During the day of Saturday, McClellan remained on the south bank of the
Chickahominy with guns in position guarding his bridges; and the only
movement made by Lee was to send Stuart's cavalry east to the river
terminus of the York Railway, and Ewell's division to the bridge of that
line over the Chickahominy and to Bottom's, a short distance below. Late
in the evening General Lee informed me that I would remain the following
day to guard Bottom's and the railway bridges, while Stuart's cavalry
watched the river below to Long Bridge and beyond. From all indications,
he thought that McClellan would withdraw during the night, and expected
to cross the river in the morning to unite with Magruder and Huger in
pursuit. Holmes's division was to be brought from the south side of the
James to bar the enemy's road; and he expressed some confidence that his
dispositions would inflict serious loss on McClellan's army, if he could
receive prompt and accurate information of that General's movements.
Meantime, I would remain until the following (Sunday) evening, unless
sooner convinced of the enemy's designs, when I would cross Grapevine
Bridge and follow Jackson. It is to be presumed that General Lee
disclosed so much of his plans to his subordinates as he deemed
necessary to insure their intelligent execution.

The morning light showed that the Federals had destroyed a part of the
railway bridge near the center of the stream. We were opposite to
Savage's Station (on the line toward Richmond), from which distinct
sounds reached us, but dense forest limited vision to the margin of the
river. Smoke rising above the trees, and explosions, indicated the
destruction of stores. In the afternoon, a great noise of battle
came--artillery, small arms, shouts. This, as we afterward learned, was
Magruder's engagement at Savage's Station, but this din of combat was
silenced to our ears by the following incident: A train was heard
approaching from Savage's. Gathering speed, it came rushing on, and
quickly emerged from the forest, two engines drawing a long string of
carriages. Reaching the bridge, the engines exploded with terrific
noise, followed in succession by explosions of the carriages, laden with
ammunition. Shells burst in all directions, the river was lashed into
foam, trees were torn for acres around, and several of my men were
wounded. The enemy had taken this means of destroying surplus
ammunition.

After this queer action had cea