342

HANOVER COURT HOUSE AND GAINES’S MILL.

river -with my command in the condition in which it was left by a hard fightand the loss of rest for two nights. In this opinion all concurred; and I wasthen instructed to withdraw to the south bank and destroy the bridges afterme. The plans to move to the James River were then explained, together

with the necessity for the movement, and theorders were given for their execution. JMy command was safely withdrawn to thesouth bank of the river, and the bridges weredestroyed soon after sunrise on the 28th. J,The Prince de Joinville and his two neph-ews, the Comte de Paris and the Due deChartres, were on the field as volunteer aides-de-camp, actively engaged in encouraging themen, carrying messages, and performing otherduties of aides. Each of these officers was inthe midst of flying musket-balls, and wasliable to be struck at any moment [see p.184-]. At one time the Comte de Paris, re-gardless of himself, begged me to send hisuncle to General McClellan with a messagewhich would at once and permanently removehim from the dangers of the battle, since thefamily interests at stake were too importantto permit him to be so exposed. I had shortlybefore asked Colonel Thomas L. Gantt, anotherof McClellan ’s aides, to hasten to that generaland hurry up reenforcements, as our lineswould soon be broken. The danger was nowimminent, and I asked the Prince to carry thesame message, telling him that he was selectedbecause of the speed of his horse. He turnedas if to go, and I went to attend to the field.Soon the Count returned, -with tears in hiseyes, and with choking utterance, expressiveof his care and affection, begged me again to send away his uncle. This alsoI did. Scarcely had the Prince left the second time when our cavalry fellback on us as I have related, our line was broken, and our artillery renderedunserviceable. The Prince and Colonel Gantt afterward told me that they didnot leave, as I had directed, because all seemed favorable to us, and they

) At Gaines’s Mill the Union loss was: Killed, would probably bring the total considerably beyond894; wounded, 3107; missing, 2836, — total, the Union loss, that of the killed and wounded cer-6837. On the Confederate side the losses of Jack- tainly much higher. Almost the whole of two Unionson, Ewell, Whiting, and D. H. Hill were : Killed, regiments, the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves and the589 ; wounded, 2671; missing, 24,— total, 3284. 4th New Jersey , were captured.— Editors.

Of these, Whiting (i. e., Hood’s and Law’s brigades) & The landing at White House and the railroadlost 1017. The losses of A. P. Hill and Longstreet south from Tunstall’s station were abandoned, thefor this battle are not reported separately, but a infantry and artillery embarking for Port Monroe,safe estimate from their losses in the campaign and the cavalry marching to Yorktown.— Editors.

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BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL PHILIP ST. GEORGECOOKE. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.