. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers . , the latter having the heaviest obstacle before him, andthe divisions of Kearny, Casey, and Couch struggling on toward the front,over crowded, muddy roads. General Sumner says in his report: I had a careful reconnoissance made on the left of the enemys works, on the morning ofthe 5th, and found two of their forts unoccupied. I immediately ordered General Hancock toadvance with a brigade and ten pieces of artillery, and hold those works, it being my intentionto force their left. T
. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers . , the latter having the heaviest obstacle before him, andthe divisions of Kearny, Casey, and Couch struggling on toward the front,over crowded, muddy roads. General Sumner says in his report: I had a careful reconnoissance made on the left of the enemys works, on the morning ofthe 5th, and found two of their forts unoccupied. I immediately ordered General Hancock toadvance with a brigade and ten pieces of artillery, and hold those works, it being my intentionto force their left. This was about 11 a. m. Meantime, at 7:30 a. m., General Hooker, on hisown responsibility, had advanced his lines. In his official report he says : Being in pursuit of a retreating army, I deemed it my duty to lose no time in making thedisposition to attack, regardless of their number and position, except to accomplish the resultwith the least possible sacrifice of life. Hooker sent forward Grovers brigade, and Bramhalls and Webbers bat-teries, and very soon all opposition on his front was silenced for a 196 YORKTOIVN AND WILLIAMSBURG. Longstreet, however, ordered up reinforcements, and soon had a section ofPelhains battery, and the three fresh brigades of Wilcox, Pickett, and A. on the ground, driving Hooker back, with the loss of all his cannon, andheavy casualties. During his desperate engagement, Hooker reported hissituation to Sumner, and Kearny was promptly ordered up with his division,while Heintzelman, the proper commander of the Third Corps, was sent to thespot to take charge. [See Opposing Forces, p. 200.] A comrade in Hookers division gave me an account of his experiencesabout as follows: Marching over the muddy road late in the afternoon, we found our farther advance pre-vented by a force which had precededus, and we halted in the mud by theroadside just as it began to rain. About5 oclock we resumed our march bycrossing over to the Hampton road,and did
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