Consequently he crossed the Chickahominy, fell upon one of the Federal divisions and almost destroyed it, and drove back the whole of their left wing.

The next morning the battle was renewed, and lasted for five hours.
It was fortunate indeed for the Confederates that the right wing of the Northern army did not, while the action was going on, cross the river and march straight upon Richmond; but communication was difficult from one part of the army to another, owing to the thick forests and the swampy state of the ground, and being without orders they remained inactive all day.

The loss on their side had been 7000 men, while the Confederates had lost 4500; and General Johnston being seriously wounded, the chief command was given to General Lee, by far the ablest soldier the war produced.

Satisfied with the success they had gained, the Confederates fell back across the river again.
On the 4th of June, General Stuart--for he had now been promoted--started with 1200 cavalry and two guns and in forty-eight hours made one of the most adventurous reconnoissances ever undertaken.
First the force rode out to Hanover Courthouse, where they encountered and defeated, first, a small body of cavalry, and afterward a whole regiment.

Then, after destroying the stores there, they rode round to the Pamunky, burned two vessels and a large quantity of stores, captured a train of forty wagons, and burned a railway bridge.
Then they passed right round the Federal rear, crossed the river, and re-entered the city with 165 prisoners and 200 horses, having effected the destruction of vast quantities of stores, besides breaking up the railways and burning bridges.
Toward the end of June McClellan learned that Stonewall Jackson, having struck heavy blows at the two greatly superior armies which were operating against him in the valley of the Shenandoah, had succeeded in evading them, and was marching toward Richmond.
He had just completed several bridges across the river, and was about to move forward to fight a great battle when the news reached him.
Believing that he should be opposed by an army of 200,000 men, although, in fact, the Confederate army, after Jackson and all the available re-enforcements came up, was still somewhat inferior in strength to his own, he determined to abandon for the present the attempt upon Richmond, and to fall back upon the James River.
Here his ships had already landed stores for his supply, for the river was now open as far as the Confederate defenses at Fort Darling.
Norfolk Navy Yard had been captured by the 10,000 men who formed the garrison of Fortress Monroe.