91 THE ARMY' OF THE POTOMAC. bv the negro guides. The heads of the columns had met nothing but small detachments of cavalry, which they had easily dispersed. The hardest part of the work was done, but it was to lie supposed that the enemy would renew his attempt to disturb the retreat. So the General took his measures in time. He left Sumner and Franklin to act as the rear-guard, and hold the passage of White Oak Swamp ; and put Ileintzelman with the divisions of Hooker, Kearney, Sedgwick and McCall, across the point of intersection of the roads leading from Richmond. They protected the trains and reached the James river at the exact moment when the transports with provision and ammunition, and the hospital ships which with wise foresight General McClellan had ordered up ten days before,1 arrived from Fortress Monroe. Meanwhile, as had been expected, Franklin and Sumner were sharply attacked in White Oak Swamp, to whi<*li point tlhe confederate Generals had brought a large force of artillery. They fell back step by step. Later in the day Ileintzelman also was attacked at the Cross-roads. Here, the battle raged with varying fortune, in the woods. The division of McCall suffered severely, and its commander was made prisoner; but Hooker and Kearney, coming to his help repulsed the assailants with great loss. They did not however, succeed in rescuing the General, who was sent into Richmond to join Reynolds. Finally, a third attack upon the corps of Fitz-John Porter failed utterly under the combined fire of the field artillery, and the gunboats. Porter occupied a superb position at a place! lallcd Turkey Rend, by some persons, and Malvern Hill In others. This position was a lofty open plateau sloping gradually down to the roads by which the enemy mu. t debouch. I he left rested upon the river, where lay the Galena, the Monitor, and the flotilla of gunboats. Tho federal army then had nothing to fear from this side, and had
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