to do so; but I advised against it, as the enemy had had ample time to make all preparations for us, which they had done, and I felt assured they would sustain a very heavy loss and accomplish nothing. At this time orders were received from General Lee for me to report to him in company with General Field, who abandoned the attack after hearing the position of affairs. My troops, who were in advance of the intrenchments, could not return until night, as they would have been exposed to a heavy fire of the enemy from their intrenchments, which were about 400 yards in advance of those occupied by our men. A report of the casualties has been forwarded. I was very much troubled at the loss of my men, who did their duty truly and nobly, without results which appeared to me certain, and surely ought to have been reaped. It is not my desire to place blame or responsibility on any one (for I fear neither) in making the foregoing statements, but merely give facts to the best of my knowledge, after which the commanding general may draw his own conclusions, as I have unofficially learned that both I and my command were censured by the commanding general. My regret is in attempting the attack without full command of all the forces which were to participate. Both the plan of battle and of attack were good, but failed in the execution. The enemy became extremely uneasy along his entire line when the attack was made, and had we been successful at that point our results would have been such as have not been hitherto attained. No other portion of my command was engaged except the three regiments of Hagood's brigade on the left of the City Point road, whose action is given in detail in the inclosed report.* The plan of battle was such that no part of my command could participate except those mentioned. General Hagood did everything in his power to give us success, and desired to push forward when in my judgment it appeared haz ardous. Very respectfully, Capt. JOHN M. OTEY, Assistant Adjutant-General. [First indorsement.] R. F. HOKE, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF N. CAROLINA AND SOUTHERN VA., July 5, 1864. Respectfully forwarded to General Robert E. Lee for his information. It will be seen by the reports of Generals Hoke and Hagood that they are not to blame for the failure of the attack of the 24th ultimo, which would have been undoubtedly successful bad the supports advanced in time. General Hoke is mistaken if he refers to me when he says, "I have learned unofficially that I and my command were censured by the commanding general." I stated only that "the success would have been most brilliant had the skirmishers been properly supported." His report and that of General Hagood prove the correctness of my assertion. General Hoke says on the second page of his report: After the lapse of five minutes the fire of these guns (i. e., forty-four guns on the northern side of the Appomattox) was directed on the batteries of the enemy, drawing in a great degree their fire from the advancing infantry, which, as far as I could see, was the only service rendered by our guns. Indeed, I fear we were injured more than we gained by the use of our guns, as it notified the enemy of our intended attack. *See p. 802. The object of opening the fire of the batteries referred to during half an hour preceding the infantry attack was to demoralize the enemy's troops occupying the defensive lines which were to be attacked, and which were enfiladed and taken in reverse by those batteries. It was expected, also, that the heavy artillery fire would throw into confusion any supports the enemy might have concealed in the woods near his lines. The best proof of the entire success of this plan was the facility with which one unsupported line of skirmishers got possession of those lines, with the loss of only 25 killed and 72 wounded. I am decidedly of the opinion that, regard being had to the locality and the attending circumstances, no better results could have been attained by any other plan than the one adopted, and which failed only because not properly supported. G. T. BEAUREGARD, General, [Second indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS, I had supposed that, in accordance with the plan of General Beauregard of 23d of June, General Hoke's division was to have driven the enemy from his first and second skirmish and main lines; have swung to its right and carried the position at Hare's house; that General Field's division was to have moved in support of General Hoke, protecting his left flank, occupying the abandoned lines of the enemy, and filling up the gaps between Hoke's left and the river road. As far as I am aware the enemy was never driven from his lines. General Hoke's skirmishers reached the front line, but his second line did not; nor did his division move to its right or make any room for Field to enter or occupy them. Field's division could not have entered the enemy's lines from the position given it without passing over Hoke's troops. There seems to have been some misunderstanding as to the part each division was expected to have performed. R. E. LEE, General. No. 307. Report of Lieut. C. C. Haile, Twenty-third South Carolina Infantry, Elliott's brigade, unassigned troops, of operations July 30. B 22nd Regiment. 23rd Regiment. The distance from A to B three chains and fifty links, or seventyseven yards, and fifty links more to the first gun blown up on the right at letter C. Pit or crater at D. Dirt thrown out as far as the barricade made by the enemy in rear of gun-chamber at B. Letter A rep resents the barricade thrown up by the Twenty-third South Carolina Volunteers.a Letter E represents the junction of the Twenty-third and Twenty-second before the explosion. C. C. HAILE, First Lieut. Company A, Twenty-third South Carolina Vols. No. 308. Itinerary of Hardaway Light Artillery Battalion, June 16-July 27, 1864.* June 16.-Camped near Chaffin's Bluff on the Wilton estate. June 21.-Moved down New Market road. Returned to the fortifications at night. June 23.-Graham's battery went into position at New Market Heights. June 26.-Smith's battery took position near Graham's, and June 28 Griffin's battery was ordered to the same point to go in position on the infantry line near New Market Heights. June 29.-Graham's battery opened fire on a wooden gun-boat on the James River and damaged her some, making her change position very often. Soon after a monitor came to her relief and shelled Graham (who was protected by earth-works) furiously, wounding one man. Three batteries of this battalion are now on duty on the lines and two are in camp near Wilton on Gunn's farm. Since last muster (June 30, 1864) this battalion has been operating with the troops on the north side of the James River and in the vicinity of Deep Bottom. July 16.-Graham's battery from its position at Tilghman's Gate shelled the Yankee camp at Deep Bottom and the pontoon bridge, first running off the Yankee gun-boat Mendota, killing and wounding an entire gun detachment, and so crippling her as to render her unfit for action. General Grant (see Northern papers) was at General Foster's headquarters when the camp was shelled by Graham's guns, sev eral of the shots striking near Foster's headquarters. General Grant left for City Point on a foundered horse. July 27.-Graham's battery took position at Tilghman's Gate, having an infantry support of three brigades from Kershaw's division, with the intention of again shelling the enemy's camps, pontoon, and boats. It was soon ascertained, however, that the enemy was making a movement on this side of the river in force, and before permission could be obtained from General Humphreys, commanding, for the guns to be withdrawn, the enemy had made an attack on the left of the position. Our infantry support gave way without making an effort to save the guns, and although they were gallantly served by Captain Graham and his men they had to be abandoned for want of proper support. This was effected with the loss of one man captured. The guns lost were four 20-pounder U. S. Parrotts-three captured at Winchester and one at Harper's Ferry.t a After the explosion the greater portion of the survivors of the Twenty-second South Carolina Volunteers retired to cavalier line; the remainder came to the Twentythird South Carolina; which after the explosion extended to the left and made the barracade at A, as marked above. *From record of events on muster-rolls of field and staff. For portion of itinerary (here omitted) covering movements from May 1 to June 13, 1864, see Vol, XXXVI, Part I, p. 1089. † For continuation of itinerary, see Vol. XLII, Part I, No. 309. Reports of Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood, C. S. Army, commanding Hagood's brigade, of operations June 16-24. HEADQUARTERS HAGOOD'S BRIGADE, HOKE'S DIVISION, July 15, 1864. CAPTAIN: I am instructed to report the operations of my brigade on the 16th, 17th, and 18th ultimo: On the evening of the 15th about dark my brigade arrived at Petersburg by the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, and I was at General Beauregard's headquarters reporting for orders when a courier announced that the enemy had carried the defenses from No. 3 to No. 7, inclusive, and that our troops were retreating. I was ordered to move out immediately upon the City Point road and take a position to cover that approach to the city, and upon which a new defensive line could be taken. It was after dark, and being unacquainted with the country, and unable to learn much from the confused and contradictory accounts of the volunteer guides who accompanied me, I halted my command at the junction of the City Point and Prince George roads and rode forward myself to reconnoiter the country. With the aid of a map opportunely sent me by Colonel Harris, chief of engineers, I finally determined upon the line of the creek which empties into the Appomattox in rear of No. 1, and the west fork of which crosses the line near No. 15, and established my command upon it. General Colquitt's brigade and the other brigades arriving shortly afterward were established in succession upon this line, General Hoke having approved the selection, and by daylight the position was partially intrenched. Colonel Tabb's regiment, of Wise's brigade, held the lines from No. 1 to No. 2, and was relieved by one of my regiments (Twenty-seventh South Carolina). This made my line in echelon, with the echelon thrown forward on the left. Discovering this at daylight, and that this portion of the line was completely enfiladed by the guns of the enemy established at No. 7, I withdrew this regiment also to the west side of the creek. The new line now held by our forces was the chord of the arc of the abandoned works. I also brought in and sent to the ordnance officer two field pieces, spiked, that had been abandoned by our troops the day before. The enemy shelled our position furiously during the day and the skirmishers were constantly engaged. They ostentatiously formed for battle several times during the day beyond musketry range, there being no artillery on our portion of the line, and about dark a feeble effort at assault was made upon my center, none getting nearer than seventy-five yards to our line. It was kept up for an hour or more, but they were kept at bay without trouble and finally retired. Captains Hopkins and Palmer and Adjutant Gelling, of the Twenty-seventh Regiment, were killed by the same shell, and several enlisted men were killed and wounded during the day. Lieutenant Allemong was wounded and has since died. I grieve to add the names of these gallant officers to the bloody record of the last two months. In this short time the best and bravest of my command have been laid beneath the soil of Virginia. On the 17th nothing occurred with me except pretty heavy shelling. from the enemy. Having no artillery to reply to them, their practice was very accurate and inflicted some loss upon us. Our earth-works were diligently strengthened and assumed a respectable profile. 51 R R-VOL XL, PT I At 1.30 a. m. on the 18th I received orders to withdraw to a line some 800 yards in rear of our position which had been partially prepared for occupation. This new line rested upon the Appomattox some 200 yards west of the house of the younger Hare, and ran nearly at right angles to the river, passing over the western end of the eminence upon which the elder Hare resides, known as Hare's Hill. I was to occupy again the extreme left. This movement was executed safely, and the troops again in position before daylight. Shortly after daylight the enemy advanced upon our old line, and finding it abandoned came on with vociferous cheers. As soon as these skirmishers encountered our new picket-line their line of battle halted and heavy skirmishing commenced. This continued until about 2 p. m., the skirmishers alternately driving each other. We lost several killed and wounded and a few prisoners, but inflicting an equal or greater loss upon the enemy, and capturing between 25 and 30 prisoners. At 2 p. m. the enemy formed for an assault upon the portion of my brigade between the river and the City Point road. A regiment was pushed up in column along the banks of the river under cover of the grove and buildings of the younger Hare, and when its head became uncovered attempted to deploy. The rest of their force attempted to come forward in line of battle, but never got closer than 250 yards. Our fire was opened upon the column as soon as it showed itself, and upon the line at about 300 yards. The enemy attempted to rally, but was driven back in confusion. The Twenty-first, Twenty-sev enth, and Eleventh Regiments repulsed this attack. South of the City Point road the skirmishing was heavy, but our line was not attacked. Later in the afternoon, when Colquitt's brigade was assailed, my right regiment fired a few volleys obliquely upon the attacking column. Lieutenant Harvey, Seventh Battalion, was killed to-day, and Lieutenant Felder, Twenty-fifth, and Major Rion, Seventh Battalion, were wounded. I am unable to give an accurate statement of casualties on these days, as in the record preserved by my assistant adjutant-general the casualties of a later day and of some preceding skirmishes at Cold Harbor are included. About 220 is supposed to be the aggregate, of which, killed, 36; wounded, 121; missing, 63. I am, captain, respectfully, Capt. JOHN A. COOPER, Assistant Adjutant-General. JOHNSON HAGOOD, HDQRS. HAGOOD'S (S. C.) BRIGADE, HOKE'S DIVISION, June 26, 1864. CAPTAIN: I am required to make a full report of the operations of my command in front of Petersburg on the 24th instant: My brigade occupied the left of our line of intrenchments, resting on the south bank of the Appomattox, the Twenty-seventh, Twenty-first, and Eleventh Regiments filling the space from the river to the City Point road, and the Twenty-fifth and Seventh Battalion extending along the lines south of the road. The enemy's intrenchments were at this point parallel to ours at a distance of about 400 yards, an open field with a rank growth of oats upon it intervening. Each side had slight rifle-pits a short distance in advance of its first line of intrenchments. Our line of intrenchments was single. The enemy was intrenched in |