| Union Troops. 1 Seymour's Brigade. 2 Reynolds's " 3 Griffin's " 4 Martindale's " C Mechanicsville. | Rebel Troops. A Hill's division. B Branch's Brigade. D Ellison's Mills. |
At noon the enemy was seen advancing upon Meadow Bridge. The long column descended the bank, forded the stream above the bridge, and disappeared in the woods.
The Bucktails, who had driven Stewart at Dranesville, were sent out to support the pickets, but were surprised to see a body of cavalry dashing into the road behind them. They faced about, drove the cavalry, fell back to Mechanicsville, followed by the pickets.
General McCall, who commanded there, had thrown up a line of breastworks on the east side of the creek. He formed his troops on the slope, with his batteries on the crest of the hill. General Reynolds's brigade had the right, and General Seymour's the left. General Meade's brigade was brought up as a reserve. General Porter sent forward Griffin's and Martindale's brigades, which took position on the right of Reynolds. Having thus formed his line, he waited the advance of the enemy.
The force which came in sight first was A. P. Hill's division, followed by General Branch's.
A short distance from the Chickahominy, on the creek, was Ellison's Mills. The road from Mechanicsville to New Bridge crossed the creek at that point. Another road leading from Mechanicsville to Coal Harbor crossed it farther up. Timber had been felled, rifle-pits dug, and the artillery planted so as to rake the only two feasible approaches.
General Hill formed his line for the attack on Ellison's Mills, while General Branch advanced along the upper road against Reynolds.
The battle began at three o'clock, and raged with fury till nine o'clock. There were no movements in the Union lines. The men stood in their places and poured an uninterrupted fire upon the enemy, who were vainly endeavoring to cross the ravine and scale the heights. The artillery, fifty pieces, rained solid shot, shells, grape, canister, shrapnel, all sorts of missiles, producing great slaughter.
General D. H. Hill arrived with his division, and joined in the attack upon Seymour at the Mills, but was received with a "murderous fire."[37]
The united efforts of the two Hills and General Branch were not sufficient to dislodge the two brigades which held the position. Griffin, Martindale, and Meade were ready to lend assistance, but were not engaged. Griffin only fired a few shots. The Union loss was eighty killed and about two hundred wounded. The Rebel loss is supposed to have been nearly three thousand. The assaults upon the rifle-pits were made with great desperation, but the men could not get through the impassable abattis, and were cut down by the constant and steady fire of musketry and canister at short range.