THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

383

June 27, when the brigade was deployed to picket the rear of the army, remaining on picket until June 29, when I was ordered to move to the trenchments of the Sixth Corps.

On July 2 the command moved to the right, and on the 11th comenced tearing down the breast-works in front of them. On July 12 my brigade was ou picket and continued on that duty until the morning of July 15, when they were relieved by troops of the Fifth Corps and went into camp near the Southall house. In the evening of the 15th the command marched to Hare's house and commenced to tear down the old rebel works in that vicinity, returning to camp on the morning of the 16th. The brigade remained in camp until July 21, when they were set to work making a covered way in rear of the Fifth Corps intrenchments. On July 22 the brigade moved into the intrenchments previously occupied by Ferrero's division of colored troops, remaining in these works until July 26, when at 3.30 p. m. the command was massed near corps headquarters, and at 4.25 moved off toward the Appomattox, which river we crossed on pontoons during the night. At daylight on the 27th the brigade crossed the James River and were soon engaged skirmishing with the enemy. On July 28 my command marched to support cavalry, and at dark took up a new position and intrenched. During the night of the 29th we marched back to the vicinity of Petersburg and at daylight were massed in rear of the Fifth Corps. After the explosion of the mine and the failure of the assault on the enemy's works the command returned to camp near the Southall house.

The loss of the brigade during the campaign, including the battle of the Wilderness, when Colonel Carroll was in command, is as follows: Commissioned officers-killed, 22; wounded, 72; missing, 9. Enlisted men-killed, 254; Wounded, 1,320; missing, 278. Total number of casualties: Commissioned officers, 103; enlisted men, 1,852; aggregate, The conduct of both officers and men during the campaign has been in every respect unexceptionable.

1,955.

It is a source of extreme gratification to me to be able to recommend to the major-general commanding the gentlemen of my staff for the prompt and efficient manner in which they executed my orders. Their y on the field of battle has seldom been surpassed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

gallantry

THOS. A. SMYTH,

Colonel, Comdg. Third Brig., Second Div., Second Army Corps. Capt. A. H. EMBLER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 73.

Report of Col. Theodore G. Ellis, Fourteenth Connecticut Infantry.

GENERAL:

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 9, 1864.

of the corps, left Cold Harbor and commenced our march toward the A little after dark upon the 12th June] our regiment, with the rest south side of Richmond. We reached Charles City Court-House, upon the James River, after marching uninterruptedly that night and all the next day and until 10 o'clock on the night of the 14th.

1861,

For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from June 3 to June 12, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 458.

Upon the 15th marched toward Petersburg, near which place we arrived at about 10 p. m.

Early on the, morning of the 16th the skirmishers of our brigade advanced upon the enemy, driving their skirmishers back for upward of a quarter of a mile, and obtaining a much better position, besides capturing about 50 prisoners. Our loss was very small. Private John Geatley, Company A, in this advance, captured 3 armed rebels and brought them in as prisoners, with an unloaded gun. In the afternoon, upon the skirmish line, the same man wounded two rebels, one of them apparently fatally.

Upon the 17th of June our brigade was moved to the left, with instructions to support General Barlow's division. At night we were instructed to advance our line nearer to the enemy's position. The regiment did this in good style, moving forward through a dense and thickly wooded swamp, driving in the enemy's skirmishers and taking up a position about fifty yards in front of their line and opening upon them an effective fire. We held this position for two or three hours, when, owing to the failure of troops upon the left to connect, we were ordered by our brigade commander to withdraw. At the time when this advance was made a detail of some thirty men was absent drawing rations, leaving but about 120 men to go forward. Our loss was only 1 killed and 4 wounded. On the following morning our brigade was massed for a charge, the Fourteenth being placed in the second line. Upon advancing it was found that the enemy had evacuated the line of works in our front, falling back to a stronger position. Upon both of these occasions the conduct of officers and men was excellent.

Since June 17 our regiment has not been engaged with the enemy, though 1 or 2 men have been wounded by the enemy's sharpshooters, and we have twice been shelled by their batteries. We have, however, borne an efficient part in constructing the works and in the various siege operations which will yet give us Petersburg and render the rebel capi tal untenable. We number now about 14 officers and 160 men, having been somewhat increased in strength by the return of men from hospital, exchanged prisoners, &c.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Report of Capt. John C. Broatch, Fourteenth Connecticut Infantry.

HDQRS. FOURTEENTH CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS,
August 7, 1864.

LIEUTENANT:*

FIFTH EPOCH.

Upon the 12th of June leave Cold Harbor and Bridge, to Charles City Court-House, on the James. upon transports at Wilcox's Landing in the night of

*

march, via Long Cross the James the 14th, and the

For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 3 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 453,

THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

385

ext day march toward Petersburg, where the enemy is again in our front,

Vance our skirmish line upon the morning of the 16th, driving the skirmishers upward of half a mile and capturing some prisoners. Our loss 1 man killed. On the 17th of June we are moved toward the left of the line, with instructions to support General Barlow's division. Construct works in front of the enemy, but toward night are ordered to advance our line still nearer. This was done with good success, a position being occupied not much over fifty yards from the enemy's works. This was held for several hours, until, owing to a failure of other troops upon the left to connect, our brigade was ordered to withdraw. Upon the morning of the 18th of June moved upon the enemy's works farther to the right, but found them deserted, merely a thin skirmish line having been left to check our advance. Wednesday, July 27 [Tuesday, 26th, 1864, received marching orders, and at 3.30 p. m. march toward New Market, on the James River, arriving there upon the following morning, having crossed in our route the Appomattox River at Point of Rocks and the James at Deep Bottom. Upon the 28th of July our division is moved out to support cavalry, but the Fourteenth is not engaged with the enemy. That night are ordered to construct a line of French rifle-pits. position and march back toward Petersburg, reaching a point near that At dusk upon the 29th move quietly out of our place before daylight upon the following morning. July 30, all this day remained massed behind a hill ready to support any attack, if called upon. At rear of the position held by our army. night returned to our old camp upon the left and I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

TCH

JNO. C. BROATCH,

Captain, Commanding.

Report of Capt. Patrick S. Tinen, Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry,

of operations June 22.*

HDQRS. SIXTY-NINTH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLS.,

In the Field, near Petersburg, Va., June 29, 1864.

SIR: In compliance with General Orders, No.-, dated headquarters Second Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, June 28, 1864, I have the honor to report that my regiment, the Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, occupied the extreme left of the Second Division previous to and during the action of 22d of June, 1864. I would state in reference to the conduct of the regiment on that occasion that they behaved as well as could be expected of any troops. Had the Third Division not abandoned their line without a respectable show of resistance, and thus allowed the enemy to take us in flank and rear, we could have maintained our line. I would furthermore state that there was a grievous blunder committed by some one in the establishment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers being placed nearly at a right angle with the This regiment was transferred from the Second to the Third Brigade June 26. 25 R R VOL XL, PT I

line of our brigade,

a portion of the One hundred and eighty-fourth

line of our brigade, thus exposing them to an enfilading fire and leav ing a vacancy, equal to their front, in the main line, through which th enemy could readily enter. It was whilst advancing on this position that the enemy was repulsed and driven back to the woods on our lef and front by the fire from our line. I would also state that the men o my regiment expended, on an average, thirty-five rounds of ammunition per man, and this not in reckless firing, and, furthermore, it was no until all the troops on my left had fled in confusion to the rear, and until the enemy succeeded in getting on my left and rear and demande us to surrender, there being no further chance of resistance, I gav the order to my regiment to fall back to the right and rear, which wa done in good order.

In conclusion, I desire to say that, as the honor of the regiment and its officers is at stake, in their behalf I respectfully ask an investiga tion of the conduct of both officers and men on that occasion. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. S. TINEN,

Captain, Comdg. Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers. Lieutenant PARSONS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 76.

Report of Capt. John R. Breitenbach, One hundred and sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations June 22.*

HDQRS. 106TH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,

Near Petersburg, Va., June 28, 1864.

SIR: In compliance with General Orders, No. -, of this date, I have the honor to make the following statement in relation to the disaster that befell this regiment on the 22d instant:

On the evening of the 21st instant the regiment, with the entire bri gade, was drawn up in line of battle in a piece of dense woods and along a narrow road running at an angle of about 25 degrees in a southwesterly direction from the plank or Jerusalem road. During that night a detail from the regiment was sent out with the brigade pioneers to throw up breast-works. At early dawn next morning the regiment, with the brigade, were moved into the breast-works facing northwardly, changing the front at about a right angle. These breast-works were very defectively constructed and entirely too limited in extent. The result was that my three left companies had to double upon the others in the left and rear, which exposed them all day to the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters. I requested that the One hundred and eighty-fourth Regiment, which was on my left, should give way, but this was not allowed or done. Two companies of the One hundred and eighty-fourth were directed to go into the works. This now filled them to the utmost limit on this portion of the line. I now observed that the remainder of this regiment (One hundred and eighty-fourth) was engaged in digging works across the wheat-field in our front and in a divergent line of an angle of about 45 degrees. Into this trench the other companies of the One hun dred and eighty-fourth were put, and kept until driven out in the *This regiment was transferred from the Second to the Third Brigade June 26,

THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

387

afternoon. Their left flank and indeed their whole line was exposed while there to a flank fire. The next regiment on the left in a straight with the main line, I believe, was the One hundred and fifty-second New York, with their right resting at a point about fifty yards distant from the angle in the line of the One hundred and eighty-fourth, and about the same distance in the rear of the left flank of that regiment, thus leaving two intervals or gaps of about fifty yards each entirely unprotected. My regiment kept up a desultory yet brisk fire from the time we entered the works in the morning upon the enemy's sharpshooters and skirmishers. In the course of the afternoon the enemy massed a heavy force in a piece of woods opposite the left flank of the One hundred and eighty-fourth. The clouds of dust in that quarter indicated that he was in motion, and a report came to me that a heavy column was moving to our left. About 5 p. m. I noticed a column moving toward our right and front. I now ordered a heavy fire to open upon him. My fire was mainly to a left oblique. We drove back this column three distinct times. Being now short of ammunition, I sent for a supply. Looking to the farther left, I saw amidst a dense dust and smoke troops running out from our line and toward the enemy firing. Supposing these troops to be our left regiments driving the enemy, I gave the order to cease firing, fearing that by continuing we would fire upon our own men. Before this order could be fully obeyed or heard on account of the noise of the fire, and the excitement and enthusiasm of the men, Captain Whitaker, commanding Seventysecond Regiment, being division officer of the day, quickly came from the left, and throwing up his sword in hand called out that the whole left had given away; that we were flanked, and that the enemy was in our immediate rear, and ordered all to fall back. I now saw that the enemy was in my rear, and that instead of our

left driving the

of the enemy

in

enemy,

he was driving our men into his lines. The fire Our rear now became heavy, and I had 5 men killed

and 1 officer and 3 men wounded. Seeing that my small regiment could effect nothing under such circumstances, and no support at hand, I ordered the men to fall back. It was too late. Before this order I could be obeyed nearly the whole regiment, still in the trenches and firing, were captured with the colors in the hands of the color-sergeant. I brought out but about forty muskets. Two captains and my acting adjutant were also captured. Two of my men retreated along the breast-works to the right, still firing in their retreat. When they reached the battery on the right of the Seventy-second Regiment they found one sergeant and some six men of the battery by the guns. No commissioned officer was then there. At the request of the sergeant these two men helped to work the two left guns. After one discharge, looking geant killed, and these two men then spiked two guns with the ramfor the second, the enemy was upon them, the sermers of their muskets. If a supporting force had been near the guns might have been saved. The horses were far in the rear, and there

and while

were not

present a

here beg permission to state that during the whole course of the day I

sufficient number of men to move them. I would

Second general or field officer at or near my portion of the line. The

These were the only field officers

ninth, was in the rear sick. Major Kleckner, of the One hundred and eighty-fourth, was also in the rear. in the brigade, except Major O'Brien, of the One hundred and fiftyI did not see at all. After falling back and finding no supporting line, second New York, who was then in command of the brigade, but whom