the convenient banks of the South Anna? Was it chivalrous in him to flank off from his proud and valiant foe in this secret manner? Clearly not. The whole thing was wrong. The movement was all disgraceful, cowardly, mean. It was not according to Hoyle. Be all this as it may, GRANT did it; and most nobly did his great and gallant army sustain him in doing it. On the morning of the 27th of May, at the early hour of four o'clock, the whole command had been set in motion, the glorious old Second Corps still in the advance. The march was made with a celerity. on the part of the men that showed their hearts were in the work before them. Lee was outgeneralled on his own chosen ground. Our troops struck off in a new direction, passing through a region not before trodden by the feet of contending armies, during this war for the Union, in which they found the most abundant supplies of provisions, cattle, and horses. By the evening of May 30th, the whole army was safely across the Pamunkey, the head of the column being within four hours march of the rebel capital. The movement was the most astonishing to Lee of any GRANT had yet made. On the first of June we occupied a front of three miles on the South bank of the river, having had several cavalry engagements with the enemy in that vicinity, in all of which we drove them. Fighting was resumed on the Mechanicsville road, south of Totopatamoy creek, and between that stream and Hawes's Shop. The bridges over the Little River and the South Anna were destroyed by our cavalry, under WILSON, and the Union headquarters established in the place long before selected by the Lieutenant General. General HANCOCK made his attack on the lines of the enemy the moment he received the order. It was toward evening of the 30th of May, and the darkness soon set in. But he pressed on to the front, assailed the new works the rebels had thrown up, and carried them by assault. When the morning broke over the field, the Union colors were seen floating from the conquered ramparts. This was a strongly entrenched skirmish line of the enemy, and held by HANCOCK in the face of a deadly fire. The distance from that point to Richmond was but fourteen miles. On the night of the 31st of May, a desperate assault was made on the lines of HANCOCK. The sud. denness of the movement which brought him to the banks of the Pamunkey, would not allow him to entrench as much as was desirable. But he was pre pared for the furious onslaught, though it came on him suddenly and in darkness. His brave hosts were rallied with a celerity and skill that proved the soldierly qualities of the General, and the enemy everywhere repulsed. They made not the slightest trifle by their midnight motion. On the contrary, it put our men more completely on the alert, led to reinforcements at all weak points, and made us more than ever masters of the field. He The fight was sharp; but so signal a victory to us that it not only drove off the enemy discomfited, but left several hundred prisoners in our hands. continued to hold the rifle-pits from which he had driven the rebels the previous evening, and was prepared to defend his position at all points. Our whole line was immediately advanced along his front, and by daylight the army was so massed at that position as to resist successfully every attack. L CHAPTER XXVIII. ON THE CHICKAHOMINY "I have, thou gallant Trojan! seen thee, oft, Coriolanus. EE was now on the north bank of the historic Chickahominy. This little stream, which occupies so prominent a place in American military annals, is located in the south-eastern part of Virginia. It rises in the county of Hanover, and falls into the York river, about eight miles above Jamestownone of the oldest English settlements in America. It divides Henrico and Charles City counties on the right, from Hanover, New Kent and James City counties on the left. It has to be approached and crossed by armies reaching Richmond from the direction taken by the army of GRANT. It is capable of being strongly defended, and is remarkable for the several sanguinary engagements that took place in its vicinity between the Union and rebel armies during the years 1861, '62 and '64. Our line of battle had now been formed on a radius within a few miles of Richmond. Lee, without waiting for our renewed attacks, had stealthily retreated before our advancing legions. The capture of the ford at Taylor's Bridge by HANCOCK had enabled us to stretch our columns above and beyond the strategic point at Sexton's Junction. In moving on the Virginia Central railroad, he had been furiously attacked by Lee, and severely repulsed him. The conduct of the Fifth Corps, under WARREN, at this place, had been complimented by General MEADE, and that of the division of BIRNEY had received similar encomiums from HANCOCK. The arrival of BURNSIDE and WRIGHT the latter now commanding the Corps of noble old SEDGWICK-had brought large reinforcements, and the ground taken from the enemy was firmly held. By repeated assaults the rebels attempted to retake the bridge from HANCOCK, but they were foiled and driven back on every occasion. Constant fighting and skirmishing had been continued by the Second and Ninth Corps, the headquarters being located at Jericho Mills. From these points began another of those high strategic movements for which the Lieutenant General |