Official Records of the Rebellion

BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG.

On the 5th of May headquarters of the Army of the Potomac were still at Camp Winfield Scott. The last arrangements were making for the movement of General Franklin’s forces, which, sailing up the river and to land at West Point, would turn any position taken by the enemy lower down upon the Peninsula, and would also threaten the flank of their retreating columns.

The signal officers with this command, some time before detailed to it by order of the commanding general, had been distributed among the transports. Other signal officers of the fleet detachment were on the gunboats to accompany them. The services of these officers will have particular mention in relation to the battle at West Point.

The signal detachments of the left and center, in charge of Lieutenants Daniels and Fisher, acting signal officers, had moved forward with the advance of the columns to which they were attached.

The movement to Williamsburg encountered the gravest difficulties in miry roads, puddled by the footsteps and broken into ruts and great holes by the wheel-tracks of the retreating army. These roads led through forests. A heavy rain had been falling all day.

At general headquarters we had heard the sounds of a continued battle since daylight. About 3 p. m. officers of the staff arrived from the front. The chief signal officer was notified that the general commanding was about to go upon the field, and was instructed by him in person that communication was desired between the army at Williamsburg and the gunboats which were to be sent up from the fleet that night to act with it. He was directed to arrange officers for this communication. In obedience to these orders additional officers, carrying with them full written instructions as to the arrangements to be made, were sent to report to Lieut. J. W. De Ford, Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps, and acting signal officer, on board the flagship.

Two signal officers were to be placed on each gunboat sent to take part in the action. Of these one was to land, if necessary, and join our [235] troops near Williamsburg wherever they might be visible. The communication of the gunboats to any point on shore visible from their decks and held by our forces was thus made certain. Lieut. H. L. Johnson, acting signal officer, was ordered to the front with a detachment of six officers and their men, which had the day before been concentrated. This party starred immediately.

By the time these arrangements were completed it was night. It was very dark, and rain still fell rapidly.

The signal detachments of the forces with Generals Sumner and Keyes, moving with the columns on the march to Williamsburg, acted during the march as scouts to reconnoiter and as aids to carry messages and reports. Their duties in this character were continued on the field of battle. The smoke, the mist, the heavy rain, and the dense woods rendered signaling impossible. Some of the officers were posted by the officers in charge of the detachments where they could use their telescopes, and whence they announced to the commanders near them, either by orderlies or in person, such movements of the enemy as they were able to see. Toward evening General McClellan arrived and went upon the field of battle on the right. Soon after his arrival, in reply to an inquiry made by him whether communication could be had with the gunboats expected to arrive at night, Lieut. B. F. Fisher, acting signal officer, reported to him, and received his orders to establish the communication required. This was successfully accomplished upon the arrival of the vessels, though the night was one very unfavorable for signaling. The shore station was about a mile inland from the river and close to the field of battle. The fact was communicated to the commanding general as soon as accomplished.

Lieutenant Fisher caused another signal station to be erected near one of the works on the battle-field, and made ready to call for and direct the fire of the gunboats, should it be needed, at daylight.

The acting signal officers who assisted Lieutenant Fisher, and those on the gunboats, whose care and watchfulness contributed to the result, are entitled to equal credit. The names of these officers, and of others who deserve mention at this place, are given in my report of June 18, 1862. There is reason to believe that the knowledge of this communication was of some importance to the commanding general. At daylight the enemy had evacuated their works and were in retreat beyond Williamsburg. A signal station had been established at the mouth of Queen’s Creek, from which various messages were sent until the store-ships, with supplies, began to arrive.

On the arrival of the chief signal officer on the morning of the 6th communication was opened from the gunboats to other stations well inland, and was kept open at the request of General W. F. Smith, whilst the troops moved forward to occupy Williamsburg and until that village had been occupied in force. The fleet of transports with General Franklin’s command was passing up the river to West Point as our troops were marching into the place. The headquarters of the army halted at Williamsburg some days, while the trains of the army were brought up through the almost impassable roads and the wounded of the battle were cared for. Fresh troops were pushed forward in pursuit of the enemy, while those which had suffered most in the engagement followed more slowly. The advance guard, under General Stoneman, pursued closely the retreating army. A party of three signal officers, with their men, accompanied this guard, and was actively employed watching the enemy and reporting their movements.

On the day following our arrival the chief signal officer was ordered [236] to connect by signal stations, if possible, the village of Williamsburg with West Point. It was the plan that communicating stations should be placed on three schooners, anchored some miles apart in the river, and the messages sent from a station on shore at West Point were to be repeated through the schooner stations to another station on land at the mouth of Wormley’s Creek; hence through other stations they would be sent to Williamsburg. The distance was about 20 miles. The schooners were to be brought from Yorktown. With much labor and many tiresome delays the stations were at length established May 9, but only on the day on which headquarters, moving again to the front, left them useless.

At Williamsburg, as at Yorktown, the chief signal officer felt deeply the want of field telegraphic trains, which would have rendered communication, at least over part of this distance, certain and easy.

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