official Records of the Rebellion

[p.41]

During the night dispositions were made for its early renewal. General Couch’s division and so much of General Casey’s as could be collected, together with General Kearny’s, occupied the rifle pits near Seven Pines. General Peck, in falling back on the left, had succeeded late in the afternoon in rallying a considerable number of stragglers, and was taking them once more into the action, when he was ordered back to the intrenched camp by General Kearny. General Hooker brought up his division about dark, having been delayed by the heaviness of the roads and the throng of fugitives from the field, through whom the colonel of the leading regiment (Starr) reports he “was obliged to force his way with the bayonet.” This division bivouacked for the night in rear of the right of the rifle pits on the other side of the railroad. General Richardson’s division also came upon the field about sunset. He had attempted the passage of the Chickahominy by the bridge opposite his own camp, but it was so far destroyed that he was forced to move Generals Howard’s and Meagher’s brigades, with all his artillery, around by General Sedgwick’s bridge, while General French’s brigade, with the utmost difficulty, crossed by the other. General Sedgwick’s division, with the regiments under General Couch, held about the same position as when the fight ceased, and General Richardson, on his arrival, was ordered to place his division on the left, to connect with General Kearny; General French’s brigade was posted along the railroad and Generals Howard’s and Meagher’s brigades in second and third lines. All his artillery had been left behind, it being impossible to move it forward through the deep mud as rapidly as the infantry pushed toward the field, but during the night the three batteries of the division were brought to the front.

About 5 o’clock on the morning of the 1st of June skirmishers and some cavalry of the enemy were discovered in front of General Richardson’s division. Captain Pettit’s battery (B, First New York), having come upon the ground, threw a few shells among them, when they dispersed. There was a wide interval between General Richardson and General Kearny. To close this General Richardson’s line was extended to the left and his first line moved over the railroad. Scarcely had they gained the position when the enemy, appearing in large force from the woods in front, opened a heavy fire of musketry at short range along the whole line. He approached very rapidly with columns of attack formed on two roads which crossed the railroad. These columns were supported by infantry in line of battle on each side, cutting General French’s line. He threw out no skirmishers, but appeared determined to carry all before him by one crushing blow. For nearly an hour the first line of General Richardson’s division stood and returned the fire, the lines of the enemy being re-enforced and relieved time after time, till finally General Howard was ordered with his brigade to go to General French’s assistance. He led his men gallantly to the front, and in a few minutes the fire of the enemy ceased and his whole line fell back on that part of the field. On the opening of the firing in the morning General Hooker pushed forward on the railroad with two regiments (Fifth and Sixth New Jersey), followed by General Sickles’ [p.42] brigade. It was found impossible to move the artillery of this division from its position on account of the mud. On coming near the woods, which were held by the enemy in force, General Hooker found General Birney’s brigade, Col. J. H. Hobart Ward in command, in line of battle. He sent back to hasten General Sickles’ brigade, but ascertained that it had been turned off to the left by General Heintzelman to meet a column advancing in that direction. He at once made the attack with the two New Jersey regiments, calling upon Colonel Ward to support him with General Birney’s brigade. This was well done, our troops advancing into the woods under a heavy fire, and pushing the enemy before them for more than an hour of hard fighting. A charge with the bayonet was then ordered by General Hooker with the Fifth and Sixth New Jersey, Third Maine, and Thirty-eighth and Fortieth New York, and the enemy fled in confusion, throwing down arms and even clothing in his flight. General Sickles, having been ordered to the left, formed line of battle on both sides of the Williamsburg road and advanced under a sharp fire from the enemy, deployed in the woods in front of him. After a brisk interchange of musketry fire while crossing the open ground, the Excelsior Brigade dashed into the timber with the bayonet and put the enemy to flight.

On the right the enemy opened fire after half an hour’s cessation, which was promptly responded to by General Richardson’s division. Again the most vigorous efforts were made to break our line, and again they were frustrated by the steady courage of our troops. In about an hour General Richardson’s whole line advanced, pouring in their fire at close range, which threw the line of the enemy back in some confusion. This was followed up by a bayonet charge, led by General French in person, with the Fifty-seventh and Sixty-sixth New York, supported by two regiments sent by General Heintzelman, the Seventy-first and Seventy-third New York, which turned the confusion of the enemy into precipitate flight. One gun captured the previous day was retaken.

Our troops pushed forward as far as the lines held by them on the 31st before the attack. On the battle-field there were found many of our own and the Confederate wounded, arms, caissons, wagons, subsistence stores, and forage, abandoned by the enemy in his rout. The state of the roads and impossibility of maneuvering artillery prevented farther pursuit. On the next morning a reconnaissance was sent forward, which pressed back the pickets of the enemy to within 5 miles of Richmond; but again the impossibility of forcing even a few batteries forward precluded our holding permanently this position. The lines held previous to the battle were therefore resumed. General J. E. Johnston reports loss of the enemy in Longstreet’s and G. W. Smith’s divisions at 4,283; General D. H. Hill, who had taken the advance in the attack, estimates his loss at 2,500; which would give the enemy’s loss 6,783. Our loss was, in General Sumner’s corps, 1,223; General Heintzelman’s corps, 1,394; General Keyes’ corps, 3,120; total, 5737.

Previous to the arrival of General Sumner upon the field of battle, on the 31st of May, General Heintzelman, the senior corps commander present, was in the immediate command of the forces engaged. The first information I received that the battle was in progress was a dispatch from him stating that Casey’s division had given way. During the night of the 31st 1 received a dispatch from him, dated 8.45 p. in., in which he says:

[p.43]

I am just in. When I got to the front the most of General Casey’s division had dispersed. * * * The rout of General Casey’s men had a most dispiriting effect on the troops as they came up. I saw no reason why we should have been driven back.