Very sultry with intense heat; has not rained today as
usual. We were ordered to move from Dr. Pollard's in a westerly course to the
right about daylight; have been changing positions all day, and yet we have
been cautiously advancing on Richmond; are now within twelve miles of the
Confederate capital with the rebel army in our immediate front. In order to get
here we crossed Crump's Creek towards Hanover Court House. When nearing Atler's
Station about noon we were ordered back to support the Second Corps which was
engaging the enemy near Totopotomy Creek. We marched in a sweltering and almost
exhausted condition to the Hanover turnpike which we had left in the morning
but soon again left it cutting cross-lots through a swamp and heavy oak forest
where a road was being cut for artillery, and soon went into line of battle on
the left of General Birney's Division about mid-afternoon. We were ordered to
charge but the order was countermanded. The lines here ran about north and
south. The enemy's picket line kept up a sharp fusilade all night, as a bluff
to enable its force here to withdraw in order to form another line called the
Totopotomy, so as to cover several roads leading to Richmond including the
Shady Grove Church road at Hantley's Corners, and the Walnut Grove Church road
as well as the Mechanicsville turnpike, etc. Our line was changed to meet the
enemy's, but we made no assault. The enemy was evidently greatly worried as it
kept up a heavy artillery fire and made one or two fruitless assaults. Did they
but know our strength they would know better than to charge our works; but they
are plucky fellows.
SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections
and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 67-8
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