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HANOVER COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL.

of assignment was issued, June 27th, however, there was no enemy con-fronting that officer — Jackson having disappeared from Northern Virginia,and being in my front at Gaines’s Mill.

About 2 o’clock p. m., on the 26th, the boom of a single cannon in thedirection of Mechanicsville resounded through our camps. This was thesignal which had been agreed upon, to announce the fact that the enemywere crossing the Chickahominy. The curtain rose; the stage was preparedfor the first scene of the tragedy. At once tents were struck, wagons packedand sent to the rear to cross to the right bank of the Chickahominy. Theseveral divisions were promptly formed, and took the positions to which theyhad previously been assigned. General McCall assumed command at BeaverDam Creek; Meade joined him, taking position behind Seymour; Martindaleand General Charles Griffin, of Morell’s division, went, respectively, to theright and rear of Reynolds; Butterfield was directed to support GeneralCooke’s, and subsequently Martindale’s right, while Sykes was held readyto move wherever needed. Reynolds and Seymour prepared for action andconcealed their men.

About 3 o’clock the enemy, under Longstreet, D. H. and A. P. Hill , in :large bodies commenced rapidly to cross the Chickahominy almost simul- jtaneously at Mechanicsville, Meadow Bridge, and above, and pushed down the jleft bank, along the roads leading to Beaver Dam Creek. In accordance with jdirections previously given, the outposts watching the access to the crossings \fell back after slight resistance to their already designated position on the east !bank of Beaver Dam Creek, destroying the bridges as they retired. ' j

After passing Mechanicsville the attacking forces were divided, a portiontaking the road to the right to Ellerson’s Mill, while the larger body directedtheir march to the left into the valley of Beaver Dam Creek, upon the roadcovered by Reynolds. Apparently unaware, or regardless, of the great danger iin their front, this force moved on with animation and confidence, as if going ■to parade, or engaging in a sham battle. Suddenly, when half-way down thebank of the valley, onr men opened upon it rapid volleys of artillery andinfantry, which strewed the road and hill-side with hundreds of dead andwounded, and drove the main body of the survivors back in rapid flight to andbeyond Mechanicsville. So rapid was the fire upon the enemy’s huddledmasses clambering back up the hill, that some of Reynolds’s ammunitionwas exhausted, and two regiments were relieved by the 4th Michigan and14th New York of Griffin’s brigade. On the extreme right a small force of theenemy secured a foothold on the east bank, but it did no harm, and retiredunder cover of darkness.

The forces which were directed against Seymour at Ellerson’s Mill madelittle progress. Seymour’s direct and Reynolds’s flank fire soon arrested themand drove them to shelter, suffering even more disastrously than those whohad attacked Reynolds. Late in the afternoon, greatly strengthened, theyrenewed the attack with spirit and energy, some reaching the borders of thestream, but only to be repulsed with terrible slaughter, which warned themnot to attempt a renewal of the fight. Little depressions in the ground