THE SENEN DAYS,” INCLUDING FRAYSER’S FARM.

397

Jackson’s swoop along the dividing ridge betewen the Pamunkey and theChickahominy. D. H. Hill and I were ordered to be in position on theMechanicsville pike early on the 26th, ready to cross the river at Mechanics-ville Bridge as soon as it was cleared by the advance of Jackson and A. P. Hill.

Thus matters stood when themorning of the 26th arrived.The weather was clear, and theroads were in fine condition.Everything seemed favorableto the move. But the morningpassed and we received no tid-ings from Jackson. As noonapproached, General Hill, whowas to move behind Jackson,grew impatient at the delayand begged permission to hurryhim up by a fusillade. GeneralLee consented, and GeneralHill opened his batteries onMechanicsville, driving theFederals off. When D. H. Hilland I crossed at the Mechan-icsville Bridge we found A. P.Hill severely engaged, tryingto drive the Federals from theirstrong position behind BeaverDam Creek. Without Jacksonto turn the Federal right, thebattle could not be ours. Al-though the contest lasted untilsome time after night, the Con-federates made no progress.The next day the fight was re-newed, and the position washotly contested by the Fed-erals until 7 o’clock in themorning, when the advanceof Jackson speedily caused theFederals to abandon their posi-tion, thus ending the battle. %

& According to General Fitz John Por-ter , it was not Jackson’s approach, hutinformation of that event, that causedthe withdrawal of the Union troops, who,with the exception of “some batteriesand infantry skirmishers,” were with-drawn before sunrise on the 27th.

Editors.

yj A C K S O N S'QPRP!

RICHARD:

MAP OF THE BATTLE OF FRAYSER’S FARM (CHARLES CITY CROSS-ROADS OR GLENDALE), JUNE 30, 1862, SHOWING APPROXIMATEPOSITIONS OF UNION AND CONFEDERATE TROOPS. ALSODISPOSITION OF TROOPS DURING THE ARTILLERY EN-GAGEMENT AT WHITE OAK BRIDGE.

Union brigades: 1, Sickles; 2, Carr; 3, Grover; 4, Seymour; 5,Reynolds (Simmons); 6, Meade (tliis brigade should be representedas north of the road); 7, Robinson; 8, Birney; 9, Berry; 10, New-ton; 11, Bartlett; 12,12, Taylor; 13, Burns; 14,14, Dana; 15,15,Sully; 16,16, Caldwell; 17, French ; 18, Meagher; 19, Naglee (ofKeyes’s corps); 20, Davidson; 21, Brooks; 22, Hancock. Randol’sbattery was on the right of the road, Kerns’s and Cooper’s on theleft, and Diederichs’s ami Knieriem’s yet farther to the left.Thompson’s battery of Kearny’s division was with General Robin-son’s brigade (7).

Confederate brigades: a , Kemper; 6, Pickett (Hunton); c, R. II.Anderson (Jenkins); d, Wilcox; e, Featherston; /, Pryor; g,Branch; h, Archer; i, Field; j, J. R. Anderson; /?, Pender;l , Gregg; m, n, o, p, Armistead, Wright, Mahone, and Ransom.Of the Confederate batteries, Rogers’s, Dealing’s, the Thomasartillery, Pegram’s, Davidson’s, and others were engaged.

The action at White Oak Bridge, about 11 A. M., and that betweenHuger and Slocum to the left, beginning about 3 p. m., were of ar-tillery only, and were successful from the Union point of view, inthat they prevented the Confederate forces at these points fromreenforcing Longstreet, while they enabled four Union brigades(12, 14, 15, and 16) to reenforce his opponents. The battle ofFrayser’sfarm, beginning about 4 p. m., resulted in the accomplish-ment of General McClellan ’s object, the protection of his trainsfrom rear and flank attack as they were passing down tlie LongBridge and Quaker roads to the James River. General Kearny’sreport characterized this battle as “ one of the most desperate ofthe war, the one the most fatal if lost.” The fighting began inforce on the left of Seymour’s brigade (4), and the brunt of theattack fell upon McCall and the left of Kearny. “Of the fourdivisions that day engaged,” says General McCall’s report, “ eachmanoeuvred and fought independently.” McCall’s division, beingflanked on the left by Longstreet’s right, was driven from itsposition after a stubborn resistance; its place was taken byBurns’s brigade, reenforced by Dana’s and Sully’s, and thesetroops recovered part of the ground lost by McCall. The fury ofthe battle now shifted to the front of Kearny, who was reenforcedby Taylor’s and Caldwell’s brigades. The Confederates gainedsome ground, but no substantial advantage, and the Union troopswithdrew during the night to Malvern Hill.— Editors-