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divisions　on　the　spot；　and　he　was　too　enterprising　a　general　to

await　the　attack。　Consequently　he　crossed　the　Chickahominy；　fell

upon　one　of　the　Federal　divisions　and　almost　destroyed　it；　and

drove　back　the　whole　of　their　left　wing。　　The　next　morning　the

battle　was　renewed；　and　lasted　for　five　hours。



It　was　fortunate　indeed　for　the　Confederates　that　the　right　wing　of

the　Northern　army　did　not；　while　the　action　was　going　on；　cross　the

river　and　march　straight　upon　Richmond；　but　communication　was

difficult　from　one　part　of　the　army　to　another；　owing　to　the　thick

forests　and　the　swampy　state　of　the　ground；　and　being　without

orders　they　remained　inactive　all　day。　　The　loss　on　their　side　had

been　7；000　men；　while　the　Confederates　had　lost　4；500；　and

General　Johnston　being　seriously　wounded；　the　chief　command

was　given　to　General　Lee；　by　far　the　ablest　soldier　the　war

produced。　　Satisfied　with　the　success　they　had　gained；　the

Confederates　fell　back　across　the　river　again。



On　the　4th　of　June；　General　Stuart…for　he　had　now　been　promoted…

started　with　1；200　cavalry　and　two　guns；　and　in　forty…eight　hours

made　one　of　the　most　adventurous　reconnaissances　ever

undertaken。　　First　the　force　rode　out　to　Hanover　Courthouse；　where

they　encountered　and　defeated；　first；　a　small　body　of　cavalry；　and

afterward　a　whole　regiment。　　Then；　after　destroying　the　stores

there　they　rode　round　to　the　Pamunky；　burned　two　vessels　and　a

large　quantity　of　stores；　captured　a　train　of　forty　wagons；　and

burned　a　railway　bridge。



Then　they　passed　right　round　the　Federal　rear；　crossed　the　river；

and　re…entered　the　city　with　165　prisoners　and　200　horses；　having

effected　the　destruction　of　vast　quantities　of　stores；　besides

breaking　up　the　railways　and　burning　bridges。



Toward　the　end　of　June　McClellan　learned　that　Stonewall　Jackson；

having　struck　heavy　blows　at　the　two　greatly　superior　armies

which　were　operating　against　him　in　the　valley　of　the　Shenandoah；

had　succeeded　in　evading　them；　and　was　marching　toward

Richmond。



He　had　just　completed　several　bridges　across　the　river；　and　was

ahout　to　move　forward　to　fight　a　great　battle　when　the　news

reached　him。　　Believing　that　he　should　he　opposed　by　an　army　of

200；000　men；　although；　in　fact；　the　Confederate　army；　after

Jackson　and　all　the　available　reinforcements　came　up；　was　still

somewhat　inferior　in　strength　to　his　own；　he　determined　to

abandon　for　the　present　the　attempt　upon　Richmond；　and　to　fall

back　upon　the　James　River。



Here　his　ships　had　already　landed　stores　for　his　supply；　for　the

river　was　now　open　as　far　as　the　Confederate　defenses　at　Fort

Darling。　　Norfolk　Navy　Yard　had　been　captured　by　the　10；000　men

who　formed　the　garrison　of　Fortress　Monroe。　　No　resistance　had

been　offered；　as　all　the　Confederate　troops　had　been　concentrated

for　the　defense　of　Richmond。　　When　Norfolk　was　captured　the

Merrimac　steamed　out　to　make　her　way　out　of　the　river；　but　the

water　was　low；　and　the　pilot　declared　that　she　could　not　be　taken

up。　　Consequently　she　was　set　on　fire　and　burned　to　the　water's

edge；　and　thus　the　main　obstacle　to　the　advance　of　the　Federal　fleet

was　removed。



They　had　advanced　as　far　as　Fort　Darling　and　the　ironclad

gunboats　had　engaged　the　batteries　there。　　Their　shot；　however；　did

little　damage　to　the　defenders　upon　the　lofty　bluffs；　while　the　shot

from　the　batteries　so　injured　the　gunboats　that　the　attempt　to　force

the　passage　was　abandoned。　　While　falling　back　to　a　place　called

Harrison's　Landing　on　the　James　River；　the　Federals　were　attacked

by　the　Confederates；　but　after　desperate　fighting　on　both　sides；

lasting　for　five　days；　they　succeeded　in　drawing　off　from　the

Chickahominy　with　a　loss　of　fifty　guns；　thousands　of　small　arms；

and　the　loss　of　the　greater　part　of　their　stores。



All　idea　of　a　further　advance　against　Richmond　was　for　the　present

abandoned。　President　Lincoln　had　always　been　opposed　to　the

plan；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　army　was　moved　round　to

join　the　force　under　General　Pope；　which　was　now　to　march　upon

Richmond　from　the　north。



From　the　commencement　of　the　Federal　advance　to　the　time　when；

beaten　and　dispirited；　they　regained　the　James　River；　Vincent

Wingfield　had　seen　little　of　his　family。　The　Federal　lines　had　at

one　time　been　withina　mile　of　the　Orangery。　　The　slaves　had　some

days　before　been　all　sent　into　the　interior；　and　Mrs。　Wingfield　and

her　daughters　had　moved　into　Richmond；　where　they　joined　in　the

work；　to　which　the　whole　of　the　ladies　of　the　town　and

neighborhood　devoted　themselves；　of　attending　to　the　wounded；　of

whom；　while　the　fighting　was　going　on；　long　trains　arrived　every

day　at　the　city。



Vincent　himself　had　taken　no　active　part　in　the　fighting。

Magruder's　division　had　not　been　engaged　in　the　first　attack　upon

McClellan's　force；　and　although　it　had　taken　a　share　in　the

subsequent　severe　fighting；　Vincent　had　been　occupied　in　carrying

messages　from　the　general　to　the　leaders　of　the　other　divisions；　and

had　only　once　or　twice　come　under　the　storm　of　fire　to　which　the

Confederates　were　exposed　as　they　plunged　through　the　morasses

to　attack　the　enemy。　　As　soon　as　it　was　certain　that　the　attack　was

finally　abandoned；　and　that　McClellan's　troops　were　being

withdrawn　to　strengthen　Pope's　army；　Vincent　resigned　his

appointment　as　aide…de…camp；　and　was　appointed　to　the　7th

Virginian　Cavalry；　stationed　at　Orange；　where　it　was　facing　the

Federal　cavalry。　　Major　Ashley　had　fallen　while　protecting　the

passage　of　Jackson's　division　when　hard　pressed　by　one　of　the

Federal　armies　in　Western　Virginia。



No　action　in　the　war　had　been　more　brilliant　than　the　manner　in

which　Stonewall　Jackson　had　baffled　the　two　armies…each　greatly

superior　in　force　to　his　own…that　had　been　specially　appointed　to

destroy　him　if　possible；　or　at　any　rate　to　prevent　his　withdrawing

from　the　Shenandoah　Valley　and　marching　to　aid　in　the　defense　of

the　Confederate　capital。　　His　troops　had　marched　almost　day　and

night；　without　food；　and　depending　entirely　upon　such　supplies　as

they　could　obtain　from　the　scattered　farmhouses　they　passed。



Although　Richmond　was　for　the　present　safe；　the　prospect　of　the

Confederates　was　by　no　means　bright。　　New　Orleans　had　been

captured；　the　blockade　of　the　other　ports　was　now　so　strict　that　it

was　difficult　in　the　extreme　for　a　vessel　to　make　her　way　in　or　out；

and　the　Northerners　had　placed　flotillas　of　gunboats　on　the　rivers；

and　by　the　aid　of　these　were　gradually　making　their　way　into　the

heart　of　several　of　the　States。



〃Are　you　thinking　of　going　out　to　the　Orangery　again　soon；

mother？〃　Vincent　asked　on　the　evening　before　setting　out　on　the

march　north。



〃I　think　not；　Vincent。　　There　is　so　much　to　do　in　the　hospitals　here

that　I　cannot　leave。　　I　should　be　ashamed　to　be　living　in　luxury　at

the　Orangery　with　the　girls　while　other　women　are　giving　up　their

whole　time　nursing　the　wounded。　　Besides；　although　I　do　not

anticipate　that　after　the　way　they　have　been　hurled　back　the

Northerners　will　try　again　for　some　time；　now　they　are　in

possession　of　Harrison's　Landing　they　can　at　any　moment　advance。

Besides；　it　is　not　pleasant　being　obliged　to　turn　out　of　one's　house

and　leave　everything　to　their　mercy。　　I　wrote　yesterday　to　Pearson

to　bring　the　slaves　back　at　once　and　take　up　the　work；　and　I　shall

go　over　occasionally　to　see　that　everything　is　in　order；　but　at　any

rate　for　a　time　we　will　stop　here。〃



〃I　think　that　is　best；　mother。　　Certainly　I　should　feel　more

comfortable　knowing　that　you　are　all　at　Richmond　than　alone　out

there。〃



〃We　should　be　no　worse　off　than　thousands　of　ladies　all　over　the

State；　Vincent　　There　are　whole　districts　where　every　white

capable　of　using　a　gun　has　gone　to　the　war；　leaving　nothing　but

women　and　slaves　behind；　and　we　have　not　heard　of　a　single　case

in　which　there　has　been　trouble。〃



〃Certainly　there　is　no　chance　of　trouble　with　your　slaves；　mother；

but　in　some　of　the　other　plantations　it　may　not　be　so。　　At　any　rate

the　quiet　conduct　of　the　slaves　everywhere　is　the　very　best　answer

that　could　be　given　to　the　accusations　that　have　been　made　as　to

their　cruel　treatment。　　At　present　the　whole　of　the　property　of　the

slaveowners　throughout　the　Southern　States　is　at　their　mercy；　and

they　might　burn；　kill；　and　destroy；　and　yet　in　no　single　instance

have　they　risen　against　what　are　called　their　oppressors；　even　when

the　Federals　have　been　close　at　hand。



Please　keep　your　eye　on　Dinah；　mother。　　I　distrust；　that　fellow

Jackson　so　thoroughly　that　I　believe　him　capable　of　having　her

carried　off　and　smuggled　away　somewhere　down　south；　and　sold

there　if　he　saw　a　chance。　　I　wish；　instead　of　sending　her　to　the

Orangery；　you　would　keep　her　as　one　of　your　servants　here。〃



〃I　will　if　you　wish　it；　Vincent；　but　I　cannot　believe　for　a　moment

that　this　Jackson　or　any　one　else　would　ventur