find himself on the same side. We soon commenced meeting Government transports, mostly steamers and schooners laden with forage for the cavalry and artillery. The farther we ascended the more numerous they became, until they numbered hundreds lining the banks of the river for a long distance and obstructing the navigation. About nine o'clock we arrived at the White House, where we landed and stacked arms, awaiting orders.

White House is situated on the Pamunkey, where the Richmond and York River Railroad crosses, and was a position of great importance, being the depot of supplies for the army in front of Richmond. The house itself is an object of interest, being the spot where Washington met and loved Martha Custis in 1758. At the landing there was a forest of masts, and for a half mile the shore was covered with commissary stores and ammunition. There were thousands of tons on the wharf boats, and thousands more awaiting to be landed. There were many commissary, sutler, guard and other tents there, and many soldiers, sutlers, Government employees and contrabands, who, with innumerable wagons and orderlies, continually moving to and fro, and the arrival and departure of trains presented a scene of life and activity. Some distance back from the river was a canvas town, consisting of several hundred hospital tents, arranged in regular streets, with board floors and beds in them, and every thing prepared for the wounded of the coming battles.

The boys having had time to wash themselves and replenish their stock of tobacco, the brigade formed and marched up the railroad about two miles, passing an establishment "for the embalming the dead," whose proprietors distributed to their anticipated customers a bountiful supply of handbills. Moving into a field to the left, we bivouacked for the night. Here our baggage was reduced to the lowest possible amount, the officers being required to send to the landing all but a small

valise or knapsack, and the companies being allowed their cooking utensils only. Orders were issued to cook three days' rations, we borrowing from the First and Fifth kettles for the purpose.

At nine o'clock the next morning, we formed and marched off up the railroad which runs nearly due west from here, passing Tunstall's Station. The country through which we moved was mostly low, heavily wooded, and interspersed with numerous swamps. In some places where there were deep cuts, there were large deposits of marine shells and corals that indicated that at one time this portion of the Peninsula had been the bed of the sea. The same formation was found in other portions of the Peninsula. The day being excessively warm many of the men threw away their overcoats and blankets to lighten their loads. About four o'clock we passed Dispatch Station and moved to the right of the road and encamped on the edge of a heavy wood near the Chickahominy river, we having marched ten miles. Through the day we heard the slow fire of heavy guns.

CHAPTER XII.

SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG. SKIRMISHES AT SEVEN PINES, Cold Harbor and MECHANICSVILLE. BATTLE OF HANOVER COURT HOUSE. BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS. ATTACK ON TUNSTALL'S STATION. MARCH TO THE CHICKANANALEY'S MILL. SHELLING THE ENEMY. BATTLE

HOMINY.

OF OAK GROVE.

BEFORE proceeding further, it will be necessary here to refer to the movements of the Army of the Potomac since its debarkation on the Peninsula. The presence of the enemy's steamer Merimac in the James river closed it to us, as a line of water communication be

tween Fortress Monroe and the army operating against Richmond. To gain possession of the York river and its tributaries for that purpose, the reduction of Yorktown was necessary. Therefore, on the 4th of April, the army took up its line of march from the camping ground near Hampton to that point. At Big Bethel the enemy's pickets were encountered, but they fell back to Howard's creek, to which point they were followed by the main body of the army.

THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN, APRIL 5TH TO MAY 4TH, 1862. The next morning the column again advanced, and in a few hours was in front of the enemy's works at Yorktown. On examination of their position it proved to be one of the strongest that could be opposed to an invading force, and the delays thereby created occupied until the 1st of May, when our siege batteries opened fire on the enemy's works, which during the night of the 3d they evacuated, leaving two 3-inch rifled cannon, two 4-inch rifled cannon, sixteen 32-pounders, six 42pounders, nineteen 8-inch Columbiads, four 9-inch Dahlgrens, one 10-inch Columbiad, one 10-inch mortar, and one 8-inch siege howitzer, with carriages and implements complete, and seventy-six rounds of ammunition to each piece. Besides these there were a large number of guns left at Gloucester Point and other works on the left.

BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG, MAY 4TH, 5TH, 6TH, AND 7TH. -General McClellan immediately threw all his cavalry and horse-artillery in pursuit, under General Stoneman, Chief of Cavalry, supported by infantry under Generals Heintzelman, Hooker and Smith, who were followed by the divisions of Kearney, Couch and Casey, all under General Sumner, the second in command of the army. Two miles east of Williamsburg, the advance came upon the enemy's works, four miles in extent, over two-thirds of their front being covered by the branches of College and Queen's Creeks. The principal works were Fort Magruder, and twelve other redoubts and epaulements for field guns. The woods in front of the fort were felled,

and the open ground dotted with rifle pits. From this position the enemy opened fire upon the advance guard as it debouched from the woods, which being unsupported by infantry, was forced to retire, but held the enemy in check until the arrival of General Sumner with part of Smith's division, at half-past five P. M. Heintzelman and Keyes reached the ground during the afternoon. Early the next morning General Hooker came up, and began the attack on the enemy's works at seven and-a-half o'clock on the morning of the 6th, and for a time silenced Fort Magruder. Although the enemy was heavily reinforced, and attacked in turn, capturing five guns and inflicting heavy loss on Hooker, whose ammunition was nearly exhausted, he maintained his position until near four P. M., when Kearney arrived, and repulsing the enemy, held possession of the ground that night. The battle was renewed the next day, and about four P. M., General McClellan arriving from Yorktown, took command in person. Fearing there was no direct communication between the centre and left under Heintzelman, and hearing heavy firing in the direction of Hancock's command, he moved the centre forward, attempting to open communication with Heintzelman, and sent Smith and Naglee to the support of Hancock. Before these Generals reached Hancock, however, he was confronted by a superior force. Feigning to retreat slowly, he awaited the onset, and then turned upon them, and after some terrific volleys of musketry, he charged them with the bayonet, routing and dispersing their whole force, killing, wounding and capturing from five to six hundred men, himself losing only thirty-one men.

The enemy having fought to gain time to save their trains, abandoned their position during the night, leaving the town filled with their wounded in charge of eighteen surgeons. The official report of our loss is put down at two thousand two hundred and twenty-eight men killed, wounded and missing. The army was so much exhausted by the marches and conflicts which resulted in the vic

tory at Williamsburg, as to render an immediate pursuit of the enemy impossible, in the condition of the country.

The divisions of Franklin, Sedgwick, Porter and Richardson, were sent from Yorktown by water to the vicinity of West Point, where, on the 7th, General Franklin handsomely repulsed the enemy under General Whiting, after a battle of nearly five hours duration.

Communication was soon opened between the two columns of the army, and headquarters was established at White House on the 16th, General Stoneman having occupied the place some days before. About the same time Generals Franklin, Smith and Porter, reached White House, the roads being in such a state as to require thirty-six hours for one train to move five miles.

A permanent depot for supplies being established at White House, the army was pushed forward along the York River and Richmond Railroad, and on the 20th the advance reached the banks of the Chickahominy River at Bottom's Bridge, which, as well as the railroad bridge about a mile above, they found destroyed. The operations of the army embraced that portion of the river between this point and Meadow Bridge, which covered the principal approaches to Richmond from the east, and over which it became necessary to construct eleven new bridges, all long and difficult, with extensive log-way approaches.

On the 22d, headquarters were removed to Cold Harbor, and on the 24th three important skirmishes took place. General Naglee made a reconnoissance in force, for the purpose of ascertaining the strength of the enemy, and dislodge them from a position in the vicinity of the "Seven Pines," eight miles from Richmond. Another portion of the army had a spirited engagement of two hours near Cold Harbor, and drove their assailants from the field. A third and brilliant little skirmish took place between the brigades of General Stoneman and Davidson, in which they drove the enemy out of Mechanicsville with their artillery, forcing them to seek safety on the

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