Official Records of the Rebellion

[SPLIT 13: APPROACHES RICHMOND]

On the next morning we found the enemy’s position abandoned, and occupied Fort Magruder and the town of Williamsburg, which was filled with the enemy’s wounded, to whose assistance eighteen of their surgeons were sent by General J. E. Johnston, the officer in command. Several guns and caissons, which the enemy could not carry off on account of the mud, were secured. Colonel Averell was sent forward at once with a strong cavalry force to endeavor to overtake the enemy’s rear guard. He found several guns abandoned and picked up a large number of stragglers, but the condition of the roads and the state of his supplies forced him to return after advancing a few miles.

It is my opinion that the enemy opposed us here with only a portion of his army. When our cavalry first appeared there was nothing but the enemy’s rear guard in Williamsburg. Other troops were brought back during the night and the next day to hold the works as long as possible, in order to gain time for the trains, &c., already well on their way to Richmond, to make their escape. Our troops were greatly exhausted by the laborious march through the mud from their positions in front of Yorktown and by the protracted battle through which they had just passed. Many of them were out of rations and ammunition, and one division, in its anxiety to make a prompt movement, had marched with empty haversacks. The supply trains had been forced out of the roads on the 4th and 5th to allow the troops and artillery to pass to the front, and the roads were now in such a state, after thirty- six hours’ continuous rain, that it was almost impossible to pass even empty wagons over them. General Hooker’s division had suffered so severely that it was in no condition to follow the enemy, even if the roads had been good. Under these circumstances an immediate pursuit was impossible.

Steps were at once taken to care for and remove the wounded, and to bring up provisions, ammunition, and forage.

The condition of the roads, as has been said, rendered it next to impossible to accomplish this by land from Yorktown. A temporary depot was therefore promptly established on Queen’s Creek, and supplies drawn, and the wounded shipped from that place.

The divisions of Franklin, Sedgwick, Porter, and Richardson were sent from Yorktown by water to the right bank of the Pamunkey, in the vicinity of West Point. The remaining divisions, the trains, and the reserve artillery moved subsequently by land. [p.24]

Early on the morning of the 7th General Franklin had completed the disembarkation of his division, and had placed it in a good position to cover the landing place, both his flanks and a large portion of the front being protected by water.

Dana’s brigade, of Sedgwick’s division, arrived during the morning. At about 9 a. m. a large force of the enemy appeared, consisting of Whiting’s division and other troops, and between 10 and 11 they attacked the part of the line held by Newton’s brigade. The action continued until 3 p. m., when the enemy retired, all his attacks having been repulsed. This affair, the most important in which the division had yet been engaged, was highly creditable to General Franklin and his command. For the details I refer to his report, which is herewith submitted. Our loss was 49 killed, 104 wounded, and 41 missing. Total, 194, which includes a large proportion of officers.

Cavalry reconnaissances were sent out from Williamsburg on the 6th and 7th, and on the 8th General Stoneman moved with an advance guard of cavalry, artillery, and infantry to open communication with General Franklin.

As soon as our supplies had been received and the condition of the roads had become a little better, though still very bad, the advance of the remaining troops was begun, Smith’s division moving on the 8th. On the 10th headquarters were at Roper’s Church, 19 miles from Williamsburg, all the divisions which had moved by land, except Hooker’s, being in the vicinity of that place.

We were now in direct communication with the portion of the army which had gone by water, and we began to draw supplies from Eltham.

On account of the small number and narrowness of the roads in this neighborhood movements were difficult and slow.

On the 15th headquarters and the divisions of Franklin, Porter, Sykes, and Smith reached Cumberland, which was made a temporary depot. Couch and Casey were then near New Kent Court-House, Hooker and Kearny near Roper’s Church, and Richardson and Sedgwick near Eltham.

On the 14th and 15th much rain fell.

On the 15th and 16th the divisions of Franklin, Smith, and Porter were with great difficulty moved to White House, 5 miles in advance. So bad was the road that the train of one of these divisions required thirty-six hours to pass over this short distance. General Stoneman had occupied this place some days before, after several successful skirmishes, in which our cavalry proved superior to that of the enemy. The reports of these affairs are appended.

About this time, with the consent of the President, two additional corps were organized, viz, the Fifth Provisional Corps, consisting of the divisions of Porter and Sykes and the reserve artillery, under the command of General F. J. Porter, and the Sixth Provisional Corps, consisting of the divisions of Franklin and Smith, under the command of General W. B. Franklin.

Headquarters reached White House on the 16th, and a permanent depot was at once organized there.

On the 19th headquarters and the corps of Porter and Franklin moved to Tunstall’s Station, 5 miles from White House.

On the 20th more rain fell.

On the 21st the position of the troops was as follows: Stoneman’s advance guard 1 mile from New Bridge; Franklin’s corps 3 miles from New Bridge, with Porter’s corps at supporting distance in its rear; [p.25] Sumner’s corps on the railroad, about 3 miles from the Chickahominy, connecting the right with the left; Keyes’ corps on New Kent road, near Bottom’s Bridge, with Heintzelman’s corps at supporting distance in the rear.
The ford at Bottom’s Bridge was in our possession, and the rebuilding of the bridge, which had been destroyed by the enemy, was commenced.

On the 22d headquarters moved to Cold Harbor.

On the 26th the railroad was in operation as far as the Chickahommy, and the railroad bridge across that stream nearly completed.