CHAPTER VII.

THE SEVEN DAYS' FIGHTING BEFORE RICHMOND.

"But yesterday, and our country might

Have stood against the world; now lies she there,

And none so poor to do her reverence!"

"'Tis late before

Vide Julius Cæsar."

The brave despair."

THOMPSON.

ENERAL ROBERT E. LEE assumed command of the Army of Northern Vir

ginia in June, 1862; and, having called

to his support all available troops, including "Stonewall" Jackson from the Shenandoah Valley, he threw a large force against our right wing, on the north side of the Chickahominy, near Mechanicsville. Early next morning, McClellan ordered our forces back to Gaines' Mill, where a battle was fought and a victory won by the Confederate arms. The bulk of the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Jackson, Ewell, and Hill, under the immediate direction of General Lee, drove

E

our 30,000 men, under Porter, across the Chickahominy, paying 8000 men for their triumph. Thus began the "Seven days' fighting before Richmond." On the 28th of June, the pickets covering Hancock's front-which had suddenly become the right of the army--were advanced to the middle of the wheatfield mentioned in the last chapter, while the brigade line of battle was formed upon the old picket line. To sanguine men, unskilled in the art of war, this looked like an advance; and we said to each other: "McClellan has withdrawn Fitz-John Porter from the north side of the creek and intends to throw his left into Richmond." We were cautioned to keep a sharp look-out all day. Arms were loaded; we had sixty rounds of cartridge; there was that ominous stillness in the air so well understood by veterans, and we knew that fighting would soon commence. About sunset our vedettes gave the alarm: bang! bang! Yes, there was the enemy's line of battle, just across the narrow field; and the business of the evening was begun. I believe that the men of my regiment had averaged firing about twenty-four cartridges when the representatives of the "Stars and Bars" withdrew. Some of our miserable muskets became so hot, after firing about twenty rounds, that those who fought with them were obliged to pause; not at all a pleasant task under the circumstances. These were arms of Belgian manufacture; there were but few of them in the regiment, and I was one of the unfortunate holders of

these European stove-pipes. When the firing had entirely ceased, it was discovered that one of our vedettes had become demoralised at the first volley from the enemy, and had retired from his post in haste, without his cap, and bayonet. Colonel Cobb censured him for his unsoldierly conduct. “Why," said the Colonel, "you have lost your bayonet, sir, and your conduct demands punishment."

The German fellow-citizen replied: "Vell, ish bedder I loose my bayonet ash loose my life!" The man was a good soldier. He was between two fires when the fight began, and time was important.

Next morning, our brigade line was swung back on its left as a pivot, until we stood at right-angles with the position upon which we had fought the night before; and the idea of "a retreat" dawned upon us for the first time. A 'flank movement" and a "change of base" are the more scholarly terms.

"What does this mean, Charley?" I asked of a comrade who stood next to me in the ranks.

"Don't you see it? look behind you!" was his reply. And there our Pioneer corps were busily engaged burying picks, shovels, and other implements. "Evan," said my friend again, "I had never hoped to live to see this day." And the tears were tumbling down his cheeks. Poor Kavanaugh! he was quiet enough, in the nameless grave, long before "Forward!" and "Victory!" began to burst from the Northern column, on brighter days and other fields.

We remained several hours in our new position, the gallant Hancock riding up and down the line, watching every move like a panther. What a source of strength and joy he was to me, to all of us, on that day, which tried our faith and prowess. Finally, we marched by the right flank towards Savage Station. Concerning this movement, General Lee's nephew and biographer (Edward Lee Childe) says:-" Although Lee had no doubt about what was occurring, everything was done in such order that he was not assured of the Federal retreat till discovering, at sunrise on the 29th, that their lines were abandoned." Our brigade reached Savage Station before sunset; and our eyes for the first time beheld the wholesale destruction of property consequent upon retrograde movements in warfare. Huge pyramids of hard bread stood ready to be blown to the skies by kegs of powder. Carbines, muskets, and fixed ammunition were being rendered useless by men assigned to the duty; loads of ground coffee lay soaking in floods of whisky-nice decoction! Darkness was approaching, and we stood ready to move off towards White Oak Swamp, when the victorious foe, under Magruder, I think, opened fire upon our left. Hancock rode up to the head of his brigade, and we followed him back, marching in line of battle, through thick woods and undergrowth, as far as the York River Railway, where we remained until it was as dark as it becomes in Southern climes in June. Finally, cautious and

quiet, we withdrew, and marched all through the night over narrow, muddy "corduroy" roads, recently built, reaching our position at White Oak Swamp a little before daybreak. Sumner's men, against the forces of Magruder, did the fighting at the Station; but no serious attempt to carry our position was made.

After about two hours' sleep in the Swamp, we were moved to our position on the right. The enemy's column soon appeared, and saluted us by shelling our supply train, not yet out of park, creating a panic among the mule drivers. I believe that all unarmed mcn experience a considerable degree of fear when the shells are bursting and tearing in their immediate neighbourhood; and so it was with these drivers. Some of them mounted their mules and galloped off, leaving the wagons to their fate; and more would have followed the example but for the armed guard which compelled them to do their duty. The panic was not serious, and our train finally moved out in good order. We were quietly lying on our arms, endeavouring to extract the strength from our coffee by the heat of the sun-fires being prohibited when the enemy opened the most terrific cannonading I had yet heard, soon to be followed by an assault on our left. The Confederates fought desperately against a division of Pennsylvanians. The battle on this part of the line continued incessantly during the entire day. Charges and counter