Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[167] from Fort Monroe to Yorktown crossed this stream was defended, in the rear of the obstacle, by two small earthworks, upon which were mounted a few field-pieces. As soon as the Federals showed themselves openly in the vicinity of the swamps, the first volley of musketry from the enemy drove them into the adjoining woods; it took their leaders more than two hours to induce them to return to the charge. During this time, their three guns, ably handled by Lieutenant Greble, a young regular officer, keep up the fight alone. At last Peirce attempts a serious attack, and divides his little band into three detachments. A portion of the centre detachment, led by a few regular officers, crosses the stream and temporarily dislodges the enemy from one of his works, but it cannot hold that position, for it is not sustained by the rest of the line, where the greatest confusion prevails. The right and left columns have come to a halt in front of the stream—one, because it considered it unfordable, the other because it has mistaken one of its own companies for a body of the enemy's troops threatening to turn it. Peirce, at the head of his reserves, boldly crosses the swamp on his extreme right, but in vain; the Confederates concentrate all their efforts upon him and drive him back. The attack was a failure; and notwithstanding the insignificance of the losses, the soldiers became discouraged. Fortunately for them, a reinforcement of two small battalions arrived in time to prevent their retreat from degenerating into a rout; and Greble, remaining to the last, with his guns, on the road which had been followed in the morning by the assailants, prevented the enemy's artillery from enfilading them. He was killed while protecting his companions. The Federals had only thirty-six killed and thirty-four wounded, many of whom were officers. Greble and Major Winthrop were among the former; among the latter, there was another regular officer, Captain Kilpatrick, whose name, already mentioned, will frequently occur during the narrative of the war. While Peirce's soldiers were rapidly falling back upon Fortress Monroe, Magruder felt but little disposed to pursue them, and, having no great confidence in his own troops, determined, notwithstanding his success, to fall back upon Yorktown.

Similar engagements, with as little loss of life, served everywhere as a prelude to the bloody war that was to follow. But