Today in History:

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

Page 620 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LIV.

house, on the Halifax road. The tent-flies were put up and the wounded were received and fed, wounds examined, and the necessary cases operated on. Three serious operations were performed. The men were made comfortable for the night, and on the morning of the 30th were taken to Warren's Station and sent by cars to City Point. During this day the division again advanced beyond the Vaughan road, but the enemy, having fallen back, did not molest us. We had no wounded during the day.

On October 1 it was expected that the division would move to the left of the infantry line, and I was therefore directed to move the hospital within the works at Warren's Station. It rained during all the day, but the flies were put up, and, by means of boards, taken from and old camp, and hay procured from the quartermaster at the station, a comfortable hospital was established. The division, after moving to Poplar Grove Church, returned to its former position at the Davis house, covering the Vaughan road, where on the day previous they had erected a short line of breast-works. The First Brigade occupied this position, and the Second was on its left, extending back to the Halifax road. The enemy attacked us with cavalry and artillery in the morning, but were soon repulsed, and they then remained quiet until afternoon, by which time the rain had almost ceased. Between 3 and 4 o'clock they attacked us in force directly in front, and also attempted to turn the left flank. They repeatedly charged the works, but were every time repulsed. The fighting continued till dark, when the enemy withdrew. We took only a few wounded prisoners, but lost several of the Sixth Ohio Regiment. After this the rebels gave us no more trouble. During the day we had about 30 wounded, who were temporarily dressed on the field, and then taken back to the hospital at Warren's Station. Captain Weir, assistant adjutant-general of division, was severely wounded in the thigh, the ball passing in front of and graying the femur. The wounded were all fed, sheltered, operated on, &c., and the next day were sent by rail to City Point.

On October 2 the division went into camp on the Vaughan road, and remained there until October 3, when we returned to our old camp on the Jerusalem plank road. During this expedition our entire loss was, 18 killed, 73 wounded, 83 missing; total, 174. The number of wounded received into the hospital was 57.

Immediately on our arrival in camp, I ordered the division hospital to be moved from the river up to the neighborhood of the command. I selected a small retired field, a short distance from the different regiments. The soil was dry and sandy on the surface and the tents, being on the brow of a hill, could easily be drained in wet weather. Surgeon Colby, with great industry and energy, took steps to perfect the hospital, digging a well, building an oven and range, and making every provision for the comfort of the patients. The division remained in camp during the greater part of the month. The camps were generally in good condition, some excellent, others inferior. The sickness diminished from what it had been in September. Diarrheas and dysenteries still prevailed and there were a few cases of scurvy. About the middle of the month a new brigade was formed. It consisted of First Maine, from Second Brigade, Sixth Ohio, from First Brigade, and the Twenty-first Pennsylvania, a regiment just attached to the division, and which during the summer had been dismounted and used as infantry in the Fifth Corps. The Twenty-fourth New York, a regiment under similar circumstances to the last, and from the Ninth Corps, was


Page 620 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LIV.