AFTER the battle of Seven Pines, General R. E. Lee was
assigned to the command of the Army of Northern Virginia. He immediately
commenced to form plans by which to free the Confederate Capital from the
proximity of the enemy. I His first move was to send General Whiting's Division
to Staunton, as a ruse, to join General Jackson; to order the latter there to
march toward Richmond, or down the north side of the Chickahominy, upon the
right flank of McClellan; and, when Jackson was sufficiently near the enemy, to
throw across this stream the main body of the Confederate Army at, and in the
vicinity of Meadow bridge, and, finally, with his united forces to make a
general assault upon the Federals. I happened to have been made cognizant of
the foregoing plan through General Whiting, just prior to or during the march
to Staunton. I mention the source from which I obtained this information, as it
might seem strange that a Brigadier General should have knowledge of the secret
purposes of such a movement, in operations of so great importance.
My brigade having been reinforced by Hampton's Legion, under
the command of Colonel Geary, moved by railway about the middle of June, via
Lynchburg, to Charlottesville, and thence marched to Staunton. Upon our arrival
at this place, we received orders to retrace our steps, return to
Charlottesville, and there take the train to Hanover Junction. On the 25th I
conducted my command, which now formed a part of Jackson's Army, to Ashland. At
this point rations and ammunition were issued to the troops, and, the morning
of the 26th, I marched with my brigade in a southeasterly direction towards
Cold Harbor, as the advanced guard of Jackson's forces. We soon came in contact
with the Federal outposts, I whom we drove rapidly to and across Tottapotamoi
creek, a sluggish stream, with banks steep and densely wooded on either side.
Here I discovered the bridge on fire, and the enemy busily engaged felling
trees to check our advance beyond; thereupon, Reiley's battery was placed in
position, and opened fire, whilst we continued to push forward our skirmish
line. The Federals finally retreated in such haste that they left their axes in
the trees. The bridge was promptly repaired, and we continued skirmishing with
their rear guard till we reached Handley's Corner, where we halted, and
bivouacked for the night.
We had heard during the day, in the direction of
Mechanicsville, the guns of Longstreet and A. P. Hill, which indicated that the
issue of the great battle, then in progress, would soon be decided. At early
dawn of the 27th the march was resumed; Ewell's Division bore off in the
direction of our left during the day, and Whiting's to the right. The latter
received instructions, in the afternoon, to repair to the support of
Longstreet, then assaulting the Federal left at Cold Harbor. I moved on with
all possible speed, through field and forest, in the direction of the firing,
and arrived, about 4.30 p.m., at a point, on the telegraph road, I should think
not far distant from the centre of our attacking force. Here I found General
Lee, seated upon his horse. He rode forward to meet me, and, extending his
usual greeting, announced to me that our troops had been fighting gallantly,
but had not succeeded in dislodging the enemy; he added, "This must be done.
Can you break his line ?" I replied that I would try. I immediately formed my
brigade in line of battle with Hampton's Legion on the left. In front was a
dense woods and ugly marsh, which totally concealed the enemy from us; but the
terrible roar of artillery and musketry plainly revealed, however, that
thousands and thousands of living souls were struggling in most deadly conflict
for the mastery of that field, and I might say, almost under the shadow of the
Capitol of the infant Confederacy. My line was established, and moved forward,
regiment by regiment, when I discovered, as the disposition of the Eighteenth
Georgia was completed, an open field a little to its right. Holding in reserve
the Fourth Texas, I ordered the advance, and galloped into the open field or
pasture, from which point I could see, at a distance of about eight hundred
yards, the position of the Federals. They were heavily entrenched upon the side
of an elevated ridge running a little west and south, and extending to the
vicinity of the Chickahominy. At the foot of the slope ran Powhite creek, which
stream, together with the abatis in front of their works, constituted a
formidable obstruction to our approach, whilst batteries, supported by masses
of infantry, crowned the crest of the hill in rear, and long range guns were
posted upon the south side of the Chickahominy, in readiness to enfilade our
advancing columns. The ground from which I made these observations was,
however, open the entire distance to their entrenchments. In a moment I
determined to advance from that point, to make a strenuous effort to pierce the
enemy's fortifications, and, if possible, put him to flight. I therefore
marched the Fourth Texas by the right flank into this open field, halted and
dressed the line whilst under fire of the longrange guns, and gave positive
instructions that no man should fire until I gave the order; for I knew full
well that if the men were allowed to fire, they would halt to load, break the
allignment, and, very likely, never reach the breastworks. I moreover ordered
them not only to keep together, but also in line, and announced to them that I
would lead them in the charge. Forward march was sounded, and we moved at a
rapid, but not at a double-quick pace. Meantime, my regiments on the left had
advanced some distance to the front through the wood and swamp.
Onward we marched under a constantly increasing shower of
shot and shell, whilst to our right could be seen some of our troops making
their way to the rear, and others lying down beneath a galling fire. Our ranks
were thinned at almost every step forward, and proportionately to the growing
fury of the storm of projectiles. Soon we attained the crest of the bald ridge
within about one hundred and fifty yards of the breastworks. Here was
concentrated upon us, from batteries in front and flank, a fire of shell and
canister, which ploughed through our ranks with deadly effect. Already the
gallant Colonel Marshall, together with many other brave men, had fallen
victims in this bloody onset. At a quickened pace we continued to advance,
without firing a shot, down the slope, over a body of our soldiers lying on the
ground, to and across Powhite creek, when, amid the fearful roar of musketry
and artillery, I gave the order to fix bayonets and charge. With a ringing
shout we dashed up the steep hill, through the abatis, and over the
breastworks, upon the very heads of the enemy. The Federals, panic-stricken,
rushed precipitately to the rear upon the infantry in support of the artillery;
suddenly the whole joined in the flight toward the valley beyond. At this
juncture some twenty guns, stationed in rear of the Federal line on a hill to
my left, opened fire upon the Fourth Texas, which changed front, and charged in
their direction. I halted in an orchard beyond the works, and despatched every
officer of my staff to the main portion of the brigade in the wood on the left,
instructing them to bear the glad tidings that the Fourth Texas had pierced the
enemy's line, and were moving in his rear, and to deliver orders to push
forward with utmost haste. At the same moment I discovered a Federal brigade
marching up the slope from the valley beyond, evidently with the purpose to
re-establish the line. I ran back to the entrenchments, appealed to some of our
troops, who, by this time, had advanced to the breastworks, to come forward and
drive off this small body of Federals. They remained, however, motionless.
Jenkins's command, if I mistake not, which was further to our right, boldly
advanced and put this brigade to rout. Meantime, the long line of blue and
steel to the right and left wavered, and, finally, gave way, as the Eighteenth
Georgia, the First and Fifth Texas, and Hampton's Legion gallantly moved
forward from right to left, thus completing a grand left wheel of the brigade
into the very heart of the enemy. Simultaneously with this movement burst forth
a tumultuous shout of victory which was taken up along the whole Confederate
line.
I mounted my horse, rode forward, and found the Fourth Texas
and Eighteenth Georgia had captured fourteen pieces of artillery, whilst the
Fifth Texas had charge of a Federal regiment which had surrendered to it. Many
were the deeds of valor upon that memorable field.
General Jackson, in reference to this onset, says in his
official report:
" In this charge in which upwards of a thousand men fell,
killed and wounded, before the fire of the enemy, and in which fourteen pieces
of artillery and nearly a regiment were captured, the Fourth Texas, under the
lead of General Hood, was the first to pierce these strongholds and seize the
guns. Although swept from their defences by this rapid and almost matchless
display of daring and desperate valor, the well disciplined Federals continued
in retreat to fight with stubborn resistance."
On the following day, as he surveyed the ground over which
my brave men charged, he rendered them a just tribute when he exclaimed: "The
men who carried this position were soldiers indeed !"
Major Warwick, of the Fourth Texas, a brave and efficient
officer, fell mortally wounded near the works, whilst urging his men forward to
the charge; over one-half of this regiment lay dead or wounded along a distance
of one mile. Major Haskell, son-in-law of General Hampton, won my admiration by
his indomitable courage: just after my troops had broken the adversary's line,
and I was sorely in need of staff officers, he reported to me for duty, sword
in hand, notwithstanding one of his arms had by a shot been completely severed
from his body. I naturally instructed him to go in search of a surgeon.
After the capture of the artillery posted on the hill in
rear of the Federal line, a strange and interesting incident occurred. The
Second Cavalry, my regiment in the United States service prior to the war,
gallantly charged the Fourth Texas, the regiment I had organized and commanded
in the Confederate Army. Major Whiting, who was captain of my company on the
frontier of Texas, commanded the former in this bold attack to recapture these
guns; his horse was killed under him, and he fell stunned, though unharmed, at
the feet of my men, and was taken prisoner.
When the battle had ceased, I gave my attention at once and
during the night—to the care of the wounded, as doctors, litter-bearers
and ambulance drivers were without much experience at that early period of
hostilities. As I rode over the field, about 2 o'clock in the morning, amid the
wounded whose touching appeals for water resounded on every side, a voice in
the distance arose, calling me by my surname in tones of deep distress. Shortly
after one of my soldiers came and reported to me that Captain Chambliss, an old
friend, and a member of the Second Cavalry, United States Army, was lying upon
the hill, desperately wounded. I ordered him to return immediately, to render
every assistance in his power, and to assure Chambliss that I would soon be
with him, as I was then completing the necessary arrangements for the care of
the wounded. About daybreak I reached the spot where my friend lay, and we met
with the same warmth of feeling which had characterized our intercourse
previous to the war. I issued instructions to have him transported to the
hospital, and accorded the same attention given to my own wounded officers.
Although I feared at the time his wounds would prove mortal, he, I am glad to
state, finally recovered.
Subsequent to the battles around Richmond, I, in company
with Colonel Fitzhugh Lee, also formerly of the Second Cavalry, United States
Army, visited the Capital, and, at the Libby prison, called upon Whiting and
Chambliss, with whom we renewed the cordial relations we had enjoyed upon the
frontier.
The dead were buried on the field of Cold Harbor or Gaines's
Mills on the 28th, and, the afternoon of the 29th, my brigade began the pursuit
of the enemy along with Jackson's forces. We crossed the Chickahominy at
Grapevine bridge, near the railroad; arrived at Savage's Station the morning of
the 30th, and pushed on to White Oak Swamp, where we found the enemy in
position on the opposite side of the stream, in our immediate front, behind the
bridge, which they had destroyed on the retreat. General Jackson ordered
forward a few batteries, opened fire, and, at the same time, sent detachments
to the right and left to effect a crossing and assail our adversary upon both
flanks. Whilst this artillery duel in our front was progressing, Longstreet and
A. P. Hill were heavily engaged lower down at Frayser's Farm. At a very early
hour on the morning of July 1st we forced the passage of white Oak Swamp, moved
rapidly forward, and, before long, reached the field which Hill and Longstreet
had compelled the enemy to abandon. From this point Jackson's Corps led the
advance of Lee's Army upon the Willis Church road; my brigade, under an
annoying fire from the Federal rear guard, soon arrived in an open field in
front of and commanded by Malvern Hill. The latter was not only a position of
immense natural strength, but was, moreover, crowned with artillery which was
supported by McClellan's entire Army.
General Whiting's Division, in this meadow, constituted the
left of the Confederate line; and, although the position occupied by the enemy
in our immediate front was seemingly impregnable, the country on their right
appeared to be open, and to afford an easy approach. I therefore dispatched
some of my Texas scouts to reconnoitre in that direction. The report, shortly
received, was of a favorable character, and General Hampton and I requested of
General Whiting permission to turn and assail this exposed flank. Our
application was not granted, however, and we remained during the day under a
murderous fire of artillery, whilst our forces on the right were driven back in
every attempt made to gain possession of Malvern Hill. The ensuing night the
Federals retreated to Harrison's Landing, on the James river, and thus put an
end to this bloody and fruitless contest.
General Jackson marched, after this engagement, in the
direction of Culpepper Court House, leaving my brigade with; Longstreet. The
battle at Cedar Run soon followed, and resulted in a brilliant victory for
Jackson over Pope, Whilst Longstreet remained with his corps in observation of
McClellan's shattered forces at Harrison's Landing. A fleet of vessels,
however, appeared on the James river to transport the Federals to another field
of operations, and orders were issued to march to the Rapidan in the vicinity
of Gordonsville, which point we reached about the 15th of August.
My command had been increased by the addition of two or more
batteries and a splendid brigade, under Colonel E. M. Law, an able and
efficient officer. General Evans was shortly afterwards given, besides his own
troops, command of the two brigades under my direction. |
