HANOVER COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL.
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lin’s corps, they were posted and used with damaging effect upon the enemyas they advanced that afternoon to attack the left of our line.
Our new line of battle was well selected and strong, though long and requir-ing either more troops to man it than I had, or too great a thinning of myline by the use of the reserves. The east bank of the creek, from the valleyof the Chickahominy to its swampy sources, was elevated, sloping, and tim-bered. The bed of the stream was nearly dry, and its west bank gave excel-lent protection to the first line of infantry posted under it to receive the enemydescending the cleared field sloping to it. The swampy grounds along thesources of the creek were open to our view in front for hundreds of yards, andwere swept by the fire of infantry and artillery. The roads from Gaines’sMill and Old Cold Harbor, along which theenemy were compelled to advance, wereswept by artillery posted on commandingground.
Along the ground thus formed and closeto its border were posted the divisionsof Morell and Sykes,—the latter on theright; Captain A. P. Martin’s Massachu-setts battery between,—each brigade hav-ing in reserve, immediately in its rear, twoof its regiments. Sections or full batteriesof the division artillery were posted tosweep the avenues of approach, and thefields on which these avenues opened.
Wherever possible and useful, guns wereplaced between brigades and on higherground, in front or rear, as judgment dic-tated. The unemployed guns were in re-reserve with their divisions. Batteries ofHunt’s Artillery Eeserve were in rear of the left, covered by timber fromview of the enemy, but ready to move at a moment’s call, or from theirstand to pour then- irresistible fire into the enemy’s face in case they brokeour line.
McCall’s division formed a second line, near the artillery in reserve, in rearof Morell, and immediately behind the woods on the left. Reynolds, the firstto leave Beaver Dam Creek, had gone to Barker’s Mill to cover the approachesfrom Cold Harbor and Dispatch Station to Grapevine Bridge; but, hearingthe battle raging on our left, and having no enemy in his front, whileEmory , of Cooke’s cavalry, with artillery, was near at hand to do the dutyassigned to him, he hastened to join McCall, arriving opportunely in rear ofGriffin’s left.
General Cooke was instructed to take position, with cavalry, under the hillsin the valley of the Chickahominy — there, with the aid of artillery, to guardour left flank. He was especially enjoined to intercept, gather, and hold allstragglers, and under no circumstances to leave the valley for the purpose of