Page:Civil War The 42nd Infantry Division of Bedford County Virginia.djvu/13

 the matter he could have marched into Richmond anytime he wished and used the Confederate trenches and forts to keep General Lee out, but he was sure 200,000 troops lay waiting for him.

Instead of going into Richmond he started his retreat east of Richmond and next day on June 27 his army was overtaken at Cold Harbor. A savage battle took place most of the day. General Jackson and General Longstreet came to A. P. Hill's aid. They mauled General Reynold's and General McCall's troops, capturing over 2,000 prisoners with General Reynold's and General McCall's included, also they drove McClellan's forces from the field and took 20 of his best pieces of artillery.

General McClellan was now in full retreat, he recrossed the Chickahominy river and burned the bridges, hoping to slow down the Confederate army. They rebuilt the bridge and caught a small part of General Summer's corps at Savage's Station on Sunday June 29. These were General Magruder's forces under General McLaw's division. This was a very small battle; the Union forces were on the march and only wished to hold the Confederate forces back out of the way.

On Monday, June 30, General Lee had hoped to hit General McClellan with 80,000 men in the center of his 8 mile long line of retreat, divide his army and cut each half to pieces,