History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1862 DEFENCE AT THE BRIDGES OF THE CHICKAHOMINY. 53
and in the language of his official report, " remained with him until Sunday,
rendering most valuable service and behaving well." Of the two hundred and
forty-nine officers and men who went into the conflict, one hundred and twenty-five, just one-half, were killed or wounded. Of the latter were Captains
Davis, who lost an arm, Lennard, Chamberlain, Weidensaul and Carskaden.
At the time of the battle there was much misrepresentation of the conduct of
Casey's Division, to which General MI'Clellan, judging by imperfect reports,
was the first to give currency, but which, as is seen above, he subsequently
corrected. The fact was, the troops of Casey and Couch, numbering but twelve
thousand men, were fighting five divisions of the rebel army, led by its General-in-Chief.
A month now intervened without any movement on the part of either army.
The enemy seeing the Union army divided by the Chickahominy, concentrated
his forces upon the left bank, and struck heavily the right and weakest wing.
He first encomutered our forces at Mechanicsville, on the 26th of June.' On
the 27th," says General Naglee in his report, " orders were received from General 3iClellan by General Keyes, directing that the railroad and Bottom's
bridges over the Chickahominy, should be held at all hazards, and if pressed
the bridges should be destroyed. This important service was entrusted to my
brigade. Upon the first intimation of the approach of the enemy in this direction, I had lined the Chickahominy between the bridges, and a mile above and
below them, with the sharpshooters of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania and
Eleventh M'aine, and had placed the especial charge of the Railroad Bridge
with Colonel Plaisted and the remainder of his regiment. The remainder of
the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Colonel Hoyt, the Fifty-sixth New
York, Colonel Van Wyck, and One Hundredth New York, Lieutenant Colonel
Stanton, were distributed in the redoubts and rifle-pits, and on picket duty.
* * * During the 26th the only evidence of the approach
of the enemy was the constant roar of the artillery borne upon the breeze from
the desperate conflict at Mechanicsville; on the 27th small reconnoitring parties
approached the Chickahominy, but they soon learned to respect the presence
of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania and Eleventh Maine, that were concealed in
that swamp, waist deep in water. * * *
" On the 28th, the day after the battle of Gaines' Mill, there were indications
of activity in our immediate neighborhood. From early morning, cavalry
watched our industrious efforts to complete our earth-works. Infantry pressed
into the woods and skirmished with our picket line, but too close an approach
to my sharpshooters, concealed in the swamp, soon led to great caution. About
noon a large force, reported as two brigades, moved down to the railroad. A
battery of artillery, with cavalry, supported by two regiments of infantry,
crossed the railroad, and under cover of the wood, took a position upon the
high ground facing the Chickahominy, and about one thousand yards from the
bridges. Making every preparation, I awaited their attack, and ordered Miller's Battery to respond slowly but skillfully until he learned the range. I directed Morgan and Brady to test the range in the same manner, and with about
an hour's practice we were fully prepared. Half an hour afterwards I observed
changes of position, as if in preparation for an attack, and ordered the three
batteries to increase their fire, and to concentrate it upon the troops that were
moving. This had the desired effect and they were compelled to withdraw
into the woods. I then concentrated the fire upon the battery, which, by four