Official Records of the Rebellion

MOVEMENT FROM SAVAGE STATION.

It had been raining during the night, and at daylight a thick fog was hiding the movements of both armies. Instructions were given before dawn to Lieutenant Fisher to report at daylight with a party of five officers and their flagmen at General Smith’s headquarters, still near Golding’s farm, and afterwards to accompany any movement of the troops of that portion of the army, now our right, during the ensuing day. A station of observation was ordered to be established at Dudley’s house. Four officers, with their men, were to report as usual at daylight to General Hooker. The remainder of the party was to be in reserve near Savage Station, and there to wait for further orders. All trains were to move at once for the depot on James River. Soon after daylight it was evident that the general movement of the army which had been taking place drew near its completion. The rear of the last train moving from the front was in the open fields surrounding Savage Station. Headquarters moved across White Oak Swamp.

About 7 a. m. the fog, which had shut out everything, lifted, and from the station at Dudley’s house long lines of the enemy’s troops could then be seen moving on the north side of the river, as if toward White House, and halted at the different roads leading from the bridges. The movement was evidently in force. A report of these facts was sent by courier to General McClellan. An hour later the forces under General Franklin, moving back from our lines in front by way of Trent’s house, began to occupy positions at Dudley’s house and near Savage Station. The signal officers serving with this portion of the army, stationing themselves on trees and on house-tops as the troops moved back, reported to General Franklin and his division commanders such movements of the enemy as they could see, until the enemy’s pickets had crossed the river from the northern side, and until in the afternoon the last troops moved from Dudley’s house to go upon the battle-field at Savage Station, the officer upon Dudley’s station leaving it with the rear guard. At noon the troops under Generals Hooker and Heintzelman were occupying the second line of defenses in front of Savage Station and on both sides of the Williamsburg roads. There were occasional skirmishes and exchange of cannon- shots near this place, but the enemy had not shown themselves in force. The sounds of a slight engagement near Sumner’s position was audible for a time, but soon ceased. The troops were everywhere on the alert and in good spirits, and the retreat seemed making with precision.

Squads of men at this time were destroying at Savage Station property it had been found necessary to leave behind. Close to the Williamsburg road at Savage Station a siege howitzer, a piece of the siege train, had become disabled by some breakage of its carriage. [254] The officer in charge had piled wood under and on top of it, and setting fire to the mass, which blazed up fiercely, was quietly waiting some time after the gun had been rendered useless for its entire destruction. Atrain of cars laden with ammunition and provisions stood on the railroad track close to the station. This was being dismantled. A great pile of boxes of hard bread stood by the road near the hospital. This was to be left, it was said, for the sick and wounded. The wagon trains had passed out of view from Savage Station. There remained only the troops designated to hold for a time this position.

The signal officers who had reported to General Hooker in the morning, though reconnoitering, had not been called upon for any active service. The reserve party yet remained at Savage Station.

<-BACK | UP | NEXT->