LEE’S ATTACKS NORTH OF THE CHICKA HOMINY .

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CHARGE OF CONFEDERATES UNDER RIPLEY AND PENDER AT BEAVER DAM CREEK, JUST ABOVE ELLEIiSON’S MILL.

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Mill and New Cold Harbor. A. P. Hill ’s division was ordered to pnrsne on tothe mill, and my division to take the Bethesda Church road to join Jackson.The works on that road were turned by my division, and some sixty orseventy prisoners holding them were captured. Major Dabney says:

“ General Jackson continued his march on the morning of the 27th. When I overtook himhe was dismounted in the turnpike road with his cap off before a gentleman sitting on a cedar-stump, who was speaking to him in a suppressed voice. An old acquaintance whom I met toldme that this gentleman was General Lee. The conference soon ended, and the march wasresumed — deflecting strongly to the east.”

General Lee’s object in pressing down the Chickahominy was to unmaskNew Bridge, and thus to establish close communication between the forcesdefending Richmond and the six divisions attacking the Federal right. A. P.Hill , who marched close to the Chickahominy, succeeded in driving off theFederal troops defending the creek at Gaines’s Mill, and advanced until hedeveloped their full line of battle at New Cold Harbor, half a mile beyond.After waiting till 2:30 p. m. to hear from Longstreet, ☆ he advanced hisdivision without support to the attack of the intrenched position of the Fed-erals. He kept up a struggle for two hours, was repulsed and driven back,and in turn repulsed his pursuers. His report says:

“ From having been the attacking I now became the attacked; but stubbornly and gallantlywas the ground held. My division was thus engaged full two hours before assistance wasreceived. We failed to carry the enemy’s lines, but we paved the way for the successfulattacks afterward, in which attacks it was necessary to employ the whole of our army on thatside of the Chickahominy.”

General Lee in his official report says : “ The arrival of Jackson on our left was momentarily expected,and it was supposed that his approach would cause the extension of the enemy’s line in that direction.Under this impression, Longstreet was held hack until this movement should commence.”— Editors.