1862 June 26

Skirmishing very heavily on our left all
day. During the afternoon, our advance on
the left after a brisk and decisive fight,
succeeded in capturing redoubt No. 4 of
the defenses of Richmond. At noon the
rebs on our right advanced, and crossed
the Chickahominy at Meadow bridge,
attacked, and drove in our pickets at
Mechanicsville. Morrells. Div. and two
brigades of Mc Call’s div. were deployed
in line of battle. Meade’s brigade being
held as a reserve, At three P. M the
rebs rapidly advanced and attacked
our whole line, making a determined
attempt to drive back Reynold’s
brigade, but after a severe struggle
they were forced to retire with a heavy
loss. A rapid Artillery fire was kept
up along the entire line. at five P. M
the rebs made another desperate assault
on our right, and were again repulsed
by Gen Seymore with a heavy loss,
Night coming on, the conflict ended,
Pleasant and very warm

Battle of Mechanicsville or Beaver Dam Creek

George W. Morell, 1815-1883, led a division of the 5th Corps during the Peninsula Campaign. His close association with Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter, his corps commander, led him to testify on the latter's behalf when Porter was unjustly court-martialed for dereliction in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Morell's military career was ruined and he had no more field service after the Battle of Antietam.

George A. McCall, 1802-1868, a veteran of both the Seminole and Mexican Wars, and one of the oldest generals in the war, led the division known as the Pennsylvania Reserves. He was captured in June of 1862 and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond until exchanged for Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner. His health broken by imprisonment he retired to his West Chester, Pennsylvania, estate. He was a relative of the noted novelist Edith Wharton.

John F. Reynolds, 1820-1863, was also a veteran of the Mexican War where he develped the famous friendship with fellow officers Winfield Scott Hancock and Lewis A. Armistead that was depicted in Killer Angels and Gettysburg. His brigade in the Pennsylvania Reserves was hit hard by the Confederate attack described by Johnson above but his defensive line held and Reynolds later received a letter of commendation from his division commander, George A. McCall

Truman Seymour, 1824-1891, another veteran of the Mexican War, commanded the left wing of the Federal Reserves at Mechanicsville on June 26, Gaines' Mill on June 27, and Glendale on June 30 and then led the division at Malvern Hill on July 1 after McCall was wounded and captured. He was later sent to the Dept. of the South where he commanded the Union troops at the Battle of Olustee, the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida.

MSS 8493