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Battle of Gaines's Mills
Harper's Weekly Articles

The following article is from Harper's Weekly Journal of Civilization, dated July 26, 1862:

Battle of Chickahominy

          We reproduce Mr. Waud's sketch of the battle which was fought on Friday, 27th. We have already described this fight, and will only add Mr. Waud's account of it: "The next day the rebels in great force attacked McCall again, now sustained by Porter's division, Slocum's division and Sykes's brigade of regulars, and part of Sumner's command. These sustained an unequal and bloody fight with the rebel hosts till nightfall, when they were withdrawn across the Chickahominy, blowing up the fine bridges which our engineers had built in their rear. Our sketch represents Sykes's brigade standing firm before the rebel efforts to overwhelm our lines. Beyond Sykes's, on the right, was McCall's and Franklin's; but the smoke was so heavy that it was difficult to see much of the field at once. The heavy smoke beyond was caused by the destruction of commissary stores by fire, to prevent them falling in to the hands of the enemy.

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