June 24, 1862 (Tuesday): Lee Plans An Attack

Slash Church (dhr.va.gov)

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

No. 75. June 24, 1862.
I. General Jackson's command will proceed to-morrow from Ashland toward the Slash Church and encamp at some convenient point west of the Central Railroad. Branch's brigade, of A. P. Hill's division, will also to-morrow evening take position on the Chickahominy near Half-Sink. At 3 o'clock Thursday morning, 26th instant, General Jackson will advance on the road leading to Pole Green Church, communicating his march to General Branch, who will immediately cross the Chickahominy and take the road leading to Mechanicsville. As soon as the movements of these columns are discovered, General A. P. Hill, with the rest of his division, will cross the Chickahominy near Meadow Bridge and move direct upon Mechanicsville. To aid his advance, the heavy batteries on the Chickahominy will at the proper time open upon the batteries at Mechanicsville. The enemy being driven from Mechanicsville and the passage across the bridge opened, General Longstreet, with his division and that of General D. H. Hill, will cross the Chickahominy at or near that point, General D. H. Hill moving to the support of General Jackson and General Longstreet supporting General A. P. Hill. The four divisions, keeping in communication with each other and moving en echelon on separate roads, if practicable, the left division in advance, with skirmishers and sharpshooters extending their front, will sweep down the Chickahominy and endeavor to drive the enemy from his position above New Bridge, General Jackson bearing well to his left, turning Beaver Dam Creek and taking the direction toward Cold Harbor. They will then press forward toward the York River Railroad, closing upon the enemy's rear and forcing him down the Chickahominy. Any advance of the enemy toward Richmond will be prevented by vigorously following his rear and crippling and arresting his progress.
II. The divisions under Generals Huger and Magruder will hold their positions in front of the enemy against attack, and make such demonstrations Thursday as to discover his operations. Should opportunity offer, the feint will be converted into a real attack, and should an abandonment of his intrenchments by the enemy be discovered, he will be closely pursued.
III. The Third Virginia Cavalry will observe the Charles City road. The Fifth Virginia, the First North Carolina, and the Hampton Legion (cavalry) will observe the Darbytown, Varina, and Osborne roads. Should a movement of the enemy down the Chickahominy be discovered, they will close upon his flank and endeavor to arrest his march.
IV. General Stuart, with the First, Fourth, and Ninth Virginia Cavalry, the cavalry of Cobb's Legion and the Jeff. Davis Legion, will cross the Chickahominy to-morrow and take position to the left of General Jackson's line of march. The main body will be held in reserve, with scouts well extended to the front and left. General Stuart will keep General Jackson informed of the movements of the enemy on his left and will co-operate with him in his advance. The Tenth Virginia Cavalry, Colonel Davis, will remain on the Nine-mile road.
V. General Ransom's brigade, of General Holmes' command, will be placed in reserve on the Williamsburg road by General Huger, to whom he will report for orders.
VI. Commanders of divisions will cause their commands to be provided with three days' cooked rations. The necessary ambulances and ordnance trains will be ready to accompany the division and receive orders from their respective commanders. Officers in charge of all trains will invariably remain with them. Batteries and wagons will keep on the right of the road. The chief engineer, Major Stevens, will assign engineer officers to each division, whose duty it will be to make provision for overcoming all difficulties to the progress of the troops. The staff departments will give the necessary instructions to facilitate the movements herein directed.
By command of General Lee:


R. H. CHILTON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

Series I., Vol. 11, Part 2, Page 478.

JUNE 24, 1862 - 2.30 p. m.
General H. A. WISE:
GENERAL: I send you a dozen rockets which were brought from General Lee with the order that I should request you to have "three fired at half-past 10 to-night (10.30 p. m.), three more at 3 a. m. to-morrow morning, two at 10 p. m. to-morrow night, and two at 2.30 the next morning. The interval between sending up the rockets should be thirty seconds." The point from which they are to be thrown up is to be left to your selecton. General Lee attaches great importance to this matter, and that there be no difference of time, watch for the rockets on the Charles City road, which are to be sent up at the same hours.
With great respect,


D. H. HILL,
Major-General.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 51, Part 2, Page 579.

After Stuart's ride around McClellan's army confirmed the right wing was up in the air, Lee came up with an audacious plan to throw his full force against that Union force.  Holmes and Magruder would be the only force left between McClellan and Richmond.  The plan was sound, but complex and relied a great deal (ultimately too much) on timing between various elements.  Jackson's was given a major role to play, but he was much jaded by his recent travels to and from Richmond and in the coming campaign would not be "Stonewall of the Valley".  The second item here is of interest, although the exact reason for the firing of rockets at these specific times is not clear.  The last of the rockets would get up at about the time Jackson was expected to begin his advance on Pole Green Church, although that is far north of the points described here.