Official Records of the Rebellion

THE BATTLE OF SAVAGE STATION.

Early in the afternoon the troops of Generals Sumner and Franklin, falling back from the positions they had held in the morning, began to form their line upon what was to be the battle-field. About 4p. m. the laden train of cars standing upon the track was fired. Another train attached to a locomotive was started at speed and without guidance toward the broken railroad bridge crossing the Chickahominy. Soon after a terrific explosion in that direction announced the destruction of large supplies of ammunition.

Our lines were formed upon the east side of the open grounds at Savage Station, the left of the line extending in the woods upon the south side of the Williamsburg road. As the line was forming the signal officers, who had been held ready during the day, together with those coming in with the different bodies of troops, were assigned to stations.

Lieutenants Birney and Yates, acting signal officers, were posted on the Williamsburg road as far toward the front as they could be visible, with instructions that one of the Party should proceed yet farther toward the enemy, supposed to be approaching in that direction, to reconnoiter; and, returning, his reports should be sent by signals to the central station, placed near the point at which the Williamsburg road leaves (going toward White Oak Swamp) at Savage Station.

Lieutenant Wiggins was placed at a point where the railroad track first enters the cleared ground from the direction of Richmond. Hence the railroad is a long way visible. Lieutenant Wiggins was to report any advance of the enemy upon the railroad or from that direction.

Lieutenant Tompkins, acting signa1 officer, was placed where the right of our line rested on the deep cut of the railroad east of Savage’s house. He was to report any force appearing on our right by the road from Trent’s house or over the bridges of the Chickahominy.

At the central station were posted Lieutenants Noel, Marston, and Denicke, acting signal officers. The arrangements were hardly completed when a message from the station on the Williamsburg road and a verbal report made by an officer from that station announced the enemy as not far distant, and moving on the railroad slowly, and with artillery. This report was sent to General Sumner. Other reports soon indicated the presence of the enemy at other points in our front. The shells from their guns began to strike in the edge of the woods near the signal officers there stationed. A final report from Lieutenant Wiggins estimated the distance of the enemy from his station in yards. These reports were forwarded to General Sumner, who, in reply to the last, said he was coming upon the field in person. The officers were [255] ordered in from the advanced stations. General Sumner came upon the field.

At the commencement of the action, which now opened, some shells were thrown from a howitzer on the enemy’s right, near Williamsburg road, directly among the tents crowded with the wounded surrounding Savage Station. A white flag sent from the hospital was met by the enemy, and thereafter the range of this gun was carefully altered. No other shells fell among the sufferers.

A few moments later the enemy showed themselves on the line of the railway, and opened upon the troops near the central signal station with a gun of the heaviest caliber. The piece is reported to have been either an 8-inch columbiad or a 64-pounder rifle, mounted upon a railway car, and moved upon the railway. The range and service of the piece were splendid, and its fire was most annoying until silenced by a battery of Parrott guns near our center. The signal flag offered too perfect a mark to be used among troops in its presence, and the station here, with the one established before the action, on the right of our line, and now practically useless, ceased working.

Much of the battle of Savage Station was fought on open ground, our lines advancing across the plain to close with the enemy, who held the edge of the woods on the west side of the cleared ground from the railroad to beyond the Williamsburg road. The musketry firing, as the lines closed with each other, was very severe. As our different lines moved up it was thought at one time it would be necessary to establish a signal station far to the front and at a point much exposed to the enemy. Lieutenants Camp, Wiggins, and Denicke, acting signal officers, volunteered to work this station, and took their places with the line, ready to move up when it should be ordered. By the time the line had advanced the enemy had been driven back, and the station was unnecessary. It was dark when the conflict ended. It was fully 9 o’clock before the reports were received from the battle-field. The place of combat, on which they sought the dead and wounded with torches, the trains of cars yet burning on the railway track, a hospital and large grounds crowded with the suffering of other battles, and long lines of troops, lit up now and then with a lurid light by the explosions of ammunition among the burning stores, were some of the incidents of the scene.

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