Today in History:

806 Series I Volume XI-II Serial 13 - Peninsular Campaign Part II

Page 806 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN,VA. Chapter XXIII.

driven the enemy, at least 3,000 strong, back to the line of their abatis, in the rear of Schurm's burnt house.

On our extreme right the enemy still maintained their position in the heavy woods about 400 yards in advance of King's School-House and not more than 1,000 yards in advance of our line of rifle pits. Colonel Doles, Fourth Georgia Regiment, supported by Colonel Hill's North Carolina regiment, was ordered to advance, engage the enemy, and, if possible, dislodge him from his advanced position in the woods and drive him back beyond the lines occupied by our pickets in the morning. This order was promptly obeyed by Colonel Doles, who, with his small command,now worn-out and completely exhausted by the fatigue and want of rest on the night before and the constant fight during the whole day, rushed forward and soon found themselves confronted by Sickles' brigade, strongly posted in a thick growth of pines. The fire here for twenty minutes was furious and terrific beyond anything I have ever witnessed. But the gallant Fourth pressed on amid a deadly fire and soon the foe began to fall back.

Seizing the opportune moment a charge was ordered, and our men rushed forward, and at the point of the bayonet drove the enemy in great disorder and confusion through the woods to King's

School-House, where they were temporarily rallied for a few minutes; but another deadly volley from the Fourth Georgia, followed by a dashing charge, and the enemy fled from their position, leaving us masters of the field and in possession of a great number of prisoners, besides most of their killed and a few of their wounded.

While this last movement was progressing I had ordered the First Louisiana Regiment, now commanded by Captain M. Nolan (Lieutenant-Colonel Shivers having been disabled by a wound in the right arm, received in the morning while charging across the field before alluded to), and the Twenty-second Georgia, supported by Colonel Clarke's and Ramseur's North Carolina troops, to advance and regain the center of our picket line, from which we had been forced to retire by an overwhelming force concentrated against us there about the middle of the day. These regiments, now sadly thinned by their severe losses of the morning, again moved upon in good order, and after a feeble resistance by the enemy again took possession of our old picket lines. The day had now closed and the fight ceased, leaving us masters of the battle-field and in the identical position our pickets occupied when the enemy made at first attack in the morning.

Our troops during the whole day's fight acted with the greatest coolness and courage, and in the morning, when we were more than once compelled to fall back, the movement was always conducted in good order and without the slightest confusion.

The operations of the enemy were conducted by General McClellan in person, and the troops engaged embraced all of Kearny's division and a part of Hooker's, numbering in all not less than 8,000 or 10,000. To oppose this heavy force I had my own brigade, numbering about 2,000 men, and two regiments (Colonels Rutledge's and Hill's) of General Ransom's brigade, about 1,000 men, making my whole force engaged not more than 3,000 men.

The object of the enemy was to drive us back from our picket line, occupy it himself, and thereby enable him to advance his works several hundred yards nearer our lines. In this he completely failed, and although General McClellan at night telegraphed over his own signature to the War Office at Washington that he had accomplished his object, had driven me back for more than a mile, had silenced my batteries


Page 806 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN,VA. Chapter XXIII.