No. 308.

Report of Lieut. Henry Y. Wildey, Battery E, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, of operations October 7.

HDQRS. BATTERY E, FIRST PENNSYLVANIA ARTILLERY,

Chaffin's Farm, Va., October 9, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report, in compliance with circular from your headquarters dated October 8, 1864:

I replied to the enemy's batteries that opened on our lines on the 7th instant, firing fifteen rounds. One horse was killed in my caisson camp; he was buried the same day.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY Y. WILDEY,

First Lieut., First Pennsylvania Artillery, Comdg. Battery E. Lieut. O. S. DEWEY,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Artillery Brigade, Tenth Army Corps.

No. 309.

Report of Capt. Martin S. James, Battery C, Third Rhode Island Artillery, of operations October 7.

HDQRS. LIGHT Co. C, THIRD RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY,

Before Richmond, Va., October 9, 1864.

I have the honor to render the following report of the part my battery took in the engagement of the 7th instant:

My guns were in position on the front facing Chaffin's farm. When the engagement commenced I was ordered by the chief of artillery of Tenth Corps to turn my guns to the right and fire on the enemy's batteries. I fired with the three right pieces of my battery some 150 rounds. At about 1 p. m. I was ordered by a member of Major-General Birney's staff to place a section on the right near the houses. After firing a few rounds the enemy ceased firing. Afterward I moved the section forward and placed it in the works on the right of our lines. I expended throughout the day 175 rounds of ammunition.

I lost 3 men wounded and 5 horses killed during the engagement. I would especially mention First Sergt. John F. Wyman, commanding the section which was principally engaged, for gallant and meritorious conduct.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

MARTIN S. JAMES,

Capt. Third Rhode Island Arty., Comdg. Light Company C.

Lieut. O. S. DEWEY,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Arty. Brigade, Tenth Army Corps.

No. 310.

Reports of Lieut. Redmond Tully, Battery D, First U. S. Artillery, of operations August 13-14 and October 7.

CAMP OF BATTERY D, FIRST U. S. ARTILLERY,

August 21, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of Battery D, during your absence:

In accordance to Orders, No.-, headquarters Light Artillery Brigade, August 13, 1864, the battery reported to Brigadier-General Terry, com

manding First Division, Tenth Army Corps, at 11 p. m. August 13, 1864, with three days' cooked rations, and three days' forage on caissons. The battery then marched to Deep Bottom, crossed the James River at the upper pontoon at 3 a. m. August 14, and halted. At about 6 a. m. were ordered by Major-General Birney to take position in Redoubt Wead, at Deep Bottom, where it remained about one hour. Were then ordered to the front by General Terry, and ordered into position (in an open field on the left of First Division headquarters and about seventy-five yards in rear of the line of rifle-pits taken from the enemy in the morning), which was accomplished under a heavy fire of the enemy's artillery and sharpshooters. Colonel Hawley's brigade was about 200 yards on the right and on the road in rear. Company C, Sixth Connecticut Volunteers, came over the field as support to the battery, and was posted about fifty yards on the left and in rear. The battery then opened an oblique fire with percussion shell and case-shot on the enemy's line of intrenchments, which was about 1,000 yards in an oblique direction to the right, elevation 2 degrees, time two seconds. One hundred and forty percussion shells and ninety case-shot were fired. During the engagement the enemy's artillery and sharpshooters kept up a heavy fire on the battery, killing 1 horse and mortally wounding 3 others. Then ceased firing, by order of General Terry (owing to the poor quality of ammunition, some of which exploded about 100 yards from the muzzle), and remained in the same position until further orders. Were then ordered to leave the field at 3.30 p. m. and halt on the road leading to James River. While leaving the field the enemy's sharpshooters kept up a heavy fire on the battery, during which time Private Mattox is supposed to have been killed. During the day Private Edward Scofield, of Company C, First Artillery, was sunstruck. The battery remained on the road until 10.30 p. m. Was then ordered by General Terry to cross the James River, and recross at the lower pontoon, and park for the night. Crossed the lower pontoon at 2.15 a. m. and parked until morning.

During the engagement the officers and men performed their duties with great coolness and alacrity.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TULLY,

First Lieutenant, First U. S. Artillery.

First Lieut. J. P. SANGER,
Commanding Battery D, First U. S. Artillery.

LAUREL HILL, VA., October 9, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by Light Battery D, First U. S. Artillery, during the engagement with the enemy on the 7th instant, the battery being in position on the right of the line of intrenchments:

When the enemy were seen advancing in force on our right at 7 a. m., the battery was then ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson, chief of artillery, Tenth Army Corps, to fall back across the New Market road and be in readiness to go into position. At about 8 a. m. the enemy opened a heavy fire with artillery. The battery went into position a little to the right of the New Market road and opened with percussion shell and case-shot on the enemy's artillery, at a distance of about 1,100 yards, but owing to the nature of the ground it could not be ascertained what effect our fire

had at the time, but on examining the battle-ground after the fight was over it was found that the fire of the battery was delivered with great precision and very good effect. Lieutenant Seaver, Third Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery, with the left section, was ordered to advance about 200 yards, in a corn-field, where the section opened fire on the enemy's artillery with good effect. The battery remained in position, under a heavy fire of the enemy's artillery, until about 10 a. m., during which time several men and horses were killed and wounded. The battery then moved about seventy-five yards to the right, in order to get out of range of the enemy's artillery, and again opened fire. At the same time Lieutenant Seaver's section was withdrawn, the cannoneers taking one piece off the field by hand, all the horses being killed. Lieutenant Seaver's section was then placed in position on the left of the battery. At 11 a. m. the enemy's artillery ceased firing and withdrew. Lieutenant Wheeler, with the right section, went into position on the road, on the right of the line of intrenchments.

During the engagement there were 729 rounds of ammunition expended. Both officers and men behaved with great bravery and coolness. Two wheels were disabled by the enemy's fire.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TULLY,

First Lieutenant, First U. S. Artillery, Commanding Battery. Lieut. O. S. DEWEY,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Light Arty. Brig., Tenth Army Corps.

No. 311.

Report of Lieut. Joseph P. Sanger, Battery D, First U. S. Artillery, of operations August 15-20.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following as a report of the part taken by Light Battery D, First Artillery, in the several recent engagements of the Tenth Army Corps, since the morning of August 15. Its previous participation in the operations of the expeditionary force sent over the James River, August 13, is explained by the accompanying report of Lieut. R. Tully, First Artillery, respectfully inclosed:*

The battery having been assigned to the First Division, commanded by Brigadier-General Terry, moved at 9.30 o'clock on the morning of the 15th from Strawberry Plains, marching in rear of General Foster's brigade up the New Market road. The route, after leaving this road, lay in a direction nearly at right angles to it, and, crossing the Central road, extended as far as Fussell's Mill, on Four-Mile Run. At this point a portion of the Tenth Corps engaged the enemy. The battery being well in rear remained intact during the day, but toward evening, by your direction, was ordered into position near Hughes' house, between Hawley's brigade, of First Division, and Craig's brigade, of Second Division. Fire was opened upon the enemy's line at a distance * See p. 787.

+ Craig's brigade belonged to the Third Division, Second Army Corps.

of about 800 yards. Eighty-two rounds of Hotchkiss percussion shell and case-shot were used with good effect. A few scattering musket shots from the enemy did no harm to the battery. At dark the battery was retired a few yards, and remained there until 11.30 p. m., when it was withdrawn and parked until 3.30 a. m. the following morning, August 16, near the first house occupied by Major-General Birney (as headquarters), with orders to be hitched up at daylight. August 16, Lieut. R. Tully, with his section, reported to Colonel Hawley, Seventh Connecticut Volunteers, taking, by your direction, a position 200 yards in advance of the ground occupied on the previous evening. At 7 a. m. the other two sections were moved up, and the whole battery was posted as follows: Right section, Lieutenant Tully commanding, about 200 yards in front of Hawley's brigade and 600 from the enemy; left section, Lieut. J. A. Seaver, Third Rhode Island Artillery, commanding, on its right and retired about 100 yards; center section, self in charge, 800 yards to the left of this position on a small knoll in front of Tenth Corps headquarters. The engagement was opened by the guns of Lieutenant Tully, which were fired at one of the enemy's batteries, distant 2,600 yards. The effect of the shots could not be observed, and as no fire was returned he directed his guns upon that part of the enemy's line in his immediate front. The left section was soon similarly engaged, and the center section, with two light 12-pounders of Lieutenant Doane's (Fourth New Jersey) battery, returned the fire of two of the enemy's pieces, about 800 yards in front, silencing them upon every occasion. The fire of Battery D was enfilading, as the guns were posted nearly on the prolongation of one of the faces of the enemy's parapet. Hotchkiss shell, case-shot, and canister were used-1,726 rounds were fired, of which 596 were case-shot, 1,130 shell, and 30 canister. The guns were advanced by hand from time to time,. until those on the right, under Lieutenants Tully and Seaver, were within 400 yards of the enemy, whose sharpshooters occasionally wounded men and horses. The battery was in action until 3.30 p. m., when it was withdrawn and parked near the bivouac of the previous evening. During the engagement three batteries of the Second Corps were placed on the left of Lieutenant Tully.

On the afternoon of the 18th the battery was again engaged near the same locality, the enemy attempting to recover the rifle-pits captured from them on the 16th instant. The guns were in position to the left of Hughes' house, about 800 yards in rear of Foster's and Hawley's brigades. A dense woods intervening entirely obscured a view of the enemy, still some of our shots took effect. The enemy was quickly repulsed by the gallantry of our infantry, and the firing of the battery ordered to cease. Ninety-eight rounds of shell and case-shot were fired at 21 degrees elevation. The battery was then placed in position in a corn-field, about 450 yards to the right, and fired twelve rounds of percussion shell at an elevation of 8 degrees, for the purpose of designating our position to the cavalry on our right. The battery was withdrawn at 8 o'clock, and parked as on the day before. Here we remained until 11 o'clock that night, when the battery marched with the First Division to the rear of the right of our line. The following day was passed quietly, and on the night of August 20 the battery returned to the right bank of the James River, having participated in a campaign of one week.

I cannot close my report without directing the attention of the chief of artillery to the courage and address of the officers and men of the battery, their ready willingness to endure hardship, and their steady

coolness under fire. To my mind they have established a reputation for good conduct in the discharge of arduous and dangerous duties, which has awakened in me so strong a feeling of confidence that I cannot but be proud of my command. I returned with the loss of 4 men and 8 horses.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOS. P. SANGER,

First Lieutenant, First Artillery, Comdg. Light Battery D. Lieut. Col. F. MCGILVERY,

Chief of Artillery, Tenth Army Corps.

No. 312.

Report of Capt. Loomis L. Langdon, Battery M, First U. S. Artillery, of operations August 25.

CAMP LIGHT BATTERY M, FIRST U. S. ARTILLERY,

August 27, 1864.

SIR: In pursuance to orders, I have the honor to report that the total number of rounds of ammunition fired from the guns of Light Battery M, First U. S. Artillery, in the engagement at the intrenchments near Hatcher's, Va., on the 25th instant, was ninety. By the fire from my guns I succeeded in driving the enemy from the rifle-pits, which were at the commencement of the action occupied by our pickets, and as far as I can ascertain, disabled one of their guns in the breast-works. The practice was splendid. No casualties.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. L. LANGDON,

Capt. First U. S. Arty., Comdg. Light Battery M, First Arty.

Lieutenant Dewey,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Light Artillery Brigade.

No. 313.

Report of Lieut. John R. Myrick, Battery E, Third U. S. Artillery, of operations October 7.

CAMP OF LIGHT COMPANY E, THIRD U. S. ARTILLERY,

Laurel Hill, Va., October 8, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to report for the information of the lieutenant-colonel commanding, the part which my battery took in the action of yesterday, 7th instant.

I commenced firing with the two right sections of my battery at about 9 a. m., directing my fire at the enemy's artillery, and a little later the left section, Lieutenant Smith commanding, opened on the same point. The firing continued without any serious disaster to my pieces until just before the charge, when the limber of my second piece blew up from a shell thrown into it by the enemy. This I immediately sent to the rear and distributed the cannoneers among the other pieces. I continued firing until the enemy's guns ceased.