HANOVER COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL. 341
LK-S:
Mi'I
'K'U
mm
S'*
Saga?!
jit^*EL;;
fc^’:
RUINS OF GAINES’S MILL, LOOKING EAST.
At the time of the battle, this building was of fivestories, and was, it is said, one of the finest grist-millsin Virginia . The wooden structure, dovetailed intothe ruins, now covers but one pair of burrs. The millwas not injured in the fight, but was burned by Slieri-dan’R cavalry iu May, 1864, the fire extending to a dwell-ing-house which stood just beyond the mill. The main
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH MADE IN THE SPRING OF 1885.
conflict was a mile farther to the south-east, but theridge shown in the picture was the scene of a mostgallant resistance to the Confederate advance by the9th Massachusetts regiment, acting as a rear-guard toPorter’s corps. The road to New Cold Harbor and thebattle-ground runs to the right. The mill-stream runs intoPowhite Swamp, and thence into the Chickahominy.
to be kept, under all circumstances, in tbe valley of the Chickahominy, hadbeen sent to resist an attack of the enemy upon our left. The charge, exe-cuted in the face of a withering fire of infantry and in the midst of our heavycannonading, as well as that of the enemy, resulted, as should have beenexpected, in confusion. The bewildered and uncontrollable horses wheeledabout, and, dashing through the batteries, satisfied the gunners that theywere charged by the enemy. To this alone I always attributed the failure onour part longer to hold the battle-field and to bring off all our guns, with fewexceptions, in an orderly retreat. Most unaccountably this cavalry was notused to cover our retreat or gather the stragglers, but was peremptorilyordered to cross to the south bank of the river, ix I never again saw theircommander.
At night I was called to General McClellan ’s headquarters, where thechiefs of corps, or their representatives, were gathered. The commandinggeneral, after hearing full reports, was of the opinion that the final resultwould be disastrous if we undertook longer to hold the north bank of the
☆ See “ Official Records,” Vol. XI., Part II., pp. 43, 223, 273, 282.—P. J. P.