374 REAR-GUARD FIGHTING DURING THE CHANGE OF BASE .
SCALE
TOOMBS’S.
HANCOCKS BRIGADE/S SMITHS Division
D'AVI DSON S
PLAN OF THE BATTLE AT SAVAGE’S STATION.
The order in which the Union troops enteredthe fight is thus described by General William W.Bums, in a letter dated Governor’s Island , May10th, 1885:
“ The enemy appearing in the woods west of Savage’sStation, General Sumner sent me forward to occupy thespace between the Williamsburg road and the railroad.Thinking that two regiments of my brigade would suf-fice, I led them forward to the fences, at the edge of thewoods on the west side of the clearing, about five hun-dred yards distant from the ravine on the east side ofthe clearing. General Sumner had his headquarterseast of this wooded ravine and could not observe whatwas occurring on the west side of the open field.
“ When I reached the fences I sent skirmishers throughthe belt of trees, and found the enemy advancing on theWilliamsburg road and on the railroad, where GeneralLee ’s famous railroad monitor was slowly approaching.I had to throw back the right company of the right regi-ment, the 72d Pennsylvania , to rake the monitor. ThenI found my two regiments not enough to extend acrossbetween the Williamsburg road and the railroad. I sentan aide in haste after my other two regiments, inform-ing General Sumner of the situation. The 1st Minnesota,of Gorman’s brigade, being most handy, was first sent,my two reserve regiments following. While placing the1st Minnesota on the left to extend across the Williams-burg road, the battle began. My right flank swept therailroad monitor, which had advanced to the edge of thewoods, and it ran back. The battle moved to my left,and I discovered that our works east of Seven Pines hadbeen evacuated by Heintzelman. I threw back the leftflank of the 1st Minnesota across the Williamsburg roadand sent the 69th Pennsylvania of my brigade to pro-long the left, to prevent the turning movement of theenemy; at the same time informing General Sumner ofthe conditions in front. He would not believe thatHeintzelman had withdrawn until I sent my lastmounted man, urging and demanding reinforcements.The 71stPennsylvania (also called the 1st California ), ofmy brigade, arriving, I placed it behind the center ofmy line where a gap had been made by extending the1st Minnesota to the left. General Franklin sent Gen-eral Brooks’s brigade to the left of my line to check theturning movement of the enemy, and Sumner, whenhe realized that Heintzelman had withdrawn, sent Gor-man’s and Dana’s brigades to my support in front.
Meagher’s brigade, and the 5th New Hampshire , ofCaldwell’s brigade, for a charge. A mass of men cameup in my rear in full yell. I halted the crowd and askedfor their commander. * I am Captain McCartan of tne88th New York , sir,’ exclaimed an officer. I got theminto line (about 250 men), lacing up the Williamsburg road, which was raked by the grape and canister of theenemy’s batteries. I gave the command, double quick —charge! They went in with a hurrah, and the enemy’sbattery fell back. General McClellan mistakenly gavethe credit of that gallant charge to the 69th New York .It seems that the 5th New Hampshire halted beforethe charge which General Sumner had put in motionreached me.
“ I was shot in the face with a niinie-ball at the timethe enemy broke through the gap in the center. Therewe had a hand-to-hand encounter, which determinedthe day in our favor. At nightfall I relieved the firstline, its ammunition being exhausted, with the 71stPennsylvania, the 15th and 20 th Massachusetts , and the82d New York . My report of the Seven Days’ fightingwas made at Harrison’s Bar in hot July. I was pros-trated with my wound, malaria, and twenty-eight daysof constant strain, and was unable to write or to collectmy thoughts. The battle at Glendale on the 30th ofJune, the next day after that of Savage’s Station, wassaved by ray brigade, which kept the enemy frompiercing the center of the Army of the Potomac; but,like the instance above, history has given the creditto ‘General Misunderstanding,’who, in history, fightsmost battles.”
Parts of Haczard’s, Pettit’s, and Osborn’s bat-terries were engaged on the Union side.
The Confederate infantry north of the railroad(Cobb’s, Toombs’s, and Anderson’s brigades) didnot take an active part in the battle. Anderson’sbrigade is not shown, its position being outside thenorthern bounds of the map.
The Confederate artillery engaged comprisedKemper’s battery, two guns of Hart’s battery,and Lieutenant Barry’s “32-pounder rifled gunmounted on a rail-car, and protected from cannon-shot by a sloping roof, in front, covered withplates of iron, through which a port-hole had beenpierced.” Editors.