rest in every eight days. Thus we wore through a weary month of guard duty, mortar shelling, and sharpshooting, watching and waiting for the affray, but no assault was made.

Our daily loss was small, but the sum total for the month, particularly when the nature of the wounds is considered (unusual proportion fatal), loomed up heavily, ay, and sadly. Many of my noblest veterans, whose kindling eyes had flashed out their staunch hearts' enthusiasm on so many glorious fields of battle, were stricken from our rolls, as it were, by the stealthy hand of the assassin. There in the chill of murder about the casualties of this month, and sad, sad is the regret when death thus stricken the brave. We lost on this line 53 killed and 72 wounded, many of them mortally.

On the night of the 28th [July] we were relieved, and took cars on the morning of the 29th on the Petersburg and Richmond Railroad for Rice's Station. From thence we marched across James River at Drewry's Bluff to the vicinity of Fussell's Mill, and were put in position on the morning of the 30th to meet the enemy, who had made demonstration on that point, but found that he had retired on the night previous. My brigade was moved up during the day along the line of works over New Market Heights and put in position on that line, with its right resting on Four-Mile Creek.*

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN BRATTON,

Brigadier-General.

Numbers 300. Report of Colonel James R. Hagood, First South Carolina Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA INFANTRY, December 20, 1864.

CAPTAIN: +

On the 14th [June] we crossed to the south side, and on the 15th engaged the enemy at Bermuda Hundred, driving him from a position he occupied on Walthall Creek.

On June 18 we arrived at Petersburg, and were put in trenches on the Baxter road. From this time until July 21 we were constantly on duty and under fire.

My loss from the enemy's sharpshooters amounted to 2 officers killed and 1 wounded and 4 men killed and 10 wounded.

July 21 [29], we were transferred back to the north side to the neighborhood of Deep Bottom. We occupied a line the left extremity of which rested on New Market Heights.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES R. HAGOOD,

Colonel, Commanding.

Captain A. C. SORREL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

---------------

*For continuation of report, see Vol. XLII, Part I.

+For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 6 to June 13, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 1068.

---------------