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however, dropped beautifully among them, and sent their wagons hurriedly down the pike.

BATTLE OF OAK GROVE, June 25th.-While this was transpiring on our extreme right, a more interesting scene was enacting on the left. The bridges and intrenchments being at last completed, an advance of our picket line on the left was ordered on the 25th, preparatory to a general forward movement. General Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps, was pushed forward to occupy "Oak Grove," a new and important position in front of the most advanced redoubt on the Williamsburg road, and while advancing through a dense thicket and an almost impassable swamp, was suddenly attacked by the enemy, whom they repulsed and drove back. The fighting continued off and on during the day, and at sunset our object was accomplished, with the loss of fiftyone killed, four hundred and one wounded and sixty-four missing, making a total of five hundred and sixteen. The enemy's loss was about equal in number.

CHAPTER XIII.

STRENGTH OF THE OPPOSING ARMIES. OPENING OF THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES. BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE. BATTLE OF GAINES' MILLS. CROSSING THE CHICKAHOMINY.

IN anticipation of a speedy advance on Richmond, to provide for the contingency of our communications with the depot at the White House being severed by the enemy, and at the same time to prepare for a change of the base of our operations to James river, if circumstances should render it advisable, arrangements were made on the 18th of June to have transports with supplies of provisions and forage sent up the James river to Harrison's Landing.

By the report of the chief of the "secret service

corps," dated the 26th of June, the estimate strength of the enemy is put down at about one hundred and eighty thousand, and the specific information obtained regarding their organization, warrants the belief that this estimate did not exceed his actual strength. It is shown in the report that there were two hundred regiments of infantry and cavalry; including the forces of Jackson and Ewell, just arrived; eight battalions of independent troops, five battalions of artillery; twelve companies of infantry and independent cavalry, and forty-six companies of artillery; amounting in all, to from forty to fifty brigades. There were undoubtedly many others whose designations were not known.

The report also shows that numerous and heavy earthworks had been completed for the defence of Richmond, and that in thirty-six of these were mounted some two hundred guns.

On the 14th of May, General McClellan in his official report states "I cannot bring into actual battle against the enemy more than eighty thousand men at the utmost." Subsequent to that, he certainly did not receive reinforcements of more than ten thousand men, and deducting from this total of ninety thousand, the losses sustained in the three skirmishes of the 24th of May at Seven Pines, Cold Harbor and Mechanicsville, and at the battles of Hanover Court House and Fair Oaks and minor skirmishes, with the usual sickness attendant upon the unhealthy position of the army, it may be safely stated that the Army of the Potomac did not number over eighty thousand fighting men at the opening of the Seven Day's battles.

From information received from spies, contrabands and a deserter as early as the 24th, General McClellan had strong reasons to suppose the enemy meditated an attack upon his right and rear, and on the 26th of June, the day decided upon for the final advance on Richmond the enemy anticipated our movement by attacking our

army.

THE BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE, June 26th.-Early that day our regiment was relieved by the Fifth Reserve, Colonel Simmons, and marched back to camp. At eleven o'clock we were ordered under arms, and at twelve, noon, just as our dinners were cooked, but before we could eat them, orders came to fall in with cartridge boxes and muskets. Marching up to Mechanicsville we turned to the right and moved up the river road to "Shady Grove Church," where we met the Eighth Illinois cavalry, Colonel Farnsworth, who were being driven in by the enemy who had crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow bridge. Colonel McCandless had some time before deployed Company B, Captain McDonough, as skirmishers, and learning that the enemy were approaching in overpowering force, he deployed the regiment across the road in connection with the Eighth Illinois to produce caution on their part, and thus gain time to withdraw to Mechanicsville, where General Reynolds with the rest of our brigade and General Meade with his, were drawn up. Three companies of the "Bucktails," under Major La Roy Stone, who were on our left, were surrounded by a heavy force of the enemy, but two of them cut their way through, company K, being captured. At Mechanicsville the line was again formed, and soon afterwards we withdrew to Beaver Dam Creek, where it was determined to give battle.

This position was naturally a strong one, the left resting on the Chickahominy and the right extending to dense woods (beyond the upper Mechanicsville road) which were occupied. The passage of the creek was difficult throughout the greater part of the front, and, with the exception of the roads crossing at Ellerson's Mill, near the left, and that near the right, above mentioned, impracticable for artillery. On the right of the last named road an epaulement calculated for four pieces of field artillery was thrown up, and rifle-pits constructed on the left of the road.

The line of battle was formed in the following order

from right to left: On the extreme right was the seven companies of the Second regiment, Lieutenant-colonel McCandless; then six companies of the "Bucktails," Major Stone with four guns of Cooper's battery in the epaulement; the Fifth regiment, Colonel Simmons in the rifle-pits on the left of the road; the First regiment, Colonel Roberts; the Eighth regiment, Colonel Hays; the Tenth regiment, Colonel Kirk; the Ninth regiment, Colonel Jackson; and the Twelfth regiment, Colonel Taggart, which occupied the extreme left. General Meade's brigade, which was in reserve, consisted of the Third regiment, Colonel Sickel; the Fourth regiment, Colonel Magilton; and the Seventh regiment, Colonel Harvey. Easton's battery of four twelve-pound Napoleon guns, and Kern's battery of six twelve pound howitzers, were also held in reserve. It should here be mentioned that the Sixth regiment, Lieutenant-colonel McKean, was detached at Tunstall's Station, and the Eleventh regiment, Colonel Gallagher, was on picket on the Chickahominy.

The position of the Second regiment, as before noticed, was on the extreme right, with a heavy wood in front and a ford near the right of it. Companies K and II, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Kennedy were detached under Major Woodward with orders to hold this ford at all hazards; and Company C, Captain Byrnes, was posted on the left in a dry swamp between us and the "Bucktails."

About three o'clock the enemy's lines were formed on the opposite side of the swamp and their skirmishers rapidly advanced, delivering their fire as they came forward. They were speedily driven back by the artillery and a rattling reply of musketry. In a short time the main body, who were commanded by General Robert E. Lee, in person, boldly advanced in force under cover of a heavy artillery fire, and attacked the whole front. It soon became apparent that the main point of their attack was the extreme right, upon which they opened a heavy

fire of round shot and shell, and precipitated column after column of Georgian and Louisiana troops, who waded to their middle through the water, and boldly advanced up through the woods. They were received by the Second on their knees, with a withering fire, which they maintained without a moment's cessation for over three hours. During this time, assault after assault was made on the position, and upon three separate occasions the enemy succeeded in forcing themselves between us and the "Bucktails," and gaining the clear ground, but they were each time driven back at the point of the bayonet by charges led in person by Colonel McCandless.

At one time they charged the left and centre at the same time, boldly pressing on their flags until they nearly met ours, when the fighting became of the most desperate character, the flags rising and falling as they were surged to and fro by the contending parties, each struggling to defend its own, and capture its opponents'. Our left was driven back, the enemy at that point having passed the woods, bending our line into a convexed circle. But never for a moment were we broken. McCandless placing himself in front of the left, led it valiantly to the charge, hurling the brave Georgia boys back, and almost taking their flag. While this was going on in our front Major Woodward with his two companies was hotly engaged at the ford, the men delivering, from behind trees, a slow but destructive fire, or pouring in rapid volleys when hard pressed.

General Reynolds, whose ever-watchful eye was upon the regiments of his brigade, several times rode down to our position, at one time exclaiming, as he pointed with his sword, "Look at them, boys, in the swamp there, they are as thick as flies on a ginger bread; fire low, fire low." Just before dark, when we had driven back their last charge, knowing we had expended nearly all our ammunition, he ordered up the First Reserve, Colonel Roberts, who, in line of battle on our left and rear, opened fir

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