Identifier: battlesleadersof21john (find matches)
Title: Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon "The Century war series."
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Johnson, Robert Underwood, 1853-1937. ed. cn Buel, Clarence Clough, 1850-1933, ed
Subjects:
Publisher: New-York : Century
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

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edericksburg, and directed me to extend the right of theArmy of the Potomac to the north of Richmond, in order to establish com-munication with him. The same order required me to supply his troops fromour depots at White House. Herein lay the failure of the campaign, as itnecessitated the division of the army by the Chickahominy, and caused gi-eatdelay in constructing practicable bridges across that stream ; while if I had 174 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN. been able to cross to the James, reenforcements would have reached me bywater rapidly and safely, the army would have been united and in no dangerof having its flank tuined, or its line of supply interrupted, and the attackcould have been much more rapidly pushed. I now proceeded to do all in my power to insme success on the new line ofoperations thus imposed upon me. On the 20th of May our light troops reached the Chicka-j J hominy at Bottoms Bridge, which theyfound destroyed. I atonce ordered Caseysdivision to ford thestream and occupy
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4 — AN ANGLE OFTHE CONFEDERATEFORTIFICATIONS ATlORlvTOWN. the heights beyond, thus securing a lodgment on the right bank. Heint-zelman was moved up in support of Keyes. By the 24th, Mechanicsville wascarried, so that the enemy was now all together on the other side of the river.Sumner was near the railroad, on the left bank of the stream; Porter andFranklin were on the same liank near Mechanicsville. It is now time to give a l)rief description of the Chickahominy. This riverrises some fifteen miles north-westward of Richmond, and unites with theJames about forty miles below that city. Our operations were on the partbetween Meadow and Bottoms bridges, covering the approaches to Richmondfrom the east. Here the river at its ordinary stage is some forty feet wide, THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN. 175 fringed with a dense growth of heavy forest-trees, and bordered by lowmarshy lands, varying from half a mile to a mile in width. Within the limitsabove mentioned the firm ground, above high-water m

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