Norfolk apparently furnished a new basis for advance south of James River, while it relieved Burnside, in North Carolina, of an enemy on his flank, and enabled him, in case of a projected march upon Richmond, to give assistance to McClellan.

The advance of the army from Yorktown had been directed upon West Point for the purpose of forming a junction with Franklin's Corps, as well as to take advantage of the nature of the ground, which was less swampy on the York than on the James River. The Chickahominy River has its origin in Henrico and Hanover counties, and passing five miles to the north of Richmond, takes a southeasterly course through extended swamps, and empties into the James River thirty-five miles below Richmond. The river thus forms a curve, covering Richmond to the north and southeast. Numerous bridges cross the stream, which is liable to sudden overflows. The Federal army marched to the north of this stream, and a junction being made with Franklin, the base of operations was fixed at White House, which is connected with Richmond by railroad. On the 20th of May the advance under Stoneman was at Gaines's Mills, eight and a half miles north of Richmond, and one and a half north of New Bridge. The pickets of the enemy occupied the opposite bank of the river, but there were apparently few troops in the neighborhood. The army held different points of the Chickahominy, at greater or less distances from the enemy's capital. Headquarters were at Cold Harbor, on the turnpike, ten miles north of Richmond.

The army was now thoroughly rested, and once more impatient of inaction. The commissary arrangements were completed, and trains of artillery were brought to the front. Two provisional corps under Generals Fitz John Porter and Franklin had been recently created by taking divisions from the corps already organized, making five corps in all, besides the cavalry division of Stoneman. In order to communicate with the gunboats on James River, it was necessary to send by land through the enemy's pickets, who swarmed in the country between the Chickahominy and the James. Lieutenant F. C. Ďavis was detailed with ten men to make the attempt, and the perilous expedi tion was successfully performed. Rumors were now current that Beauregard was in Richmond with troops, arrived on their way from Corinth. The corps of McDowell, which had been detained by the President, was at Fredericksburg, with pickets thrown forward in the direction of Richmond. The re-enforcements that McClellan had received were considered by that general not sufficient to make good the waste by cannon and disease, and by the garrisons left at Yorktown, Williamsburg, and other points. To unite with McDowell would, however, insure success. For this purpose, on the 22d May, the Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry was detached from the reserves, to reconnoitre the Pamunkey towards Hanover Court-House. In consequence of their report, Porter, with his division, marched rapidly upon that point where the railroads coming from Fredericksburg and from Gordonsville cross the river en route to Richmond. The enemy held the place, under General Branch, the same who had been (March

14th) driven out of Newbern, N. C., by General Burnside; but Porter easily defeated him, capturing a gun, five hundred prisoners, and the control of the bridges. He was now within fifteen miles of McDowell's pickets, and a single day's march would have united the two armies; but just at that juncture orders came from the Secretary of War to burn the bridges thus captured, and for McDowell to proceed by forced marches to the Shenandoah Valley to succor Banks, who was hard pressed by a rebel column under General T. J. Jackson. The latter, by the celerity of his movements, had amazed all the commanders and disquieted the Government. There being no longer any hope of a junction with McDowell, it became necessary to hold both banks of the Chickahominy, which, from the shifting nature of its bed, was difficult to bridge. In a short time several good bridges were in process of construction to facilitate the passage, and enable each wing to support the other in case of emergency.

The different corps of the army continued to press the enemy upon the Chickahominy, and on the 23d Naglee, of Casey's Division of Keyes's Corps, crossed at Bottom's Bridge, and, after a sharp struggle, made good his position three miles in advance on the Williamsburg road. On the 25th, Stoneman advanced from New Bridge up the river, and occupied Ellison's Mills, driving out the enemy under Howell Cobb. The Eighth Illinois was then sent three miles farther to destroy the bridge of the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad. The village of Mechanicsville, five miles from Richmond, was then occupied by the extreme right of the army.

There are three roads which cross the Chickahominy at different points converging upon Richmond. The most southerly of these is the Williamsburg road, which crosses at Bottom's Bridge, and passes through Seven Pines, seven miles from Richmond. Running parallel to this, and three-fourths of a mile to the north, is the Richmond and York River Railroad, which, crossing at the railroad bridge, passes through Fair Oaks, six miles from Richmond. Still farther to the north, a road crosses New Bridge, and approaches Richmond at an angle with the railroad; this is known as the Nine-mile road. A cross-road runs nearly parallel with the Chickahominy River from a house known as Old Tavern, near New Bridge, on the Nine-mile road, crossing the railroad at right angles with it at Fair Oaks, to Seven Pines on the Williamsburg road. The railroad runs from White House, the base of the army supplies, to Richmond direct; and Fair Oaks was obviously a strategic point to be defended at all hazards, since the railroad afforded the most ample means of bringing forward supplies under all contingencies. Why the enemy left the railroad whole when he retired was a problem; but as he had done so, every advantage was to be taken of it.

On the 25th of May, the Fourth Corps, Keyes, and the Third Corps, Heintzelman, both under the latter, were ordered to advance to Seven Pines. An intrenched camp, consisting of a lunette and supporting abatis, was found one-fourth mile in advance of this station, and Casey's Division of Infantry, with twenty pieces of artillery, were placed in it, supported by Couch's Division. Further down the

railroad were the two divisions of Heintzelman's Corps. The position of the army was now that of the letter V, with its point at Bottom's Bridge. The right wing, on the north of the Chickahominy, consisted of the corps of Sumner, Franklin, and Porter, and was extended from Bottom's Bridge to Mechanicsville. The left, on the Richmond side of the river, was composed of the four divisions of Keyes and Heintzelman, disposed one behind the other, from Fair Oaks to Bottom's Bridge. The uncertain and shifting stream which ran between these two wings was being bridged, in order that both might communicate for mutual support. This was the state of affairs, May 31st, when General Casey's Corps was stationed as follows: On the right, Naglee's Brigade, extending across the railroad and approaching a point on the river, where General Sumner had erected the Grape-Vine Bridge; in the centre, Worrell's second Brigade (formerly General Keim's), extending from Naglee's left across the Williamsburg road; and on the left, Palmer's Brigade. General Couch's Corps was mainly on the Williamsburg road, in the rear of Casey. The corps of Casey was by no means full, its strength being estimated at about six thousand men. About noon, the enemy, under General Hill, with the brigades of Rhodes, Garland, Rains, and Anderson, made a rapid advance, and attacked the intrenched camp with great fury, taking it completely by surprise, and in the words of General Richardson, "brushed away the division of Casey like chaff." The division of Couch had hardly formed in order of battle ere the enemy were upon him with fierce yells, delivering at short range a deadly fire, which was received with steady courage and with a stubborn resistance, that caused the advancing column to swerve to the right. Abercrombie's Brigade supported Naglee, that of Devens sustained Worrell, and General Peck supported Palmer on the left. The enemy, in accumulating numbers and mad with fancied success, was pushing between Heintzelman and the river, and his success in this movement would be fatal to the army. Our men stood to their task with a constancy the oldest veterans could not excel, and which neither the evidently superior numbers of the enemy, their determination to win, nor the deadly fire of their sharpshooters, could shake. Nevertheless, the swelling throng of the enemy's columns seemed still to outflank our exhausted line, and at six o'clock disaster was imminent. Sedgwick, of Sumner's Corps, now appeared coming from the bridge which he had built, and went into action to the support of Couch, whose left the enemy had just turned, thereby, with a strong column, penetrating between him and Heintzelman, two miles, in the rear on the railroad. It appears that General Birney, of Kearny's Division, had been ordered by General Heintzelman to advance on the railroad in the direction of Couch one mile, and he did so, but immediately received orders from Kearny to return to his original post. This movement and counter-movement left the opening for the enemy. For this General Birney was relieved of his command, but he was reinstated at the request of General Kearny. Meantime, Sedgwick's men coming up, excited with the march, with the din of battle and

the pride of anticipated victory flaming in their eyes, went eagerly to work, and at once smote the head of the enemy's advancing column with a storm of canister-shot from the few pieces that had been laboriously dragged through the miry roads. The enemy staggered heavily back under this withering shower. The situation was fatal to them. The division, closing up "shoulder to shoulder,” in line of battle, moved up with resistless vigor, and the shaken line of the Confederates was driven back effectually. Their forward impetus was lost at the first fire, and the long line of avenging bayonets presented by the Union front imparted a retrograde movement to his steps that was not recovered. The rebel repulse was greatly aided by the confusion occasioned by the wounding of their commanding general, J. E. Johnston, of which, had the Federals been aware of it, great advantage might have been taken. He was succeeded by General Gustavus W. Smith. Richardson's Corps then arriving on the left of Sedgwick, connected with Birney's Brigade of Heintzelman's Corps, the breach was thus closed and the position made secure for the night. The opportune arrival of Sedgwick alone saved the army from total disaster, since the gallant troops who had so long borne the brunt of overwhelming numbers, were in danger of being overpowered. They could not much longer have held out. A delay of half an hour would have insured total defeat. The enemy captured almost every thing belonging to Casey's Division, camp equipage, and a number of guns. There had been a severe storm of rain, on which the enemy had counted to cause the river to rise so as to prevent the crossing of Federal re-enforcements. The rise did not take place as soon as was calculated upon, and that saved the army. On Sunday morning, June 1st, at dawn, the Confederates occupied the camps of Casey's and Couch's Divisions, having their left on the railroad near Fair Oaks. To our right, on the other side of the railroad, the divisions of Generals Richardson and Sedgwick were formed, in a semicircle, with their left resting on General Hooker's right, at the railroad, and their right flanking the enemy. These divisions were composed of parts of the brigades of General Burns, General French, General T. F. Meagher, with four batteries of artillery.

General Hooker's Division was camped in the wood on the Williamsburg road, occupying the centre, and a little in advance of the right and left wings. On the left the remaining portions of Couch's and Casey's Divisions rested, with reserves of fresh troops extending to our extreme left, near the middle road, under General Keyes.

At seven o'clock, General Heintzelman ordered Hooker to drive the enemy from a wood on the extreme left. The attack was commenced by Hooker leading the Fifth and Sixth New Jersey, near the railroad, supported on the right by the brigade of Birney, now under the command of Colonel Robert Ward. General Sickles's Brigade followed, and a portion of it having, by order of Hooker, gone to the left of the Williamsburg road, the artillery found the ground too boggy to get through. The brigade of Sickles, finding the enemy showing a firm front before them, after some ineffectual firing formed a line, and with fixed bayonets performed a charge that won the admiration of