GAINES' MILL, Battle of. After the battle of Mechanicsville or Beaver Dam Creek, 26 June 1862, McCall's division was withdrawn from the field of its victory and Gen. Fitz John Porter, with it and the Fifth corps, took up a defensive position near Gaines' Mill, east of Powhite Creek, a small stream flowing into the Chickahominy. Porter's corps and McCall's di vision, numbering in all about 20,000 infantry and artillery and 2,500 cavalry, were the only Union troops north of the Chickahominy, the rest of McClellan's army being south of it. Porter's line was formed in the shape of a semt-circle, its left resting in the low ground near the Chickahominy, with its right bending around south of Old Cold Harbor. The line was naturally strong and was strengthened by rifle-pits, by felling trees in front of them and by piling rails and such other material as was at hand. The east bank of the creek was quite high and the slope to the creek was covered with brush and timber. The line covered sev eral of the bridges over the Chickahominy and through the centre and right ran the roads from New Cold Harbor and Old Cold Harbor to Dispatch Station. Sykes' division of the Fifth corps was on the right and Morell's di vision on the left, with McCall's division in reserve. General Cooke, with three small cav alry regiments, watched the left. The line was somewhat too extended for the number of troops Porter had at his disposal, but these were well posted and his artillery placed in good positions, .sweeping the ground in front. On 27 June the Confederates advanced upon Porter's position, A. P. Hill and Longstreet from the west, Jackson and D. H. Hill from the northwest. A. P. Hill led the advance from Mechanicsville, and .on reaching Pow bite Creek, near Gaines' Mill, at noon, Gregg's South Carolina brigade was so stoutly resisted by the Ninth Massachusetts, holding an ad vanced position, that Hill was checked and compelled to deploy a large force to push the Massachusetts men back, which consumed the time until 2 P.M. Meanwhile the other divisions had come up, Longstreet on A. P. Hill's right, Jackson, Ewell and D. H. Hill in the order named, on A. P. Hill's left. The main battle began a little after 2 o'clock with an impetuous assault by A. P. Hill on Porter's left division and resulted in the final repulse of Hill with teat loss. Longstreet came to his support, Jackson and D. H. Hill closed in on Porter's
right and fcir nearly two hours Porter's entire line was successively assailed and pressed at every point, but held firm, so firm that General Lee thought that "the principal part of the Federal army was on the north side of the Chickahominy" and "apparently gaining ground.° McCall's division was placed in line. All fought well and were admirably handled; but there were not enough of Porter's men long to withstand the energetic and continued pres sure of 57,000 Confederates at all parts of the line. At about 4 P.M. Slocum's division of Franklin's corps came on the field from beyond the Chickahominy. Its three brigades were separated and disposed of in weak places on the line and the general attack was repulsed about 5 P.M. A few minutes later another attempt was repulsed, the Union line holding fast and not yielding a foot. The Confederate forces were now all up. Whiting's division had come to the relief of A. P. Hill; and Stuart, with his cavalry and artillery, opened heavily on Por ter's right. General Lee now ordered a general advance, which was responded to in a most gallant manner. Porter's lines were fiercely assaulted; parts remained firm, but other parts gave way and soon all gave back, losing 22 guns and some 2,800 prisoners. Some of the commands fell back in much confusion; others retired in good order upon the brigades of French and Meagher, of Sumner's corps, which had crossed the Chickahominy, and now as sisted in checking the Confederate pursuit. During the night the Union troops crossed to the south side of the Chickahominy, destroyed the bridges behind them and joined the rest of the army in its retreat to Harrison's Landing on James River. The entire number of Union troops engaged was about 34,000; the loss was 894 killed, 3,107 wounded and 2,836 missing, an aggregate of 6,837. The number of Confed erate troops engaged was about 57,000, of whom 8,751 were killed and wounded.
Alexander, 'Military Mem oirs of a Confederate' (New York 1907) ; Johnson and Buel,