THE ARMY OF HIE POTOMAC. 51 Stoneman then ordered the retreat. We repassed the abattis, and falling back to a clearing about half a mile distant, there awaited the arrival of the infantry to renew disengagement. ’Unluckily, in traversing the marsh, a gun of the horse-artillery got buried in the mud and could not be extricated. In vain were the teams doubled. The enemy concentrated his fire of shells on that point and killed all the horses. The gun had to be left. It was the first which the armv had lost, and the men were inconsolable. In the evening we renewed our efforts to recover it, but the abattis were filled with hostile sharpshooters who made it impossible to approach. The sun was going down. The confederate columns coming from Lee’s Mill, escaped and took shelter behind the entrenchments of Williamsburg. As to the federal infantry, it came up very late. The roads over which it passed had been tremendously obstructed. At nightfall General Sumner, who had assumed command, wished to make an attempt to carry the works. Unfortunately it was completely dark before the troops debouched from the woods and the marshes, and everything had to be put off to the next day. Upon this supervened one of those vexatious mishaps which are too common in -war, and of which this army did not escape its full share during this trying campaign. The rain began to fall in torrents and poured down incessantly for thirty consecutive hours. The country became one vast lake, the roads were channels of liquid mud. The troops dismally bivouacked for the night where they stood. Next day the battle began again, but. of course, in circumstances unfavorable to the federals. The two roads leading to Williamsburg were crowded with troops. Upon that to the left from Lee’s Mill, were the divisions of Hooker and Kearney belonging to Heintzelman’s corps—but they were separated from each other by an enormous multitude of wagons loaded down with baggage, and for the most part, fast in the mud. Upon
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