F. J. Porter to July 12, July 7, 1862

July 7, 1862.

Camp at Harrison’s Landing, Va., July 7, 1862. GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on Friday, the 27th of June, atter the successful withdrawal of the right wing of the army from Mechanicsville and its encampment on Gaines’ and Curtis’ farms, near New Bridge, it became necessary for the safety of the material to cover the bridges connecting with the main army across the Chickahominy. For this purpose the corps was disposed in a semicircle, having its extremities resting on the stream, while the intermediate portion occupied the ground designated by the major-general commanding, it being the best possible for defense under the circumstances. Part of the front was covered by the ravine of the Gaines’ Mill stream, covered with trees and underbrush, which partially masked our force and screened the reserves from view.

By this disposition the roads from Cold Harbor and Mechanicsville, which converge at that point, were duly covered and defended. On the front thus formed were posted the divisions of Morell and Sykes, each brigade having in reserve two of its own regiments. Portions of the divisions of artillery of Morell and Sykes were posted to sweep the avenues of approach. The rest were held in reserve. McCall’s division formed a second line in rear of the woods skirting the ravine, Reynolds’ brigade being posted on the extreme right, to cover the approaches from Cold Harbor and Dispatch Station to Sumner’s Bridge. General Cooke, with his cavalry, was instructed to take a position under the hill in the valley of the Chickahominy to watch our left flank, and, should the opportunity occur, to strike the enemy on the plain. He was told that he would have nothing to do on the hill. The troops remained in position waiting the approach of the enemy’s columns, known to be advancing in very great force. Believing my force too small to defend successfully this long line, I asked of General Barnard, who had selected and pointed out this position, to represent to the major-general commanding the necessity of re-enforcement, and he was to send me felling axes for defensive purposes.

Deserters from their ranks and loyal citizens of Virginia represented that General Jackson, with 50,000 men, had united his forces with those of Longstreet, A. P. Hill, and D. H. Hill, from Richmond, and that they were advancing, with the determination to overwhelm and crush the Army of the Potomac. The dust from the immense columns of the enemy could be seen for miles, and soon our scouts and pickets warned us that they were extending over our whole front.

About 2 o’clock p.m. they began. with their skirmishers to feel for the weakest point of our position, and soon large bodies of infantry, supported by a warm fire of artillery, engaged our whole line. Repulsed in every direction, a few hours of ominous silence ensued, indicating that their troops were being massed for an overwhelming attack. Our infantry and artillery were drawn in toward the center and posted to meet the avalanche. Re-enforcements were again asked for, and all available troops were sent forward by the major-general commanding.

About 6 o’clock the enemy renewed the attack, advancing immense bodies of infantry, under cover of artillery, along the road from Cold Harbor to Adams’ house, immediately upon our right and center, where Sykes’ division and Griffin’s brigade were placed. This furious attack was successfully resisted and repulsed, but immediately renewed by fresh troops. The reserves were pushed as rapidly as possible into the woods to the support of Griffin, whose regiments were relieved upon the expenditure of their ammunition. This and all our positions were held against the enormous odds, and the enemy were at times driven back by our battalions of fresh troops as they were successively thrown into action. At each repulse by us fresh troops were thrown by the eneiny upon our exhausted forces, and in such numbers and so

Cnar. XXIIL) SEVEN-DAYS’ BATTLES. 225

rapidly that it appeared as if their reserves were inexhaustible. The action now extending throughout our entire lines, the brigades of McCall were successively thrown forward to give support to Morell’s hardpressed division. The promised re-enforcements (Slocum’s division) arrived just as the last of McCall’s troops had been sent in to the relief of those of Morell’s battalions whose ammunition had been exhausted, or to take the place of those which had been nearly cut to pieces. Newton’s brigade, of Slocum’s division, being in the advance, was promptly led, regiment after regiment, to the right of Griffin’s brigade, of Morell’s division, and the left of Sykes’ division into the thickest of the fight by its gallant commander, and was soon followed in the same manner by Taylor’s brigade, each regiment relieving the regiment in advance as soon as the ammunition of the latter was exhausted.

In the mean time Sykes, hard pressed on the right, maintaining his ground with all the obstinacy of the regulars and the spirit of the volunteers, required support, and Bartlett’s brigade, of Slocum’s division, was sent to his relief. A portion, however, of Newton’s brigade had already been pushed in to the assistance of his left.

Previous to the arrival of Slocum’s brigade, Reynolds, having repulsed the enemy in his front, and hearing the tremendous contest on his left, had, acting under a true maxim and with the generous spirit of a soldier, moved to the sound of cannon, and led his men, regiment after regiment, where our hard-pressed forces required most assistance. As each regiment entered the woods to the relief of their exhausted companions the effect was immediately shown by the enemy being driven before them, as evidenced by the sound of musketry growing more and more distant. Some regiments which had been withdrawn after having exhausted their ammunition reformed, replenished their boxes, and returned, in one case even for the third time, to this unequal contest. For each regiment thrown into action there seemed to be two or three fresh regiments brought up by the enemy, but our men maintained their own, and necessarily repulsed them until the last regiment had been advanced.

As if for a final effort, just as darkness was covering everything from view, the enemy massed his fresh regiments on the right and left and threw them with overpowering force against our thinned and wearied battalions. In anticipation of this our artillery, which till now had been well engaged at favorable points of the field in dealing destruction upon the enemy or held in reserve, was now thrown to the front – to cover the withdrawal of our retiring troops. The batteries already engaged continued playing on the coming horde, while the others (in all about eighty guns) successively opened as our troops withdrew from in front of their fire, and checked in some places, in others drove back, the advancing masses.

All appeared to be doing well, our troops withdrawing in order to the cover of the guns, the enemy retiring, and victory, so far as possession of the field was concerned, had already settled upon our banners, when, to my great surprise, the artillery on the left were thrown into confusion by a charge of cavalry coming from the front. With no infantry to support, these and the other batteries limbered up and moved to the rear—some with deliberation and only after dealing destruction to the enemy; others in haste, but without confusion, leaving the battle-field with no enemy upon it. The explanation of this is that although the cavalry had been directed early in the day to keep below the hill and under no circumstances to appear upon the crest,

226 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. (Cuar. XXIII

but to operate, if a favorable opportunity offered, against the flank of the enemy in the bottom-land, Brig. Gen. P. St. George Cooke, doubtless misinformed, ordered it, as I have since learned, to charge between our infantry and artillery upon the enemy on our left flank, who had not yet emerged from the woods. This charge, executed in the face of a withering fire of infantry and in the midst of heavy cannonading, resulted, of course, in their being thrown into confusion, and the bewildered horses, regardless of the efforts of the riders, wheeled about, and dashing through the batteries, convinced the gunners that they were charged by the enemy. To this alone is to be attributed our failure to hold the battle-field and to bring off all our guns and wounded.

At this juncture the cheering shouts of Brigadier-Generals French’s and Meagher’s men were heard advancing to our support. Although they came too late to give us the aid required to drive back the already retiring foe, they gave renewed courage and confidence to our men, whose regiments formed under their protection and were all withdrawn that night, with the material and supplies, to the other side of the Chickahominy. Thus was accomplished, with defeat and heavy loss to the enemy, the withdrawal of the right wing of the army in execution of the orders of the major-general commanding. In these two severe contests of Mechanicsville and the Chickahominy the country has to deplore the loss of many gallant and brave men.

In so unequal a struggle (one to three) our losses may be considered as small. It can only be attributed to the skill of the officers and the bravery and discipline of the men.

For our success at the battle of Mechanicsville I desire especially to commend the admirable dispositions made by Brigadier-Generals Reynolds and Seymour, owing to which, with the skillful management of their men, the losses were few. In this latter respect (the excellent posting of his men) I also commend Brigadier-General Griffin. I desire to express my thanks for the service rendered by those in charge of our siege guns, referred to above, which had been previously moved across the Chickahominy to the command of Brigadier-General Smith, in checking by their destructive fire the enemy from advancing upon our left. At the battle of the Chickahominy I desire especially to call to the attention of the commanding general the conduct of BrigadierGeneral Sykes and of his brigade commanders, Colonel Warren, Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan, and Major Lovell, who for hours, by the admirable disposition of their men, drove back the enemy and maintained their ground against fearful odds; to Brigadier-General Morell and his brigade commanders, Martindale, Butterfield, and Griffin, who yielded their position in the front only after their ammunition was expended and their regiments inuch cut up; to Brigadier-General McCall and his brigade commanders, Reynolds, Meade, and Seymour, who successively led their regiments into the thickest of the fight to support and relieve their exhausted commands; to Brigadier-Generals Newton and Taylor, who also conducted their regiments to the support of Morell and McCall; to Colonel Bartlett, commanding brigade, Slocum’s division, who gallantly assisted General Sykes and repulsed charges of the enemy; to Captain Locke, assistant adjutant-general ; Captains Kirkland and Mason, Lieutenants Monteith and McQuade, and Lieutenant Weld, members of my staff, the gallantry of all of whom was conspicuous, and whose services in carrying orders, conducting re-enforcements, directing batteries, and rallying troops were no less valuable than those of the commanders themselves ; and to Dr. Lyman, medical director, for his prompt care and attention to the wounded.

Snap, XXII.) SEVEN-DAYS’ BATTLES. 227

I beg leave also to express my thanks for the service rendered during part of the engagement by the aides of the major-general commanding, Lieutenant-Colonel Radowitz, Major Hammerstein, and Capts. Louis Philippe and Robert d’Orleans, whose courage and energy were conspicuous among many brave men on that day’s field. I also in this connection express my admiration of the conduct of Captain Hoyt, aide to General Butterfield, who, like all the above aides (mine included), inspired our men with confidence when rallying them in their retreat and under the fire of the enemy.

I cannot further mention individual acts. I give merely those in elevated position whose conduct came under my own observation and as an acknowledgment of the services of each command. Many other cases of merit must be left for a more detailed report.

In the operations above detailed it is to be regretted that our losses were necessarily severe, but our objects were gained in the unmolested concentration of our army with all its siege guns and material. Among the officers lost to us I regret being obliged to number Brigadier-General Reynolds, Major Clitz, Captain Whiting, and Lieut. S. M. Weld, my aide, and Captain Chambliss, who were taken prisoners near the close of the contest. The country will mourn the loss of Colonels Gove, of the Twenty-second Massachusetts; McLane, of the Kighty-third, and Black, of the Sixty-second Pennsylvania, killed in action—genial men and gallant officers, who had distinguished themselves on previous occasions; Maj. N. B. Rossell, Third Infantry, and some others who have not yet been officially reported to me.

Detailed reports of commanders will be forwarded as they are received.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JULY 12.
P. S._Since writing the above I have learned that the call for troops
and axes, intrusted to General Barnard early in the day, was never
delivered to the commanding general. Axes were again called for, but
delivered at too late an hour to be helved and used. Two hundred
men of the Eleventh Pennsylvania, detailed to helve them, were all of
that regiment saved from capture or destruction. The barricades prepared by borrowing the axes of the artillery insured desperate and