On the 24th, the whole army crossed the North Anna; and on the 29th it had crossed the Pamunkey, its base being White House. The rebels continued to fall back. There was some fighting on the 30th and the 31st of May, but no serious engagement until the
BATTLE OF COAL HARBOR.
June 1–3, 1864.
At the time this battle was fought, the Eighteenth Army Corps (General Smith) which was detached from the Army of the James, had reinforced the army of General Meade. The first charge was made by this corps, which took and held the first line of the enemy’s rifle-pits, capturing six hundred prisoners. Finding himself thus attacked on his right wing, the enemy retaliated by a severe assault upon the National right, thinking it had been weakened to sustain the charge by the left. Longstreet’s corps, on the rebel side, did most of the fighting. Warren’s and Hancock’s divisions were, on the Union side, especially assailed. The enemy made repeated charges, which were as repeatedly repulsed. Artillery was freely employed in this fight, and the losses on both sides were very heavy. The rebels being intrenched, their loss was not so severe as otherwise it would have been. The Union loss was about two thousand.
BATTLE OF COAL HARBOR, VA., JUNE 3, 1864.
Thursday, the 2d of May, proved rainy, and General Grant, for this reason, delayed a further attack of the enemy, although he permitted one or two charges, which resulted in no positive success. Skirmishing, of course, was frequent, owing to the close contiguity of the lines of battle. The first day’s operations had put the Union army in possession of Coal Harbor, and General Grant’s design now was to push the rebels across the Chickahominy river—his ultimate object being to hem in the army of Lee within the cities of Petersburg and Richmond, isolate those places on all sides, and then compel the surrender of the rebels, either through starvation or in one general and desperate battle. The rebel commander penetrated this design, and, naturally, opposed it at every point; and so skillful and successful was his resistance, that—as will presently be seen—he was enabled to prolong this contest through a period of ten months, holding Petersburg and Richmond all the while, and keeping open his communications with the south and southwest, by way of Weldon and of Lynchburg. His defenses, it is true, were of the most formidable character, and so extensive, that it was impossible for General Grant to concentrate sufficient force for successful assault, at any one point, without weakening his own lines, which were far more extended than the rebel defenses, and thus expose himself to an attack from General Lee.
The battle of the second day at Coal Harbor—being the 3d of June—was desperate and bloody. The assault was commenced by the National forces at half-past four o’clock in the morning. The brigades of Generals Gibbons and Barlow, of General Hancock’s division, made the first attack on the rebel lines. It was a dark and cloudy morning, and, at intervals, rain poured down upon the battle-field. Barlow’s and Gibbons’ brigades took a portion of the rebel works, but were not able to hold their prize. They captured many prisoners, however, and then, falling back, took up an advanced position and intrenched themselves. The Eighteenth and Sixth corps met with about the same success, capturing works which they were subsequently obliged to resign, and finally intrenching themselves in a new position close to the enemy’s line. On the Union right the battle was less severe than upon the left. Far to the left General Wilson’s cavalry fought that of Wade Hampton. All day long the battle raged furiously, and even encroached upon the night—a fierce assault being made by the rebels at nine o’clock in the evening, which was repulsed by the soldiers of Hancock, Smith, and Wright. But the results were scarcely commensurate with the sacrifices made for their attainment.
On the morning of the 5th, the National troops held their advanced position, and it was found that the enemy’s left wing, in front of the forces of General Burnside, had been drawn in during the night. The Union losses, during the three days operations around Coal Harbor, are set down at not less than seven thousand five hundred.
For several days succeeding this battle, both armies occupied themselves in strengthening their respective lines of battle. A truce of two hours, declared on the 6th, enabled the belligerents to bury their dead and relieve their wounded.