force they received a fire from the rear. The brigade gave way in confusion. The enemy overran the left of my line, capturing McKnight's battery in the confusion. It was rallied, and a portion of the Fourth Brigade sent to General Pierce to retake the line and the battery. General Pierce was so slow in making his dispositions that the enemy was enabled to gain a firm footing, and Colonel Blasdell, who was ordered to supersede him, found them too strong to be driven out. On advancing the next vacated it, and retired within his main works. In this attack of the enemy the division lost a large number of prisoners, and the next day the gallant Colonel Blaisdell was mortally wounded on the picket-line.

On the 24th my division was moved to the left of the Sixth Corps, where it remained until the 27th, when it was moved into position to protect the rear of the army.

On the 26th Second Brigade was broken up, distributed among the other brigades, and the Fourth Brigade became the Second.

On the 29th the division was moved back to the left of the Second Corps, taking the position vacated by the Sixth Corps. From this time until 25th [26th] of July the division occupied various positions of the left of the line, moving frequently from place to place, as circumstances required. At 4 p. m. on the 25th [26th] the division commenced the march to the right, crowding the Appomattox at Point of Rocks and the James at Deep Bottom, and got into position on the left of Barlow's division after sunrise on the 26th [27th]. After the advance of Barlow's line the division was thrown forward, and occupied a position near the Potteries, from which it was withdrawn the next day, and moved out to the support of the cavalry on the New Market road. In the afternoon it was withdrawn to a position near the river, which it occupied till the night of the 29th, when it commenced the march to the left again, reaching the vicinity of the right of our line in front of Petersburg at daylight on the 30th, where it remained in reserve during the operations of the day.

CONCLUSION.

To give some idea in regard to the losses and services of the division during this eventful campaign it becomes necessary to refer to certain facts:

The division left its camp May 3 with three brigades, numbering in the aggregate 6,799. At Spotsylvania Court-House, May 16, it was joined by the Corcoran Legion, 1,521, and the Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteers, Colonel F. A. Haskell, 765. On the next day by the Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, Colonel P. A. Porter, 1,654, and during the first two weeks in June was further increased by 323. Total, 11,062.

Its losses up to July 30 were: Killed, 77 officers and 971 men - 1,048; wounded, 202 officers and 3,825 men - 4,027. Total, 5,075, or 46 per cent. of the whole strength in killed and wounded alone.

The Corcoran Legion and Eighth New York Heavy Artillery were formed into a fourth brigade. The brigades have had 17 different commanders, of whom 3 have been killed and 6 wounded.

Of the 279 officers killed and wounded 40 were regimental commanders. Of course, the bravest and most efficient officers and men were those who fell; it is always so. These facts serve to demonstrate the