HANOVER. COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL.

3.31

shielded many from our fire, until, when night came on, they all fell backbeyond the range of our guns. Night put an end to the contest.

The Confederates suffered severely. All night the moans of the dying andthe shrieks of the wounded reached our ears. Our loss was only about 250of the 5000 engaged, while that of the Confederates was nearly 2000 out ofsome 10,000 attacking, j

General McClellan had joined me on the battle-field at an early hour in theafternoon. While we discussed plans for the immediate future, influenced inour deliberations by the gratifying results of the day, numerous and unvary-ing accounts from our outposts and scouts toward the Pamunkey warned usof the danger impending on the arrival of Jackson, and necessitated adecision as to which side of the Chickahominy should be held* in force. Heleft me late at night, about 1 a. m. (June 27th), with the expectation ofreceiving information on his arrival at his own headquarters from the tenorof which he would be enabled to decide whether I should hold my presentposition or withdraw to a well-selected and more advantageous one east ofGaines’s Mill, where 1 could protect the bridges across the Chickahominy,over which I must retire if compelled to leave the left bank. He left GeneralBarnard, of the Engineers , with me, to point out the new line of battle in casehe should decide to withdraw me from Beaver Dam Creek. The orders towithdraw reached me about 3 o’clock a. m., and were executed as rapidly aspossible.

The position selected for the new stand was east of Powhite Creek, aboutsix miles from Beaver Dam Creek. The line of battle was semicircular, theextremities being in the valley of the Chickahominy, while the intermediateportion occupied the high grounds along the bank of a creek and curvedaround past McGehee’s to Elder Swamp. Part of the front was covered bythe ravine of the creek. The east bank was lined with trees and underbrush,which afforded concealment and protection to our troops and artillery.

From the point where the line of the creek turns suddenly to the east, thefront was a series of boggy swamps covered extensively with tangled brush.Near McGehee’s and beyond, the ground, elevated and drier, was filled withravines swept by our artillery and infantry, who were covered by depressionsin the ground. The high land embraced within the semicircle was clearedground, but undulating, and often, with the aid of fences and ditches, givingconcealment and cover, breast-high, to both infantry and artillery.

Before sunrise of the 27th the troops were withdrawn from Beaver DamCreek and sent to their new position east of Powhite Creek, destroying thebridges across it after them.

Some batteries and infantry skirmishers, left as a ruse at Beaver DamCreek, by their fire so fully absorbed the attention of the foe that our purpose

^ Union forces engaged, 11 regiments, 0 batter- Confederate loss, exclusive of Field’s and Ander-ies. Confederate forces engaged, 21 regiments, son’s brigades and of tbe batteries, is reported at8 batteries.— F. J. P. 1589. General Longstreet is quoted by William

According to the official returns the total Union Swinton as authority for putting the aggregate atloss at Mechanicsville was 3G1, but little more “between three and four thousand.” (“Campaignsthan that of the 44th Georgia alone (335). The of the Army of the Potomac,” p. 145.)— Editors.