Today in History:

393 Series I Volume XLII-I Serial 87 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part I

Page 393 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

onel Morgan at 1 a. m. on the 26th ultimo. While on my way to the old camp, and near the Williams house, an orderly brought me a written order from Major-General Humphreys to the same purport as the one marked Numbers III, which unfortunately was lost by Lieutenant Rusling, aide-de-camp, now out of service. The order itself was undoubtedly intended to come to my hands the afternoon previous.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. McALLISTER,

Colonel Eleventh New Jersey Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.

Major JOHN HANCOCK,

Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, Second Army Corps.


HDQRS. THIRD Brigadier, THIRD DIV., SECOND ARMY CORPS,
Before Petersburg, Va., October 7, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In compliance with circular from headquarters Third Division of this date, I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by this brigade in the recent operations on the left of the army:

On the morning of the 1st instant I received orders to hold the brigade in readiness to move to the trestle bridge as soon as relieved from the works I held near the Avery house. At a later hour in the morning, 4 o'clock, I was instructed to commence the movement without waiting for the troops sent to relieve me, and arrived at the trestle bridge soon after daylight, remaining there until 3 p. m. I was then ordered to place my brigade aboard the cars and proceed to the Peebles house, southwest of the Weldon railroad. Arriving at the Yellow House the brigade again took up the line of march at 4.30 p. m., arriving at the Peebles house at 6.30 p. m. of this date, where we bivouacked for the night. During the night I received orders to be ready to move at daylight, and at 6 a. m. of the 2nd I moved forward with my command and ordered to close en masse. We moved up the road, following General Pierce's orders to form regiment after regiment on the left of him, as he was to swing around his left to right. I was ordered also to deploy regiment after regiment as a very strong line of skirmishers. The One hundred and twentieth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Tappen, and the Fifth and Seventh New Jersey Volunteers, Colonel Price, marched up toward the enemy's redoubt through the slashing, driving the enemy from the redoubt and breast-works. Colonel Price was ordered to support General Pierce's advance, at the same time my left stretched out past the white house (Smith's house) and far into the woods, driving the enemy before them.

After our forces had got possession of the works we were ordered to move by the right flank, having all my brigade but two regiments deployed as skirmishers. I closed them up, leaving a sufficient number of skirmishers to more than cover my brigade, and followed General Pierce by the right and left flank until we came in sight of the enemy's second line of works near the Boydton road, where we halted and pushed the skirmishers forward, who were hotly engaged and under a sharp fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, together with an enfilading fire from the rebel batteries in earth-works. I was ordered to make a demonstration in front of General De Trobriand's brigade, while General Pierce charged on the works on my right. I ordered Major Rivers to make the demonstration, which he did with the Eleventh Massachusetts. This regiment marched under a galling fire and did all that was


Page 393 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.