| Position of Troops June 25 (LOC-Army War College Map-Landers 1874) |
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 25 [?], 1862.
Honorable E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
Everything very quiet to-day. I hope to open on enemy's batteries to-morrow morning and to gain important advantages within forty-eight hours-not however bringing us to Richmond, but somewhat nearer, and improving our position. It is again raining, but this will not probably defer movements.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 25, 1862-10.30 a.m.
General FITZ JOHN PORTER:
Have your command under arms ready to move as circumstances may require.
Fighting still in front of Hooker.
R. B. MARCY,
Chief of Staff.
REDOUBT Numbers 3, June 25, 1862-1.30 p. m.
We have advanced our pickets on the left considerably, under sharp resistance. Our men behaved very handsomely. Some firing still continues.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.
Honorable E. M. STANTON.
REDOUBT Numbers 3, June 25, 1862-3.15 p. m.
The enemy are making a desperate resistance to the advance of our picket lines. Kearny's and one-half of Hooker's are where I want them.
I have this moment re-enforced Hooker's right with a brigade and a couple of guns, and hope in a few minutes to finish the work intended for to-day. Our men are behaving splendidly. The enemy are fighting well also. This is not a battle; merely an affair of Heintzelman's corps, supported by Keyes, and thus far all goes well. We hold every foot we have gained.
If we succeed in what we have undertaken it will be a very important advantage gained. Loss not large thus far. The fighting up to this time has been done by General Hooker's division, which has behaved as usual-that is, most splendidly.
On our right Porter has silenced the enemy's batteries in his front.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 25, 1862- 5.25 p.m.
General SUMNER:
The general commanding desires you to regard your new line in front as merely a picket line, and your entrenchments as your true field of battle. If your pickets should be hard pressed they will fall back slowly to the entrenchments, firing as they retire.
He also wishes you to cut away as much of the timber as possible in front of your works, so as to give you a more open space on your front.
R. B. MARCY,
Chief of Staff.
Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Camp Lincoln, June 25, 1862-6.15 p. m.
I have just returned from the field, and find your dispatch in regard to Jackson. Several contrabands just in give information confirming the supposition that Jackson's advance is at or near Hanower Court-House, and that Beauregard arrived, with strong re-enforcements, in Richmond yesterday.
I incline to think that Jackson will attack my right and rear. The rebel force is stated at 200,000, including Jackson and Beauregard. I shall have to contend against vastly superior odds if these reports be true; but this army will do all in the power of men to hold their position and repulse any attack.
I regret my great inferiority in numbers, but feel that I am in no way responsible for it, as I have not failed to represent repeatedly the necessity of re-enforcements; that this was the decisive point, and that all the available means of the Government should be concentrated here. I will do all that a general can do with the splendid army I have the honor to command, and if it is destroyed by overwhelming numbers, can at least die with it and share its fate. But if the result of the action, which will probably occur to-morrow, or within a short time, is a disaster, the responsibility cannot be thrown on my shoulders; it must rest where it belongs.
Since I commenced this I have received additional intelligence confirming the supposition in regard to Jackson's movements and Beauregard's arrival. I shall probably be attacked to-morrow, and now go to the other side of the Chickahominy to arrange for the defense on that side. I feel that there is no use in again asking for re-enforcements.*
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.
*See Lincoln to McClellan, Part III, p. 259.
GENERAL McCLELLAN'S HEADQUARTERS,
June 25, 1862-7 p.m.
Major General AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE,
New Berne, N. C.:
Reports from contrabands and deserters to-day make it probable that Jackson's forces are coming to Richmond and that a part of Beauregard's force have arrived at Richmond. You will please advance on Goldsborough with all your available forces at the earliest practicable moment. I wish you to understand that every minute in this crisis is of great importance. You will therefore reach Goldsborough as soon as possible, destroying all the railroad communication in the direction of Richmond in your power.
If possible, destroy some of the bridges on the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad and threaten Raleigh.
GEO., B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.
McCLELLAN'S,
June 25, 1862-8 p.m.
Honorable E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:
The following has just this moment received:
A contraband who came into our lines under the fire of our guns to-day says he saw Beauregard and his troops arrive in Richmond.
F. J. PORTER,
Brigadier-General.
This only serves to corroborate previous information received from several sources to-day.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 25, 1862-8.30 p.m.
General SILAS CASEY, White House:
Information has been received here that the enemy design attacking our communications. Please send out cavalry reconnoitering parties from Tunstall's Station to-morrow morning, above and below the railroad, and direct them to give you timely notice of any approach of rebel forces toward your position, and report to these headquarters all important information you may get regarding the enemy's movements. It is said that Jackson is coming from Gordonsville with the intention of attacking our right flank soon; therefore be vigilant.
R. B. MARCY,
Chief of Staff.
PORTER'S HEADQUARTERS, June 25, 1862-10.40 p.m.
(Received June 26-3 a.m.)
Honorable E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
The information I received on this side tends to confirm impression that Jackson will soon attack our right and rear. Every possible precaution is being taken. If I had another good division I could laugh at Jackson. The task is difficult, but this army will do its best, and will never disgrace the country. Nothing but overwhelming forces can defeat us. Indications are of attack on our front to-morrow. Have made all possible arrangements.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.
JUNE 25, 1862.
General McCLELLAN,
At Porter's Headquarters:
The following received. What shall I say to Generals Sumner and Heintzelman?
R. B. MARCY,
Chief of Staff.
HEINTZELMAN'S, June 25, 18662-9 p.m.
General MARCY:
General Robinson, after he had been re-enforced by a portion of General Birney's brigade, recovered the little ground he had lost and drove the enemy back. We occupy our line of the forenoon, but the rebels are not quite so far back, and seem to be in considerable force in front of General Robinson. The enemy have four pieces of artillery on the Williamsburg road in position. Have advanced it half way across the clearing, and have a large infantry force to support it. There is a strong prospect of their attacking us in the morning. I think General Sumner should have at least a brigade to the left of the railroad to support his picket line, and should push his picket line forward to connect with mine. It is now near half a mile to the rear.
S. P. HEINTZELMAN,
Brigadier-General.
JUNE 25, 1862-11.
Brigadier-General HEINTZELMAN:
General McClellan desires that you hold the position you now have, if it can be done without undue danger. His order for you to fall back was based on the dispatch front you, that you were too hard pressed. Re-enforcements are being sent up, and General McClellan will start at once.
A. V. COLBURN,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 1862-11.20 p. m.
Your telegram of 6.15 has just been received. The circumstances that
have hitherto rendered it impossible for the Government to send you any
more re-enforcements than has been done have been so distinctly stated
to you by the President, that it is needless for me to repeat them.
Every effort has been made by the President and myself to strengthen you. King's division has reached Falmouth; Shields' division and Ricketts' division are at Manassas. The President designs to send a part of that force to aid you as speedily as it can be done.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
Series I., Vol. 11, Part 1, Pages 37, 38, 255, 258.
The first battle of the Seven Days' occurred at Oak Grove (King's School House). McClellan had gotten all his force but Porter's V Corp south of the Chickahominy and was close to moving into position to lay siege to Richmond. Heintzelman's III Corp at Fair Oaks was ordered to drive in the outposts opposite him, and Hooker's Division moved up at 8 a.m. on the Williamsburg Road. He was checked by heavy forces belonging to Huger's Division. General Marcy, McClellan's Chief of Staff ordered him to withdraw. At about 1 P.M. McClellan arrived and renewed the attack. As it was getting late in the day, operations were halted.
It is fascinating to see the shift in McClellan's mood after receiving word from Stanton that Jackson might be approaching. McClellan already had learned this the previous day, but hearing it from the authorities in Washington appears to have both galled and alarmed him. Beauregard, despite the rumors repeated here, was nowhere near Richmond, being in Alabama attempting to recover his health at a hotel and warm springs. It is also interesting to see Stanton attempting on the administration's behalf to debate culpability at a time when operations were just barely underway against Richmond. There is also a letter in the O.R. dated June 24th from General Peck describing the conditions of the swamp across country to the James River. It appears McClellan was contemplating a "change of base" even before contact had been made with the enemy. In the face of a minor victory, confronted with rumors, the unraveling of George Brinton McClellan was well underway.
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