Official Records of the Rebellion

[p.140: SPLIT 7: REPORT OF 12 JULY 1862]

CAMP NEAR HARRISON’s LANDING,
July 12, 1862.

SIR: The following is a short statement of the operations upon which I have been engaged since I last submitted a report to you. Events have been so crowded that I have found it impossible to report at an earlier day:

On Thursday, June 26, I laid out a battery for thirty guns on the [p.140] hill in advance of General Franklin’s right, to the west of Golding’s farm, intending that this should be the principal position for our artillery to drive the enemy from his positions at Old Tavern, Mrs. Price’s, and the two Garnetts’. Thursday night we broke ground, with two regiments for the working party, two other regiments being the guards. Although we were within rifle-shot of the enemy’s pickets, we were not disturbed, and by morning we were under good cover.

Friday, the 27th, General Porter was attacked in force on the other side (left bank of the Chickahominy), and a heavy cannonade being opened about noon on General Smith’s position at Golding’s, the working party was withdrawn, but the work was still held by our infantry, and it contributed materially in enabling us to repel the attacks of the enemy during the day. During the afternoon, seeing that General Porter was being driven back toward our lower bridges, I suggested to General Franklin the propriety of destroying Duane’s bridge and the foot bridge below it. General Franklin acquiesced, and I put a regiment at Duane’s bridge and a company at the foot bridge, and before sunset they were well torn to pieces. It is worthy of remark that when I proceeded to this work I found a small party had already commenced the work of destruction, about a platoon at Duane’s bridge and six men at the foot bridge; by whose orders they had gone to work I did not learn.

Saturday, the 28th, General Franklin changed front, withdrawing from Golding’s plain and the redoubt there. After assisting in the necessary slashing in front of the new line and in placing Carlisle’s battery in position near Courtenay’s house, I inspected our line of defense to the left as far as Fair Oaks. Returning in the afternoon, I was told by General Franklin that you wished to see me at headquarters, near Savage Station. I immediately proceeded thither, and received your instructions to take Lieutenants Comstock and Farquhar with me and proceed to James River and look for au eligible position to which the army might retreat and establish a new base of operations. While waiting for an escort the general-in-chief sent for me and reiterated your instructions. It may be remarked that the idea at that time was to take up a line joining the James and Chickahominy; at least such was my idea. Lieutenant Comstock and myself left Savage Station about 12 o’clock Saturday night. We stopped with General Woodbury near the White Oak Swamp Bridge.

On the morning of Sunday, the 29th, we proceeded to the headquarters of General Keyes, where we found the escort, under Major Pleasonton, of the Second Dragoons, had halted. Hearing firing in General Keyes’ front, I rode forward to the débouché of the road over which General Sykes crossed the White Oak Swamp, and tried to get some axes to make a slashing across the roads leading from the Quaker road to Richmond, but in vain. Had 100 good axmen been put at work on these roads during that day we would probably been spared the subsequent battles of Monday and Tuesday. Returning, I saw General McClellan, for whom I sketched the roads as far as I had seen them, and from whom I received orders to try and communicate with our fleet on James River.

We started at 12 m. and arrived at Carter’s Landing at 5 p. m. We met no enemy. Immediately procured a boat, and communicated with the gunboats below City Point.
Returning to Carter’s about 7 o’clock, I reported in writing to General McClellan, and sent an officer and 10 men to act as guides in conducting columns to that place. I left a gunboat at Carter’s to protect [p.141] the escort, and proceeded up the river to see Captain Rodgers, of the GaIena, in command of the fleet. After stating to him the condition of affairs he sent a boat down the river to order up the supply vessels as far as Harrison’s Landing; but finding him of opinion that the gunboats could not keep the river open for supplies above Fort Powhatan, and that the true position of the army was at Dancing Point, the mouth of the Chickahominy, we decided to proceed thither. As, however, I could not concur in this opinion at that time and as it was then dark, we decided to remain where we were until morning.

Monday, the 30th, we proceeded up the river to the bend above the mouth of Turkey Creek, to the point where the bluffs on the right bank commanded the river and also the opposite shore. Returning, we stopped at Carter’s, where I ordered Major Pleasonton to send out parties on on all the roads, inform himself fully about them, and report direct to headquarters. I desired him to communicate, if possible, with the gunboats supposed to be up the Chickahominy, as I intended to return with one of his parties. I also instructed him to draw rations for the sick and wounded, several hundred of whom were already there. Leaving Carter’s about 12 m. in the Port Royal, Lieutenant Morris commanding, we proceeded to the mouth of the Chickahominy, but in going over the bar we got aground and remained there until next morning.

Tuesday, July 1, we proceeded up the Chickahominy about 25 miles to the Window Shades. Here we found three boats, and learned that this point was the head of navigation. Stopping there only a few minutes, I took a smaller vessel and returned to Turkey Creek as soon as possible. Major Pleasonton’s cavalry, although it had been within a few miles of the Chickahominy, did not reach its bank.

Wednesday, the 2d, I found General McClellan shortly after daylight on board the Galena, to whom I reported in writing, having prepared my report the evening before. As this report is a matter of record, it is unnecessary to allude to it further at this time. The general told me that he had determined to go to Harrison’s Landing, and that I would be wanted there as soon as possible to look to our lines of defense. He left early in the morning. When he had gone I asked the captain of the Delaware to set me ashore at Carter’s, some 3 miles below. This he thought it imprudent to do, as he was the only gunboat left behind, and he might want all his crew at any moment.

About 3 p. m. we landed at Carter’s, but we found that Major Pleasonton had left with our horses early in the morning, so we were forced to go to Harrison’s Landing by water. I found your tent just at dark, but did not succeed in seeing you until early next morning.

Tuesday, the 3d, in company with Captain McAlester and Lieutenant Comstock, I rode over the ground in our front, and before night, assisted by the sketch which you gave me that morning, I was enabled to give the general-in-chief such information as he desired to enable him to give orders about posting the troops. The nature of Herring, or Bird’s, Creek and the necessity of holding its left bank I had ascertained from the mast-head when I went down the James River a few days before.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the 5th, 6th, and 7th, I was engaged without intermission in fixing the details of our line of defense, in laying out works, directing the proper slashings, making communications, &c. To Captain McAlester I assigned the supervision of the work on the hill in front of our center; to Lieutenant Comstock the defense of the line of Kimage’s Creek, on our 1eft, and to Lieutenant Farquhar the construction of the works and rifle pits on our right. These works [p.142] are now well advanced toward completion. In two days more, if the troops do their duty, they will be finished.

Late in the evening of the 7th, just as I had finished laying out the last line, to which I thought it necessary to give my special attention, the withdrawing of General Kearny’s right, so as to form a proper connection with General Franklin, the general-in-chief sent for me to meet him on the steamer Metamora. He wished me to make a more minute examination of the opposite shore with a view of occupying it. This I did on Tuesday, the 8th, and reported to him that I considered the most dangerous point for our flotilla to be the wooded shore on the opposite bank, just above Mr. Cole’s house, nearly opposite the mouth of Herring Creek.

Wednesday and Thursday, the 9th and 10th, overcome by the great heat and my previous exertions and anxiety about our situation, I was warned to seek rest.

Friday, the 11th, I rode over the whole line, but as it was raining, the troops were doing but little.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

B. S. ALEXANDER,
Lieutenant- Colonel and Aide-de- Camp.

Brig. Gen. J. G. BARNARD,
Chief Engineer, Army of the Potomac.

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