
every one beating a swift retreat to the woods. Not
a Rebel was to be seen where, an hour before, they
were swarming, and for twenty minutes afterward the
Federal guns sent shell after shell, some crashing
among the trees, some falling in the field, and some
going away over the wood and bursting, perhaps, at
the very feet of the astonished people of Richmond.
Not a single reply came from the Rebel guns; they
were mysteriously withdrawn from sight, and the Secessionists-horse, foot, and dragoon-retreated from
the Union cannon, when a small party of hardly fifty
men braved every shot which treason could aim at
them. When the contest was over, and the last shell
had burst, the two companies retreated from their positions, and were warmly welcomed back to camp by
their delighted comrades.
When the distinguished Spaniard, General Prim,
visited the army, being a noted military character,
reviews of all arms of the service were given him, and,
among others, a review of artillery practice from the
hill to the left of Hogan's house, from which there is
so grand a view down the Chickahominy valley. Being
23




264         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
watched by so distinguished a visitor, of course the
gunners did their best, even excelling their usual good
practice. The general took great interest in what was
passing before him, several times aiming the guns.
Very few artillery skirmishes were ever witnessed to
better advantage than the one reviewed by General
Prim. The battery was upon a high hill at a point
where the river made a slight turn.  Immediately in
front was a rich field of grass, upon which cavalryhorses were pasturing.  Then came the swamp and
stream, and beyond them fields and hills,-the ones to
the right being held by the Rebels, and those to the
left by the Federal troops. There was not a half-mile
between the earth-works of the two armies. Both were
equidistant from the battery whose practice was to be
reviewed. The contest was opened by the enemy, who
shelled the Federal batteries across the river. A signal officer with his flags and attendants was slightly to
the left of General Prim, and another was in the swamp
beside the river.  After a short delay, the command
was given to open fire. There were two twentypounder Parrott guns, and they kept at it for an hour
as fast as the gunners could load and aim them. Two
more were afterward brought on the field, but they
threw no shell.
Standing behind the gun, the course of the rapidly
receding shell could be distinctly traced as a gradually
lessening black spot in the air. It could be followed
until it struck the earth, and the explosion marked the
place long before the report was heard. The guns
kicked but little upon being fired. The strangest part
of the whole grand performance, however, was the
noise made by the!r:-idly revolving shell as it flew




THE SIEGE OF PICHMOND.            260
through the air.  It was like a puffing locomotive
starting a train of cars,-at first slow, then faster and
faster, till it culminated in an unchanging whiz and a
dull boom from the explosion.
It was a most picturesque scene,-the hills and
woods away in the distance with the smoke wreathing
up from the conflicting batteries there,-the narrow
stream beneath, with the thousands of soldiers scouting,
picketing, and bridge-building; the vast plain, with
horses and cattle quietly grazing, scarcely noticing the
shells which flew over their heads; and, nearer still, in
the group clustering about the dislinguished Spaniard,
the staff officers in their glittering uniforms, following
each shell with their eyes, and the attendants and
escorts behind them, all looking as if they might as
well be colonels and generals too. All this, illuminated
by the slanting rays of a setting sun, was a view worthy
the pencil.  But nightfall broke it up.  The glittering
foreigners with their American friends rode swiftly off
to head-quarters, and the artillerymen disposed themselves for their nightly vigil.
With all their admirable skill, however, the German
gunners had one fault: they would keep up an incessant
talking. The harder they worked, the more and louder
they talked.  When, pressed by necessity, they fired
their guns with a rapidity which almost seemed unattainable, each man's tongue would run with the
speed of a steam-engine.  This continuous chattering
was their only fault.
In the enemy's artillery there was much room for
improvement.  It was weak in calibre, and generally
very poorly managed.  Their aim was inaccurate, and
the missiles seemed to go anywhere but to the spot




266          TIE SIEGE OF RIC O-IOND.
upon which they were intended to fall. The enemy was
largely supplied with guns of the best quality, some
domestic, but also large numbers imported. He had vast
quantities of expensive shells of English manufacture,
with which he was very lavish.  The powder was good,
and the ammunition for artillery was in part fiom
abroad: the bacgs for cannon-cartridges came apparently
from England, being packed in large boxes as imported,
and made of a fabric (noreen) not manufactured in the
United States.  Occasionally their field artillery threw
grape and canister, but it was very rarely done. There
was a long distance between the artillery outfits of the
two armies.  With the Union troops the artillery was
the greatest boast.
INTRENCHING was also an incident of the siege.  In
fighting an enemy with so strong natural and artificial
defences as those surrounding Richmond, the only way
in which success could at all be achieved was by counter trenching and digging.  This was evident to every
soldier in the army, and the commander secured all his
posts by intrenchments.  At night thousands of soldiers would labor with the spade and dig a work which
when seen the next morning would astonish both armies.
These trenches, in many cases, were made in such a
way as to compel the enemy to abandon some of his
works.  Every one made was of use, and all compelled
the enemy to gradually fall back, and draw in their
outposts, yielding up to their grasping opponents commanding hills and redoubts from which they had often
been annoyed.
Negroes and prisoners were not used for throwing up
earth-works,-the latter for the very obvious reason
that they would bring the enemy upon the Federal




THE SIEGE OF RICHMIOND.          267
troops or run off to the Rebel picket lines every time
they were put to work. Negroes were not suited to
the labor. They worked too slow and made entirely
too much noise. Besides, they took but little interest
in the war which was going on around them, many
failing to comprehend its meaning. However slow and
noisy may be the workmen upon defensive lines when
no enemy is near, the greatest secrecy and celerity
are required in digging the intrenchments for a besieging army: a moment's delay, or the slightest noise,
is often fatal to all engaged.
A party of trench-diggers generally went upon a
dangerous excursion.  Detachments from  regiments
were usually designated as the working parties, and
each one was informed of the hours between which it
would labor. These detachments were always of sufficient numbers to be spread over the whole work at
once. An earth-work four hundred yards long required
three hundred laborers, who, if the soil was hard,
worked in pairs, one with the pick and the other with
the spade. The relieving detachments generally lay on
the ground a short distance back of the trench, and a
brigade of infantry and a battery of artillery-the
supporting parties in case of an attack-were still
farther to the rear.  All these would keep behind the
crest of a hill, or under cover of woods, so as to be out
of the enemy's observation. Dark nights were always
selected for trench-digging; and, under the stimulus
of danger and the injunctions of officers, the work
proceeded with unusual rapidity and quietness. The
first effort of each man was to cover himself, a narrow
ditch being dug, and the earth being thrown up on the
side toward the enemyv, an allowance for a narrow
2.3*




268          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND,
ledge being made between the ditch aand the pile. Two
hours sufficed to place all in safety, when the work proceeded more leisurely, and tile sides and bottom were
smoothed off. Four feet deep andl three feet wide was
the general rule in the commencement of a trench.
When daylight came, of course all labor was ended,
and every one was disposed so as to resist an attack.
The first work being completed, it could be altered and
enlarged at leisure.  If intended for a fort or siege
parallel, the ditch was widened to fifteen feet or more,
and deepened, the earth being thrown and embankecd
upon the Federal side. For rifle-pits, or a mere protection to pickets, the trench was left as originally
made. It is surprising with what secrecy intrenclling
parties labored.  Earth-works have been dug within
fifty yards of the enemy's pickets, and have never been
discovered until daylight revealed them. The art of
intrenching needed all its skill in the siege of Richmond, and that skill was generally at hand.
PICKETINc  is not an incident of sieges only: it is
employed whenever two armies are extended in front
of each other, and its use is to watch the enemy's
movements and give timely notice of all indications of
offensive operations.  At least one-eighth of the infantry force of the army before Richmond was constantly upon picket duty. Regiments took picket tours
twenty-four hours at a time, upon the expiration of
which they were relieved by others. A regiment going
upon picket marched to the extreme front of the Federal position, with loaded muskets and unfixed bayonets.
It would proceed to the edge of the nearest wood to
the enemy, when such disposition of forces was made
as was best suited to the nature of the ground.  All




TIlE SIEGE Oi' RICIHIMOND.       269
relieving of pickets was done in the morning, except in
dangerous places, where the change w as made just after
dark.
If a field, with the enemy upon the other side of it,
was beyond the wood, a spot to the rear of the wood,
or in it, would be selected where all the roads and
paths met, and each captain was instructed that in
case of an attack it wcas to be the rallying-point of the
regiment.  Then, Upon each road or path, near the
edge of the wood, but in such manner as to be hid
from the enemy's observation, one or two companies
were posted, and each post thus garrisoned was named
a "picket reserve."  The companies not detailed as reserves were always attached to one or the other of
them, and from these men would advance out into the
field as far as was necessary to observe the enemy's
movements, and dispose themselves in a line across it,
from a point opposite the extreme left reserve to one
opposite the extreme right.  The men stood fifteen or
twenty feet apart, and the line they picketed was the
"picket tour."  Rows of men stationed at the same
distances connected this front line with each of the
reserves.  The duty of the picketers was to continually
watch the enemy before them, and send along the lines
connecting them with the reserves a report of every
thing which took place, no matter how slight. The
reserves were always ready to reinforce the men in
front of them, and two or three cavalry soldiers,
detailed as orderlies to the commander of the picketers,
stood ready to carry to the nearest brigadier whatever
news it was thought necessary to send him.
Picketing along the Chickahominy was somewhat
liifferent.  The picket at the Mechanicsville bridge




270          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
was always well arranged, and guarded an important
pass. It was a type of all that was done in the swamp.
The disposal of reserves in the woods was similar to
field-picketing, but the front line scarcely ever could
advance directly forward. Tortuous paths through the
swamp, generally centring at a point away on one
side, took each man to his post, and over these he
would have to go, managing to keep out of the water
by all sorts of gyrations, until he reached his place in
the picket tour. Observations of Rebel movements
were telegraphed to the right or left along the line,
according as on the one side or the other it led to a
picket reserve.  Men upon such posts usually kept
themselves hidden.  To watch the bridge a separate
line, with its own reserves, was always sent out. Two
companies stood at the edge of the woods, three hundred yards distant from the bridge, and a third picketed in front of them. The fence by the roadside was
thickly grown with weeds and bushes, and along this
fence, hid in the foliage, a line was posted, each man
within low-talking distance of the other. This line ran
from the reserves to the bridge, and at the middle of it
there was a sort of reinforcing guard of a dozen men.
Just at the water's edge, lying flat on the grass, perfectly hidden from view on all sides, were six or seven
men, who watched the bridge and the road beyond, and
sent word of the slightest movement back along the
line to the reserves, where the commander was always
stationed.  Thus was watched the most dangerous pass
across the Chickahominy.
lMen from  the two armies being constantly upon
picket opposite to each other, a sort of tacit agreement
in many places sprang up, that neither should fire at




THE SIEGE OF RICHiIOND.           271
the other. This was all well enough, as it saved valuable lives, and enabled the pickets to attend better to
their duty as watchmen. But from this an excrescence
arose which the commanders of both armies endeavored
to repress: the men would get to talking to one another, and finally to exchanging food for newspapers.
Before Richmond it was very common to find pickets
engaged in conversation, each one telling the other the
news, and frequent exchanges were made of Northern
for Southern newspapers, and of Southern whiskey for
Northern salt. Upon one occasion, whilst a New Jersey regiment was upon picket, the Federal scouts were
served out their allowance of coffee, and one of them,
observing a Rebel wistfully gazing at his steaming cup,
invited him  over to partake.  He came, drank the
coffee, went slowly back, looked around, and asked how
many times a month the Federal troops had such good
coffee served out to them.
"Oh, three times a day," replied the Jerseymun.
"Three times a day! Why, if that's true, I'll not
stay a moment longer in the Confederate army. Here;
I give myself up!"
And the man actually yielded' himself up a prisoner.
Several good stories are told of picketing-incidents.
Both of the following will amuse the reader:"Yankees are proverbial for shrewdness, cunning,
and jokes; and when Yankee and Rebel play together
to see who is the smartest, the Rebel usually comes off
second best.  The Fifth Maine infantry, containg
some of the'cutest Y ankees in the land, was on picket
duty one afternoon. About three 6'clock some of' them
discovered a pair of wheels, and put their heads to



272          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
gether to find out what to do with them. While deliberating, a squad of Rebel officers, elegantly dressed
and mounted on splendidly-caparisoned horses, made
their appearance on a hill about a mile distant, and
commenced spying all about with their field-glasses.
This made up the minds of the Yankees. The wheels
were hidden, and a party sent off which came back with
a round, black-lookling log and a slow-match.  The
log was lashed to the axle, and then all waited to see
what the Rebel squad would be at. Directly every
field-glass in the whole party was bent on the Yankee
pickets, when out came the extemporized cannon,
which, with great formality, was pointed in range for
the hill on which the curiosity-hunters stood. It was
loaded and primed,-when, lo! away go the brave Rebels,
each one trying to get ahead of the other, the horses
galloping, the riders urging them faster, and over the
intervening space went a shout of derision from  the
Yankee group, which no doubt was like a thorn in the
side of each of the easily-frightened foe."
"fA picket invited a Rebel scout to partake of his
cup of coffee, and, after drinking it, the Secessionist,
to testify his gratitude, instructed his benefactor after
the following faishion:"'Now, yowk see, our posts are opposite each other.
Well, the mnll that comes on after me I'll tell not to
shoot, and he won't; and I want you to do the same
with your relief. But the fellow what comes next but one
after me, look out for him: he's a d —d Louisianian.'"
VEDETTES are closely allied to pickets. They are
cavalry soldiers sent out in parties of three or four, to




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           273
observe the movements of the enemy. They have
positive commands to keep as much as possible out of
sight of the foe, and unceasingly on the alert for the
slightest movement in any direction. They are usually
placed so that they can be seen from the Federal outposts, in order that any signal they may make will be
noticed by the pickets. Their system of signalling is
quite limited, being but a few motions made with the
sword, indicating some prearranged messages, such as,
"a large  force approaching  in front;"  "enemy's
pickets have fallen back;" "enemy advancing on the
right," &c. These motions are arranged and given so
as to attract as little attention as possible. Vedettes are
very useful, and a sharp-eyed cavalryman, who makes
a good one, will always command the high opinion of
his officers.
The extensive swamps in the neighborhood of Richmond made THE BUILDING OF ROADS AND BRIDGES a
frequent incident of the siege. These were always
constructed by detachments of troops under the superintendence of the engrineer corps.  General McClellan
dispensed orders for roads and bridges with no miserly
hand. Four or five crossed the Chickahominy within
as many miles. Corduroy roads ran in all directions
through the swamps, and every general had his roads
leading wherever he wished. The construction of them
was very rapid. A detachment of men cut the timber
and cleared it of branches. WVagons hauled it to the
spot where it was needed, and another detachment
constructed the work. One description of a road and
bridge will give an idea of all.
Woodbury Bridge, and its approaches, was the greatest structure of the kind built by the army. It was




274          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
commenced and completed in six days, and crosses the
Chickahominy River and Swamp. It is over a mile in
length, two hundred yards being a pile-bridge.  Its
course is zigzag  across the swamp, and diagonally
across the river. Onl either side, until it reaches the
piles it is a corduroy road, and throughout it is fifteen
feet in width.  The road is composed of cross-layers
of timber, and the foundation is upon solid ground.
On each side, a ditch of four feet wide and two deep is
dug, and the earth is banked on the upper side to act
as a barrier against freshets.  The superstructure is
gravel, several inches thick, laid both on the road and
the bridge, and making a perfectly level pavement.
The bridge itself-across one of the quietest streams
in a dry season and one of the most raging in a wet
one-is firm and solid as a rock.  Piles, beams, and
braces, all of rough hewn timber, support a corduroy
roadway which is capable of bearing the heaviest
burdens.  Artillery-trains galloping across did not
disturb it, and marching columns of soldiers scarcely
caused a trerlor.  Woodbury Bridge was named after
the lamented commander of the regiment which constructed it,-Colonel Woodbury, of the Fourth Michigan.
It was the admiration of every passenger.
A small board nailed to a tree at the centre of the
structure showed its paternity.  The modest words
upon it were: —
" WOODBURY BRIDGE,
"ON THE WAY TO RICHMOND.
"BUILT BY THE VOLUNTEER ENGINEER CORPS,
"FROWI JUNE 8 TO JUNE 14, 1862."
The completion of such a structure in the short




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            275
space of six days, half the time rain pouring in torrents, is in the highest degree creditable, and reflects
great honor upon the citizen soldiers who performed
the labor.
All these incidents of the siege, building intrenchments, roads, and bridges, added to the bad weather
and the enemy's admirable defences, delayed the forward progress of the Union forces. General MicClellan
advanced as rapidly as was possible: no army nor no
general could have moved faster.  Obstacles were opposed to them that unmilitary men would scout at, but
which, when foolishly attacked, rendered certain a
mortifying repulse. There was delay in the siege,great delay; but it was of a character that no human
being could avoid. It was delay caused by natural
reasons, and the necessarily slow progress of a war of
intrenchments.  The siege advanced as speedily as
any other ever did, and was marked by many events
honorable to the Union arms.  If the next siege of
Richmond progresses as rapidly and as well, all should
be satisfied.
24




276          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER X.
THE SIEGE.
WHEN the human body has ceased from a labor
which required great exertions, its energy and spirit are
weakened and depressed in proportion as they were
previously strengthened.  The stimulus of danger or
excitement no longer holds sway upon the brain and
gives the muscles additional vigor.  It has gone, and
has left behind it a prostration proportionate to the
greatness of the exertion. As with individuals, so it is
with bodies of men, and so General McClellan found it
after the battle of Fair Oaks. That severe contest
commanded all the energy and ability of his army,
and when it was over the troops needed relaxation and
rest. For several days, therefore, the active operations
of the siege seemed to be almost suspended, and neither
army was disposed to renew the bloody battle which
had killed and wounded over seven thousand men.
The generals upon the Federal left wing promptly
strengthened their positions, and the commander-inchief began the construction of his siege-works, but,
excepting slight skirmishes, scarcely a battle was fought
for many days after the contest at Fair Oaks.
The siege of Richmond was commenced upon the 2d
of June. Previously, the Federal troops were being
placed in position, but upon that day the real work
began. It ended upon the 25th of the same month, and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             277
upon the following day was the first engagement of the
iamous seven clays of retreat.  Richmond was invested
for twenty-four clays, and during that time the besieging army, almost solely by means of intrenchments,
advanced their line, in some places a mile, in others a
half-mile, capturing earth-works, prisoners, and arms,
and slowly nearing the city. Had the statements of the
superior force opposed to the Federal troops, which
filled both Northern and Southern newspapers, and
which were endorsed by spies, scouts, signal-men, and
balloonists, and even by the commander-in-chief himself, been then believed, and had the almost daily requests of General McClellan for reinforcements been
favorably considered, subsequent disaster would perhaps have been avoided, and the enemy, instead of
threatening the Federal capital, have been compelled to
surrender their own. Misfortune, that harsh and cruel
teacher, has now, alas! too late, convinced the Government and people of the truth of the accounts of Rebel
strength, and of the need the army of the Potomac had
of additional aid.
The first military movement after the battle of Fair
Oaks was made upon June 3, by General Hooker.
His division was sent out upon an armed reconnoissance along the Williamsburg road.  They advanced
a mile, to a point within four miles of Richmond, without meeting the enemy in any force.  Rebel pickets
kept in sight, but retreated before the Federal troops.
The division returned without loss, in the evening.
Upon the 5th of June, every thing being prepared,
General Smith's division of General Franklin's corps
successfully crossed the Chiclahominy. They struck
their tents at four o'clock in the morning, and shortly




278          THIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
after left their camp near Hogan's house, passing over
Grapevine Bridce. The entire division did not arrive
at its station upon Lewis's Hill, about a mile fiom the
bridge, until eight in the evening. General Burns's
brigade of General Sumner's corps had previously garrisoned the hill, and yielded it up to General Smith,
the brigade marching southward to rejoin its corps,
which held the railroad.
On the previous two or three days, and also upon
this one, strange phenomena were visible from Mechanicsville. Huge smokes, covering the entire surrounding
country, rose from the woods beyond the river. They
began each day about noon, and continued until dusk,
but after nightfall no fires could be seen which would
aid in explaining the cause. Contrabands who came
into the lines previously had reported that immense
amounts of tobacco had been carried out of Richmond
and piled some two miles from the city, where it was
saturated with turpentine. If the stories told by these
men were true, it may have been the burning of the
tobacco which caused the smokes. No solution of the
mystery, however, has yet been given, and, like many
other things which have occurred in the Confederate
States, it may be that the cause of these strange smokes
never will be explained. At this time, artillery duels
commenced to become quite an important part of the
siege. Where they had previously occurred at long
intervals, or not at all, they now became incessant, and
of course, owing to the superiority of Federal cannon,
usually resulted in the discomfiture of the Rebels.
For two or three days, balloonists and signal-men
upon the right wing had observed bodies of troops
passing down the roads from  Northern and Niorth



TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           279
western Virginia, and disappearing in the woods, as if
intending to encamp.  They were accompanied by artillery, wagons, and all the paraphernalia of an army.
There seemed to be from fifteen to twenty thousand of
them, and, from certain peculiarities observed by the
signal-men, and also from information given by spies
and deserters, they were supposed to be the division
commanded by General Jackson, who had been in the
valley of Virginia, making General Banks retreat before him, and in turn retreating before Generals Sigel
andl Fremont.  He had now conme to rejoin the Rebel
army, which he had left about the time General
McClellan was at White House, and brought with him
a large reinforcement. General Jackson remained near
Richmond until the retreat, in which he figured conspicuously.
Until June 8, save the continued artillery practice,
no military movement was made by either army. The
enemy were constructing a formidable earth-work about
two miles from Woodbury Bridge, upon which they
employed large numbers of negroes, and the Federal
troops were actively engaged in building roads and
bridges.  Indecd, such was the swampy nature of the
ground upon which they were encamped, that engineering labor was kept up incessantly until the middle of
June. Woodbury Bridge was completed upon the 14th.
Several sklirmishes happening upon the Sth and 9th
varied the monotony of these proceedings.
The principal one was an engagement between the
enemy and General Burns's brigade of Geneval Sumner's corps.  This brigade contains four Pennsylvania
regiments, commanded by Colonels Baxter, Owen,
Morehead, and WIistar. Colonel Baxter's regiment
24)




280          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
was the first attacked.  It was upon picket duty, and
in front of the picket tour a space about twenty yards
wide had been cleared from the woods, to prevent the
enemy from  surprising the Union pickets.  Behind
the pickets were some rifle-pits. The enemy suddenly
appeared in front of the regiment and furiously attaelied it, first with infantry and then with artillery.
The other three regiments were brought up, and
Colonel Baxter's retreated to join them, yielding up the
rifle-pits. In a few moments, however, the colonel
ordered a char(e, and the enemy were driven out of
the pits; but, being reinforced, they were recaptured.
Again the regiment charged, driving the Rebels out a
second time, and afterward successfully held them
against all attacks. The enemy's loss is not known, as
they carried all their dead and wounded away.  The
Federal loss was nine killed and twenty-nine wounded.
Upon the same day, detachments of the Ninety-fifth
Pennsylvania recgiment and of the Eighteenth and
Thirty-first New  York, whilst engaged in bridgebuildinl, were attacked by the enemy's sharp-shooters,
who were, however, soon scattered by Federal artillery.
But one man, a private of the Eighteenth New York,
was wounded. General Sumner the next day advanced
his pickets a short distance along the railroad,-a movement which provoked a furious artillery fire from the
rebels.  Gerreral Sumner's cannon, of course, replied,
and, after an hour's work, the enemy's firing ceased.
None of the Federal troops were injured, and the new
picket tour was successfully maintained.
Upon the 12th of June, General Burnside was at
General McClellan's head-quarters, and in close conference with him. A Fortress Monroe correspondent of a




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           281
Northern newspaper says that when he returned there
from the army before Richmond, he announced that he
"was and always had been part and parcel of the army
of the Potomac." These two generals always labored
together, and had the utmost confidence in each other,
and at their conferences formed plans which in many
cases have proved successful. General'Banks, too, was
an officer who had a high opinion of the commander
of the army before Richmond,-an opinion which
was reciprocated.  The three are now  (September,
1862) together, and, it is to be hoped, will vindicate
their country's cause in this hour of her greatest
danger.
The enemy, although they had been very quiet for
some time, had matured the plan of an expedition
which, for rash daring and complete success, has
scarcely an equal in history's annals. This expedition
was "Stewart's raid," and under that name posterity
will hear of it when others far more important will
have been forgotten. Upon the 12th of June, General
J. E. B. Stewart, of the Rebel cavalry service, with
two regiments of infantry, twelve hundred horse, and
two guns, and accompanied by the son and nephew of
the Rebel commander-in-chief, left the enemy's camp,
upon a mission originally intended merely as a reconnoissance to the country northwest of Mechanicsville,
for the purpose of ascertaining the Federal force in
that direction. Being an expedition of much danger,
it was composed of picked detachments, and was conducted with the utmost secrecy,-General Stewart
alone of- all his command having any knowledge of its
object. He went from the extreme left of the Rebel
lines, and, as he says in his official report, "purposely




282          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
directed his march toward Louisa," encamping on the
night of the 12th near Hanover Court-House.
Early the next morning, his camp was broken up,
and, without flag or bugle-sound, the stealthy march
was resumed. Four companies of the United States
cavalry were at that time picketing some six miles
back of Mechanicsville, near the road to White House.
At about one o'clock in the afternoon General Stewart's force came suddenly upon them, bringing their
artillery to the front and opening fire. The Federal
cavalry, under command of Captain Royall, formed in
line preparatory to making a dash, when the Rebel
infantry came forward and fired a destructive volley at
them, which was instantly followed by a charge from
their cavalry. This caused the Federal troops to fall
back to the White House road, the enemy pursuing
them, destroying their camp and capturing several
prisoners. The Federal troops, upon reaching the road,
retreated to the Chickahominy.
1aving thus defeated the out-picket and ascertained
the Union force there, it became a question with General Stewart whether he should return to Richmond, or,
although not so ordered, make a bold attempt to cut
off the supplies of the Federal army by destroying the
railroad. How he resolved to do the latter, he tells in
his report:"In a brief and frank interview with some of my
officers I disclosed my views; but, while none accorded
a full assent, all assured me a hearty support in whatever I did. With an abiding trust in God, and with
such guarantees of success as the two Lees, and Martin,
and their devoted followers, this enterprise I regarded
as most promising.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           283
"Taking care, therefore, more particularly after this
resolve, to inquire of the citizens the distance and the
route to Hanover Court-House, I kept my horse's head
steadily toward Tunstall's Station. There was something sublime in the implicit confidence and unquestioning trust of the rank and file in a leader guiding
them straight, apparently, into the very jaws of the
enemy, every step appearing to them to diminish the
faintest hope of extrication. Reports of the enemy's
strength at Garlick's and Tunstall's were conflicting,
but generally indicated a small number.  Prisoners
were captured at every step, and included officers,
soldiers, and negroes."
Having fully made up his mind, General Stewart,
sending his infantry back to Hanover Court-House,
proceeded toward Tunstall's Station, and upon arriving
opposite Garlick's Landing, upon the Pamunky, sent
part of his force to destroy whatever could be found
there, the main body continuing on to the railroad.
The detachment sent to the river burned two schooners
and a large number of wagons, and captured several
prisoners and many horses and mules.  All reports
agree that the conduct of the enemy whilst at the
Landing was most barbarous.  Teamsters, who were
unarmed, were shot down in cold blood, and one
account states that even women and children were
murdered. The party, having done all the damage they
could, rode briskly off with their spoil to rejoin their
comrades.
Nearly all of the enemy had been residents of the
part of Virginia in which they were rioting, and, of
course, possessed an accurate knowledge of the roads.
This aided them greatly in their undertaking, and,




284          TRE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
indeed, without it the expedition could never have succeeded. The main body, after the force sent to the
Pamunky was detached, rode briskly to the railroad,
and, being rejoined by them, stood prepared to wreak
vengeance upon the first train which appeared.  Part
were upon a hill through which the road had been cut,
lining it upon both sides, and others hid behind trees
and fences. Soon a distant whistle announced the approach of a locomotive from  the Chickahominy.  It
was running rather fast, and to it was attached a long
train of cars. When it reached the place where the
Rebels were stationed, some of them  appeared and
hailed the engineer to stop.  Suspecting the character
of the intruders, however, instead of checking he increased the speed, and, jumping upon the tank with
the fireman, crouched among the fuel. Scarcely had
he done so, when a deadly fire was poured into the
train from all directions, —many bullets being aimed
at the locomotive in the hope of striking the engineer.
There were numerous passengers on the cars, mostly
laborers, civilians, and sick and wounded soldiers, and
a general effort was made to jump off, and, if possible,
elude the enemy's fire.  Several succeeded, and hid
themselves in the wood; but the quickly increasing
speed of the train prevented the majority from following their example. The cars, however, were soon out
of reach of the Rebels, and the engineer, fearful of
pursuit or of meeting more enemies, increased the
pressure of steam so that the train almost flew over
the distance between Tunstali's Station and White
House.
There the news of what had occurred spread like light



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           285
ning, and there was the utmost consternation among
the sutlers, civilians, clerks, laborers, and negroes who
inhabited the canvas town which had sprung up on the
Pamtunky.  Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls, of the quartermaster's department, was the officer in command, and,
under the fear of impending danger, he mustered the few
soldiers who were at the place, and armed the civilians
and laborers. He also placed all the money, records,
mails, and other valuable property of the United States
upon a steamboat in the river. The panic among the
sutlers was beyond all description: each one expected
utter ruin, and awaited, with an anxious heart, the
approach of the enemy. They did not come, however,
and White House, though it was so soon to be destroyed, had a short respite.
The Rebels, having been foiled in their designs upon
the railroad-train by the presence of mind of its engineer, set to work to burn a small bridge near Tunstall's Station and to take up some of the rails front
the road-bed. Before the work was finished, however,
some apprehension frightened them away, and, a body
of troops sent from White House opportunely arrivingl
at the station, the flames upon the burning bridge
were extinguished. The enemy marched southwest
from the railroad, and encamped for the' night of the
13th about two miles from it. The next morning, laden
with booty,' they crossed the Chickahominy some distance below Bottom's Bridge, proceeded west until they
struck the "River turnpike," and returned on it to
Richmond.
The Federal loss from this raid was severe. There
were four men killed, some thirty wounded, and twenty
captured at Tunstall's Station and its vicinity. Several




286          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
of the Fifth cavalry were captured, and Captain Royall,
of that regiment, was wounded. In the skirmish with
the cavalry near the White House road the Rebels
acknowledge to have had a captain killed. Over three
hundred thousand dollars' worth of Federal property
was taken or destroyed, and numerous casualties
occurring among the laborers and others at Garlick's Landing have  never been  reported.  The
enemy were particularly harsh toward the negroes.
Every one found was compelled to go along with them.
Numerous  prisoners  whom  they  captured  subsequently escaped. The great result of the expedition,
however, was its proving the vulnerability of the long
railroad-line over which all the Federal supplies were
carried.
One of the novel circumstances connected with this
Rebel raid was the arrest of a newsboy who came into
the Federal lines a day or two after.  About ten
o'clock in the morning he suddenly appeared among
the pickets, crying out in true newsboy style, and
endeavoring to sell his papers, a bundle of which was
under his arm. They had been issued that morning,
and the most prominent article upon the editorial page
was a long, minute, and exaggerated account of General Stewart's' expedition. The boy, who was not more
than twelve years of age, was taken to General Slocum,
and there gave an account of himself. He said that
the feat of the cavalry, in passing completely around
the besieging army, had given the people of Richmond
ecstasies of delight, and it was proposed to him that,
for a slight reward, he should take across the Chickahominy a number of newspapers containing an account
of it, and dispose of them in the Federal army. No



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          287
thing loath, the boy consented, and, taking as many as
he could carry, he was passed through the enemy's
lines, and across the river upon a slight log bridge
hidden in the grass and weeds. Of this bridge an
account will be given upon a subsequent page. Having
successfully passed the swamp, he appeared among the
Federal pickets and began selling his papers, and had
nearly finished when he was taken into custody and
sent to General Slocum. His newspapers were disseminated through the camps, and the falsehoods and
boasts they contained gave the soldiers infinite amusement.
Other guerrillas besides those of General Stewart's
command were hovering upon the rear and flanks of
the Federal army. Upon the 14th of June a party was
discovered prowling about the country upon the opposite side of the Pamnunky, near White House, and their
object was supposed to be the destruction of the shipping at that place if an opportunity offered. Another
squad was reported to be at Charles City Court-House,
and a third near  Villianmsburg.  General McClellan
at once took measures to break up these roving bands,
and, upon the 16th, two cavalry expeditions were sent
out. One, commanded by Colonel Averell, went northward across the Pamunky to the Mattapony, but the
guerrillas he was in search of had fled before he reached
that river. He destroyed a bridge, however, and captured a large number of wagons and carts laden with
supplies for Richmond. Several prisoners were taken,
and some grain destroyed. The other reconnoissance,
commanded by Colonel Gregg, marched to Charles City
Court-House, and succeeded in recapturing a number
of mules which had been driven off by General Stewart.
25




288          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Both expeditions were quite successful, and not a soldier in either was hurt.
Whilst the raid was being made, little else of
interest took place before Richmond. The enemy
evacuated the hills opposite Mechanicsville upon the
15th of June, no doubt intending to entice the Federal
forces over and subject them to a destructive fire from
the batteries. The movement was unsuccessful, however, and the Rebels soon returned to their old stations.
The day before, a sharp artillery-fire was opened upon
General Sumner's camps. It lasted some three hours,
and one man was killed and one wounded. General
Heintzelman's pickets were also attacked; but the
enemy were repulsed. Numerous arrests of disloyal
inhabitants were made subsequently to Stewart's raid,
and they were sent North as prisoners of war. The
work of the siege steadily proceeded, and the enemy
were daily compelled to yield up ground to their advancing opponents.
General Slocum's officers had long suspected that
there was some means of crossing the Chickahominy
in front of the lines picketed by their troops, and the
appearance of the Rebel newsboy confirmed the suspicion. The division was at that time upon the extreme
right, not having been moved across the river until
June 18. In order to discover what means the enemy
had of passing the stream and swamp, General Slocum
ordered Colonel Henry L. Cake, of the Ninety-sixth
Pennsylvania regiment, to make an expedition to the
borders of the river and thoroughly explore it. Upon
the evening of the 17th of June, the colonel prepared
for his dangerous journey, and at nine o'clock, accompanied by three ofiicl-nr and fifty picked men, left his




TIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           289
camp for the swamp. He first directed his course to a
house near the river, which was the station of a picket
reserve and belonged to a man named Sydnor, and
made it the base of operations.  Having ordered his
men to load their muskets and unfix bayonets, the
whole party cautiously proceeded outside the Federal
picket line and entered the swamp. After penetrating
some distance, they reached a cleared place near the
borders of the stream, where they halted. Here Colonel
Cake left the greater part of his force, and, with Major
Martin, Captain Anthony, and a few soldiers, directed
his steps along what seemed to be a path through the
tall grass. A short and silent march brought them to
a rise in the ground, running parallel with the river;
and, leaving his body-guard, the colonel went forward
with Major Martin to reconnoitre.  Pistol in hand,
they stealthily crept up the little hill and peeped over
its top. At first all appeared dark and dreary; but
soon a moving body could be discerned a short distance in front, and an application of the night-glass
disclosed a half-dozen Rebels sitting amid the grass.
This was quite a discovery, and as quietly as they
had ascended it they retreated down the hillock and
returned to the body-guard.  The party then moved
forward, and, continuing along the path a short distance, were halted again, and their commander went
forward to, make another reconnoissance.  Here the
path turned shortly and seelmed to pass across the
little ridge, and as stealthily as before he crept up and
again looked over. The first sight which met his gaze
was that of a tall Rebel, standing, musket in hand,
upon the river-bank. He was evidently mounting guard;
and to find what he was watching became the next




290          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
object. The night-glass was again brought into requisition, and every thing near was carefully scanned,
until down amid the bushes the end of a log was seen.
The colonel was on the hunt for a bridge, and that was
circumstantial evidence that one might be there.
Moving slightly to one side to obtain a better view, he
applied the glass again, when, lo! dimly through the
darkness a log bridge was seen, scarcely wide enough
for a man to walk upon it, running across the swamp,
from one little spot of solid ground to another, until it
was lost amid the foliage which grew in such profusion
all around.  Noting its precise situation, he cautiously
returned to his companions, and, taking another look
over the ridgce at the point where he had discovered
the party of Rebels, they were frund to have fled.
Something had evidently frightened them. Marching
on, the main party was soon reached, and, completely
wet through from their contact with the grass and
weeds, the whole of them returned to Sydnor's house.
It was nearly two o'clock when Colonel Cake and his
party reached their camp.
The next morning, a report was made of the result,
and the bridge was doubtless broken down by the shells
thrown there by the artillery.  The discovery of this
place broke up one means of communication with the
enemy. Spies no doubt crossed there. Negroes would
be seen near Sydnor's house and suddenly disappear,
and others would as suddenly appear. Sydnor was
strongly suspected of aiding these men in their dangerous business; and Colonel Cake was highly commended for the successful manner in which he executed
his difficult commission.
Upon June 18, General McCall, with his fine division




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           291
of Pennsylvania troops, arrived at General Porter's
head-quarters.  Iie had come from Fredericksburg as
a reinforcement to General McClellan's army, and his
force was added to General Porter's corps as an additional division.  General M\cCall had eight thousand
troops, including some cavalry and artillery. At noon
on the 18th, General Slocum's division, whose watch
uponl the right wing had thus been relieved, broke up
camp and joined the besieging army. They crossed the
Chickahominy upon Woodbury Bridcge, and arrived at
their allotted place between Generals Sumner and
Smith at about seven o'clock in the evening.
Upon the same day, General MlcClellan, accompanied
by his staff, made a grand review of the army. He
commenced at General Keyes's camps, upon the left
wing, and passed along to the right, being everywhere
received with the greatest enthusiasm. In all possible
ways the soldiers expressed their admiration of a general whose modesty and military genius have won for
him a place in the hearts of the thousands of men composing the Union armies.
This review was not barren of results in other ways
than display.  The cheering, as it had been the first
heard for weeks, and such loud and universal shouts,
extending from one end to the other of the Federal
line, seeming to portend some great disaster to the
enemy, they were all anxious to ascertain its cause. A
general, who was said by some captured Rebels to
have been intoxicated, accordingly ordered forward a
brigade to seize some Union soldiers, in order that they
might be questioned about it. These troops attacked the
position held by General Burns's brigade, but were met
by a perfect storm  of shell, grape, and canister, and
25*




292          TILE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
after a short contest were driven back.  Several prisoners were captured,-aamon g them an orderly-sergeant,
who said that the Federal fire was too tremendous for
any troops to withstand.  But one man was killed, and
one wounded, in General Burns's brigade.
Upon the 19th and 20th of June, several attacks
were made upon Federal pickets, particularly in front
of General Heintzelman's corps.  They were all successfully resisted, however.  The principal skirmish
lasted for more than an hour, and was between the
Twentieth Indiana regiment of General Kearney's division, and a large force of the enemy.  The regiment
bravely stood its ground, and the Rebels, finding they
could make no impression, retreated.  A Federal lieutenant and three privates were wounded.  The attacks
upon the next day were principally by artillery, intended to annoy the troops working in the trenches.
No harm was done, however.  The prisoners captured
at this time all reported that Beaurecgard's army was
coming into RichYmond, anld that large reinforcements
were daily arriving. A member of Governor Letcher's
guard, captured at Ashland by General Stoneman's
cavalry, also told the same story.
Upon the evening of the 21st, the Federal left wing
was very much disturbed.  At about six P.M. the
Rebels made a bold but injudicious dash at a redoubt
on the left of the Williamsburg road. Three regiments
pushed up toward it in fine style, firing upon the
picket-guards with  great impetuosity.  They were
received with grape and canister from two field-pieces,
and by very sharp musketry from a long rifle-pit whose
existence they had not suspected, and speedily turned
about, retreating with some loss. They kept up alarms




THE SIEGE OF RIcIIOND.           293
all night, and at three o'clock in the morning a brigade was sent against another redoubt still farther to
the left. This also had no result.  These alarms were
imagined to be preliminary to an attack in force the
next morning; but not a single gun was fired all day.
It was a hot, silent, and serene Sabbath.
The 23d of June was also a remarkably quiet day,
almost devoid of skirmishes, and, from their movements,
the enemy were supposed to be contemplating an attack.
Their pickets in some places were drawn in for a halfmile, the ground vacated being promptly occupied by
Union troops, who secured themselves with intrenchments. During the night a terrific storm, lasting some
three hours, passed over the camps. The wind blew a
hurricane, and levelled tents and trees in all directions.
The Federal troops were under arms at daylight the
next morning, to resist the anticipated attacks; but the
enemy, after a few slight demonstrations, finding themselves effectually resisted at all points, retired. Upon
the same day General Casey was assigned to duty at
White House, General Peck taking command of his
division.
Upon the 24th a reconnoissance was made to James
River by Captain Keenan, with two companies of
cavalry. Understanding from citizens residing. on that
river that a gunboat had of late been signalling the
shore, he obtained permission to undertake the opening
of communication with her, and left the camp of General Peck's division the preceding afternoon. He found
that General Wise held a position opposite Fort Darling, with his command of five thousand troops, being
the extreme right of the Rebel army.  Their pickets
also extended along the river-bank below the fort for




294          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
several miles, and, as they were closely posted, the
captain determined to hazard the probability of capture,
and go aboard alone. Before daylight he penetrated
the enemy's picket-line, and forced a negro, whom he
found in a house near by, to row him to the Galenafor such was the gunboat. He remained on board until
the approach of daylight warned him to be away, when
he returned to his camp, having fully accomplished his
mission.
June 25 was a most eventful day. It closed the
siege of Richmond;  for upon  the 26th  General
iMcClellan changed his policy from offence to defence.
From morning till night the woods and hills resounded
with the constant reports of cannon and musketry. At
Mlechanicsville, the Federal troops were going through
manoeuvres which will be detailed in the following
chapter, and which were intended to entice the enemy
across the Chickahominy.  General Porter's cannon,
at Dr. Gaines's house, in conjunction with signal-men
upon Lewis's Hill, were engaged in driving the enemy
from some earth-works.  And upon the left of the besieging line the lamented Kearney and gallant Hooker
were fighting one of the most brilliant actions of the
war. Everywhere there was success for the Federal
arms, and the day was a fit one to close a siege which
could be'no longer continued, from the lack of reinforcernents to counterbalance the great additions made to
the Rebel army.
The contest between General Porter's artillery and
the Rebel earth-works proved the great usefulness of
the signal corps. Dr. Gaines's house was distant a mile
and a half from General Smith's position upon Lewis's
Hill. Two strong intrenchments, and a battery, very




TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           295
annoying to the Federal troops, were about a mile in
front of the hill, but hidden from General Porter by
intervening woods. Guns were planted upon the hills
near the house, and a signal-man stationed upon Fort
Davidson, where he could be seen by another who was
with the battery. The enemy, since early morning,
had been throwing shell at the Federal pickets, compelling them to retreat. When all was in readiness,
the ball was opened, and the batteries, directed solely
by the signal-officers,-for their mark was concealed
from them,-began firing.  The Rebels, of course, continued their shelling, and, finding themselves likely to
be disturbed, redoubled their exertions.  Spectators
near the signal-station could see the entire operation,the Rebels loading and firing their cannon, and the
Federal shells at first flying wide of their mark, but
coming closer as they were directed by the swings of
the flag.  The shells gradually fell nearer and nearer.
After each one had fallen, the signal-officer, accurately
noting where it burst, would send word over the river,
and the next one would be sure to drop closer to the
Rebels.
The two earth-works and the battery were in a line,
the battery being nearest the Federal cannon, and the
farthest earth-work a third of a mile more distant.
The battery was silenced first; then the earth-work in
the centre of the three received a bombardment so
terrific as to compel every Rebel to slink away; then
the farthest one caught the storm, and all were compelled to flee, carrying away dead andi wounded by
scores.  The whole Rebel force were perfectly at the
mercy of a Union battery, whose gunners never saw
the spot they were hitting, but who gazed only upon a




296          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
small flag waving and swinging away off upon the
ramparts of Fort Davidson.
The ground in front of General Heintzelman's corps,
upon the left wing, had been for almost a month a
bloody duelling-place for the pickets of General Hooker's
division upon the one side, and those of Generals Longstreet and D. B. Hill upon the other. It was a swamp.
The little processions of dead and wounded which at
eventide daily came in from its leafy shades were
nothing to the deadly influence of the malaria, which
sent hundreds of brave soldiers to hospital. Every
military and sanitary consideration required that the
Federal picket line should be removed from the
eastern half of this swamp to its breezy open edge
upon the west, where it would be in view and within
pistol-shot distance of the enemy's camp, placed
beyond a wheat-field, and stretching a mile or more
in length, being defended by rifle-pits and three
bastioned forts filled with men and bristling with
cannon.
General Heintzelman accordingly received orders to
advance the picket line; and, to do so, his entire corps
was placed under arms, and at eight o'clock on the
morning of the 25th, General Sickles's Excelsior Brigade and General Grover's brigade, both of General
Hooker's division, were advanced to the attack. They
entered the wood, driving the enemy's picket line
before them to its reserve, some distance to the rear.
These pickets made a stout resistance, which enabled
General Hill's division, to which they belonged, to
come up and meet the Federal troops. The battle now
commenced, and the firing became hotter and hotter.
General Kearney sent forward Generals Berry and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             297
Robinson with their brigades as a reinforcement to
General Grover, who held the left.  Part of General Patterson's brigade, and the Second New York
regiment, together with the Nineteenth Massachusetts, a regiment of General Sumner's corps, were
also  pushed  forward to the assistance of General
Sickles.
The Federal line, thus reinforced, slowly advanced,
driving the enemy before it, until half-past nine, when
it was brought to a stand-still. It was evident that the
Rebels were in great strength in front, and the contest
was kept up for an hour with intense fury. Finally,
their line began giving way, showing the first symptomns of defeat, in front of General Grover's position.
His brigade was immediately pushed forward, and the
Rebels, once fairly started, retreated quite rapidly.
Soon the advancing Federal troops broke out into the
open field upon the western side of the swamp, when
the enemy, being reinforced, rallied, and again attacked
them. A hard contest ensued, ending with the enemy's
repulse.
At this moment an order was received from the
Federal head-quarters that the pursuit should be
stopped and the troops withdrawn to the original line.*
This caused great astonishment, and could not be understood; but, of course, it was complied with.  With
heavy hearts- the soldiers turned to retreat, halting, at
about half-past eleven, at their old line upon the eastern edge of the swamp. There they remained until
* This order was misconceived, —not being a positive order: it was
intended to take effect under certain contingencies, and its spirit
was not fully represented in its delivery.




298          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
one o'clock, when General McClellan rode upon the
field.  All were in amazement at the unaccountable
command to retreat; and, seeing the position of affairs,
the general-in-chief at once ordered a second attack.
This was greeted enthusiastically, and once more the
troops advanced, in the same order in which they had
already done so well.
Generals Kearney and Grover, upon the left, found
but slight resistance; but in front of General Sickles
the fighting was very severe.  There the enemy had
gathered a strong force, and seemed determined to defend the point at every hazard. The battle raged until
two  o'clock, when General Palmer's brigade, from
General Keyes's corps, was ordered up in support of
General Sickles. It at once advanced and engaged in
the contest. Osborn's battery of four guns was also
sent into the Williamsburg road, to throw shell over the
woods into the enemy's camp.  To do this, the missiles
would have to pass over the heads of the Federal troops
in advance. Such practice is always very perilous:
shells either fall falsely, or the distance is miscalculated, and misfortune ensues. So it was in this case. An
officer and several privates of the Seventh Massachusetts regiment, deployed in the woods as skirmishers,
were hurt,-some fatally.  The firing was at once
stopped.
A section of Derussy's battery was then sent along
the Williamsburg road, and took its position in the
midst of General Palmer's brigade, at once opening fire.
This was kept up for some minutes, during which the
volleys of musketry almost ceased.  At the same time,
the artillery of General Sumner's corps, farther to the
right, began shelling the woods in front of them, and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           299
soon the gunners had it all to themselves. The enemy
also brought their cannon forward, and had the range
of Derussy's battery so accurately that he was compelled to withdraw. The Federal line pushed forward,
however, and, aided by General Sumner's artillery, it
again drove the enemy completely through the woods,
halting upon the outer edge of it. The battle then
almost ceased, occasional contests between skirmishers
alone occurring, until six in the afternoon, when General Kearney, upon the left, led General Birney's brigade, which had not been previously engaged, against
the enemy. Aided by Generals Grover and Robinson,
he pushed forward, driving the Rebels completely out
of the woods. For some minutes the firing was very
fierce, but it soon subsided.
The attack having been successful, dispositions were
then made to hold the advanced line during the night;
and the Excelsior Brigade, having fought gallantly all
day, and being very much fatigued, was relieved by
General Palmer.  Soon after dark, large bodies of
Rebels were brought up in front of his position, and a
battery was also pushed forward. At ten o'clock the
enemy suddenly advanced and poured a volley into the
Second Rhode Island and the Tenth Massachusetts,
who held the front. Some confusion ensued; but the
men were soon rallied, repulsing this threatened advance and driving the enemy back with considerable
loss. The contest was not again renewed by either
army.
The loss of the Federal troops in this engagement
amounted to six hundred killed, wounded, and missing.
It has been named the "Battle of the Five Oaks," and
was the last contest of importance before the retreat.
26




300         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Upon the 26th, 27th, and 28th of June there were
constant fighting between the two armies, and upon
the 28th General McClellan abandoned his siege-works
before Richmond, to make the celebrated march to the
James River.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           301
CHAPTER XI.
THE RETREAT.
THE difficulties thrown into the way of the historian
who attempts the compilation of an intelligible account
of the battle of Fair Oaks are increased tenfold when
he essays to give a description of General McClellan's
march to the James River. Seven days of retreat and
conflict, a march of twenty miles, the transportation
of the baggage of a great army, and the confusion
caused by thousands of horses, wagons, cattle, and
troops retreating by poor roads first across the enemy's
front and afterward with their forces constantly attacking the rear,-all cause the utmost trouble to the
narrator who endeavors to reconcile the statements of
those who have written of it. The same misgivings,
therefore, which were had when a description of the
battle of Fair Oaks was attempted, are felt whilst
writing this chapter, and the same indulgence, it is
trusted, will be extended the author should he be
unable to tell all, or to tell without errors, the sad yet
thrilling story of the famous retreat of the army of
the Potomatc.
It was about the 20th day of June when General
McClellan first became aware of the daily arrival of
reinforcements at Richmond. They entered the city
upon the railroads from Petersburg, Danville, and other
places in Southern and Southwestern Virginia, and
their number was constantly reported by trusty scouts.




302          TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Without these additions the Rebel army was considerably more than one-third larger than that of their
opponents. With them it was more than double the
Federal army. The precise time at which these reirnforcements first arrived at the capital is not known,
but it could scarcely have been earlier than the 15th
of June,-nor can it be stated whence they came. They
may have been part of the army which evacuated
Corinth at the end of May, or they may have been new
levies under the conscription act, or else they had been
employed for coast-defence and were withdrawn when
the capital was found to be in such imminent danger.
Such is the control had in the South over the press and
the people that scarcely a glimmering can be obtained
of the route by which these troops came, or the places
where they had previously been in service.
Their number is variously estimated.  Some have
placed it at one hundred thousand, whilst others have not
gone so high. The opinions of officers of the besieging
army varied, whilst the statements of contrabands and
refugees-although the marvellous accounts given by
so many of them have caused all to be regarded with
suspicion-have made the entire force of the Rebels,
at the time of the retreat, to number from two hundred
and twenty-five thousand to two hundred and fifty
thousand men. From all the reliable information which
can be procured, the troops who came into the city
during the few days between the 15th and 26th of
June numbered fifty thousand; and this force, added
to the army already there, increased its strength to
about one hundred and seventy-five thousand.  To
meet this vast multitude General McClellan could not
muster more than eighty-six thousand troops.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMIOND.          303
The Rebel commander-in-chief seems to have changed
his policy to an offensive one about the 23d of June,
for on that day and the next his troops made numerous
attacks all along the Federal lines, evidently for the
purpose of feeling their strength.  General McClellan
appears to have decided upon his course at the same
time, as upon the 24th he commenced to act in accordance with it. His intention at that time was to entice
the enemy in as great numbers as possible across the
Chickahominy, and then, taking advantage of their
absence, to make a sudden dash with his entire force
along the railroad and the Williamsburg road and enter
the capital in triumph.  He chtanged it subsequently,
however. Seeing the stubborn resistance with which
his left and centre were greeted at the battle of the
Five Oaks, and correctly judging that before very long
General Lee would attempt to turn his flanks or overwhelm his centre, he abandoned the idea of attacking
Richmond, and, weighing all the chances, finally decided upon making a march to the James River, where
his siege-operations could be aided by the gunboats.
It is curious what little things will sometimes cause
great events. Upon the 24th of June General McClellan, in accordance with his first plan, sent orders to
Mechanicsville that every effort should be made to entice the enemy across the river. During the previous
night the Rebels were heard at Meadow Bridge makincg
noises such as the throwing down of lumber from
wagons and its preparation for bridge-building. This
being reported to the commander-in-chief upon the
24th, he rightly judged from it, and the resistance
made to Generals Hooker and Kearney upon the next
day, that the Rebel General Lee had commenced his
26*




304          TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
offensive movements,-how they were to be made being
indicated by the noises heard at Meadow Bridge.  All
fears of his turning the Federal left, or precipitating
his forces upon the centre to break the army in two
and cut it to pieces, were set at rest: General Lee intendled to cross the Chickahominy and to turn the right
flanlk, annihilate General Fitz-John Porter's isolated
corps, disperse General Stoneman's cavalry, cut off
the supplies, and then, recrossing, to drive the rest of
the Union troops into the swamps and mud-holes of
the Peninsula.  Having ascertained the enemy's designs, General McClellan at once ceased the siege-operations, excepting so far as they were necessary to conceal
his intention, and began his arrangements for the
retreat.
The history of the retreat naturally commences with
the movements at Mechanicsville.  Durinc the afternoon of the 23d of June, the Rebels, in strong force,
commenced preparations for throwing two bridges across
the stream, and were met by a determined resistance on
the part of the Federal troops.  When darkness carne,
the artillery were still throwing shell and the pickets
firing at each other, but the bridge-builders had been
driven off. After dark, the enemy renewed their exertions; but the terrific thunder-storm of that night,
precipitating a perfect deluge upon them, compelled
them to leave the work. Upon the 24th, General
McClellan's orders to retreat from  the outposts and
endeavor to entice the enemy were received.  Accordingly, General Fitz-John Porter withdrew the troops
from  Mechanicsville and from  AMeadow  Bridge, and
concentrated them  upon the left banlk of a small
stream  known as Beaver-Dam Creek.  Near Ellison's




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          305
Mill, about a mile southwest of Mechanicsville, he
built intrenchments, and also dug a rifle-pit, northeast
of the village, near Oakland. General McCall's division were the troops near Mechanicsville.
Upon that day, save an occasional cannon-shot, nothing was done by the Rebels, and upon the 25th they
continued equally inactive. During the night, however, they renewed their efforts upon the bridges,
building two above Meadow Bridge, one at that point,
and mending the one opposite Mechanicsville. These
were not finished until the morning of the 26th.
About noon, the enemy made an attack upon a portion
of General Stoneman's division, near Hanover CourtHouse, evidently for the purpose of accomplishing an
outflanking movement upon the right and engaging
the attention of Federal officers in that direction. Immediately after, they commenced a vigorous cannonade
from their works opposite Mechanicsville, and from
batteries above and below.  Two Federal batteries
were sent out, and replied to them,-one from the MIechanicsville road, and the other from the hill to the
right, from  which the Richmond spire is visible.
About this time, the wagon-trains of General Porter's
corps were ordered to cross the Chickahominy at Woodbury Bridge, and during all the day and evening the
heavy teams were lumbering across the river and parking upon the other side.
The Federal troops, at noon upon the 26th, were
posted along Beaver-Dam Creek. General Reynolds's
brigade of General Porter's corps was the right of
the line, being near Oakland, and holding the riflepit there. General Seymour's brigade joined it upon
the left, the line extending to the river. General




306         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Meade's brigade was held as a reserve. These troops
were all from  Pennsylvania, and composed General
McCall's division. The remainder of General Porter's
corps was near Dr. Gaines's house.
At about two o'clock, General A. P. Hill's division
of the Rebel army began crossing the stream above
Meadow Bridge, and an immense force was, before
three o'clock, upon the left bank of the river. The
troops of Generals Longstreet, G. W. Smith, and Jackson also crossed subsequently; and, indeed, during all
the 26th, 27th, and the morning of the 28th, columns
of troops could, by the aid of a glass, be seen from Fort
Davidson, marching toward the various bridges which
had been hastily built. It was supposed that over
forty thousand crossed during the day and night of the
26th, twenty thousand more upon the next day, and
that by noon upon the 28th full seventy thousand
Rebels were upon the left bank of the Chickahominy.
The first attack was made upon the Federal right,
General Reynolds's brigade. They were posted in a
hilly piece of woodland, with a ravine in front. The
Bucktail regiment, commanded by Colonel Simmons,
one of the most talented of the Federal officers, was
upon picket duty. Almost before they knew it, the
enemy had surrounded several companies of the regiment who were near MIeadow Bridge. The men were
brave, however, and not to be captured without a
struggle. They attacked the Rebels, and cut their
way out of the toils. With much loss, and leaving
numbers as prisoners, they joined their comrades who
were in the rifle-pit near Oakland.
The Rebels, in overwhelming force, then advanced
upon the entire Federal line. Fiercely they fought




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           307
over the rifle-pit, and with equal earnestness endeavored to drive General Seymour from his works near
Ellison's Mill. At six o'clock the battle raged with its
greatest fury. Advancing to the rear of Mechanicsville upon a low, swampy piece of ground, the constant
attacks of the Rebels, and the desperate defence of
General McCall's handful, made the conflict indescribably terrific. A cavalry charge of the enemy was so
well opposed that it was broken up, and the troopers,
dismounting, fled for their lives. Hundreds upon hundreds of Rebels were mowed down, as they endeavored
to wallow through the mire.
General McCall had early sent information of the
posture of affairs to his corps commander, and about
half-past six, accompanied by General McClellan, General Alorell's division came upon the field. One brigade,
General Griffin's, was at once placed in battle-array,
relieving two of General McCall's fatigued regiments.
The Fourth Michigan and Fourteenth New York
formed in front, and the Sixty-second Pennsylvania
and Ninth Massachusetts to the rear of them. A
battalion of Colonel Berdan's Sharp-shooters also drew
up in line with the others. About seven o'clock, the
enemy attempted to break the front formed by General
Morell.  To accomplish this, numerous efforts were
made, but they were all boldly and successfully met.
The enemy then transferred his attention to the troops
farther to the left, but was also resisted there. The
battle ceased at half-past nine, and the tired soldiers of
both armies rested upon their arms. The Richmond
newspapers acknowledge that their forces were repulsed
upon the 26th.
All night long, parties were engaged upon both sides




308         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
in collecting the wounded and burying the dead, and,
for fear a night-attack might be made, a strong picket
force was stationed along the lines. General McCall
and his staff bivouacked in the open air, and must
necessarily have passed a sleepless night. The silence
was occasionally broken by a picket gun, but no demonstrations were made by the enemy. At three
o'clock upon the morning of the 27th, the sleepers
were aroused, and the whisper passed from ear to ear
that the Rebels were upon the move. The picket firing
became more frequent, and it was evident that they intended to renew the attack. At daybreak, finding the
enemy were rapidly closing upon the right flank, General Porter-in accordance with the plan of General
McClellan to give the enemy battle, but to slowly retreat before them-ordered the whole force to fall
gradually back to his camps near Dr. Gaines's house.
The movement was conducted in a most satisfactory
and orderly manner, there being scarcely a single
mishap.  The rear of the column, as it marched
toward the camps, was admirably protected by the
Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves, assisted by Robertson's
and Easton's batteries.  The enemy followed very
cautiously, as if they feared they were being ensnared.. [But few Federal soldiers were hurt in the
retreat. Having reached Dr. Gaines's house, the troops
were at once disposed in line of battle to meet the
Rebels.
The line formed extended from the river to Coal
Harbor, presenting a front of nearly two and a half
miles. Commencing upon the left, the extreme flank
was held by General Meade's brigade. He was joined
upon the right by General Butterfield. Then followed,




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           309
successively, the brigades of Generals Martindale and
Griffin, and the division of General Sykes. The extreme
right of the line, at Coal Harbor, was held by General
Reynolds, of the Reserves. General Philip St. George
Cooke, of the cavalry, had his brigade slightly to the
rear, and General Seymour was in position to support
the centre of the line. There were twenty thousand
infantry and about one thousand cavalry; and some
sixty pieces of cannon were distributed upon the eminences held by the Federal troops. All belonged to
the corps of General Porter.
The enemy had moved down the Chickahominy as
fast as the Federal troops retreated. They advanced
in three columns; one along the river, one upon Gaines's
Mill,-a mile inland,-and another upon Coal Harbor.
They were in much stronger force than the troops
opposing them, and, when the battle of the 27th began,
General McClellan's plan of enticing a large number of
Rebels across the Chickahominy had been successful,
and he now began sending his wagons and camp-equipage toward the James River.
About noon the enemy, from their position near Dr.
Gaines's house, opened fire upon Fort Davidson across
the river. General Smith's batteries at once replied to
it, and almost instantly every Rebel gun along the
whole line in front of the besieging army commenced a
furious fire at the Federal earth-works. Expecting an
attack, the troops were placed under arms, and, in order
to balk any attempt the enemy in front of General
Porter's corps might make to cross Grapevine Bridge,
General Slocum's division of General Franklin's corps
was marched to the west end of it and bivouacked.
The bridge was at three in the afternoon broken down




310          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
by detachments of the Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania and
Third Vermont.
The Rebel Generals Lee and Longstreet made their
head-quarters at Hogan's house, and at one o'clock
they directed an advance upon the Federal line. A
heavy fire of artillery was opened, and the skirmishers
in the centre commenced the contest. The Union cannon at once replied, and the skirmishing extended
along the entire front.. Soon the pickets were called
in to the lines, and the real battle began. At a few
minutes past two the infantry became engaged, and at
that time there could not have been less than sixty
guns in action in the Federal ranks, and there were as
many on the opposite side, and a dense cloud of smoke
rolling up from all quarters almost obscured the field.
At half-past three an attack was made upon the
Federal centre, held by General Martindale, but it was
repulsed with fearful loss. After this there was a short
lull in the conflict. It being evident that the enemy
were so much stronger than the Union forces, General
Slocum's division and Generals French and Meagher,
of General Sumner's corps, were ordered to cross the
river to the aid of General Porter. They crossed at
Woodbury Bridge, General Slocum going to the right
of the line and the others reinforcing the left. Nearly
fourteen thousand men were thus added to the Union
army. At five o'clock the enemy concentrated a large
force around Dr. Gaines's house, to make a charge upon
the left of the Federal line. They descended the hills
in immense masses, and gave an excellent opportunity
for artillery practice. An incredible amount of spherical case shot, grape, and canister was thrown among
them, and at the proper time the infantry opened fire.




THE SIEGE OF BICHMOND.           311
Although a great number were killed and wounded, it
did not seem to have the slightest effect upon the advancing columns. They marched steadily forward, and
poured a terrible volley into the Federal lines, which
thinned them greatly. Though desperately resisted,
the vast force soon began to tell, and it became evident
that General Porter's line would be compelled to give
way. The troops of General McICall's division were
nearly exhausted, having been in the battle of the preceding day and having passed the night without sleep.
The onset of the enemy had its effect. By force of
superior numbers they broke the Federal line, and the
left wing began falling back.
At the same time it was discovered that the enemy
was turning the right flank, and they had already
opened an artillery fire upon it. The two attacks, one
upon each wing, gave the victory to the Rebels. The
centre and right began to give way, and soon the entire
line was retreating  toward the river.  The enemy
seized upon the auspicious moment, and, with furious
yells, rushed forward upon the broken ranks. The
horses attached to the Union batteries upon the left
were nearly all killed or wounded, and as the cannon
could not be drawn from the field they fell into the
hands of the Rebels. Twenty-six guns were thus
captured.
To contend any longer was useless. The Federal
position was lost, and for the time all attempts to rally
the men were in vain. The command was given for
the troops to retire in order across the Chickahominy,
and the regiments commenced moving in that direction.
It was nearly dark. The fight had been desperate,
and, after some few demonstrations, the enemy did not
27




312         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
seem inclined to press upon the Federal rear.  Generals Slocum, French, and M eagher formed a second
line of battle about a half-mile back of the first, the
object being more to protect the retreat than to renew
the contest with the enemy. The battle was ended,
and at nine o'clock the covering regiments retreated,
and by daylight the next morning all were upon the
right bank of the river, with the bridges broken down
behind them. The sick and wounded who could not
walk had to be left upon the field: they were in a
hospital which had been hastily established near Woodbury Bridge. The greatest praise is due General FitzJohn Porter for the admirable manner in which he conducted the retreat.
The enemy, of course, remained in possession of the
field; and the Richmond "Dispatch" thus describes its
appearance:"Money was found quite abundantly among the
slain. Some men in interring the dead often searched
the pockets, &c.,-one man finding not less than one
hundred and fifty dollars in gold; another fished out
of some old clothes not less than five hundred dollars,
another one thousand dollars in Federal notes. Watches,
both gold and silver, were fund among the spoils; one
lucky individual having not less than six chronometers
ticking in his pocket at one time. As a general thing,
more money was found upon the dead on the field than
on any other of which we have heard.
"Clothing in abundance was scattered about, and
immense piles of new uniforms were found untouched.
Our men seemed to take great delight in assuming
Federal officers' uniforms, and strutted about serio



TlIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          313
comically, much to the amusement of dusty, powderbegrimed youths who sat lolling and smoking in the
shade.  Every conceivable article of clothing was
found in these divisional camps, and came quite apropos
to our needy soldiery, scores of whom took a cool bath,
and changed old for new under-clothing, many articles
being of costly material and quite unique.
"The amount of ammunition found was considerable,
and proved of very superior quality and manufacture.
The exact amount captured we have not yet ascertained;
but, from the immense piles of boxes scattered through
the camps, we conjecture that the enemy had laid in
quite an unusual supply, expecting to use it, doubtless,
upon our devoted men; and so they would, doubtless,
did our troops stand, as they do, at'long taw,' and not
come to'close quarters.'
"The cannon and arms captured in this battle were
numerous, and of very superior workmanship. The
twenty-six pieces were the most beautiful we have ever
seen, while immense piles of guns could be seen on
every hand, many scarcely having the manufacturer's
finish even tarnished. The enemy seemed quite willing
to throw them away on the slightest pretext, dozens
being found with loads still undischarged. The number
of small arms captured, we understand, was not less
than fifteen thousand, of every calibre and every make.
"The Federal wounded were collected together, and
formed a very large field-hospital.  The court-yard of
a farm-house was selected, and scores could be seen
reclining on the grass, and expert surgeons operating
with much skill and zeal. By mutual agreement, surgeons are not considered prisoners of war: hence, at
the close of the late battle many Federal surgeons re



314         TEE SIEGE OF RICMONI)D.
mained behind, and their services seemed very much appreciated by the men. As many as could be were conveyed to town and attended to, good conveyance being
furnished, and much care manifested for their welfare."
A separate movement, deserving notice, was made
upon the 26th of June. The Seventeenth New York and
the Eighteenth Massachusetts regiments, under the
command of Colonel Lansing, were ordered.to proceed
to a place called Old Church, some six miles east of
Mechanicsville, and intercept the Rebel General Jackson, who was on hlis way to cut off Federal communication with White House. Arriving upon the ground,
pickets were posted, and scouts sent out to ascertain
the location of the Rebels should they be in the vicinity.
Falling in with their pickets, these scouts reported that
a large force was marching down the road from IHanover Court-House. The enemy succeeded in cutting off
Colonel Lansing's communication with the main body
of the Federal army, at that time fighting upon the
banks of Beaver-Dam Creek; and, keeping a good guard
upon his rear, he proceeded to Tunstall's Station, upon
the railroad.
By the advance of the Rebels upon June 27, General
Stoneman's command was also cut off. Upon the 26th
he had been scouting near Hanover Court-House, and,
after doing all he could in the contest of that and the
next day to harass the enemy's flank and rear, he retired to White House.
General Cooke, the commander of the cavalry attached to General Porter's corps, has been censured for
not properly supporting the Federal troops during the
engagement of the 27th. His official report seems to




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           315
contradict any such charge. In justice to a gallant
soldier, the following extract from it is given:"I have the honor to report the operations of the
cavalry reserve in the battle of June 27.
"Its extraordinary duties and exposure for the day
or two previous, in covering the right and rear of the
army, had caused the detachment of about half of my
forces under Brigadier-General Emory, and which that
morning were ordered to retire on a different Tine.
"In obedience to orders, I left Coal Harbor, and
arrived on the field of battle about the hour the enemy
began his attack. I selected a position, and disposed
my force in contiguous close columns. Of the First
brigade there were present two and a half squadrons
Fifth Cavalry and three squadrons Lancers, Colonel
Rush; of the Second brigade, Colonel Blake, only two
skeleton squadrons First Cavalry (and the provostguard), under Lieutenant-Colonel Grier.
"About six o'clock P.-,A. I observed all the infantry
of the left wing-in rear of which was my positiongiving way, and three batteries, which in reserve positions had been silent the whole day, opened a violent
fire upon the advancing lines of the enemy. Without
orders, of course, I instantly conducted the Fifth and
First Cavalry to the front, and deployed them in two
lines, a little in rear of and just filling the interval of
the two right batteries: this was under a warm fire
of musketry and shell.  I instructed Captain Whiting,
commanding the Fifth, to charge when the support or
safety of the batteries required it. I instructed Colonel
Blake to support the Fifth, and charge when necessary.
I then galloped to the left, and placed the Lancers on
27*




316          THE SIEGE O0' RICIIMOND.
the right of the third battery, Second Artillery, Captain
Robinson.  I found it limbering, having been wholly
unsupported.  I ordered the fire reopened: the position was not very good for the matter in hand, but the
renewed fire was continued until the rest of the army
had retreated and the enemy was nearer the only line
of retreat than we were. I then ordered the battery
to retire, and, whllen it was all to the rear, I fell back
about four hundred paces with the Lancers, and found
the enerny checked at the brow of the hill by a most
brave handful of infantry. I was told part of the
Ninth Massachusetts and my First Cavalry were in
line on the slope a little in rear of them.  I then
formed the Lancers, and ordered the First Cavalry to
take post on the left of the infantry; but, by an unhappy misconception of the order, they advanced close
upon their rear. While they were in motion, Colonel
Childs, Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, reported to me
with an only squadron of his regiment in hand, expressing a noble devotion. I sent him to join the left
of the First; and this Awas done with a precision and
bravery which would have honored veterans.  Thus
was withstood, under a hot fire of infantry, the advance
of the enemy at the brow of the hill. Then a battery
of ours which had been posted four or five hundred
paces in our rear, in the obscurity of evening and of
smoke and dust, opened a fire of shrapnel, which fell
among us instead of the enemy. I then ordered the
cavalry to retire, h1aving been informed a second or
third time that General Porter had ordered a retreat,
and which he has informed me he had not done. The
infantry were near the cover of a ravine leading to the
rear, and retired at the same time. Having reached the




TIIE SIEGE OF RI-IIOND.          317
hollow under and safe frorn the fire of our battery, I
formed once more the First and the Lancers.
" The enemy made no further advance.
"It was a hard duty given this half of the Fifth
Cavalry; emulation of the habitual devotion of our
artillery was a strong motive.  I Aas determined on
this occasion that they should not be sacrificed nor lose
their guns.
"The charge of the Fifth Cavalry failed to be carried
home: the left squadron had but one officer present,
the gallant Captain Chambliss, and when he fell it
broke and threw the rest of the line into disorder. Its
success, beyond enabling the batteries to get off, was
impossible.  It lost most severely, and did not rally.
The First Cavalry then retired in line, covering the
retreat of the batteries.  Its subsequent action has
been given.
"The Sixth Pennsylvania (Lancers), under its gallant Colonel Rush and his fine officers, performed its
duties handsomely."
During the early morning of Saturday, June 28,
Federal batteries were planted upon the hills west of
Woodbury Bridge, where they commanded all the approaches and fords, and could for some time, at least,
prevent the enemy from. crossing. At ten in the morning it was discovered that the Rebels in strong force
were still crossing to the left bank of the river, and it
became evident that they intended to move down to
the railroad and cut off communication with White
House. That this had not been done on Friday night
was certainly surprising; for the enemy had free access
to that part of the Peninsula.




318          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
At five o'clock on Friday afternoon, a train of cars
destined for White House left Savage Station. They
were nine or ten in number, and filled with wounded
soldiers. Though much apprehension was felt, the
train passed safely over the road. It returned during
the night, bringing the mails and Philadelphia and New
York papers of June 26. These were the last received
from White House. The last train left Savage Station
on Saturday morning about eight o'clock, with some
four hundred wounded, and got safely through; the telegraph worked till about eleven o'clock A.M., the last
message being sent to Philadelphia by Captain Arthur
McClellan to the general's family. Another train then
at Savage Station was withheld.  The railroad-bridge
-a point of the utmost consequence, being directly in
our rear and the key to our position —was held coolly
and gallantly, to the last moment of usefulness, by
General Naglee, and then effectually destroyed.
Excepting a furious artillery fire, and a contest in
front of General Smith's intrenchments, no attack was
made by the Rebels upon June 28. The battle in front
of the earth-works is best told by a Richmond newspaper:
"About eleven o'clock on Saturday, Captain Moody's
battery opened fire upon the intrenchments of the
enemy, located just beyond Garnett's Farm. The battery fired some ten or fifteen minutes, and meanwhile
a body of infantry, consisting of the Seventh and
Eighth Georgia regiments, moved up under cover of
the fire from the field-pieces. The Eighth, in advance,
charged across a ravine and up a hill, beyond which
the Yankee intrenchments lay. They gained the first




THE SITEE OF RICHMOND.            319
line of works and took possession of them; but, it is
proper to state, this was unoccupied at the timle by the
Yankees. The fire of the enemy was murderous, and,
as soon as our men reached the brow of the hill, rapid
volleys of grape, canister, and musketry were poured
into them. It was found almost impossible to proceed
farther; but the attempt would have been made had
not orders been received to fall back, which was done
in good order, still under fire."
The Federal troops who met the enemy in this contest were four companies of the Thirty-third New York
and three of the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania, numbering
some five hundred men.  Colonel Lamar of the Eighth
Georgia was mortally wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Tower and a number of privates sent into camp as
prisoners.  The bravery of this handful of men, in
repulsing vastly superior, numbers, cannot be suffciently praised. The enemy acknowledge a loss of one
hundred and eighty-eight men.
The narrative of the retreat must now be suspended
to allow of a description of affairs at lWhite House.
General McClellan, so soon as he had matured his plan,
sent orders for the evacuation of the post. Upon June
25, the day after the order was received, matters progressed there as usual, with the exception that the
landing of stores from the transport had ceased, whilst
those already on shore were rapidly loaded upon
ivwagons and sent across Bottom's Bridge to the Federal
left wing. Several steamers, with vessels in tow, laden
with forage and subsistence, had also sailed down the
river, with orders to proceed to City Point on the
James River.




320         THIE SIEGE OF RICIIHOND.
This change in the course of transportation caused
considerable comment and speculation. Some supposed
the stores sent down the Pamunky to be intended for
the supply of General Burnside's army, which, rumor
said, had reached the James River and was co-operating with General McClellan. An order was also
received from  head-quarters upon Wednesday, the
25th, to prohibit any one from coming forward to the
lines on any consideration whatever, unless he belonged
to the army. This order was so peremptory that even
those connected with the press, some of whom had come
to White House to forward their letters by the mailboats, were prevented from returning, and others who
had smuggled themselves through were promptly sent
back.
On the same day General Casey came from the army
in front of Richmond and took command of the small
land-force, not exceeding six hundred men, and in the
evening was notified to prepare at any moment for the
entire evacuation of the post, and the preservation, as
far as practicable, of the public property. Similar
orders were also given to Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls.
Communication was at once had with the fleet of gunboats in the Pamunky near White House, and a division of men, armed with axes, proceeded during the
night to cut down the trees surrounding the White
House, and afterward all along the shore above and
below the railroad-bridge, so as to give free play to the
guns.
On that evening there was a report that a body
of Rebels were approaching the Pamunky. The trains
on the railroad were kept running as swiftly as possible, carrying forward nothing but ammunition and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           321
munitions of war, with siege and rocket trains and
field-pieces.
On Thursday morning it was found that the gunboats had all taken position in front of the landing,
with their ports open and their guns run out. This,
and the equally astounding discovery that the trees
had been cut down, gave great activity to all the
camp-followers congregated at White House.  The
quartermaster's office was thronged by those anxious
to procure transportation to Fortress Monroe, and the
population was rapidly depleted. The morning train
from the front reported all quiet, with the exception of
certain mysterious movements not comprehensible to
civilians. The immense stock of stores and forage
at Despatch Station, eleven miles from the Pamunky,
were being hastily carried away, and subsequently
it was learned.that an immense train of wagons
had been running from that place all day. In the
evening it was announced that not a box, bale, or
barrel remained.
Throughout the day the greatest vigilance was observed in and around the head-quarters of General
Casey, who had pitched his tents on the lawn in front
of the White House, the building itself being occupied
by the Sisters of Charity. The stocks of goods piled
on the landings were rapidly diminishing, as the
wagons carried them off. The railroad-trains moved
steadily forward with ammunition.  Cavalry scouts
were sent out to different points, and preparations
made for obstructing the roads. And at dusk a panic
was occasioned by the discovery that bales of hay had
been piled over and around the stores still remaining
at the wharves-indicating the probability that during




322         THE SII'GE OF RICHMOND.
the night it might become necessary to apply the
torch.
Whilst all this was doing on shore, the numerous
steamers and tugs in the river, some fifty in number,
had been busy towing to West Point long lines of
laden transports. The vessels still scattered about the
harbor were also collected and prepared for towing.
Some seven hundred craft were at White House two
days before. On Friday morning, the tow-boats were
still moving down the river with their convoys, and
vessels at the landings were being loaded with stores
from the shore and moved out into the stream.
There was also great commotion among the crowds of
contrabands employed as laborers. They soon understood that danger was apprehended, but, being assured
by Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls that they would not be
left behind to meet the vengeance of their masters,
they worked with renewed energy.  Stores and munitions everywhere disappeared from the landings, and
were being packed on the wharf-boats and the vessels
contiguous. The wives and children of the contrabands also made their appearance, and, being sent on
the canal-boats, were floated out into the stream.
The mail-steamer, which should have left early in the
morning, was detained, and at eleven o'clock a despatch
announced that General Porter had driven the enemy
before him, repulsing them three times with terrific
slaughter, and was then ordered by General McClellan
to fall back. This despatch was the signal for renewed
energy in the work of evacuation, and all the quartermasters' papers and valuables, and the chests of the
paymasters, were taken on board the mail-boat. The
household furniture and servants of some officials fol



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           323
lowing, it increased the excitement among the sutlers
and camp-followers.  Some of the former became so
panic-stricken as to sell out their stocks at half-price,
and hastened on board the boat.  Others, however,
determined to keep their goods and to take the chances.
That there was an intention on the part of General
McClellan to evacuate White House as soon as his
movement in front should be perfected, there was no
doubt, but for what cause, no one there knew.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the following despatch was received from head-quarters:"We have been driving the enemy before us on the
left wing for the past half-hour. Cheers are heard all
along the lines."
This increased the panic, and was the signal for a
change in the programme.  The valuable property
was taken off the mail-boat and placed upon another
steamer, and the former, taking vessels in tow, was at
once sent down the river.
On Saturday morning, the work at White House was
nearly completed, and, though numerous vessels still
remained in the harbor, there were plenty of tow-boats
to take them quickly out of danger. At nine o'clock
a train of cars was sent toward the Chickahominy, but
before an hour had elapsed it returned, reporting the
enemy to be approaching Despatch Station, and at once
the tugs and vessels sailed down the river, and every
thing on shore was destroyed. At seven o'clock in the
evening, the Rebels appeared upon the river-bank, and
were greeted with a tremendous bombardment from
the gunboats. Very little of value was left there, and,
25




324         TIlE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
as at all other places vacated by the Federal troops
during the retreat, nothing fell into the hands of the
enemy but the camp-grounds and rubbish, which the
Union officers did not think it worth while even to
burn.
At ten o'clock on Sunday morning, the 29th, Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls and Captain Sawtelle were before Yorktown with an immense fleet, on their way to
the new base of operations upon the James River.
Since a very early hour of the previous day, General
McClellan had been deprived of his telegraphic communication with Washington. He abandoned its use
several hours before the wires were cut, doubtless being
fearful that the enemy might, by some means, become
acquainted with the tenor of his despatches.
Such was the end of the far-famed supply-post at
White House.
We will now return to the army beyond the Chickahominy. Upon Saturday afternoon, the retreat to the
James River began. All the teams and cattle were
sent in a southerly direction across the White Oak
Swamp. At the same time General AMorell's division
left Woodbury Bridge, where they had been since the
end of the previous day's battle, and marching past
Savage Station, across the railroad and the Williamsburg road, they entered the swamp and crossed it,
halting near Charles City, where they were the next
day joined by other portions of the army.
During the night, orders were given Generals Franklin, Sumner, Heintzelman, and Keyes, whose troops
still held their old positions before the Rebel capital,
to destroy every article of commissary stores, ammunition, and hospital supplies for which transportation




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           325
could not be furnished, and, abandoning their camps,
to gradually withdraw their troops toward Savage Station. Orders were also sent the surgeons at the hospital there to instruct all the wounded who could walk
to start immediately, and move toward Harrison's
Point, on the James River. All the ambulances which
could be found were loaded with the wounded who
were in a condition to be moved; but many hundreds
whose lives would have been destroyed by an attempt
to remove them were left under the charge of surgeons
detailed for the purpose, and turned over to the enemy,
as had been done by them at Williamsburg.  Two days
before, four car-loads of ammunition had been sent
up from White House for the use of a siege-train, and
unloaded. It was replaced on the cars, and, a full
head of steam being raised in the locomotive, they
were started off down the railroad toward the burned
bridge across the Chickahominy. Every moment the
speed increased, and, whilst at the highest, the train
reached the river, tumbling in with a terrible crash.
The last evening spent at Woodbury Bridge was one
of solemn grandeur. On the Federal side, a solitary
company of cavalry guarded the end of the destroyed
bridge, and soldiers burned the few valuable articles
which were lying about. Camp-fires were lighted as
for a vast army. Stragglers, tired almost to death, lay
upon the ground, sleeping, each marked feature sunk
into perfect rest. A few wagons were still there. The
vast plain, once filled with all the pageantry of war, was
dotted all over with fires, but, save that one cavalry
company, not a single human being was on all its
surface. Across the river, brightly reflected upon the
clouds, were the lights of a Rebel camp; and their




326         TIIE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
forces no doubt lay upon the bloody field which bore so
many of their dead.
On Saturday evening at ten o'clock, the last of the
Federal army had left Woodbury Bridge and were in
full retreat toward Savage Station.  The night was
dark and cloudy, threatening rain. Numbers of straggling soldiers were mixed up with the wagons as they
proceeded.  Midnight brought them to the station;
and there was the first horror of the journey. The
sheds and tents of the hospital were filled to overflowing with sick and wounded, whom exposure and battle
had rendered helpless.   That railroad - station will
always be a sad spot in the recollections of all who
saw it.
From  Savage Station, all the way to the James
River, the retreat had to be conducted by two roads,
one of which crossed the stream bordering White Oak
Swamp by a rude log bridge, so imbedded in mud that
every wagon had to be assisted at the crossing. Over
these roads a vast army, with all its baggage, passed.
About two thousand wagons and twenty-five hundred
head of cattle were part of the baggage of the Federal
troops. The White Oak Swamp bridge was some six
miles from the station, and, from one end of the road
between them to the other, wagons, horses, soldiers,
cannon, pontoon-boats, caissons, ambulances, and every
thing conceivable which can be used by an army, were
at times brought to a halt. At almost every step, an
officer urged them on. Twenty rows of wagons stood
side by side, teamsters swearing, horses balking, and
officers shoutin(g. Babel was a second time seen on
earth. And over all could be heard General Fitz-John
Porter, as he urged his horse up a hill, shouting to a




TIHE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.          327
wagoner not to block up the entire road. Many soldiers, straggling through the blockade, passed the
swamp, and when they reached the beautiful country
beyond, completely tired out, lay down on the ground
and slept during the heat of the day. Thousands lay
there, belonging to every regiment in the army. Thus
passed Sunday morning; and toward night all aroused
to continue their weary journey.
General McClellan, upon the 28th, had made his
head-quarters near Savage Station, and at one o'clock
on the morning of tie 29th he ordered his tents to be
struck, and, with his staff and escort, proceeded toward
White Oak Swamp. General Smith had charge of the
rear, and was ordered to hold his position near the
Chickahominy until the wagons were at a safe distance,
and then slowly to follow them. At about daylight he
began to retire over the road the baggage-trains had
taken, and, shortly after, Generals Sumner, Heintzelman, and Keyes gradually changed their front so as to
make it face the north, thus protecting the retreat from
all attacks either of forces sent from the direction of
Richmond or from  the Chickahominy.  The enemy,
having discovered the movement, began to press after,
but made no attacks until late in the day. By noon
on Sunday, all the artillery, except that required to
protect the rear of the retiring column, and also all
the wagons, were well on their way to Charles City.
General McCall followed immediately after them. Then
came Generals Porter, Franklin, and Keyes, with their
corps, General Heintzelman protecting the rear. Several
attempts were made to flank him, but they were, all
unsuccessful, and the retreat was conducted in perfect
order.
28*




328          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
It was about two o'clock on Sunday afternoon that
the first real attack of the enemy was made upon the
rear-guard.  So rapidly did they approach that the
officers had barely time to place the men in position to
receive them, before fire had been opened and a furious
assault made. Reinforcements were poured in to the
aid of General Heintzelman, and the troops successfully
resisted the attack.  The Rebels advanced in solid
masses to within a short distance of the Federal artillery; and the effect of the guns was fearful. The battle
lasted until dark, both sides suffering severely, when
the enemy withdrew. This battle was fought near
Savage Station, and in the evening the main body of
the army encamped near Charles City, six miles distant from the James River by one road, and fifteen by
another.
During the day the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Farnsworth, had been sent over
the longest road, to ascertain if it was clear of the
enemy. It ran through dense woods in a circuitous
mantner. The reconnoissance returned, reporting favorably, and at dusk a long train of wagons, preceded by
the cavalry-regiment, commenced moving from Charles
City toward the James River.  General Keyes's corps
was assigned to the rear of this column. At an early
hour the next morning, the head of the column, without accident, and without meeting any resistance,
reached the river at a point two miles west of Harrison's Landing.
The short road, which was nearer Richmond, was not
so free from Rebels. On Sunday morning, a squadron
of cavalry which had been sent out to reconnoitre returned with the information that the enemy were about




THE SIEGE OF RICIMivIOND.        329
a mile distant from the camp. Their strength was not
known, but was supposed to be small. At seven o'clock
in the morning, the pickets reported that some Rebel
cavalry were marching along this road toward Charles
City. Dispositions were at once made to receive them,
and two pieces of artillery were planted in a concealed
position, having the range of the road along which the
enemy were approaching. A volley poured into them
caused a most precipitate retreat, and General Martindale's brigade of General Porter's corps at once occupied the ground upon which the cavalry had appeared.
In the afternoon, Generals Morel] and McCall, with
their divisions, and a large amount of artillery, were
sent forward to open the way to ile James River.
They moved cautiously, and, after a few slight skirmishes, reached Turkey Bend.  Late in the night a
train of wagons, followed by infantry, began moving
along the road, and upon Monday morning, the 30th,
General McClellan broke up his camp and encamped
that evening on the river-bank at Turkey Bend.
When an aid sent from Generals Morell and McCall
rode back and reported to General McClellan that the
road was open to the James River, a thrill of relief
ran through the entire army; and, when the troops
reached the stream, the sight of the green fields skirting its banks invigorated all. It was upon the top of
Malvern Hill that the view first broke upon the weary
soldiers' gaze, and it was there that the commander-inchief, expressing the belief that, with a short time to
prepare, the position could be held against any force
the enemy were able to bring against it, disposed his
forces to resist their anticipated attacks. This hill was
but three miles from Turkey Bend.




330         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
About noon the Rebel columns came up, and the
troops on Malvern Hill were ordered in line to meet
them. General Keyes was upon the right flank, holding the longest road, and General Smith was at his
rear to support him. On his left was General Sumner's
corps; and then came Generals Hooker and Kearney, on
the extreme left. Generals Slocum and McCall were
held in reserve. The line was nearly three miles in
length, and covered all the roads by which the Rebels
advanced.
At two o'clock the contest was opened with artillery;
but at first the firing was not very severe. An hour
later, an advance was made upon General Sumner by
an immense mass of the enemy, and the battle at once
became hot and bloody. General Slocum's division was
called upon at half-past three to reinforce General Sumner, and for more than two hours a furious fight was
carried on, ending at six o'clock with the enemy's
repulse.
Whilst this contest was raging in the centre, a
demonstration was made against an earth-work which
had been hastily thrown up on the extreme right; but
a dashing charge of a brigade from General Smith's
division drove the Rebels back.
But the severest part of the battle was upon the left.
General Heintzelman was sorely pressed all the afternoon, and the engagement there continued with great
severity until nearly dark. He fell back almost half a
mile to obtain a better position, and the terrific attacks
of the enemy often seemed too strong to be resisted.
It was only the superior qualities of the soldiers, under
the lead of veterans like Generals Hooker and Kearney,
and the excellent management of General Heintzelman




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           331
himself, that saved the day on that portion of the
field.
Again and again the enemy resorted to those tactics
which had been their main reliance in the previous
battles. Their generals seemed to be utterly regardless
of human life. If an advantage could only be achieved
to repay the loss, they cared not how many of their
army lay struggling with death after they had fought
the Federal troops. Overwhelming numbers were precipitated on some point in the line, in the hope of breaking it, or against a battery, trusting to capture it; but,
with the veterans Heintzelman, Kearney, and Hooker
to resist them, it was done in vain.
At six o'clock the Rebels made a furious onset, which,
almost by main force, bore back the Federal left. It
was then that General McCall's wearied division, the
last of the army in reserve, was brought forward to
assist the defence. But what an awful reception they
met! Cannon and musketry were poured into them
with terrible havoc, and in a very few moments they
were broken and pushed back, with hundreds lying
dead and wounded on the field, General McCall captured
by the enemy, Biddle mortally wounded, and Kuhn
killed. The Reserves had tried to do too much, and
were almost annihilated.
Seeing the desperate condition of affairs on the left,
(General Sedgwick's division was sent to aid it, from the
centre, and Generals Hooker and Kearney rallied for a
final and desperate charge. Four batteries of artillery
were brought forward and advantageously posted.
They opened with disastrous effect, and at the same
time the Federal troops, led by their Generals, made an
impetuous charge against the surging masses of the




332         THE SIEGE OF RICEMOND.
enemy, and, with the aid of the cannonade, soon broke
the opposing columns and ended the contest. Nearly
a thousand prisoners were captured by this charge.
At about four o'clock in the afternoon, the aid of the
gunboats upon the James River had been called in to
the assistance of the left wing.  The Aroostook and
Galena took position about a mile above Turkey Landing, and opened fire, shelling in the most effective manner the vast columns of the enemy advancing along the
river-road to attack General Heintzelman. The gunners could not see the road, but a signal-officer, in an
exposed position on the top of a house situated on a
hill, directed the range of the guns, and their shells
were thrown with such precision as to cause the enemy
great loss and materially impede his operations, besides causing him to abandon a battery in the line of
fire, which was secured by our advance.
A young Rebel officer, writing to the Charleston
"Courier," gives a most graphic account of this terrible
battle on Malvern Hill:"About five o'clock P.M. the enemy were reported
occupying a very strong position just in our front,
where they had fortified. Our artillery was ordered
out to open on the enemy, and a brigade of Georgians
and Alabamians to support it. No sooner had our
guns opened than they were dismounted, the caissons
torn to atoms, and the horses and men piled and mangled together. Other batteries were ordered out, with
the same success, and the few horses and men who were
left came dashing back, panic-stricken, and sought
refuge in flight. Then we saw what was coming. Our
brigade was sent to the front to support the one already




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           333
sent out, and, forming in line, we marched to the skirt
of woods which separated us from the open ground
where the enemy had formed to receive us. His position could not have been better selected. Upon a hill
about half a mile in our front were placed thirty siegeguns and twenty light batteries, manned by United
States regulars, while in front the ground descended
gradually to our position, midway between which and
their batteries was a line of thirty thousand of their
best troops, who were selected to cover their retreat to
their gunboats, two miles distant. Upon this line and
their batteries we advanced.  For the first half-mile
we marched, the shells burst round us incessantly.
After that, just as we got in the woods, the gunboats
opened on us with their broadsides of rifled guns, the
shells from which came hurtling through the woods,
crashing and bursting, and tearing down numbers of
the largest trees in their course. Then came the grape
and canister from the batteries in our front; and soon
the musketry opened, actually sweeping down whole
lines of men in our front and from our own ranks, and
making our path one over dead and dying men. We
passed over four lines of men, who, sent out before us,
were unable to stand the fire, and lay close to the
ground, from which no threats or persuasion could
move them. Our men trampled them into the mud like
logs, and moved on in an unwavering line, perfectly regardless of the numbers who were falling around them.
" But we pushed on until we found the line we were
to support within six hundred yards of the battery;
and there we halted under cover of a hedgerow, and
lay down to rest. The line in front of us, unable to
stand up in front of the fire, had lain down, while the




334         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
troops in our rear poured several volleys into us,
wounding and killing many men. Finding our place
untenable, between friend and foe, General Kershaw
proposed to the general in our front to charge the
battery and let us support him. This he refused to do.
Kershaw then offered to charge it with our brigade, if
they would support him after he took it. This they
also refused, and, as the Georgians and Louisianians on
our right were moving up, we could not fire without
injuring them, and we could do no good where we
were. We were directed to fall back to our original
position and reform line of battle. I held the position
with our left wing until the right was out of range,
and then directed the left to retire, I keeping some distance in the rear and falling back very slowly. No
sooner had our men fallen back than there came a
portion of the Confederate soldiers dashing past me,
panic-stricken and huddled together like sheep, presenting elegant marks for the grape and cannon-balls,
which cut paths through them and hurled them writhing and digging into the mud and water of the swamp.
One man, in his haste to get out of danger, shoved me
on one side, and just at the instant a canister-shot
tore his head off and spattered my face with his blood
and brains. As you may suppose, I was not much
vexed at his impoliteness. On our way out we passed
over the ground which we travelled in going in, and
found men lying dead in every direction. Upon reaching the rear we were marched into a skirt of woods to
rest for the night, the fight having now closed and the
enemy ceased firing. When morning dawned, they
were gone again, having reached James River and
being safely under cover of their gunboats. Early in




THE SIEGE OF RICHAMOND.          3035
the morning I rode over the battle-ground, our brigade
having been marched up to occupy it; and the sight
which was there presented beggars description. Entering the field at the point where our artillery had been
posted, I came upon numbers of dead and dying horses,
who, with the drivers and gunners, lay in a pile
together, the several dismantled guns, their caissons
fired and blown up by the enemy's balls, all presenting
an aspect of desolation and ruin. Then came the point
at which our infantry lines advanced through the open
field and engaged those of the enemy. For a mile the
ground was thickly strewn with the dead and dying,
showingr with what energy our men had advanced, and
with what energy they were repulsed.  Mlen, mangled
in every conceivable manner, to the number of ten
thousand, were strewn out before me. The painful details of our own wounded I will spare you, but will
pass to the enemy's side of the field, where one-half of
the number lay. There were men with their arms and
legs and hands shot off, bodies torn up, features distorted and blackened. All this I could see with indifference, but I could not but pity the wounded. There was
one poor devil with his back broken, who was trying
to pull himself along by his hands, dragging his legs
after him, to get out of the corn-rows, which the last
night's rain had filled with water. Another, with both
legs shot off, was trying to steady the mangled trunk
against a gun stuck in the ground.  A  fair-haired
Yankee boy of sixteen was lying with both legs
brokehi, half of his body submerged in water, with his
teeth clenched, his finger-nails buried in the flesh, and
his whole body quivering with agony and benumbed
with cold. In this case my pity got the better of my
29




336          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
resentment, and I dismounted, pulled him  out of the
water, and wrapped him in my blanket, —for which he
seemed very grateful. One of the most touching things
I saw was. a couple of brothers, both wounded, who
had crawled together, and one of them, in the act of
arranging a pillow for the other with a blanket, had
fallen, and they had died with their arms around one
another and their cheeks together.  But your heart
will sicken at these details, as mine did at seeing them,
and I will cease."
The battle of Malvern Hill was by far the most
severe of the seven days' battles. The loss on both
sides was terrible; and, as the enemy still maintained
a threatening  attitude, as a matter of precaution,
the wagons at Turkey Landing were all sent off
to Harrison's Point, farther down the river.  The
entire army rested oni its arms during the night of
the 30th.
Early the next morning the fight was renewed by
the enemy, who evidently expected to crush the Federal
army. After an engagement of three hours, with much
loss on both sides, the Rebels retired, leaving their opponents the field. At three o'clock in the afternoon, a,
second advance was made, but it retired under a heavy
fire from the gunboats and artillery, without having
ventured near enough for the infantry to become
engaged. Thiis was the last contest between the two
armies.
The most prolific imagination cannot realize a true
view of this retreat, and pen-pictures avail very little
in its description. On Sunday morning the enemy
discovered the m -:F-vimentt, and sent thousands upon




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            337
thousands of troops after General McClellan's retreating army. All the secrecy and strategy had gained but
the time between midnight and morning, and when each
Federal soldier was tired enough to lie down anywhere,
in search of his so-much-needed rest, Rebel cavalry
and artillery came rushing after him, and, with weary
step, he had to wheel into line of battle.  The most
heroic bravery was the rule throughout the army, in
fighting against the guerrillas who infested the rear.
Hooker fought until his men dropped down from
fatigue.  Slocum relieved him.  Sedgwick came to the
rescue of Slocum, and the impetuous Kearney charged
to the very centre of the enemy's lines.  In every engagement the enemy were beaten, and the rear-guard,
first one corps and then another, gathered laurel upon
laurel in the hundred skirmishes of that retreat.
The march was fully protected.  Excepting the
cannon lost in battle, and one piece destroyed on
the way, not a single valuable article fell into the
enemy's hands.  Thousands of dollars' worth of property was destroyed, because it could not be carried
away; but the rear-guard kept behind the last wagon,
not allowing a single team to be captured.  Wood was
burned, ammunition blown up, whiskey and molasses
barrels broached, and wagons, whose horses died by
the way from  sheer fatigue, completely dismantled.
Soldiers who threw away their knapsacks, but first
spilled their contents or rent them to pieces. MlIuskets
lying in ditches were bent and broken. But little left
by that grand army in its wonllerfult retreat was of user
to the enemv.  Fire and water, the knife and the axe,
did their work, and did it well.
The horrors of the march can never be forgotten.




338          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
Wounded and sick dragged themselves along, many a
one lying down to sleep his last sleep under the grateful shade of the roadside woods. A confusion of
wagons and soldiers and cannon, and the paraphernalia of war, blocked the passage; and, in addition to
the Rebels thundering behind, and the long, weary,
dusty way before, hunger and thirst began to stare
them in the face. Thousands had thrown away their
haversacks, containing all their food, and not a bite
could they procure. Few streams or springs could be
found to quench the thirst of the poor soldiers. They
lay upon the ground, drinking from ditches filled with
mud. Wells sometimes furnished a scant supply, but it
was not one-tenth large enough for the army. Horses
died from thirst, and were left lying where they fell.
Everywhere could be heard the cry for water; but
above it sounded loudly the voices of the officers who
urged every one forward.  Hunger and thirst came to
the aid of Secession in the infliction of deep and painful
wounds upon the Union army.
When the troops came in sight of the James River,
away off in the distance, its muddy current swiftly
coursing between its low banks, how many hailed with
delight that glorious stream, which betokened the end
of the weary, terrible journey!  MIcalvern Hill was
covered with gazers who feasted their eyes with the
sight. The halt on the hill was short, and the river
soon reached. Here was witnessed the most frantic
glee on the part of the troops. Soldiers rushed down
and plunged into the stream in a perfect frenzy of
delight.  Many, whose thirst had been most excruciating for hours before, standing neck-deep in the water,
drank to their hearts' content. The horses, too, were




TIlE SIEGE OF RICIIMOND.         339
relieved; their wants were cared for, and the hungry
soldiers were the only ones left who were still in worse
misery than the army generally.
Turkey Landing is a rude wharf, some four or five
miles above City Point, on the Richmond bank of the
river. A few hogsheads of tobacco sent away seemed
to be the extent of the trade before the war,-although
a rather large warehouse, somewhat tastefully decorated, showed the wealth and judgment of its owner.
Otherwise it had neither beauty nor attraction. Low
and flat, burned almost to a cinder by the heat of the
sun, it seemed the most uninviting spot in all Virginia. To the tired troops, however, it was a paradise.
They were allowed to encamp and find that rest of
which they had been for days deprived. The sick and
wounded lay down, and the surgeons attended  to
their wants. The stragglers were picked up by the
provost-guard  and sent to their regiments, and,
quietly and speedily, order seemed to come out of the
confusion.
On the evening of the 1st of July, General McClellan removed his encampment from Turkey Landing to
Harrison's Point, and temporarily yielded the place to
the enemy. This was the spot chosen for the encampment of the army and its restoration from the excessive fatigue it had undergone. The hundreds of vessels
laden with supplies, which had left White House, were
there, and every thing was in readiness to provide for
the wants of the soldiers.
Wednesday morning, July 2, was ushered in by a
severe and unrelenting northeast storm, which converted every thing into mud and mire. As the weary
troops arrived, they were forced to pitch their little




340          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
shelter-tents upon this disagreeable surface. Rain fell
in torrents.  The sick and wounded, granted a short
rest at Turkey Landing, had again been inhospitably
turned out, and were feebly and slowly tramping
through the mud, to lie down in it, the rain beating
upon them whilst they waited for the hospital-boats.
There is always humanity in the army; and never were
seen nobler instances of it than on the plain near Harrison's Wharf. Whilst the poor and helpless men were
lying in the mire, or listlessly wandering about with
despair in every feature, regiment after regiment of
troops had their hearts touched, and generously gave
up their tents for the wounded to creep under. Two
hours raised quite a little town at the head of the wharf,
and many a grateful look showed the gratitude of the,
poor fellows who had given health and strength to their
country.  The rain fell faster, and the mud grew
deeper.  One could scarcely walk; and Wednesday
night lowered upon the army, perhaps the saddest and
dreariest since it entered the field.
On that day and the next, all labored at shipping
the wounded and landing commissary stores.  Steamboat after steamboat passed down the James River,
filled to overflowing with unfortunate victims of the
week of battles. Craft of all kinds landed food, which
was at once sent to the regiments and brigades, to feed
the hungry.  The enemy, too, on Thursday attacked
the camp, but were worsted, numerous prisoners and a
battery being captured.  The rain did not stop until
noon of that day, and the condition of the encampment
was most sorrowful.  Sunset, however, was clear, and
better weather could be safely prophesied. The Fourth
of July found the army fully protected by gunboats ancd




THE SIEGtE OF RICHMOND.             341
earth-works, and prepared to hold its position against
all odds.
The losses upon the great retreat were most fearful.
General McClellan's official report sums them up thus:Killed. 7Wounded. Missing. Total.
Gen. Sumner's Second Corps,    176  1088   848  2086
" Heintzelman's Third Corps, 189  1051   883  2073
" Keyes's Fourth Corps,       69   507   201   777
" Porter's Fifth Corps,      873  3700  2779  7352
" Franklin's Sixth Corps,    245  1313  1179  2737
" Stoneman's Cavalry,         19    60    97   176
The Engineers,.....   2    21    23
Total.156...................5    7711  5958
Grand Total...................................................15,224
The greatest loss in any single division was in that
of General McCall.  Nearly one-half of it was either
killed, wounded, or captured.  The numbers stand
thus:Killed,          251
Wounded,        1223
Missing,        1607
Total,          3081
There has been no authentic statement of the enemy's
casualties. A Richmond newspaper placed it at nearly
eighteen thousand, but that, no doubt, is somewhat unreliable. Although they claim a series of victories,
yet they acknowledge that General McClellan's army
escaped from their hands by the superior ability of its
commander.
Upon July 4, the Federal troops were quietly en



342          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
camped upon the banks of James River, the men recovering from the fatigue of the terrible ordeal through
which they had passed, and the ofcers preparing their
reports and reorganizing their commands.  It was a
serene and peaceful day,-one worthy to be the anniversary of the natal day of the nation.  During the
afternoon, General McClellan reviewed the troops, and
was received everywhere with the most enthusiastic
demonstrations. Rounds upon rounds of applause from
the regiments greeted his appearance.  Whilst the review was progressing, the following order was read to
the army.  It is a fit close to the grand drama which
ended the campaign upon the Peninsula:" HEAD-QUARTERS, AIRMIY OF THE POTOMAC, July 4, 1862.
"SOLDIERS OF TIHE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC:
"Your achievements of the last ten days have illustrated
the valor and endurance of the American soldier. Attacked
by superior forces, and without hope of reinforcements, you
have succeeded in changing your base of operations by a
flank movemellt, always regarded as the most hazardous of
military expedients. You have saved all your material,
all your trains, and all your guns, except a few lost in
battle, taking in return guns and colors from the enemy.
"Upon your march, you have been assailed day after
day with desperate fury, by men of the same race and
nation, skilfully massed and led.
"Under every disadvantage of numbers, and necessarily
of position also, you have, in every conflict, beaten back
your foes with enormous slaughter.
"Your conduct ranks you among the celebrated armies
of history.
" No one.will now question that each of you may always
with pride say,'I belong to the Army of the Potomac.




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.             343
"You have reached this new base, complete in organization and unimpaired in spirit.
" The enemy may at any time attack you. WVe are prepared to meet them. I have personally established your
lines. Let them come, and we will convert their repulse
into a final defeat.
"Your Government is strengthening you with the resources of a great people.
"On this our nation's birthday, we declare to our foes,
who are rebels against the best interests of mankind, that
this army shall enter the capital of the so-called Confederacy, that our national Constitution shall prevail, and that
the Union, which can alone insure internal peace and external security to each State, must and shall be preserved,
cost what it may in time, treasure, or blood.
"GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,
" Jfajor-Gewea l Commnranding."
Upon the morning of July 5, the author left the
camp at Harrison's Landing, to return to the North.
The troops had almost recovered from the factigues of
the retreat, and were preparing, as they thought, for
renewed efforts to capture Richmond.  But it was ordained otherwise. They were destined to pass through
a series of defeats under strange generals, but finally,
when again directed by their old commander, to drive
the enemy before them  from Western'Alaryland, and
add new laurels to his brow. MIay the endurance,
patriotism, and courage of the army of the Potomac
be ever found in the soldiers who fight for the Union!




344          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
CHAPTER XII.
THE CONCLUSION.
BEFORE closing this narrative, it is proper that the
number of men contained in the Federal and Rebel
armies, or an approximation to it, should be given. As
the retreat was caused solely by a sudden increase of the
force of the enemy, justice to every officer and soldier
of the Union army demands that all information as to
the number of men upon each side should be made
public.  The exact number of either army cannot be
given, the documents necessary to great accuracy being
very wisely kept secret whilst the war to which they
refer is still being waged. Approximations to the true
force, however, may be obtained sufficiently correct for
the object in view, and in which if there are errors
they equally affect both armies, and are thus, for all
practical purposes, obviated.
General McClellan's advanced parties reached the
Chickahominy River upon May 20, 1862, and oil
that day his entire army was marching upon Richmond.
IIe had five corps d'armee, and one independent division. The average force of a division at that time was
eight thousand men, which would make his entire
strength as follows:



THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.               345
General Sumner's 2d corps....................16,000
"   Heintzelman's 3d corps...............24,000
"   Keyes's 4th corps......................16,000
"   Porter's 5th corps...........,......1..16,000
"    Franklin's 6th corps..................16,000
"   Stoneman's division.................... 8,000
Total................................................96,000
Each division contained from twelve to fifteen regiments, which made the entire number between one
hundred and fifty and one hundred and sixty. The
average number of troops in each was about six hundred and fifty.   The Ninety-fifth  and Ninety-sixth
Pennsylvania, two of the strongest regiments in the
service, scarcely ever reported more than eight hundred men each for effective duty.  The Forty-ninth
Pennsylvania had but five hundred and fifty. None of
the five regiments composing the Excelsior Brigade
mustered  more than  four hundred  men.   General
Casey's entire division did not number five thousand.
A  year of constant service, sickness, wounds, and
death hadc made sad inroads upon every regiment of
the army of the Potomac.  General McClellan, whilst
he had more than one hundred and fifty regiments,
mustered but ninety-six thousand troops.
The strength of the enemy must be calculated upon
the same basis as that of the Federal force. When the
battle of Fair Oaks was fought, they had eight grand
divisions, besides cavalry, each one containing from
twenty-four to thirty regiments, and each corresponding to a Federal corps d'a'rmmee.  These eight divisions
were defending Richmond upon May 20.  Their force
was as follows: —




346            THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
General Huger's division........................ 16,000
"    D. B. Hill's division.................. 16,000
"    Longstreet's division.............. 16,000
"    G. W. Smith's division............... 16,000
"    Magruder's division............... 16,000
"    A. P. Hill's division.................. 16,000
R" ains's division...........   16,000
"    Ewell's division................. 16,000
"    Stewart's cavalry force............. 10,000
Total...............................................138,000
From the 20th of May to the 26th of June, or during
the time the Federal army was before Richmond, it is
estimated that the entire loss of Union troops, by
wounds, death, prisoners, sickness,  discharges, and
resignations, was about twenty thousand. Almost onehalf of these must have been lost in skirmishes and
battles. Five thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine
were killed, wounded, and captured at Fair Oaks, six
hundred  at Five Oaks, and three hundred and fortynine at Hanover Court-House; and other contests were
in proportion. The mortality from sickness was very
great, and hundreds were  discharged for disability.
Calculating the enemy's upon the basis of the Federal
loss, it amounts to twenty-nine thousand men, of whom
five thousand two hundred and thirty-three were lost
at Fair Oaks, and fifteen hundred at Hanover CourtHouse. This would therefore reduce the strength of
both armies thus:Federal.   Confederate.
Force upon May 20............ 96,000     138,000
Loss................................  20,000  29,000
Leaving........................... 76,000  109,000




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.            347
It only remains to add the number of reinforcements
received by each, and an approximation will be had to
the force of both when the retreat commenced upon
June 26. To the Federal army, General McCall's division of thirteen regiments and eight thousand men was
added upon June 18, being attached to General FitzJohn Porter's corps; and about the same date some
two thousand troops arrived from Fortress Monroe.
The Rebel army received upon June 5 a force supposed to be Jackson's, the strength of which has been
variously estimated, but which could scarcely have been
less than sixteen thousand; and upon the ten days
previous to the retreat there were fifty thousand added
to the enemy's number. Thus:Federal.  Confederate.
Force............................ 76,000    109,000
Reinforcements................... 10,000  66,000
Total.............................. 86,000    175,000
The Rebel army thus containing more than double
the number of men that General McClellan could
muster.
During the retreat, according to the official report,
the Federal army lost fifteen thousand two hundred
and twenty-four. No official statement of the enemy's
casualties has been given. The army of the Potomac
upon its arrival at Harrison's Landing was thus reduced to less than seventy-one thousand men. That
the enemy had an enormous force during the retreat
seems to be proven by the fact that at the end of
August they were able to defeat the combined forces
of Generals McClellan, Burnside, McDowell, Sigel,
30




348         THE SIEGE OF RICHAIOND.
Fremont, and Banks under the command of General
Pope, and compel their retreat to the protecting
trenches in front of Washington.
There have been few better armies than the one
which besieged Richmond. Complete in organization,
discipline, and that practice in combat which alone can
make troops fully available, it was deficient alone in
numbers. Mutual confidence existed between officers
and men, and every exertion was made by all to further
the plans of its commander. All arms of the service
were well represented by sturdy, patriotic volunteers,
whose soldierly conduct won the admiration of the
country they were fighting for. HIad force enough been
given it, victory would have been inscribed upon its
banners.
No braver men ever went to war than the soldiers
of that army. Their feats of daring have already become history. Their confidence, coolness, patience,
and courage will be the materials for many a tradition.
Where are there more admirable evidences of that true
bravery which alone deserves success than are found in the
actions of the soldiers of the army of the Potomac?-in the
bold adventure of the Fourth Michigan at New Bridge;
in the gallant conduct of the Second Maine at Hanover
Court-House; in the stubbornness of Casey's division
at Fair Oaks; in the glorious charge of the Excelsior
Brigade at that same bloody battle; in the contest of
parts of the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania and Thirtythird New York with the enemy upon June 28; or in
the resistance made by General Porter's corps on the
previous day at Gaines's Mills? And where will be




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           349
found more boldness than in the advance, amid the
enemy's fire, of the single company to the Mechanicsville bridge, or in Colonel Cake's expedition to the
swamps of the Chickahominy, or in Captain Keenan's
reconnoissance to the James River?  The men of the
army were true soldiers: in battle, in advance, in
retreat, they were alike courageous, confident, and mercifill.
Their general officers were worthy of such An army,
-the veteran Sumner, the cool but quick Heintzelman,
the daring Fitz-John Porter, the fighting Hooker, the
impetuous Kearney, the gallant ~McCall, and the numbers of others, —all of whom were true leaders, commanding every energy of their soldiers. Yet it is sad
to know that two of them have fallen in battle,-two
citizens of New Jersey, who had the most eminent
military ability, and whose loss caused lamentation
throughout the land. General Kearney was shot down
whilst posting an out-picket near Centreville, and
General Taylor died at Alexandria from  a mortal
wound received whilst defending the capital against
those who would invade it.
But what shall be said of the commander of such
generals and such men,-he who is received with such
enthusiasm as he passes among his troops, who commands the admiration of thousands in the country, and
whose military genius is acknowledged by all the soldiers of America,-the man whose modesty alone
competes with his ability, and who, whilst he is famous
for the campaigns he has fought, will be celebrated for
the magnanimity of every action of his public life?
General McClellan is one of the very few American
chieftains who is honored with the confidence of his




350          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
soldiers. It is given him to the utmost extent.
Nay, it rises higher. Not only have his followers faith
in his ability; but they love him: all testify to it.
His appearance is greeted with a shout. In camp his
praises are sunog; in battle every nerve is strung
tighter and every energy taxed higher when he rides
on the field. Nothing can deprive the soldier of his
love for his general.  When dying, he attests it; and
the poor cripple who has left a limb upon the battlefield is never better pleased than when telling the virtues of his beloved commander.
There is no or(linary military ability found in General McClellan.  From the beginning of the war his
career has been a constant series of successes, success
in organizing an army of citizen-soldiers, success on a
dozen fields in Western Virginia, success in driving
the enemy from before Washington, in thrusting them
from  Yorktown, in thundering at the very gates of
their capital, and, when a deaf ear was turned to all
his appeals for aid, consummate success in extricating
his army from the swamps of Virginia and the toils of
the foe.
His character is equally brilliant. He joined the
army as a soldier, and as such he still fights. No proclamation of his has given the Government uneasiness,
or caused fierce faction among the people. He has not
meddled with politics.  Not a word from his lips nor
a stroke from his pen has indicated a bias toward any
party. A true Union man, he wishes to sink all differences among the people, in order to quell the rebellion. Toward those who have spent their time and
their talents in misrepresentation and calumny he has
been mnost noble. He has overlooked all. For the




THE SIEGE OF RICIIOND.            351
good of the country he has peacefully submitted to
every indignity; and when his troops were taken from
him, and he was left at his camp in Alexandria,-a
general without an army, —he told the Administration
he would tender his resignation if they wished it, but
said, with a patriotism which could not be mistaken,
"I have enlisted for the war, and shall serve to the
end of it: if I retire from public life, it will only be
to join a regiment as a private soldier, and still fight
the enemy."
There are few men in America-there are certainly
none now in public life —more capable of subduing
the rebellion than Major-General GEORGE B3INTON
MCCLELLAN.
30*




RESUME OF PLANS AND MOVEMENTS
IN FRONT OF RICHMOND.
AS SEEN FROM THE CAMP AT HEAD-QUARTERS.
ANY truthful narration of events so momentous in
their results, and at the same time so thrilling and absorbing in the steps of their progress, as those attending McClellan's flank movement in the Peninsula, must
engage the attention of the loyal people of this nation,
especially in the absence of the more studied and
thorough representation which will come later, when,
in the fulness of time, the historian and critic shall
have weighed the bearing of movements on the grand
result of the war, and analyzed the skill with which
military dispositions were made for the successful accomplishment of deliberate designs. Again, the American people are entitled to the earliest information,
imperfect though it be, of the conduct and leading of
the army of the Potomac, so that, if merited, the Megis
of popular opinion may be interposed between that
gallant army and venal and designing politicians, who,
352




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           353
finding no such element as patriotism  in their own
moral constitution, cannot conceive that citizens may
face death from  disease and the sword to achieve
national regeneration, and who therefore use calumny
and detraction as weapons against men who, unmoved
by selfish considerations, and without any design of
seeking political advancement, fondly hope for the time
when the need of the country for their services shall
cease, and they may return to private life in the consciousness of having sacrificed home and congenial
pursuits in the discharge of a public duty.
Had General McClellan's orders been obeyed when
he directed General McDowell to proceed to West Point
while he attacked the enemy in the front at Yorktown,
there would have been no siege of Richmond; for the
enemy, with McClellan in his front and McDowell,
forty thousand strong, in his rear, would have rendered
Yorktown again famous by a second capitulation, rejoicing all loyal people and virtually ending a second
war. But that McDowell was removed from McClellan's command after he had sailed and was committed
to the completion of his plan in front of Yorktown is
known to all. The reason and method of this interference must one day be explained at the demand of
the country. After Yorktown was relinquished, an
immediate pursuit was made, with an attempt to throw
a force on the enemy's rear at West Point, where
McDowell should have been: these efforts were attended with partial, though inferior, success, and
General McClellan, having followed the retreat of the
enemy with great activity, placed himself in front of
Richmond, with a navigable river for his base, and a
short line of railroad directly in his rear, which furnished




354          THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
all his supplies, and removed his sick and wounded, as
fast as they accumulated, to hospital-boats.
Thus arranged, General McClellan found himself
prepared to attack the enemy's works, that surrounded
Richmond in a double line,-the first at a distance of
about five miles,-and selected the early days of June
for the assault. But the floods that swept out the canals
and rivers of Pennsylvania came also in Virginia, and
the Chickahominy, from a small stream, became an
almost impassable river, overflowing the low country in
its course. Preparatory to the assault upon Richmond,
the left of the army had been thrown over the Chickahominy,-when the enemy, believing that river now impassable, fell upon this wing with his entire force, intending to crush it; but, being bravely resisted, and
also assailed by divisions that crossed the Chickahominy
with indomitable courage upon the remains of bridges
afloat, and rocking with their burden, the water breaking over the guns, lie was foiled in his purpose, and
repulsed with great loss. This was the battle of Fair
Oaks, on the 31st of May.  General McClellan was
only prevented from following the foiled and beaten
enemy into Richmond at this time by the impossibility
of passing the Chickahominy over the wreck of the
two bridges that had already done such good service
before floating off piecemeal.
The month-of June was unprecedented in Virginia
for cold and incessant rain, and the army suffered from
camp-fever, a disease known to all armies, and a
diarrhcea exceedingly general, but not of a dangerous
character. During June, General McClellan contended
with floods of rain, which obliged him to build numerous bridges, and lay corduroy roads over swamps and




THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.           355
bottom-lands, often under the enemy's guns. These
difficulties alone prevented him from attacking Richmond; for not only were the lowlands on the Chickahominy flooded, but nowhere in the alluvial soil around
Richmond or on James River was it possible at that
time to move wagons or artillery. During this delay,
decreed by the elements, the enemy was engaged in
assembling the entire South at Richmond, and, although
the city was one vast hospital, this accumulation went
on, and the conscripts of Virginia, North Carolina, and
Georgia poured in by thousands. This General MicClellan was fully aware of, and scarcely a day elapsed
without bringing to his camp deserters and prisoners,
some of whom had not been in Richmond over a week,
and all of whom confirmed the above statement.
General McClellan now wrote repeatedly to his Government for reinforcements: he received in response
one small division, the Pennsylvania Reserves, consisting of eight thousand men, commanded by General
McCall. These raised General McClellan's command
to nearly ninety thousand men. Five thousand more
were tardily sent, and reached the White House too
late to be of service. They were returned to Fortress
Monroe, whence they joined the army of the Potomac
the day after it reached James River.
General McClellan knew of the enemy's intention of
attacking his right wing, and desired it, and when, on
Thursday afternoon, June 26, the Rebel Hill attacked
McCall at Mechanicsville, he was bravely met and
repulsed with great loss. At dawn on Friday, the
27th, General McCall withdrew  from  his position,
bringing his train, and joined General Fitz-John Porter in his rear, who also fell back with him, intending




3 6         THE SIEGE OF RICH.IOND.
to cross the Chickahominy on a bridge to the rear of
our front and centre, which lay facing Richmond from
White Oak Swamp to the banks of the Chickahominy.
The enemy followed with four entire divisions, commanded by Jackson, Hill, Longstreet, and A. P. Hill,
and forced our right wing, consisting of two small
divisions, to an engagement at a short distance from
the bridge over which it was intended to cross. Up to
this time every thing had proceeded entirely according
to General McClellan's desire; he had toled four divisions of the enemy, some eighty thousand strong, out
of Richmond, too far for them to return, and it now
remained to be seen whether his brilliant design in so
doing could be accomplished. Bridges had been built
over the Chickahominy in sufficient numbers in case of
mishap to retire upon the White House, a bridge had
been thrown over White Oak Creek in case a flank
movement toward James River should be necessary,
and now General lMcClellan stood at the telegraph
which communicated with all his commanders of the
front and left wing, awaiting the auspicious moment
when the enemy's front should have become so weakened by sending divisions to follow our right wing
down the other side of the Chickahominy, that, by one
brilliant dash, our left wing and centre could be swung
over all obstacles into Richmond, crowning the enemy's
double line of intrenchments and piercing his centre.
1But Fitz-John Porter had been forced to fight, and
gallantly the regulars, [Pennsylvania Reserve, and
other troops of his division met the enemy, two to
one. Here was the great battle of the Chickahominy,
where, to save his right wing, General McClellan was
obliged to reinforce from the left and centre with which




THE SIECGE OF RICHMOND.          357
he designed to charge into Richmond. At this hour,
the want of reinforcements from the North saved the
Rebel capital. The brigades of Newton, Taylor, and
Bartlett crossed to the assistance of the right wing, and,
when further aid was required, the Irish Brigade, under
Meagher, crossed with a quick step and martial bearing
at a critical moment that no one on that field will ever
forget. At night this command was leisurely withdrawn, and although the enemy had poured eighty
thousand men upon our right, and sent them too far to
recall, still his front was strong, and he moved large
masses toward our left, while using his artillery upon
our centre with unusual vigor. Under these circumstances, having sent every man that could be spared
from  the centre to save the right wing, an assault
upon Richmond was not the part of a general, and
McClellan calmly turned to his other resources. To fall
back upon the White House was to cease to threaten
Richmond and let loose a Rebel army to invade the
North; to make a flank movement to James River was
to incur the greatest hazard to which an army could
be exposed, while to make it successfully would be the
most brilliant military movement on record, and still
to threaten Richmond and hold the Rebel army in
check. With a calm and brave confidence on the part
of the entire army, first in its commander, secondly in
its officers,yand lastly in its matchless self, without haste,
without bluster, but quietly, soberly, and sedately, the
movement was made. The enemy was repulsed on Saturday, on Sunday, on Monday morning, in a general
engagement on Monday afternoon, and in full force
beaten and overthrown on Tuesday, when an obedient,
brave, and confident army occupied its chosen position




358         THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND.
on James River, having gallantly fought and patiently
suffered while obediently following the only man who
could have so won their confidence as to successfully
make a flank movement in the face of an enemy double
his numbers, at home, too, upon the field of operations.
THE END.