VIEW FROM MALVERN HILL, LOOKING TOWARD THE JAMES.
From a photograph taken in 1885.
This view is taken from near the position of Tyler’s siege-guns. The engagement of Malvern cliff, or Turkey Island bridge, on the 30th of June, between Generals Warren and Holmes, took place on the road at the foot of the hill which passes near the house in the middle-ground. The bridge is to the left on this road. The winding stream is Turkey Creek.
MALVERN HILL, FROM THE DIRECTION OF TURKEY ISLAND BRIDGE.
From a sketch made soon after the war.
on the north hank of Turkey Creek, there to select and hold a position behind which the army and all its trains could he withdrawn with safety. General Keyes was to move by a different road and form to my right and rear.
Again the dangers and difficulties of night marches attended us, followed by the consequent delay, which, though fortunately it was counterbalanced by the slowness of our opponents in moving to the same point, endangered the safety of our whole army. Although we started before dark, and were led by an intelligent cavalry officer who had passed over the route and professed to know it, my command did not reach Turkey Creek, which was only five miles distant, until 9 A. M. on the 30th. In fact, we were misled up the Long Bridge road toward Richmond until we came in contact with the enemy’s pickets. Then we returned and started anew.
Our new field of battle embraced Malvern Hill, just north of Turkey Creek and Crew’s Hill, about one mile farther north. The forces which on this occasion came under my control, and were engaged in or held ready to enter the contest, were my own corps, consisting of Morell’s, Sykes’s, and McCall’s divisions, Colonel H. J. Hunt’s Artillery Reserve of one hundred pieces, including Colonel R. 0. Tyler’s Connecticut siege artillery, Couch’s division of Keyes’s corps, the brigades of John C.
engaged, refilling the empty cartridge-boxes and haversacks, so as to be in readiness for immediate duty. . . .
Between 2 and 9 p. M. on the 28th, my corps was in motion and marched by the way of Savage Station to the south side of White Oak Swamp; and at the junction of the roads from Richmond (Glendale) to be prepared to repel attacks from the direction of that city. General Morell, leading the advance, aided General Woodbury, of the engineer corps, to build the causeways and bridges necessary for the easy passage of the trains and troops over the swamps and streams. Sykes and McCall followed at 5 and 9 o’clock, respectively, McCall being accompanied by Hunt’s Artillery Reserve.
We expected to reach our destination, which was only ten miles distant, early on the 29th; but, in consequence of the dark night and of the narrow and muddy roads, cut up and blocked by numerous trains and herds of cattle, the head of the column did not arrive till 10 a. m., the rear not until midnight. McCall arrived latest, and all were greatly fatigued.
The enemy not having appeared at Glendale on the afternoon of the 29th, and other troops arriving to take the place of mine, General McClellan ordered me to move that night by the direct road to the elevated and cleared lands (Malvern Hill)
THE BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL.
THE PARSONAGE, NEAR MALVERN HILL.
This house was in the rear of the Confederate line, which was formed in the woods shown in the background. It was used as a Confederate hospital after the fight. The road is the Church road (known also as the Quaker road), and the view is from near C. W. Smith’s, which was for a short time the headquarters of Generalise. Here the trees were riddled with hiillets and torn with shell, and in 3885, when this view was photographed, the corn was growing out of many a soldier’s grave.
THE UNION SIDE.
BY FITZ-JOHN PORTER, MAJOR-GENERAL, U. S. V.
Commander of the Center and Left Wing at Malvern Hill.
battle of Savage’s Station; the artilleiy duel at White Oak Swamp; the battle of Glendale (or Charles City cross-roads); the action of Turkey Creek, and the battle of Malvern Hill. Each was a success to our army, the engagement of Malvern Hill being the most decisive. The result of the movement was that on the 2d of July our army was safely established at Harrison’s Landing, on the James, in accordance with General McClellan’s design. The present narrative will be confined to events coming under my own observation, and connected with my command, the Fifth Army Corps.
Saturday, June 28th, 1862, the day after the battle of Gaines’s Mill, my corps spent in bivouac at the Trent farm on the south bank of the Chick-ahominy. Artillery and infantry detachments guai’ded the crossings at the sites of the destroyed bridges. Our antagonists of the 27th were still north of the river, but did not molest us. We rested and recupei’ated as best we could, amid the noise of battle close by, at Garnett’s and Golding’s farms, in which part of Fi’anklin’s corps was
EFORE the battle of Gaines’s Mill (already described by me in these pages), a change of base from the York to the James River had been anticipated and prepared for by General McClellan. After the battle this change became a necessity, in presence of a strong and aggressive foe, who had ali'eady turned our right, cut our connection with the York River, and was also in large force behind the inti’enchments between us and Richmond. The transfer was begun the moment our position became perilous. It now involved a series of battles by day and marches by night which brought into relief the able talents, active foresight, and tenacity of purpose of our commander, the unity of action on the part of his S3ib-ordinates, and the great bi-avery, firmness, and confidence in their superioi-s on the part of the rank and file.
These conflicts from the beginning of the Seven Days’ fighting were the engagement at Oak Grove, the battles of Beaver Dam Creek and Gaines’s Mill, the engagements at Golding’s and Garnett’s farms, and at Allen’s farm or Peach Oi־chai־d; the