W. N. Pendleton to R. E. LEE, Commanding, July 21, 1862

Near Richmond, July 21, 1862.

GENERAL:

I have the honor to submit the following report of the pert performed by the several portions of my command and by myself in the recent successful movements of our army against the enemy :

The duty at the outset assigned me was to see such good use made of the artillery on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy as to hold the enemy in check should he advance against our weakened lines, while our more active force was attacking his right beyond the stream. To this I was directed to give my constant and unremitting attention, and, as a preliminary, instructed to have the Reserve Artillery posted on the different fronts, where it could be conveniently and rapidly brought ‘into action when necessary.

My arrangements were accordingly made, and early dawn of June 26 found the Reserve Artillery distributed thus: Maj. Charles Richardson, with two batteries of his battalion (those of Ancell and Milledge), on the heights near Mechanicsville Bridge; two batteries (those of Lane, from Lieutenant-Colonel Cutts’ battalion, and of Woolfolk, from Major Richardson’s battalion) some distance down the Chickahominy, near Mrs. Price’s house, where they had been for many days on duty, with the guns directed by Major Garnett, under fire—often severe— from the enemy’s batteries; Maj. William Nelson, with his battalion, the batteries of Huckstep, Kirkpatrick, and R. C. M. Page, advanced on the Nile-mile road to co-operate with the force near Dr. Garnett’s farm; Maj. H. P. Jones, with his battalion, the batteries of Clark, Peyton,

534 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. (Cuar. XXII.

and Rhett, temporarily assigned as a division reserve to General D. H. Hill and accompanying his command; Lieutenant-Colonel Cutts, with three batteries of his battalion (those of Ross, Price, and Blackshear), advanced on the Williamsburg road to strengthen General Huger where

his right had been engaged with the enemy on the previous day, and

Col. J. Thompson Brown, with several batteries of his regiment, constituting the remaining reserve, stationed near the fork of the Ninemile road, whence they could speedily move in any direction.

With a command thus necessarily diffused I could: give only general direction to the whole and occasional personal supervision to each portion. JI am happy, however, to be able to testify that each, in proportion to opportunity, performed well its part, and was sincerely disappointed when opportunity proved but slight. They all came more or less into requisition during the varied and protracted contest, and some rendered peculiarly gallant and valuable service. The particulars will be briefly given in the sequel, and are more fully exhibited in the reports of the several commanders, herewith submitted.

My first personal care on the morning of ‘Ihursday, June 26, was devoted to our extreme right, where it seemed most likely the enemy might attempt an advance if he knew or suspected our movements. I therefore proceeded early that day to the scene of the preceding days’ conflict, General Huger’s right, and accompanied by his chief of artillery, Lieutenant-Colonel [J. A.] de Lagnel, and by Lieutenant-Colonel Cutts, made a reconnaissance some distance in advance of our lines. This, though at first apparently hazardous, proved entirely safe, as the enemy, so far from their advancing, had partially fallen back. Satisfied of this, and agreeing with the chief artillery officers as to the ground to be occupied and the course to be pursued should the enemy move forward, I passed to other points of that front, confident that in the event of sudden action Colonel Cutts, whose gallantry and capacity have been so well proved, would efficiently use the reserve under his charge in aiding General Huger to maintain his position. But no general or important move occurred on either side nor was the comparative quiet broken here, even after the firing had commenced near Mechanicsville, jate in the afternoon.

On the morning of the 27th, finding our right still undisturbed, I applied myself to the line from Mechaniesville Bridge down the right bank of the Chickahominy, with a view to the service our batteries might there render. Major Richardson, with some long-range guns attached to his command—especially two powerful rifles, partly managed by the appliances of his batteries and partly by a detail under Captain Masters, from General A. P. Hill’s division—was already paying his respects to the enemy across the stream with apparently good effect; but as the shots endangered our own troops pursuing the retreating foe, a message from the commanding general caused to be discontinued this adjunct to the main attack. After great effort on the part of Captain Milledge, under Major Richardson’s supervision, td conduct one of these large guns along the hill’s summit down the stream, the route was found impracticable, and as guns of short range were unavailing, those batteries which had heen under fire for several days were sent to the rear. Later in the day, however, Captain Ancell was permitted to take one of the long-range guns to the front, on the Ninemile road, in the hope of an opportunity for service there, and subsequently Major Richardson succeeded in bringing the other by the same road with a similar hope.

My own route along the crest brought me about 9 a. m. to a point

Cnar. XXII] SEVEN-DAYS’ BATTLES. 535

below Dr. Friend’s house, whence, with a field glass, I distinctly saw the enemy in very large force and in battle order upon an open slope some 2 miles below Dr. Gaines’ farm, and portions of our own troops gradually advancing, as if feeling their way along the difficulties of the left bank. The powerful array of the former and the cautious progress of the latter induced me at once to send a duplicate dispatch, through the nearest general, to the commander-in-chief, notifying him of the observed position and strength of the enemy. My two aides, Acting Lieut. Charles Hatcher and Cadet Taliaferro, who bore these dispatches across the difficult swamp, deserve honorable mention for the alacrity, resolution, and success with which they performed the task.

After some time a return message came from the commanding general, directing that our longest-range guns should be made, if possible, to play upon the observed position of the enemy. Arrangements to this end had already been made, and two powerful rifled pieces, under Captain Dabney, were on their way to the best place accessible, just below Mrs. Price’s. At the house near this latter position I met the President, General Magruder, and other officers, and informed them of the facts thus noticed. Finding with the large guns too little ammunition, I dispatched an aide, Lieutenant Peterkin, to have hastened from Richmond a sufficient supply. The trust he discharged with exemplary energy.

Meanwhile a sharp artillery contest commenced between some of our batteries on Dr. Garnett’s field and those of the enemy behind their breastworks, bringing numerous shells about our position. This contest was most gallantly waged on our side under the general direction of Lieut. Col. S. D. Lee, and participated in with great spirit by Captains Lane and Woolfolk, and by Captain Kirkpatrick and Lieutenant Massie, with a portion of Huckstep’s battery, the two latter being specially commanded by Major Nelson, whose calm and cheerful courage under a very hot fire was of utmost service to our inexperienced men in their post of extraordinary exposure. The other portions of Major Nelson’s command were also greatly exposed, though favored with no opportunity of returning fire.

The two large rifles, under Captain Dabney, being posted as far forward as practicable, and committed, with instructions, to the charge of Major Garnett, in due time opened upon the enemy across the stream ; with what effect we could not determine. IJteturning to the better post of observation below Dr. Friend’s I watched the course of events till the fierce encounter, which late in the afternoon gave the field to our victorious troops [was over]. Immediately thereafter the President requested me to conduct him to General McLaws’ headquarters, and I have gratefully to record his preservation under a warm fire from the enemy’s batteries which we encountered on the way.

Saturday, June 28, my first care was directed to getting into position at Dr. Garnett’s guns of sufficient power to silence the enemy’s heavy batteries. Major Richardson’s two large guns were ordered forward, and preparations made for the immense Blakely rifle, which it was found could not be adjusted for use earlier than the following morning. Having again visited General Huger’s front and found nothing new, I returned and remained at Mrs. Price’s, while Lane’s, Dabney’s, and Woolfolk’s guns dislodged the enemy from his stronghold near Golding’s.

This day having passed with no decisive information on our side the Chickahominy as to many events the other side, and there being with us no little suspense, the President about sunset requested me to bear

536 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. (Cnar. XXIII.

for him a confidential message to the commanding general. This, with its sequences—arrangements with division commanders, by General Lee’s order, for having the enemy’s movements vigilantly watched that night—kept me at work till past 1 o’clock.

Fever supervening disabled me on the 29th, so that the day was necessarily passed by me as a quiet Sabbath. Portions of my command were, however, quite actively engaged, under arrangements already described, in pursuing, with other forces, the retreating enemy.

During the two preceding days Colonel Brown and LieutenantColonel Coleman had sought opportunity to be of use beyond the Chickahominy. The latter accompanied two batteries of the regiment, the Richmond Fayette Artillery, Lieutenant Clopton commanding, and the Williamsburg Artillery, Captain Coke, ordered on the morning of the 27th to report to General Lee at Mechanicsville, as he had requested. Those batteries were held as part of the reserve of that portion of the army. lLieutenant-Colonel Coleman was called to act as chief of artillery for General A. P. Hill’s division during several days, Maj. R. L. Walker being at the time sick. Colonel Brown became a close spectator of the Friday evening’s struggle, and brought his experience and authority to bear in extricating one of his companies—Third Howitzers, Captain Smith, on duty with a brigade—from a perilous position, in which they could do no good.

The reserve battalion of Major Jones, accompanying General D. H. Hill’s division, was much engaged those several days and did excellent Service, as it did also subsequently in the encounter at White Oak Swamp, eliciting from their commander a warm eulogium for their galJantry and for the honorable fact that there was not one stragglerfrom their ranks the entire week.

On Monday, 30th, I was again able to be in the field, and employed the forenoon in ascertaining [the] movements in progress and adjusting to them the arrangements of my own command. The afternoon was given to making sure of three large rifle guns for use in the field on Tuesday, if needed and practicable.

Tuesday morning, July 1, was spent by me in seeking for some time the commanding general, that I might get orders, and by reason of the intricacy of routes failing in this, in examining positions near the two armies, toward ascertaining what could be best done with a large artillery force, and especially whether any position could be reached whence our large guns might be used to good purpose. These endeavors had of course to be made again and again under the enemy’s Shells, yet no site was found from which the large guns could play upon the enemy without endangering our own troops, and no oceasion was presented for bringing up the reserve artillery—-indeed, it seemed that not one-half of the division batteries were brought into action on either Monday or Tuesday. To remain near by, therefore, and await events and orders, in readiness for whatever service might be called for, was all that I could do. Here again it was my privilege to be thrown with the President, he having arrived some time after night-fall at the house near the battlefield, where I had just before sought a resting place.

On Wednesday, 2d, active operations being interfered with by a heavy rain, my main efforts were directed to examining a number of batteries, sending to the rear some that had been injured, and having taken to Richmond such of the captured ordnance as had not been previously removed.

Thursday, 3d, the retreat of the enemy beyond Turkey Creek hav

Cuar. XXIII. SEVEN-DAYS’ BATTLES, 537

ing been effected and no probability of another general engagement then appearing, I received, on calling upon the commanding general, personal instructions to take to the rear all the artillery not requisite for the divisions, and to co-operate with the ordnance and quartermaster’s departments in having sought for and secured all the stores wrested from or left by the enemy. With the discharge of these duties on that day and several others succeeding terminated the moderate share it was the privilege of my command and of myself to have during this eventful period in the toils, sacrifices, and inestimable services of our heroic army.

Our loss in the several contests of the occasion was—in Major Jones’ battalion, 5 men killed and 24 wounded; 13 horses disabled and 2 wheels destroyed.

In Colonel Brown’s regiment—1 man wounded and 2 horses killed.

In Lieutentant-Colonel Cutts’ battalion (Lane’s company)—3 men killed and 5 wounded; 1 horse killed.

In Major Richardson’s battalion (Woolfolk’s company)—1 man killed and 3 wounded.

In Major Nelson’s battalion—1 man killed and 1 wounded (though 7 struck) and 4 horses disabled, making a total of 10 men killed and 3 wounded and 20 horses disabled.

Of our medical staff, Surg. J. R. Page and Assistant Surgeons Greene, Perrin, Semple, Monteiro, and Hopkins were called upon for the exercise of their skill, and with exemplary fidelity devoted themselves not only to the relief of our own wounded, but to alleviating the injuries of other sufferers. In fact my entire staff was assiduous in duty, and I may safely declare that no truer spirit animated our best troops than was exercised by those under my command.

In conclusion, while gratefully recognizing that Divine favor which crowned us with victory, I would commend to the consideration of the commanding general what seems to me to have been a serious error with regard to the use of artillery in these several fights—too little was thrown into action at once; too much was left in the rear unused. One or two batteries brought into position at a time to oppose a much larger artillery force well posted must greatly suffer, if not ultimately yield, under the concentrated fire. ‘This was in several instances our experience. We needed more guns taking part, alike for our own protection and for crippling the enemy. With a powerful array opposed to his own, we divide his attention, shake his nerves, make him shoot at random, and more readily drive him from the field worsted and alarmed. A main cause of this error in the present case was no doubt a peculiar intricacy in the country, from the prevalence of woods and swamps. We could form little idea of positions, and were very generally ignorant of those chosen by the enemy and of the best modes of approaching them; nor were good maps readily accessible, by which in some measure to supply this deficiency ; hence a considerable degree of perplexity, which nothing but careful reconnaissances, by skillful officers, experienced in such service, could have obviated, but being obviated, attack had been more co-operative, concentrated, and effectual, the enemy’s condition more crippled, and our success more triumphant, with less mourning in the land.

I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Artillery.
General R. E. LEE, Commanding.

No. 2165.
Report of Maj. Charles Richardson, commanding Second Battalion, of operations June 26-July 2, including the battles of Mechanicsville and
Gaines’ Mill. :
Hpers. SeconD BATT., PENDLETON’S ARTILLERY CORPS,