Lee's Army during the Overland Campaign: A Numerical Study

Chapter 8. Separate Commands

199 chapter 8 Separate Commands Hoke’s Division This division was formed at Bermuda Hundred in late May 1864 from the brigades of Clingman, Colquitt, Hagood, and Martin. These units were part of Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard’s forces opposing Butler’s Army of the James outside Richmond. During the first part of the war, these brigades mostly served at various points along the Atlantic Seaboard. Due to limited combat in these areas in 1862 and 1863, the ranks of each of these commands were very full. While the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania were being contested to the north, these brigades were engaged to various degrees in several actions against Butler’s army. At this time, they were actually serving in three separate divisions in Beauregard’s command.1 The four were gathered as a new division following the return of Pickett’s Division and Hoke’s Brigade (under Colonel Lewis) to the Army of Northern Virginia during the third week of May. Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke was relatively new to this level of command. He formerly led a brigade from his home state of North Carolina in Early’s Division of Lee’s army and was wounded during the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.2 Following a wounded furlough, Hoke directed an attack upon a Federal garrison at Plymouth in eastern North Carolina in April 1864. His forces successfully captured this seaport and the entire garrison.3 It was one of the few occasions in the war when Confederates were able to recaptured a lost strategic point. As a result of this success, Hoke was promoted to major general and given command of a division in Beauregard’s new army. On May 30, Hoke’s Division was ordered by the War Department to reinforce Lee’s army.4 This directive was in response to the continued movement of Grant’s Army of the Potomac toward Richmond and the dispatch of the XVIII Corps from Butler’s army to Grant. At this stage of the campaign, Fed- 200 Unit Discussions, with Casualty Breakdowns eral cavalry was sparring with Confederate cavalry in the area of Old Cold Harbor. Several key roads intersected at this point, and the crossroads was located several miles beyond the right end of the main Confederate line. The actions of the cavalry and the reinforcement of the XVIII Corps drew the interest of General Lee to this crossroads, and on May 31, he instructed Hoke to move his command to this point and provide support for the cavalry.5 In the afternoon of May 31, elements of the First Division of the Federal Cavalry Corps began pressuring Fitzhugh Lee’s Division at Old Cold Harbor. The lead elements of Hoke’s Division, three regiments of Clingman’s Brigade, arrived and were posted to the left of Lee’s dismounted troopers (see Map 33, Appendix B). The Federal attack was well planned and conducted, and the entire Confederate force was driven through and beyond the crossroads.6 At dark, the remaining regiment of Clingman’s Brigade along with Colquitt’s Brigade arrived to assist in the formation of a new line about one mile to the west. During the early hours of the following day, the rest of the division reached the battlefield, and the entire command constructed a line of breastworks . The front covered Cold Harbor Road and spanned from Boatswain Creek on the south to Bloody Run on the north. Clingman’s Brigade was posted on the left next to Bloody Run; Colquitt’s and Martin’s Brigade extended the line to Boatswain Creek; and Hagood’s Brigade, arriving last, was posted in reserve (see Map 34, Appendix B).7 In response to the loss of Old Cold Harbor, Lee reinforced Hoke with Anderson’s First Corps. Kershaw’s Division and later Pickett’s Division were positioned on the left of Hoke’s Division, which was, at this time, temporarily attached to Anderson’s corps. Hagood’s Brigade was subsequently shifted to the left of the divisional front and posted slightly in front of the main line astride Bloody Run. This moved facilitated a linkup of Hoke’s front with Kershaw’s line (directly to the north). During the late morning and afternoon of June 1, infantry from the VI and XVIII Corps arrived and began deploying across the fronts of Hoke’s and Kershaw’s Divisions. General Hoke apparently became concerned about his open right (southern) flank and decided to...