Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/30

24 stage-road east of Mechanicsville our march was down that road in the direction of Old Church to a mill, where we halted, fed our horses, and ate our dinner. On leaving the mill our line of march diverged from the main road along by-roads to the south. We halted about three o'clock P. M. in the immediate vicinity of Cold Harbor. We had encountered no enemy, and, after leaving the stage-road, had not seen our infantry.

At thirty minutes past three o'clock the fight commenced with deafening volleys of musketry, so continuous that the intervals were scarcely perceptible. The artillery fire was heavy, but seemed light compared with the sound of the small arms. We could see only the clouds of smoke, though shells continually shrieked and exploded over our heads. We were ordered by General Jackson late in the evening to move to a position less exposed. A squadron under Captain Thomas Waller was placed in position to charge a battery, but, for some cause, was ordered back. The battle lasted without the slightest abatement in the fire of small arms for four hours. When it ceased we marched rapidly on the road leading to the White House, but, finding the enemy was not retreating in that direction, returned and bivouacked on the edge of the field of battle.

This fight was among the hardest of the war, and upon no other field in Virginia, perhaps, was the continuous fire of musketry so long sustained. The enemy was routed at all points, and, driven from his entrenchments, retired during the night across the Chickahominy, leaving the air in places sickening with the smell of blood and large numbers of his dead upon the field.

We were in the saddle by light next morning. Captain Waller was detached, with orders to report with his squadron to General Ewell. Before we left Cold Harbor Waller sent in over one hundred prisoners.

Our march led us to Dispatch Station, on the York-River railroad, very near the bridge over the Chickahominy. We