Battle of Savages Station

“Battle of Savages Station. Brigadier General Smith’s division hotly engaged with the enemy, at noon, June 28th, 1862. Our correspondent described this battle as follows: “Having left our wounded, about thirteen hundred men, in the hospital, to the tender mercies of the Confederates, our troops fell back at daybreak on Sunday from their line of entrenchments. This extended from a space of white oak swamp, near Richmond, to the Chickahominy Creek, at New Bridge. The divisions of Hooker, Kearney and Sedgwick were thrown into the woods, where a number of batteries were masked to oppose the enemy, who, advancing cautiously, clambered over the ditches and parapets, and, seeing them abandoned, signaled the main body, who came up at double quick. Taking possession of our defenses with a cheer, they raised their flag amid loud yells of demoniacal satisfaction. Then, in close order and in line of battle, they marched down the Williamsburg Road, past the scene of the Seven Pines fight, and so approached where our troops were concealed at a point denominated Peach Orchard, being an insignificant stopping place on the railroad, midway between Hancocks and Savages. When they had come so close that our troops could toss a biscuit from our line into theirs, our batteries were unmasked, and an awful blaze of flame and projectile rose from the depths of the woods. Before the Confederates could rally, our men had poured a dozen volleys of musketry into them, covering the ground with the slain."” —Leslie, 1896

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