Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/508

 476 Battles on the Chickahominy. [i862 West Point on the York river, by way of White House on the Pamunky river. So far from having to overcome double numbers, as he continually reported, McClellan's next serious fighting occurred when his own army was just twice as strong as that of the Confederates. On May 31 the Unionist forces under his command showed an aggregate of 127,000, while that of the enemy under Johnston's command was about 62,000. It was not the want of troops, but the faulty position in which General McClellan had placed a part of his army, that enabled the enemy suddenly to fall upon it in superior strength. Two of McClellan's army corps, those under Heintzelman and Keyes, forming his left wing, had with much bridge-building and entrenching been pushed across the Chicka- hominy to the neighbourhood of Seven Pines and Fair Oaks, five miles from the fortifications of Richmond, while the remaining three corps were yet in their old position, thus leaving the army divided by the treacherous stream. McClellan's own report relates part of the result. "During the day and night of the 30th of May a very violent storm occurred. The rain falling in torrents rendered work on the rifle-pits and bridges impracti- cable, made the roads almost impassable, and threatened the destruction of the bridges over the Chickahominy. The enemy, perceiving the un- favourable position in which we were placed, and the possibility of destroying that part of our army which was apparently cut off' from the main body by the rapidly rising stream, threw an overwhelming force upon the position occupied by Casey's division." This attack, begun by the Confederates on the afternoon of May 31, would probably have been fatal to the isolated Unionist left wing, but for the energy of General Sumner, commanding a Unionist corps nearest the battle-field. When he received orders to cross the Chickahominy to the help of his comrades, one of his two available bridges was already swept away by the flood, and the remaining one nearly submerged ; and this became totally useless immediately after his corps had passed over it. But he arrived in time, if not to win a victory, at least to prevent a defeat. When night closed, the combatants bivouacked on the field, and in the desultory fighting of next morning, the Unionist troops regained their lost ground, while the enemy withdrew. A serious battle had been fought, without decisive result, except the loss of 5000 Federals and 6000 Confederates. Late in the evening General Johnston was seriously wounded, and General Lee succeeded him in command of the Confederate army. Competent critics have written that that was the opportune moment, when the Unionist army, with its great superiority of numbers, with the inspiration of success, with two-thirds of the Confederate army crippled, disheartened, and retreating, could under a capable commander have immediately advanced and taken Richmond. McClellan in his report