| Fair Oaks, Va., May 31-June 1, 1862. Army of the
Potomac. Fair Oaks was a small station on the Richmond & York River
railroad, about 6 miles east of Richmond. Three miles farther east was
Savage Station, and a mile southeast, on the Williamsburg stage road,
about half-way between Richmond and Bottom's bridge over the
Chickahominy river, was Seven Pines. North of the railroad and nearly
parallel with it ran the New Bridge road, which at Old Tavern was
intersected by another highway called the Nine-mile road. From Old
Tavern this road ran southeast, crossing the railroad at Fair Oaks and
forming a junction with the Williamsburg road at Seven Pines. Three
miles from Richmond the Charles City road left the Williamsburg road
to the right and ran southeast toward White Oak swamp. After the
reconnaissance of Gen. Naglee to Seven Pines (q.v.) on the 24th the
4th corps, under command of Brig.-Gen. E.D. Keyes, was ordered to
fortify a position there. A strong line of rifle-pits, protected in
front by an abatis, was constructed a little east of the junction of
the Nine-mile and Williamsburg roads. Fronting the Williamsburg road
were two houses, exactly alike, called the "Twin Houses," near which a
small pentangular redoubt was thrown up and manned by a battery of 6
guns. The 3rd corps, Brig.-Gen. S.P. Heintzelman commanding, was
ordered to cross the Chickahominy at Bottom's bridge and take position
near White Oak swamp to guard the left and rear of the army. On the
30th the troops on the south side of the Chickahominy were stationed
as follows: Casey's division of the 4th corps on the right of the
Williamsburg road at right angles to it, the center being at Fair
Oaks; Couch's division of the same corps at Seven Pines; Kearny's
division of the 3rd corps along the railroad from Savage Station to
the Chickahominy, and Hooker's division of the 3rd corps at White Oak
Swamp. The corps of Porter, Franklin and Sumner had not yet crossed
the Chickahominy. On the morning of May 30 Gen. D.H. Hill
(Confederate) sent Garland's brigade out on a reconnaissance on the
Williamsburg road and the rifle-pits of the 4th corps at Seven Pines
were discovered. About noon on the same day Hill reported to Gen. J.E.
Johnston, commanding the Confederate forces about Richmond, that the
Federals were in force on the south side of the Chickahominy. Johnston
had already learned that McDowell's corps, some 40,000 strong, was on
the way to join the Army of the Potomac, and now determined to strike
McClellan before McDowell could come up. In his official report of the
engagement of Fair Oaks he gives the following plan of battle, which
was explained to his different commanders that afternoon: "Gen. Hill,
supported by the division of Gen. Longstreet (who had the direction of
operations on the right), was to advance by the Williamsburg road to
attack the enemy in front. Gen. Huger, with his division, was to move
down the Charles City road in order to attack in flank the troops who
might be engaged with Hill and Longstreet, unless he found in his
front force enough to occupy his division. Gen. Smith was to march to
the junction of the New Bridge road and Nine-mile road, to be in
readiness either to fall on Keyes' right flank or to cover
Longstreet's left. They were to move at daybreak."
The attack was expected by the Federals, as the cars had been heard
running nearly all night, indicating a movement of troops to the
front, and their suspicions were strengthened by the capture of one of
Johnston's aides near the Union lines on the morning of the 31st. The
Union generals had therefore exercised increased vigilance to prevent
anything like a surprise. Keyes formed his men in two lines of battle,
Casey's division moving to the left and taking a position in front of
the abatis, Palmer's brigade on the left, Wessells' in the center and
Naglee's on the right, with two regiments north of the railroad.
Couch's division constituted the second line, which was formed across
the Williamsburg road and along the Nine-mile road, Peck's brigade on
the left, Deven's in the center and Abercrombie's on the right, two
regiments of his brigade and Brady's battery being beyond the railroad
at Fair Oaks. Casey's pickets were about 1,000 yards in advance of the
first line. Owing to a severe storm on the night of the 30th, with
some confusion in moving the troops to their positions the next
morning, the Confederates did not begin the attack until 1 p.m. About
noon a mounted vedette roade back to Casey's headquarters with the
report that the enemy was approaching in force on the Williamsburg
road. Casey ordered the 103rd Pa. to move forward to the support of
the pickets and the regiment was hardly in position when two shells
were thrown into the Union lines. The whole division was then ordered
under arms and Spratt's battery moved to the front about a quarter of
a mile to shell the enemy as soon as the pickets and their supports
could be withdrawn. Bates', Regan's and Fitch's batteries were also
placed in position, with instructions to open on the enemy as soon as
he debouched from the woods. They had not long to wait, for in five
minutes the pickets and their supports were forced back by the
overwhelming force of the enemy. Gen. Webb says of this part of the
action: "The pickets, reinforced by the 103rd Pa., soon broke and,
joined by a large number of sick, camp followers and skulkers, flowed
in a steady stream to the rear, thus giving the impression that
Casey's division had broken in a panic, and left the field without
making any firm or prolonged resistance."
Such, however, was not the case. When the pickets fell back the
Confederates advanced and soon the "rebel yell" resounded on all
sides. They were met by a steady fire of canister that thinned their
ranks, but failed to check their advance. Seeing himself greatly
outnumbered, Casey sent back to Keyes for reinforcements. In response
to his request the 55th N.Y., under Lieut.-Col. Thourot, was sent
forward into the rifle-pits to support the center; the 23rd and 61st
Pa., commanded by Cols. Neill and Rippey, were ordered to the right;
and Gen. Pack, with two regiments of his brigade - the 93rd and 102nd
Pa. - was sent to the left. In order to save his artillery Casey
ordered a bayonet charge against the center. This charge was made by
part of Naglee's brigade and the enemy driven back, giving the
batteries an opportunity to withdraw from their exposed positions. On
the right Neill and Rippey repulsed one attack, but the Confederates
rallied and were reinforced, when they again assaulted and the two
regiments were forced back, though they brought 35 prisoners with
them. In trying to reinforce them the 7th Mass. and 62nd N.Y.,
commanded by Couch in person, to avoid being cut off, joined
Abercrombie at Fair Oaks and fought with his brigade during the
remainder of the day. Peck, on the left, held his position for over
two hours, when the heavy force massed against him compelled him to
retire, which he did in good order. Hill then began moving troops to
the right and left "to take the Yankee works in reverse," and Casey
again sent back for reinforcements, but as the second line had already
been weakened to support the first, Keyes deemed it inadvisable to
send any more troops to the front. Casey then fell back to Couch's
line, after having maintained his position for over three hours
against a vastly superior force. Here he rallied part of his division,
and reinforced by part of Kearny's division, which was just then
coming up, tried to recapture his works, but the enemy was too strong
and the attempt was abandoned.
Up to this time Hill's division had been the only portion of the
Confederate forces actively engaged. Johnston, who was with Smith on
the left, gave the order at 4 p.m. for that wing to move forward.
About the same time Longstreet sent in the brigades of Anderson,
Wilcox and Kemper on the Williamsburg road, and those of Colston and
Pryor on the right, and with the addition of these fresh troops a
general attack was made all along the line. Although Berry's and
Jameson's brigades of Kearny's division arrived on the field in time
to reinforce the Union troops before this general assault was
commenced, the weight of superior numbers was with the enemy, and
after a stubborn resistance of more than an hour the Federals fell
back slowly to a narrow strip of woods across the Williamsburg road.
Here Heintzelman succeeded in rallying a sufficient force to hold the
enemy in check until a new line of battle could be formed in the rear
of the wood. In the formation of this third line Keyes noticed that
the key to the position was at the left of the wood, where the ground
sloped to the rear, and determined to occupy it. concerning this
action he says in his report: "I hastened to the 10th Mass., Col.
Briggs, which regiment I had myself once before moved, now in the
rifle-pits on the right of the Williamsburg road, and ordered them to
follow me across the field. Col. Briggs led them on in gallant style,
moving quickly across an open space of 700 or 800 yards under a
scorching fire, and forming his men with perfect regularity. * * * Had
the 10th Mass. been two minutes later they would have been too late to
occupy that fine position, and it would have been impossible to have
formed the next and last line of battle of the 31st, which stemmed the
tide of defeat and turned it toward victory." In forming the new line
it was impossible to pay attention to brigade organizations. Regiments
and fragments of regiments were thrown into position at the most
convenient points, and none too soon, for scarcely had the line been
formed when the Confederates bore down upon it, elated with success
and confident of again driving the Union forces from their position.
But they never entered the wood. When they came within range they were
met by a deadly fire that checked their advance. Another volley caused
them to fall back in some disorder, and as it was now after 6 o'clock
they did not make another attempt to carry the position.
About 2:30 p.m. the sound of firing was heard at McClellan's
headquarters on the north side of the Chickahominy, and Sumner was
ordered to move his two divisions across the river to the support of
Heintzelman and Keyes. The troops were already in marching order, so
that no time was lost in getting started. Sedgwick's division moved in
advance on the road directly to Fair Oaks, the head of his column
coming up just in time to join Couch, as that officer, with four
regiments and Brady's battery, was holding in check Smith's entire
division. Col. Sully, with the 1st Minn., was the first of Sedgwick's
command to reach the field, and without waiting for orders he swung
his regiment into line on Couch's right, charged across a field and
took position with his right resting on a farm house and his left on
the edge of the woods. Gorman quickly followed with the rest of his
brigade, moving to Couch's left, where Kirby's battery was planted in
a position to command the road. It was immediately charged by the
enemy in an attempt to capture the guns, but Gorman threw three
regiments on their flank and this was followed by a bayonet charge
that drove the Confederates from the field. This closed the battle on
the Federal right for the day. Richardson's division arrived just as
the enemy were retiring, but too late to take part in the engagement.
At 2 o'clock on the morning of June 1 a council of war was held at
Sumner's headquarters, at which it was decided to attack the enemy as
soon as the different commands could be properly disposed.
Richardson's division was posted along the railroad east of Fair Oaks,
French's brigade in the first line, Howard's in the second and
Meagher's in the third. On the left of Richardson was Birney's brigade
of Kearny's division, Berry's and Jameson's brigades being at the
cross-roads east of Seven Pines, where the Union forces made their
last stand in the first day's battle. Here were also the rest of
Keyes' corps and Hooker's division of Heintzelman's, which had come up
from White Oak swamp about dark on the 31st. Gen. Johnston was
severely wounded by a shell near the close of the first day's fight,
and in the battle of June 1 the movements of the Confederate forces
were directed by Gen. G.W. Smith, second in rank. About 5 a.m. the
enemy's skirmishers and a small body of cavalry appeared in front of
Richardson, but a few shells from Pettit's battery dispersed them.
Soon afterward, a large force of Confederates debouched from the woods
and opened a heavy musketry fire at short range. French's division
returned the fire for some time, when, the enemy being heavily
reinforced, Howard was ordered to French's assistance. One regiment of
Howard's brigade - the 81st Pa. - had been sent to close a gap in the
line between Richardson and Kearny, but with the rest of his command
Howard moved promptly forward on French's left, as the enemy was
trying to turn that flank, and forced the Confederates back through
the woods beyond Casey's old camp at Seven Pines. In this action
Howard received a wound that resulted in the loss of his right arm,
and turned over the command of the brigade to Col. Cross, of the 5th
N.H.
As soon as Hooker heard the firing he advanced with the 5th and 6th
N.J., of Patterson's brigade, with Sickles' brigade in support, to
attack the Confederates in the rear. Skirmishers were thrown forward
and the two New Jersey regiments were soon engaged. Sickles had been
ordered to the left by Heintzelman, but Birney's brigade, now under
command of Col. J.H. Ward, happened to be in a convenient position,
and it was ordered to Hooker's support. As the line had to move
through a swamp the advance was slow, but Hooker says in his report:
"Our lines were well preserved, the fire brisk and unerring, and our
troops reliant - all omens of success. After an interchange of
musketry of this character for more than an hour directions were given
to advance with the bayonet, when the enemy were thrown into wild
confusion, throwing away their arms, hats, and coats, and broke
through the forest in the direction of Richmond. At this moment
chivalry and rebellion presented a deplorable picture. Pursuit was
hopeless."
When Sickles was withdrawn from Hooker's support his brigade was
moved to the left of the Williamsburg road. The ground here was too
boggy to permit the use of artillery, but Sickles pushed forward the
71st and 73rd N.Y., under Col. Hall and Maj. Moriarty, supported by
the rest of the brigade, and his victory here was no less brilliant
than that of his division commander. After firing one or two volleys
Hall charged and started the enemy in retreat, when the whole brigade
pressed forward to take advantage of the situation, and the
Confederates were forced back until Sickles occupied the field of the
previous day. Concerning this part of the fight Sickles' report says:
"The fields were strewn with Enfield rifles, marked 'Tower, 1862,' and
muskets marked 'Virginia,' thrown away by the enemy in his hurried
retreat. In the camp occupied by Gen. Casey and Gen. Couch on
Saturday, before the battle of Seven Pines, were found rebel caissons
filled with ammunition, a large number of small arms, and several
baggage wagons, besides two barns filled with subsistence and forage."
Thus the Confederate army that had marched out so proudly on the
morning of May 31 to drive McClellan's left wing into the Chickahominy
and cut the Federal line of supplies, returned to Richmond the next
day defeated, panic-stricken and disorganized. The Union losses at the
battle of Fair Oaks amounted to 790 killed, 3,594 wounded and 647
missing. The Confederates lost 980 killed, 4,749 wounded and 405
missing.
Source: The Union Army, Volume 5, Cyclopedia of Battles A - Helena ,
1908 |