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    BATTLES
    OF THE
    CIVIL WAR

    BY
    T. E. VINEYARD

    [Illustration]

    SPENCER, W. VA.
    1914




    COPYRIGHT, 1914
    BY
    T. E. VINEYARD

    HAMMOND PRESS
    W. B. CONKEY COMPANY
    CHICAGO




CONTENTS


                                                        PAGE
  FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN                                 9
  BATTLE OF SHILOH                                        14
  BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES                     19
  THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND                 25
  BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN                                36
  SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN                               40
  BATTLE OF ANTIETAM                                      46
  BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO                                  56
  BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG                                62
  BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE                              71
  SIEGE OF VICKSBURG                                      79
  BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG                                    86
  BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA                                  104
  BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY RIDGE        109
  BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS                               114
  BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE                    120
  BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR                                  125
  SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA                             129
  BATTLE OF CLOYD MOUNTAIN                               136
  THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG                       142
  THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX                            149




ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                        PAGE
  GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE                                   16
  GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT                                32
  JOHN BROWN ON HIS WAY TO THE GALLOWS                    48
  BATTLEFIELD OF FIRST BULL RUN                           64
  BATTLE OF ANTIETAM                                      96
  BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG                                   112
  DEDICATING THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG         128
  BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE                    144




AUTHOR'S PREFACE


In all history of this American Republic, or perhaps any other nation,
there was no conflict that was so terrible as our Civil war. Napoleon's
efforts to bring into reality his dream of universal empire would not
compare with it.

I have endeavored in this book to describe in detail the chief points
that were enacted on the most important battlefields of that War. As
those who participated in that War are now fast passing away, and the
time will soon be here when they will only be remembered by their
deeds of valor on these battlefields, I deem it only fit and proper
that those in all walks of life should know more of these battles in
detail and of those who participated in them. I think you will get this
information from this book, as it is written specially with this view.
It should specially appeal to teachers and students who can use it in
a supplementary way in connection with the study of history of this
period.

I now commend this book to you, and trust that it may be the means of
giving you more light on this the greatest civil war of all time, and
that it may help to lengthen in the minds of the American people their
remembrance of those who participated in it.




FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN


At the beginning of July, 1861, the Federals had 30,000 men encamped
along the Potomac near the heights of Arlington under the general
command of General Winfield Scott, who was a veteran of the war of
1812, as well as the Mexican war, but who was at this time aged and
infirm, and remained in Washington, and Brigadier-General Irvin
McDowell was in immediate command of the army. Another 20,000 men lay
at Martinsburg under General Patterson who like Scott was a veteran of
the war of 1812 and of the Mexican war.

At Manassas Junction, about thirty miles from Washington, lay the
Confederate army under Brigadier-General Beauregard. General Joseph E.
Johnston was in command of 9,000 men in the Shenandoah Valley. Johnston
and Beauregard, as well as McDowell, had with Scott and Patterson
battled at the gates of Mexico.

General Scott gave orders to McDowell to move against Beauregard and
on the 16th day of July the army, with waving banners and lively hopes
of victory, and with "On to Richmond" as their battle cry, moved on
Manassas. General McDowell brought his army to a halt at Centreville
within seven miles of Manassas. Beauregard was apprised of the coming
of the Federals. The stream of Bull Run, from which the first great
battle of the war derived its name, flowed between the two armies.
Patterson failed to detain Johnston in the valley, and General Johnston
reached Manassas with his army on the afternoon of the 20th. General
Longstreet was also there, who some months later played a distinctive
part in the struggle at Gettysburg and in the death grapple of Lee and
Grant in the wilderness.

McDowell, after resting his troops for two days at Centreville, thought
the time for an engagement was now at hand, so on Sunday, July 21st,
at half-past two in the morning, the men were roused for the coming
conflict. Their dream of easy victory had already received a rude
shock, for on their second day at Centreville a skirmish between two
minor divisions of the opposing armies resulted in the defeat of the
Union forces with some loss.

Ambrose E. Burnside and William T. Sherman were at this time
subordinate officers under General McDowell. Burnside, who figured
later in the far more disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, and Sherman,
distinguished for his march to the sea.

The Union plan was that General Tyler should lead his division
westward and cross Bull Run at the Stone Bridge about four miles from
Centreville, and the remainder of the army under Hunter and Heintzelman
was to make a circuit of several miles through a dense wood and cross
Bull Run at Sudley's Ford. The plan was to attack the Confederate left
wing. The march to Sudley's Ford was slower than expected and it was
almost noon before this division of the army reached the field near
Stone Bridge.

General Tyler early in the day opened fire at Stone Bridge on the
Confederates under General Evans, but merely kept up a desultory fire.
As the morning wore away the Confederates suddenly discovered clouds
of dust rising above the treetops along the Warrenton turnpike, which
told them that the main Federal army was on them. Evans quickly turned
about and made ready for battle and waited calmly for the approach of
the enemy. Presently there was a glimmer of sunlight reflected from
burnished steel among the trees and Colonel Burnside led the Federal
army from the woods and without delay the battle began and raged
furiously.

Meanwhile Generals Beauregard and Johnston were at Manassas, about four
miles from the scene of battle, with part of the Confederate army, and
had been planning an attack on the Federal left, but on hearing the
roar of the cannon and the rattle of the musketry became convinced that
the Federals were making their main attack on the Confederate left,
and both galloped at full speed to the scene of battle, after leaving
orders to the remainder of the army to be brought up to reenforce the
small force of Confederates who were trying to hold back the Federals.
They arrived on the field at the moment when General Bee's brigade
was being driven back. General Bee, in trying to rally his men,
called their attention to the fact that Thos. J. Jackson's brigade was
standing like a stone wall, and it was here that Jackson won his name
of "Stonewall."

The battle raged furiously until 3 o'clock. The chief object was to
get possession of Henry's Hill. Beauregard, like McDowell on the other
side, led his men in the thickest of the battle. His horse was killed
by a bursting shell, but he mounted another and continued. At about
2 o'clock the Confederates were driven from the field and McDowell
thought he had won the victory, but General Kirby Smith had arrived
from Manassas with the remainder of the Confederate army and was now
on the field, after a double-quick march for four miles under a hot
July sun. Beauregard determined to make another effort and ordered
his troops forward with fresh courage. When the Union army saw the
Confederates again approaching, supported by fresh troops, their
courage failed and they began to retreat. McDowell tried in vain
to rally his men, the Confederates pressed on, the retreat of the
Federals became a panic. He again tried to rally his men and make a
stand at Centreville but to no avail, the troops refused to listen
to his commands. Some of the troops did not stop until they reached
Washington, and the first great battle of the Civil war was now over.

The Federal force engaged was about 19,000 men, of which the loss in
killed, wounded and missing was about 3,000.

The Confederates had about 18,000 men on the field, and their total
loss in killed, wounded and missing was about 2,000. McDowell and
Beauregard, the opposing commanders, were old-time friends, having been
in the same class at West Point.

It was in this battle that Captain Ricketts was severely wounded and
left on the field, and was carried a prisoner to Richmond by the
Confederates.

To commemorate the success of the Southern arms at Bull Run the
Confederate congress voted a day of Thanksgiving.




THE BATTLE OF SHILOH


Many battles had been fought in America, but they were all skirmishes
compared with Shiloh. Napoleon fought but few battles on the Continent
of Europe that were more destructive of human life.

In the beginning of April, 1862, General Albert Sidney Johnston was in
command of 40,000 Confederate soldiers at Corinth, Miss., about twenty
miles from Pittsburgh Landing, on the Tennessee River; the next in
command was General Beauregard, who had fought at Bull Run, and had
come to reenforce Johnston; General Bragg, of Buena Vista fame, was
there, to whom, at Buena Vista, General Taylor had given the famous
command, "A little more grape, Captain Bragg." General Leonidas Polk
was with Johnston also. He was called the "Fighting Bishop," for he had
been a bishop in the church after leaving West Point.

Meanwhile the Union army was gathering at Pittsburgh Landing, under the
command of General Grant, and by April 5th numbered 40,000 men. Grant's
plan was to attack the Confederates at Corinth, within a few days, and
at this time was little expecting an immediate battle, and had left his
army in command of his subordinate officers, and on the night of the
5th was some miles down the Tennessee from where his army was encamped.

In the meantime Johnston was moving on the Federals at Pittsburgh
Landing, and on the night of April 5th encamped within a mile of the
Federal lines.

At the break of day Sunday, April 6th, the Confederate battle-lines
moved from the woods on the surrounding hills, and the greatest battle
yet fought in the Western Hemisphere was at hand.

General Grant was at breakfast when he heard the roar of the cannon,
and made haste by boat to take charge of his army.

General Hardee led the first Confederate attack against the outlying
division of the Federals under General Benjamin Prentiss, of West
Virginia. Very soon a Confederate attack was made all along the Federal
line, led by Bragg, Polk and Breckinridge. A determined stand was made
by the Federal division under General W. T. Sherman, but was finally
pushed back after inflicting great slaughter to the Confederates. About
two and a half miles from the Landing, in a grove of trees, stood a log
church, known to the country people as Shiloh, at which they gathered
on Sunday to worship, but on this particular Sunday the demon of war
reigned supreme, and it goes without saying that the regular service on
this fateful Sunday was dispensed with. About this church the battle
raged furiously. Near the same was a dense undergrowth, which was
held by General Prentiss until late in the afternoon of the 6th, when
his entire division was surrounded and compelled to surrender, after
repulsing the Confederate attack time after time with great slaughter.
This spot has since been known as the "Hornet's Nest."

It was near this place that General Albert Sidney Johnston received his
death wound while leading his troops, and in his death the Confederates
suffered irreparable loss. He was struck in the leg by a minie ball,
and if surgical attention had been given him at once his life would
have been saved.

It is the belief of many that the death of Johnston changed the result
at Shiloh. Beauregard succeeded to the command and continued the
battle. The utter rout of Grant's army was saved only by the gunboats
in the river. Beauregard gave orders to suspend operations until
morning.

[Illustration: GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE]

The Confederates were left in charge of the field on the first day and
were in good hope of victory. But ere long their hopes were mingled
with fear, for Beauregard had been expecting General Van Dorn with
20,000 men to reenforce him, but he had not arrived. On the other hand,
Generals Buell and Wallace arrived during the night with 25,000 fresh
troops to reenforce Grant. Everyone knew the battle would be renewed
at the dawn of day. At the break of day, April 7th, all was astir on
the field of Shiloh, and the dawn was greeted with the roar of the
cannon and the rattle of the musketry.

The Confederates were at a great disadvantage as Van Dorn had not
arrived, and they were confronted by Grant's overwhelming numbers.
Shiloh church was again the storm center, and was used by Beauregard as
his headquarters.

During the afternoon Beauregard became convinced that the battle
was lost, and ordered a retreat, which was skillfully made, for he
maintained a front firing-line, and the Federals did not suspect his
retreat for some time.

The Federals were left in possession of the field, while Beauregard's
troops were wading through mud on their way to Corinth.

Nothing yet on the American continent had ever been witnessed by any
human being that would equal the agony and woe that was endured on this
retreat; the road was almost impassable, and the Confederate army,
extending along this road for six to eight miles, was struggling along
through a downpour of rain, which, ere long, as night hovered over
them, turned to hail and sleet. There were wagons loaded with wounded,
whose wounds had not yet been attended. The wounded that died on the
way were left by the wayside.

Some days after the battle Beauregard reported to his government at
Richmond as follows: "This army is more confident of ultimate success
than before its encounter with the enemy."

In his address to his soldiers he said: "You have done your duty. Your
countrymen are proud of your deeds on the bloody field of Shiloh:
Confident of the ultimate result of your valor."

The two days at Shiloh were astonishing to the American people. Bull
Run was a skirmish in comparison with Shiloh. The loss on each side was
more than 10,000 men. General Grant said that after the battle there
was an open field so covered with dead that it would have been possible
to walk across it in any direction stepping on dead bodies without the
foot touching the ground.

This proved a great victory for the Federals, as it left them in full
possession along the Tennessee and in the surrounding country.




THE BATTLES OF FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES


After the battle of Bull Run the Union army was broken up and
unorganized. General George B. McClellan was called to Washington to
take charge of the army, and in the beginning days of 1862 he found
himself in command of 200,000 men. He set about to organize this army
and fit them for service. Presently public opinion grew restless, and
the North became tired of "All's Quiet Along the Potomac."

About the middle of March McClellan moved a large portion of his army
on transports down the Potomac to Fortress Monroe. On April 5th he
moved up the Peninsula toward Richmond. He met with a Confederate force
under General Magruder near Yorktown, who fell back on Williamsburg as
the Union army advanced. At Williamsburg he met a large Confederate
force under General J. E. B. Stuart, D. H. Hill and Jubal Early. The
Confederates were finally dislodged and forced to retreat by the
advance divisions of McClellan's army under Hooker, Kearny and Hancock,
who occupied Williamsburg.

The Union army continued their march, and on May 16th reached White
House, the ancestral home of the Lees, which is twenty-four miles from
Richmond. On every side were fields of grain, and were it not for the
presence of 100,000 men, there was the promise of a full harvest.

Great confusion reigned at the Confederate capital on hearing of the
advance of McClellan's army. The Confederate army, known as the Army
of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston,
was arrayed against McClellan's army, known as the Army of the Potomac.
And thus was arrayed against each other two of the greatest and best
equipped armies that had ever confronted each other on the field of
battle. It was now imminent that this would be the beginning of a
series of battles between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of
Northern Virginia, ending three years thereafter at Appomattox, where
the veterans in gray layed down their arms, in honor, to those in blue.

Between these two armies lay the Chickahominy River, which at this time
was overflowing its banks on account of recent heavy rains. McClellan
ordered his army forward May 20th, and a large division under General
Naglee succeeded in crossing the river, and took up a position on the
south side of the stream. General McClellan, however, was expecting to
be reenforced by McDowell from Fredericksburg with 40,000 men.

General Johnston, discovering the divided condition of McClellan's
army, believed that the time had arrived to give battle. At this time
"Stonewall" Jackson, with his army, was in the Valley of Virginia, and
was seriously threatening Washington. The authorities at Washington
deemed it necessary to recall McDowell and thus prevent him from
reenforcing McClellan, which proved to be a very serious disappointment
to him. McClellan ordered two divisions of his army to advance. One,
commanded by General Casey, stationed itself at Fair Oaks farm, and the
other, under General Couch, entrenched itself at the cross-roads near
Seven Pines, which derives its name from a clump of pine trees, from
which the battle fought here derives its name.

No sooner had these positions been taken than they began to entrench
themselves and throw out their picket lines, for the advance division
of the Confederates could plainly be seen through the timber lines.

On May 30th Johnston gave orders for his army to be ready to advance
at daybreak, but during the night a very heavy rain fell and delayed
operations until late in the morning of May 31st. About nine o'clock,
however, the forces of Longstreet and Hill were ready to move, and
advanced rapidly through the woods on the outlying division of the
Federals, who made a stubborn defense, driving back the Confederates
time after time at the point of the bayonet, and the last time pressing
them back to the woods. Here they were met by a furious musketry fire
by fresh men from Longstreet's division or infantry. They quickly gave
way, and retreated in confusion back to their entrenchments near Fair
Oaks farm. Here the Federals took a stubborn stand, but were presently
dislodged with great slaughter by an enfilading fire from the brigades
of Rains and Rhodes, who had come up on each side.

The Federals fell back to Seven Pines, where Couch's division was
stationed. Their situation was growing critical, although they were
making a determined stand and had been reenforced by Heintzelman's
division. In the meantime Hill had been reenforced by a brigade of
Longstreet's division and was making a fierce attack on the Federals.
The Confederates were further reenforced by the division of General
G. W. Smith. The battle raged furiously until late in the evening,
when the Federals fell back a distance of about two miles within their
entrenchments along the river.

While this battle was being fought, another at Fair Oaks Station, only
a short distance away, was also being fought, in which General Joseph
E. Johnston was seriously wounded by a bursting shell, and was carried
from the field. He was succeeded in command by General Robert E. Lee,
who was afterwards made the commander in chief of all the Southern
forces, although the immediate command fell upon G. W. Smith.

Early Sunday morning, June 1st, the battle was renewed and the attack
was again made by the Confederates, led by General Smith, supported
by Longstreet, but they were pushed back with great slaughter. The
Union lines were also broken and a brief lull ensued. Both sides were
gathering themselves for another onslaught. Presently the Federals were
reenforced by the division of General Hooker. They marched upon the
field in double quick time, and were met by a withering artillery fire.
Both attacking divisions were ordered forward with fixed bayonets. The
Confederates finally gave way and fell back toward Richmond, and the
Federals again withdrew to their entrenchment along the river.

It is thought by many that McClellan's failure to follow up the
Confederates proved to be the final failure of his Peninsula campaign,
for it gave the Confederates time to readjust their army under their
new commander.

The forest paths were strewn with the dead and dying. Many of the
wounded were compelled to lie in the hot sun for hours before help
could reach them. Many of the Federal wounded were placed upon cars and
taken across the Chickahominy. The Confederate wounded were carried to
Richmond, which was only seven miles away. And many of the Confederate
dead at Seven Pines were buried in the Holly Wood cemetery at Richmond,
where there are 16,000 Confederate dead. At Oak Wood cemetery, which is
near by, there is another 16,000, which makes 32,000 buried at Richmond.

At this time the defense of Washington was giving McClellan, as
well as other Federal authorities, considerable concern, for Jackson
with his army had previously taken possession of Winchester and was
advancing down the valley. The Federals opposed to Jackson were
commanded by Generals Shields and Banks. Jackson made an attack on
Shields' army at Kernstown and drove the Federals back, but presently
fell back to wait reenforcements under Ewell. The Federals were
reenforced by General Fremont. Jackson's activity in the valley
caused the president to fear that his goal was Washington. The two
armies fought a series of battles in the valley, namely: Front
Royal, Strausburg, Newtown and Port Republic, the last-named being
the far more important and destructive to life. These were a series
of victories for Jackson, for he drove the Federals from place to
place, and 3,000 of Banks' men fell into his hands as prisoners. Banks
retreated across the Potomac and Jackson joined Lee before Richmond.

Jackson's activity and strategy in the movement of his army surprised
both the North and the South. Banks reported to the government at
Washington that "Jackson aimed at nothing less than the capture of our
entire force."




THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES


Early in the summer of 1862, General Lee proceeded to increase his
fighting force so as to make it more nearly equal in number to that of
McClellan, and to that end every man that could be spared from other
sections in the South was called to Richmond. Numerous intrenchments
were thrown up along the roads and in the fields about Richmond, thus
giving it the appearance of a fortified camp. General Lee, in an
address to his troops, said that the army had made its last retreat.

Each army at this time numbered in the neighborhood of 100,000 men.

Meanwhile, McClellan's army was acclimating itself to a Virginia
summer, and now that the sweltering heat of June was coming on, the
swamps about their camps were fountains of disease, which began to tell
on the health of the men. The hospitals were crowded, and the death
rate was appalling.

McClellan proceeded to transfer all his men to the south side of the
Chickahominy River, excepting the corps of Franklin and Porter, which
were left on the north side of the river to await reenforcements under
General McCall, which arrived about the middle of June.

General Lee sent a division of his cavalry, under the command of J.
E. B. Stuart, to encircle the army of McClellan. Stuart started in the
direction of Fredericksburg June 12th, as if to reenforce Jackson, and
the first night bivouacked in the pine woods of Hanover county. Then,
turning to the east, he soon came upon a Union force, drawn up in
columns of four, ready to dispute the passage of the road, and which
fell back in confusion as the Confederates advanced. Stuart pushed on
and fell upon a company of Federal infantry at Tunstall's Station,
which surrendered at once. The Confederates quickly turned about,
crossed the Chickahominy River and joined Lee's army before Richmond,
thus giving Lee the desired information of the position of McClellan's
army.

Meanwhile, General "Stonewall" Jackson with his army was making haste
to join Lee's army, and on June 25th reached Ashland, in striking
distance of the Army of the Potomac.

McClellan was pushing his men forward to begin the siege of Richmond.
His advance guard was within four miles of the Confederate capital, and
his fond hope was that within a few days at most his artillery would be
belching forth its sheets of fire and lead into the beleaguered city.

In front of the Union camp was a strip of pine woodland, full of ponds
and marshes. The Union soldiers pressed through this thicket, met the
Confederate pickets among the trees and drove them back. Upon emerging
into the open the Federal troops found it filled with rifle pits,
earth works, and redoubts. At once they were met with a steady and
incessant fire, which continued nearly all day, and at times almost
reached the magnitude of a battle. This is sometimes called the second
battle of Fair Oaks, and was the prelude of the Seven Days' battles.

The extreme right of the Union line, under command of General Porter,
lay near Mechanicsville, on the Upper Chickahominy. It was strongly
entrenched and was almost impregnable to an attack from the front.
Before sunrise, June 26th, the Confederates were at the Chickahominy
bridge awaiting the arrival of Jackson, but for once Jackson was behind
time. The morning hours came and went. Noon came and Jackson had not
arrived. About the middle of the afternoon, General A. P. Hill, growing
impatient, crossed the river at Meadow bridge, and at Mechanicsville
was joined by the divisions of Longstreet and D. H. Hill. Driving the
Union outpost to cover, the Confederates swept across the low approach
to Beaver Dam Creek through a murderous fire from the batteries on
the cliff, but were finally repulsed with severe loss. Later in the
afternoon relief was sent Hill, who again attempted to force the
Union position at Ellerson's Mill. From across the open fields, and
in full view of the defenders of the cliff, the Confederates moved
down the <DW72> in full range of the Federal batteries, but the fire
was reserved by the Federals. As the approaching columns reached the
stream the shells came screaming through the air from every waiting
field-piece. Volley after volley of musketry was poured into the ranks
of the Southerners. The hillside was soon covered by the victims of
the gallant charge. As darkness hovered over them there were no signs
of the cessation of the combat. It was nine o'clock when Hill finally
drew back his shattered forces to await the coming of the morning. The
Forty-fourth Georgia regiment suffered the loss of all of its officers,
and thereby was unable to re-form its broken ranks. Both armies now
prepared for another day of conflict.

McClellan became convinced that Jackson was really approaching with a
large force, and decided to change his base to the James River, leaving
Porter with the Fifth corps on the banks of the Chickahominy, to
prevent Jackson from interrupting this gigantic movement. It involved
marching an army of 100,000 men, with a train of 5,000 heavily loaded
wagons, and many siege-guns, together with 3,000 cattle to be driven
across the marshy peninsula.

On the night of the 26th, McCall's division was directed to fall back
to the bridges across the Chickahominy near Gaines' Mill, and there
make a stand, for the purpose of holding back the Confederates. Just
before daylight the operations of moving the troops began.

The Confederates were equally alert, and opened a heavy fire upon the
retreating columns. The Union force under McCall, by being skillfully
handled, succeeded in reaching their new position on the Chickahominy
heights, and on the morning of the new day made ready for action. The
selection of this ground had been well made; they occupied a series of
heights fronted on the west by a cycle shaped stream. The land beyond
was an open country, through which a creek meandered sluggishly, and
beyond this a densely tangled undergrowth. Around the Union position
also were many patches of woods, affording cover for the reserves.

To protect the Federals, trees had been felled along their front, out
of which barriers, protected by rails and knapsacks, were erected.

Jackson's forces had united with those of Longstreet and the two Hills,
and were advancing with grim determination of victory.

It was two o'clock, on June 28th, when General A. P. Hill swung his
division into line for the attack. He was unsupported by the other
divisions, which had not yet arrived on the field. His columns moved
rapidly toward the Union front, and was met by a hailstorm of lead from
Porter's artillery, which sent messages of death to the approaching
lines of gray.

The Confederate front recoiled from the incessant outpour of grape,
canister and shell. The repulse threw the Confederates into great
confusion. Many left the field in disorder. Others threw themselves on
the ground to escape the withering fire, while some held their places.

The Federals were reenforced by General Slocum's division of Franklin's
corps.

Lee ordered a general attack upon the entire Union front.
Reenforcements were brought up to take the place of the shattered
regiments. The troops moved forward in the face of a heavy fire and
pressed up the hillside against the Union line at fearful sacrifice. It
was a death grapple for the mastery of the field.

At this time General Lee observed Hood of Jackson's corps coming down
the road bringing his brigade into the fight. Riding forward to meet
him, Lee directed that he should try to break the Union line. Hood, in
addressing his troops, said that no man should fire until ordered, then
started for the Union breastwork 800 yards away. They moved rapidly
across the open under a shower of shot and shell. At every step the
ranks grew thinner and thinner. They quickened their pace as they
passed down the <DW72> and across the creek. Not a shot had they fired.
With the wing of death hovering over all, they fixed bayonets and,
dashing up the hill into the Federals' line, with a shout they plunged
through the felled timber and over the breastworks. The Union line
had been pierced and was giving way, and the retreat was threatening
to develop into a general rout. But the Federals at this moment were
reenforced by the brigades of French and Meagher of Sumner's corps.
This stopped the pursuit and, as night was at hand, the Southern
soldiers withdrew. The battle of Gaines' Mill was then over.

General Lee believed that McClellan would