328

HANOVER COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL.

expressed to me, were substantially conveyed in the following dispatch ofJune 23d from his chief-of-staff :

“ Your dispositions of your troops are approved by the commanding general. . . . If j t ouare attacked, be careful to state as promptly as possible the number, composition, and positionof the enemy. The troops on this side will be held ready either to support you directly or toattack the enemy in their front. If the force attacking you is large, the general would preferthe latter course, counting upon your skill and the admirable troops under your command tohold their own against superior numbers long enough for him to make the decisive movementwhich will determine the fate of Richmond .”

The position selected on Beaver Dam Creek for our line of defense wasnaturally very strong. The banks of the valley were steep, and forces advanc-ing on the adjacent plains presented their flanks, as well as their front, to thefire of both infantry and artillery, safely posted behind intrenchments. Thestream was over waist-deep and bordered by swamps. Its passage wasdifficult for infantry at all points, and impracticable for artillery, except at

the bridge-crossing at Eller-son’s Mill, and at the oneabove, near Mechanicsville.

Quite early in the day Ivisited Gleneral Reynolds,near the head of the creek,and had the best reasonsnot only to be contented,but thoroughly gratified,with the admirable arrange-ments of this accomplishedofficer, and to be encouragedby the cheerful confidenceof himself and his able andgallant assistants, Seymouron his left, at Ellerson’s Mill,and Colonel Seneca G. Sim-mons and Major Roy Stonein his front. Each of theseofficers commanded a por-tion of the PennsylvaniaReserves — all under thecommand of the brave andable veteran, McCall. Thesetroops were about to engagein their first battle, and borethemselves then, as they didon trying occasions imme-diately following, with thecheerful spirit of the volun-teer and the firmness of the

MART1NDALE

( pA CHURCH _

/ Ladd'

.GRIFFIN

' Spender

Cafliu

Puller

C H / c

I? EDWARDSe 4r

SCALE

CONFEDERATE

PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF BEAVER DAM CREEK, JURE 26.

a, a , «, Approach of D. H. Hill and Longstreet from Richmond ; b, b, b,Approach of A. P. Hill ; c, c, c, Route of D. H. Hill to Old Cold Harbor,the day after the battle, to join Jackson’s attack on Union right; d, (7, d ,Route of A. P. Hill to New Cold Harbor, to attack Union center; e, e , e,Route of Longstreet to Dr. Gaines’s, to attack Union left. Of the liveConfederate brigades engaged in this battle, one (Ripley’s) was at-tached to the division of D. II. Hill and came up as a reenforcementto Pender, who, with Field, Archer, and Anderson, were part of thedivision of A. P. Hill , his other two divisions, Gregg and Branch, be-ing held in reserve. The losses in their hopeless attack fell chiefly uponArcher, who made the first advance about 5 p. m., and later upon Penderand Ripley. Pegram’s battery was badly cut up, losing forty-sevenmen and many horses. On the Union side, Martindale, Griffin, andMeade came up after the battle had begun, reenforcing Reynolds andSeymour. When firing ceased, about 9 p. m., Porter’s troops held theirposition; but Jackson’s approach on their right flank compelled itsevacuation early in the morning.— Editors.