Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[82] and on the right of the Eleventh Maine were eight companies of the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania, Col. Davis. Four companies of the Eleventh Maine were on picket duty, but, being driven in, formed with the Fifty-sixth New-York, Lieut.-Col. Jaudon, at his encampment, in line of battle, parallel with and about eight hundred yards in rear of the picket line--two hundred yards to the left of the railroad. Col. Dodge's Fifty-second Pennsylvania, supporting the picket line on the extreme right, formed at his encampment, on theNine-mile road, three quarters of a mile in rear of the large Garnett field. The remaining companies of the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania and Eleventh Maine were on picket duty along the large field in the direction of the Chickahominy.

Soon after my arrival upon the ground — about one o'clock P. M.--the fire then being frequent, and from the direction of the main Richmond stage-road, Gen. Casey gave an order to the One Hundredth New-York, and One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania and Eleventh Maine to charge, when, as reported by Col. Davis, the regiments sprang forward “towards the enemy with a tremendous yell. In our way was a high worm fence, which cut our former line of battle, but the boys sprang over it, into the same inclosure with the enemy, where we formed and renewed the fight. The battle now raged with great fury, and the firing was much hotter than before. Spratt's battery during this time had kept up a lively fire in the same direction. At about three P. M., the enemy being largely reenforced, pressed us in front and flank, and seeing that we could not hold our position much longer, unless reenforced, I despatched an officer to Gen. Casey for that purpose. The Colonel of the One Hundredth New-York being killed, the Colonel of the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania severely wounded, the Major mortally wounded, the Lieutenant-Colonel absent, half of our men having been killed or wounded, the enemy, ten times our number, within a few feet of us--one of them striking Sergeant Porter, the left guide of the One Hundred and Fourth, over the neck with his musket — several of the Eleventh Maine being bayoneted, and receiving no reenforcements, we were ordered, with Spratt's battery, to retire; but, unfortunately, the horses of one of the pieces being killed, we were compelled to abandon that piece.”

The enemy endeavored to follow up this success, and was advancing in closed columns, when our troops having been sufficiently withdrawn, Col. Bailey, of the First New-York artillery, at my request, directed the fire of the batteries of Fitch and Bates, situated in and near the redoubt, to be concentrated upon the advancing mass, At every discharge of grape and canister wide gaps were opened in his ranks, which were filled as soon as opened; still, he pressed on, until, after many trials, with immense loss, finding that he was “advancing into the very jaws of death,” with sullen hesitation he concluded to desist at this point.

I congratulated Col. Bailey upon his gallant conduct and good services, as heretofore described, and suggested that in the event of being compelled to abandon another piece, he should instruct his gunners to spike before leaving it. He went into the redoubt to give these orders, when he was shot by a rifle-ball through the forehead, and died a few minutes after, the State losing a gallant soldier, and his artillerymen a friend to whom they were entirely devoted. Soon after this, Major Van Valkenburgh, of the same artillery, was killed by a rifle-ball whilst actively engaged in working these batteries, and but a little while after, Lieut. Rumsey, the Adjutant, in the same manner. All of the field and staff-officers being killed, I assumed the direction of the batteries composing the First New-York artillery.

No reenforcements having been sent to us, and desirous of following up the success above referred to, about half-past 3 P. M., I rode to the rear, and led up the Fifty-fifth New-York, Lieut.-Col. Thourot, and placed it in line perpendicular to the Williamsburgh road, about fifty yards in advance of the redoubt, the left resting a short distance from the road. Before getting into position they were compelled to march over the bodies of their killed and wounded comrades, and soon after found themselves fully engaged. Leaving the Fifty-fifth, my attention was directed towards the right, where I found the Fifty-sixth New-York, with the Eleventh Maine, who, after four hours contest, had fallen back about four hundred yards, and were. again placed by me, at four hours and ten minutes, in a depression in the ground, about midway between the Williamsburgh road and the railroad, and about three hundred yards in front of theNine-mile road. Near by I found the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, which had been ordered from the right, and I placed them in echelon to the right, and front of the Fifty-sixth, with the right resting upon and in rear of a large pond. At this time the fire here had considerably slackened, but was considerably increasing on the left. Returning in about an hour, to the left, I found the Fifty-fifth engaged to their utmost extent, and ascertained for the first time that the enemy had discovered, what I had long feared, that there were none of our troops between the White Oak Swamp and a line parallel with and but two hundred yards from the Williamsburgh road. He had more than an hour before discovered this, and with sharpshooters concealed in the woods, to the left and rear of the redoubt and rifle-pits, they had killed many of our most valuable officers, had picked off three cannoniers, and had killed from three to four horses out of every team attached to the First New-York artillery, and, at the time of my return, had driven our men from the rifle-pits. No time was to be lost; Fitch's battery was ordered to the rear. The battery under Lieut. Hart was next ordered to retire, but it was soon found that but one limber could be moved. I ordered the pieces to be spiked; but after spiking the pieces in the redoubt, those on the outside of it were in the possession of the enemy. By way