“Ah, general,” said Lee, “I am very glad to see you.  I hoped to be with you before!”

Jackson made a twitching movement of his head, and replied in a few words, rather jerked from the lips than deliberately uttered.

Lee had paused, and now listened attentively to the long roll of musketry from the woods, where Hill and Longstreet were engaged; then to the still more incessant and angry roar from the direction of Jackson’s own troops, who had closed in upon the Federal forces.

“That fire is very heavy,” said Lee.  “Do you think your men can stand it?”

Jackson listened for a moment, with his head bent toward one shoulder, as was customary with him, for he was deaf, he said, in one ear, “and could not hear out of the other,” and replied briefly: 

“They can stand almost any thing!  They can stand that!”

He then, after receiving General Lee’s instructions, immediately saluted and returned to his corps—­Lee remaining still at Cold Harbor, which was opposite the Federal centre.

[Illustration:  Lee and Jackson at Cold harbor.]

The arrival of Jackson changed in a moment the aspect of affairs in every part of the field.  Whitney’s division of his command took position on Longstreet’s left; the command of General D.H.  Hill, on the extreme right of the whole line, and Ewell’s division, with part of Jackson’s old division, supported A.P.  Hill.  No sooner had these dispositions been made, than General Lee ordered an attack along the whole line.  It was now five or six o’clock, and the sun was sinking.  From that moment until night came, the battle raged with a fury unsurpassed in any subsequent engagement of the war.  The Texan troops, under General Hood, especially distinguished themselves.  These, followed by their comrades, charged the Federal left on the bluff, and, in spite of a desperate resistance, carried the position.  “The enemy were driven,” says General Lee, “from the ravine to the first line of breastworks, over which one impetuous column dashed, up to the intrenchments on the crest.”  Here the Federal artillery was captured, their line driven from the hill, and in other parts of the field a similar success followed the attack.  As night fell, their line gave way in all parts, and the remnants of General Porter’s command retreated to the bridges over the Chickahominy.

The first important passage of arms between General McClellan and General Lee—­and it may be added the really decisive one—­had terminated in a great success on the side of the Confederates.

IV.

THE RETREAT.

The battle of Cold Harbor—­or, as General Lee styles it in his report, the “battle of the Chickahominy”—­was the decisive struggle between the great adversaries, and determined the fate of General McClellan’s campaign against Richmond.