THE BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES.
June 1, 1862.
During the night all the Union artillery was brought safely through the marshes and swamps; and was posted for duty, it being well understood that the enemy would, on the following day, throw out all his remaining force, to drive back the Federal troops, and compel them to cross the Chickahominy. Throughout the night was heard the sound of axes, felling trees to protect the rebels from the advance of their foes; and the words of command from the rebel officers were distinctly heard by our soldiers.
The attack was not made at so early an hour as had been anticipated by our officers; it was six o’clock when the enemy first gave signs of their intended movement, and our pickets were driven in. They halted in our front and taunted our line to advance. General French, whose brigade was in front, declined the challenge, and the rebels rushed forward. The battle opened at once, furiously. The enemy fought rapidly and skilfully, adopting tactics which General French construed into a feint to draw him on. At intervals they suspended fire, appeared to be driven back, but continued to send forward new forces—their capacity for reinforcements, as on the previous day, appearing to be inexhaustible. As upon Saturday, both sides fought with equal and determined bravery. When the contest had lasted two hours and a half, with still increasing fury, General Richardson ordered Howard’s brigade to the front; the enemy also again reinforced, and the volume of his fire increased. Meantime our batteries were shelling the forests furiously; and a vigorous bayonet charge, by the Fifth New Hampshire, scattered the enemy, who had appeared in a skirt of the woods, like dry leaves before the autumn wind. General Howard, who had cheered on his brave men in the thickest of the fray, was at length disabled, and carried to the rear; his brother, Lieutenant Howard, also fell wounded; and Colonel Cross of the Fifth New Hampshire took command. The enemy having begun to fall back, Colonel Miller, of the Eighty-first Pennsylvania, and Lieutenant-Colonel Masset, a talented young man, and a brave officer, of the Sixty-first New York, were killed instantly. The Fifth New Hampshire charged again. Colonel Cross at their head was wounded in the forehead with a fragment of shell, but bravely resisted its effect till he was ham-strung by a musket ball, when he allowed himself to be carried to the rear. As he was borne away he was cheered by hearing a shout of triumph that rent the air; and he knew that the Federals had won the day. Colonel Parker then took command of the brigade, and fought till the enemy were completely repulsed. The battle was at an end; the rebels did not again appear that day, nor did they even venture to post their pickets within view of the Federal line.
Major W. W. Cook, of the Fifth New Hampshire was disabled in the same manner as his Colonel. All the officers engaged, both in the fight of Sunday and of Saturday, bore themselves with unflinching bravery. Sedgwick displayed a coolness and courage invaluable in keeping up the spirits of his men; the firmness of Gorman filled the soldiers in his command with enthusiasm, and the quick judgment of General Burns at a most critical moment of the action, had a decidedly inspiriting effect upon his troops. When the balls were flying around them like hail, several horses and three battery teams stampeded, and for an instant the whole line of battle seemed to waver; when General Burns, comprehending the situation at a glance, called out with admirable coolness, “Steady, men, steady!” The effect was like magic. The Zouaves uttered a long loud, hearty series of yells that might have been heard at Richmond; and before they had realized that they had even wavered, the entire lines had dressed up compactly, and were dealing murderous discharges on the enemy. Captain Sedgwick, Assistant Adjutant-General to General Sedgwick, and Lieutenant Stone, his Aid-de-Camp; Captain G. H. Wicks, Assistant Adjutant-General to General Burns; and Lieutenants Blakeney and Camblos are entitled to honorable mention. Colonel Cochrane, Colonel Neill, Colonel Sully, and Colonel Senter showed themselves to be brave soldiers and efficient officers.
The loss of men on both sides was very great. Capt. Achnuff, of the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania, Capt. Marke, First California, Lieut. Camblos and Gen. Burns, and Lieut. Donelson of the First California, were wounded.
General McClellan was wherever duty called him; in the fight of Sunday he was in the field, and rode along the entire battle line, greeted with enthusiastic cheers from every mouth. In the battle of Sunday, Gen. Pettigrew and Col. Champ Davis of South Carolina, and Col. Long of the regular army, were taken prisoners.
On Sunday night, the gallant troops of the Union army again slept on the battle-field; while around them lay the mangled, stiff, and gory dead, with upturned, pallid faces, on which the heavens smiled down in mute approval of the dauntless courage that had dared death and won the victory in a noble cause!