As he watchedthe remnants of the Army of the Potomac fall back after being defeated at theBattle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862, the confidence of Hospital StewardWilliam L. Berry of the 16th Michigan in the generalship of GeorgeMcClellan suffered its first blow.

“The thought came to my mind: what did all this mean? WasMcClellan surprised and was the vast army that the government had been socarefully nursing for the past year suddenly to be put to rout and driven back?Was all the admirable plans to be defeated and was the enemy to still holdtheir sway? I pondered over it all night and could come to no reasonable conclusionwhy we should be so defeated and driven from the ground that we had held for solong a time. I’ll confess that for the first time, my confidence in McClellanwas shaken but felt satisfied that all would turn out for the best,” theCanadian wrote home.

Hospital Steward Berry’s account of Gaines Mill first sawpublication in the July 25, 1862, edition of the Ingersoll Chronicle,published in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, his hometown. Later in the war, Berry wascommissioned as an assistant surgeon and wrote regularly to the Chronicle detailingthe services of the 16th Michigan.

          During the Seven Days’ campaign, the16th Michigan was part of Colonel Dan Butterfield’s Third Brigade ofGeneral George Morrell’s First Division of the 5th Army Corps, underGeneral Fitz-John Porter.

 

"I sit in my tent and think but it seems like a horrid dream," William L. Berry wrote. "Hundreds of my companions gone, victims to the strife, never to return. I have but to step to the door and look at those that are still left and then the sad reality looms before me in its darkest form." 

Camp nearJames River, Virginia

July 5, 1862

          A week of horrors has just passed.Future historians will dwell upon the scenes of the past week as the mosteventful and bloody since the christening of the western hemisphere. I sit inmy tent and think but it seems like a horrid dream. Hundreds of my companionsgone, victims to the strife, never more to return. I have but to step to thedoor and look at those that are still left and then the sad reality loomsbefore me in its darkest form.

          I look to the next regiment and seebut 150 guns stacked where there used to be 800 and again, I know it is not adream. But the saddest of all is when I look for a dear friend and fear, too,he has fallen. What I have witnessed I hope and pray never to witness again. Iwill, in as plain a manner as possible, tell you what I have seen, so that youmay judge what war is. I told you what I saw at West Point and HanoverCourthouse, but they are not to be compared to the struggle of the past fewdays.

 

          We had encamped in a most beautifulgrove. Everything has been done to make ourselves comfortable as we all were ofthe opinion that our stay at this point should be extended into the summer. Thethird day of our stay here [June 26] was drawing to a close, the men loungingunder the luxuriant foliage of the adjacent trees all satisfied that all waswell. When to the utter surprise of all, we heard the first sergeant call themen to fall in with knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, and three days’ rations.What could it mean? None could tell, but the order was quickly obeyed and inone hour from the time the order was read, the line was formed and under way.

          I stood by the road as they filed outand it was the last time that I saw half of them. I was not ordered off withthem, so I, as well as others that were left in camp, supposed that they werebut going on picket or fatigue duty and thought nothing about it, but duringthe night, the rumbling of the wheels of cannon could be continually heardwhile the clattering of horses feet galloping along the road kept up acontinual noise but with the early morn, a different aspect of affairspresented itself. Before it was clearly light, I received an order to pack upall our hospital furniture, send the sick over the Chickahominy as quickly aspossible, to get everything off in a half hour, and if I could not get all offin that time to be off myself without delay.

Major General Fitz-John Porter, commanding the 5th Army Corps during the Seven Days

          This order came from the brigadesurgeon and had to be obeyed; but we worked with a will and before the timeelapsed, we were off. But hardly had we got away from the spot before theshells from the enemy’s guns nearly reached the spot we were leaving. We putspurs and whips to our horses and were soon over the Chickahominy, disposing ofthe sick and stores as directed.

          I hastened back to the scene ofconflict. I found everything in battle order, artillery placed upon commandingpositions, ably supported by infantry, while the cavalry were disposed of aswas proper. I found our regiment and brigade and after carefully viewing theposition of our forces and knowing well the lay of the ground at thatparticular point, instantly became satisfied that we were in a criticalposition. Especially if the enemy was in force as strong as we supposed theywould be and if they attempted to break through our lines. One advantage we hadover them was our superior force of artillery, the mightiest arm of war.

          We waited with almost breathlessanxiety for the commencement of the fight. We had not long to wait. Theregiment was lying upon the ground for greater safety when suddenly a reportwas heard and with it a terrific screech from the left of our column. Uponhastening to the spot, we found that a shell from the enemy’s gun has burstupon three of our men, inflicting the most horrible and painful wounds. Theywere removed.

          All was now excitement, it being thefirst time that our regiment was ever under actual fire. Delay was nowimpossible. We knew their position, although hidden by a thick growth ofVirginia pine, and our batteries began to belch forth their own hail with theutmost rapidity. It was returned with spirit and cannonading was kept up forupwards of two hours without intermission and strange to say, without much lossupon our side. One captain in our regiment was the only one that fell afterthat first shell; but at this point, things took a different turn.

The 16th Michigan held a position in the second line on the far left of the Union line during the sunset attacks by the Confederates at Gaines Mill. These assaults finally broke the Union line as Berry describes in his letter. 

          Musketry began to be heard on our leftand our lookout, who was up in a thick tree, said that they were advancing bythe left. Orders were instantly given for us to “left face, forward march” andwe soon met them face to face. Shots were instantly exchanged. At this point,our regiment suffered heavily as about 50 fell at the first fire. We stood ourground for awhile but they succeeded in taking a battery of artillery from us bywhich we were so weakened that we were forced to retire, leaving our wounded.

          But the enemy’s success was onlytemporary; for we soon rallied and went up by the left flank and charged onthem, succeeding in taking back our ground, although at a terrible loss oflife. The fighting again became general, the cannons roaring, shells burstingin the air, balls whistling with their shrill music by to us to commit havocupon those in our rear while the volleys of musketry sounded like the distantapproach of a whirlwind, the echo like the wail of departed spirits singing asad requiem to those just fallen.

          The enemy was in force much strongerthan ours. They regularly relieved every 15 minutes while our men had to standtheir ground amidst the most galling fire. They crowded us up and again we fellback, this time in regular order. We were now reinforced by what is called theIrish Brigade. General Porter rallied the men, formed them upon a color line,and back went our thinned ranks to battle against their unequal forces oncemore.

The men retained their courage. We now came up to them andpoured in a volley. The order was given to “load and fire at will” but ourgeneral, seeing that the odds were against us, concluded to try once more. Theorder was given to charge. Every gun came to a shoulder and then to a charge,and way we went with a yell that ought to frighten old Nick. The enemy fled.

Colonel Thomas B.W. Stockton
16th Michigan
Prisoner of War

The general, seeing them fly and seeing the evening shadescoming on, ordered us to retire. So, the order to about face was given. Wegladly obeyed the order and retreated quickly across the Chickahominy, leavingthe enemy in possession of the field and more than all, in possession of thewounded. The greatest loss we sustained was the loss of our gallant and braveColonel [Thomas Baylis Whitmarsh] Stockton; he is a prisoner. Two captainsfell, three were wounded, several lieutenants were killed and wounded, but acomplete list you will doubtless see in the papers.

[Colonel Stockton’s horse was shot out from under him then hewas captured. Stockton, an 1827 graduate of West Point, would be exchanged inAugust for Colonel Lewis Burwell Williams of the 1st Virginia, an 1855graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and former assistant instructor intactics at V.M.I. Williams had been wounded and captured at Williamsburg on May5, 1862.]

The thought came to my mind: what did all this mean? WasMcClellan surprised and was the vast army that the government had been socarefully nursing for the past year suddenly to be put to rout and driven back?Was all the admirable plans to be defeated and was the enemy to still holdtheir sway? I pondered over it all night and could come to no reasonable conclusionwhy we should be so defeated and driven from the ground that we had held for solong a time. I’ll confess that for the first time, my confidence in McClellanwas shaken but felt satisfied that all would turn out for the best.

At the approach of morning, I left the ground where I hadlaid all night and went to the bridge crossing the river. This I found stronglyguarded and preparations made to destroy it. Suddenly, a loud report was heardand all communication over the Chickahominy was cut off. Things now looked moregloomy and mysterious than ever. All our forces were withdrawn from over theriver, all our baggage train had been hurried away, all the commissary stores (ofwhich there was a vast quantity) had been destroyed. Thousands of our woundedwere in the hands of the enemy and everything looked as if we were about tomake preparations for another fight or march, those who were left filling theirhaversacks with bread and getting the full amount of cartridges.

Union forces on the retreat. "Everybody looked gloomy and everybody supposed that all was wrong and that our army would be routed and broken up," Berry lamented. 

Everybody looked gloomy and everybody supposed that all waswrong and that our army would be routed and broken up. I passed along lookingfor our regiment from which I had strayed. I stopped a moment under the shadeof a tree to rest. While there, a colonel came up and asked a question which Ianswered. We got into conversation and I asked him if things were not lookingblue. He seemed astonished at the question. “Truly, do you not understand themove,” he asked. I told him it looked strange and would like to be informed.

He then asked me what good advantage it would be to staywhere we were. I told him that it was close to a water communication withWashington and a good place for making an attack on the Rebel capitol. “Yes,that’s true, but is not the James River a better means of communications and abetter base of operations than where we were?” That cleared my eyes. I saw thewhole game in a moment and told him so and we parted, he to fall into the ranksand I to let you know it.

The 16th Michigan lost 49 killed, 116 wounded, and55 missing at Gaines Mill, a total of 220. Major Norval E. Welch assumedcommand of the regiment after Colonel Stockton was captured.

To learn more about the Battle of Gaines' Mill, please check out these posts: 

With the Jasper Grays at Gaines Mill (16th Mississippi) 

Carrying the Colors of the 5th Texas at Gaines Mill 

Louder than the Bolts of Heaven: With the 1st Michigan at Gaines Mill 

A Promise Kept After Gaines Mill (1st Michigan)

More in the Wind Than We Bargained For: The Seven Days with the 3rd New Jersey

The Great Skedaddle: With Berdan's Sharpshooters During the Seven Days (1st U.S. Sharpshooters)

Source:

Letter fromHospital Steward William L. Berry, 16th Michigan Volunteer Infantry,Ingersoll Chronicle (Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada), July 25, 1862, pg. 2

A complete transcription of all of Berry's letters to the Ingersoll Chronicle was published as A Canadian in the Army of the Potomac: The Letters of William L. Berry of the 16th Michigan published in 2024. Kim Crawford's regimental history of the 16th Michigan is also worth a perusal.