HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: General Gracie reports that the enemy attempted to throw hand grenades into his trenches, which fell fifteen yards short. He thinks that wooden mortars along his line would effectively prevent the enemy from using hand-grenades in the future. General Gracie again calls attention to the railroad cut. He thinks a piece of artillery of heavier caliber should be placed there, as it is a very weak point, and would probably be selected as a proper place to attack. He also suggests that subterraneous shells or torpedoes be placed in front of the railroad cut. Other brigade commanders report the situation unchanged. Major Boggs, of the artillery, reports that a gentleman named Zimmer-a citizen of Petersburg, of high respectability-reports that a citizen passed our line by the Baxter road (Field's division) this morning and saw no enemy; the brigade commanders of this division have since reported the enemy in front, as active as usual. It appears to me, however, that their fire has decreased. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Gracie's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 3. Ransom's brigade, wounded, 1 (carelessness). Elliott's brigade, wounded, 2. Wise's brigade, killed, 1. Total, 2 killed and 6 wounded. I am, colonel, very respectfully, &c., Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. B. R. JOHNSON, HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: No change has been observed on the part of the enemy since last report; the sharpshooting slackened yesterday, but toward night became as brisk as usual. General Gracie requests that the engineer be sent to his line to sink a mine, as digging, apparently at some depth, was heard in his front yesterday. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Elliott's brigade, wounded. 2. Ransom's brigade, killed, 1. Wise's brigade, killed, 1 (carelessly); wounded, 1. Gracie's brigade, wounded, 5 (2 carelessly). Total, 2 killed and 8 wounded. The following is a statement of the amount of shells and lead picked up on yesterday: Wise's brigade, 10 shells and 5,300 balls. Elliott's brigade, 10 fuses, 2,300 bullets, 14 solid shot, 100 fragments shells, 5 Wiard shells, 5 shrapnel, and 9 Parrott shells. Ransom's brigade, 15 Hotchkiss shells and some lead. I am, colonel, respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: Nothing unusual has occurred along the lines since last, report. The trenches are reported to be in good condition again; the covered ways and other works are being pushed forward. As General Gracie's report* contains several matters of interest I forward it entire. The following list of casualties is respectfully submitted: Wise's brigade, killed, 2 (1 carelessly); wounded, 4. Elliott's brigade, wounded, 11. Ransom's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 2. Gracie's brigade, killed, 2; wounded, 2. Total, 5 killed and 19 wounded. I am, colonel, respectfully, &c., Col. G, W. BRENT, HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: Nothing unusual has occurred along the line during the past twenty-four hours. General Gracie kept up such a brisk fire upon the enemy last night that they were unable to advance their sap-rollers. They again attempted to throw hand-grenades into his trenches, but without success. Brigade commanders report all work being pushed on. A great deal of lead, number of balls and shells of every description were collected yesterday. Private Reamey, Company B, Thirtyfourth Virginia Regiment, Wise's brigade, alone collected 1,567 minieballs, 2 shot, and 2 shells. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Elliott's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 11. Ransom's brigade, killed, 4 (2 carelessly); wounded, 4 (2 carelessly). Wise's brigade, wounded, 4. Gracie's brigade, killed, 2; wounded, 7. Total, 7 killed and 26 wounded. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, B. R. JOHNSON, Col. GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. Major-General, HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: The enemy have been very quiet during the past twentyfour hours. General Gracie has kept the enemy from advancing their sap-rollers. Colonel McAfee, commanding Rausom's brigade, reports that the artillery on his left opened upon a working party on the Baxter road yesterday and compelled them to cease work. Colonel Goode, commanding Wise's brigade, reports that in picket-firing he gives the enemy as good as is sent. General Gracie suggests that if he was supplied with the "Travis fire," which is prepared by Captain Travis, in Mobile, Ala., that he thinks he could destroy the enemy's sap-rollers. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Wise's brigade, wounded, 4. Elliott's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 4 (1 mortally). som's brigade, wounded, 4. Gracie's brigade, killed, 1. Total, 2 killed and 12 wounded. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. B. R. JOHNSON, *Not found. HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, July 25, 1864. COLONEL: General Gracie reports that the enemy's sap-roller No. 2 advanced eight feet last night. He kept up a fire upon it, but says that "the artillery mortar batteries were so careful of their ammunition that they did not fire a shot during the night, until early this morning," although they have orders to keep up an irregular fire all the time. No change has been observed in the force or position of the enemy along the other portions of the line. Colonel McAfee, commanding Ransom's brigade, reports that the enemy seem to be throwing up a heavy work near Taylor's house. Four thousand one hundred and eighty-eight minie-balls, fifteen pounds of lead, a few shells, solid shot, and a number of fragments were collected and turned over to the ordnance officer yesterday. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Gracie's brigade, killed, 2; wounded, 1. Wise's brigade, wounded, 2. Ransom's brigade, wounded, 2. Elliott's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 4. Total, 3 killed and 9 wounded. Respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT, B. R. JOHNSON, COLONEL: General Gracie reports that the enemy were unusually quiet yesterday; about dark they opened their mortars, but without inflicting much damage. Our picket-fire and the irregular fire of the mortars prevented the enemy from advancing his sap-roller. Other brigade commanders report no change on the part of the enemy. Sixteen thousand six hundred and forty-four minie-balls were collected yesterday and turned over to the ordnance officer; also a number of shells, solid shot, and fragments. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Gracie's brigade, wounded, 1 (carelessly). Elliott's brigade, wounded, 7 (2 mortally). Wise's brigadé, killed, 1; wounded, 1. Ransom's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 3 (1 mortally). Total, 2 killed and 12 wounded. Respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. B. R. JOHNSON, HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: General Gracie thinks the enemy have abandoned the design of pushing sap-roller No. 1 farther forward, as they have placed abatis in front of it; sap-roller No. 2 did not advance last night. The usual picket-firing, display of flags, &c., along the line, has been observed during the past twenty-four hours. Twelve thousand six 50 R R-VOL, XL, PT I hundred minie-balls, ten pounds of lead, fourteen Hotchkiss shells, eighteen solid shot, and a number of fragments have been collected since last report. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Elliott's brigade, wounded, 4. Ransom's brigade, killed, I; wounded, 3. Total, 1 killed and 7 wounded. Respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, July 28, 1864. COLONEL: There is nothing of importance to report this morning. The usual amount of picket-firing and shelling was kept up along the line last night, but no change on the part of the enemy. General Gracie thinks that our mortar batteries, especially in rear of left of Ransom's brigade, did great execution yesterday. Groans were distinctly heard. near the sap-rollers. Nineteen thousand minie-balls, 137 solid shot, several Hotchkiss and Parrott shells, fuses, &c., were collected yester day. The following is a list of casualties: Wise's brigade, wounded, 2. Elliott's brigade, wounded, 4 (1 mortally). Ransom's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 6. Gracie's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 3. Total, 2 killed and 15 wounded. I am, colonel, respectfully, &c., B. R. JOHNSON, Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. P. S.-The scurvy has made its appearance in Gracie's brigade. Cannot vinegar, fresh meat, or vegetables be issued to the troops to prevent its further progress? HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, July 29, 1864. COLONEL: The commanding officer of Ransom's brigade reports that the enemy have placed three guns in position on the work in front of his extreme right. They shelled our working parties on batteries in the rear yesterday evening, but without inflicting much injury. He reports that he occupies the space vacated by Wise's brigade last night, and as much as was occupied by the two left companies of Elliott's brigade. The work on the batteries and covered ways is progressing rapidly. The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Elliott's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 6 (2 mortally). Ransom's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 4. Wise's brigade, wounded, 1. Total, 2 killed and 11 wounded. Respectfully, your obedient servant, B. R. JOHNSON, Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General, HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, August 1, 1864. COLONEL: The following is a list of casualties for July 31, 1864: Gracie's brigade, wounded, 1. Ransom's brigade, wounded, 4. Elliott's brigade, wounded, 2. Total, 7 wounded. Respectfully, &c., HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, August 1, 1864. COLONEL: I send you the following list of casualties for July 29, which, owing to the excitement that prevailed on the morning of the 30th, has not yet been sent you: Wise's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 2 (1 mortally). Gracie's brigade, killed, 4; wounded, 2. Elliott's brigade, killed, 1. Total, 6 killed and 4 wounded. Respectfully, &c., Col. G. W. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-General. R. E. FOOTE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION, COLONEL: The following report of the part taken by this division in the action of Saturday the 30th of July, 1864, is respectfully submitted: For a proper understanding of the condition of this command on the occasion referred to it is necessary to state that on the night of the 28th of July every man in reserve in this division was placed in the trenches. Colquitt's brigade, of Hoke's division, was temporarily transferred to my command in exchange for Gracie's brigade and placed on my right. For the purpose of relieving Field's division from the trenches my line was extended to an attenuation that was deemed barely secure against an ordinary assault. From the left to the right the brigades were stationed in the trenches in the following order, viz: Ransom's, Elliott's, Wise's, and Colquitt's brigades. About 4.55 o'clock on the morning of the 30th of July the enemy sprung a large mine under that portion of my line about 200 yards north of the Baxter road, known as Pegram's salient. In this salient there were four guns of Captain Pegram's battery, and the Eighteenth and Twentysecond South Carolina Regiments, of Elliott's brigade, occupied the parapets in the battery and adjacent to it. The Twenty-second South Carolina Regiment extended from a point some seventy yards to the right of the right gun to a point beyond, but near to the left gun of the battery. The Eighteenth was posted on the left of the Twenty-second South Carolina Regiment. The regiments of Elliott's brigade were distributed along the parapet from left to right as follows, viz: The Twenty-sixth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-second, and Twentythird South Carolina Regiments. To strengthen Pegram's salient a |