Today in History:

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

Page 627 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

with six days' rations, again left camp, accompanied by a division of infantry, the whole under General Miles, and proceeded to Hatcher's Run. The enemy's works were again charged by the Sixth Ohio and Second New York, but with the same result as on the day previous, with the loss of 2 killed and several wounded. The artillery was now placed in position and by the use of a few well-directed shots compelled the rebels to retreat. Immediately the cavalry crossed and reconnoitered three or four miles of the Vaughan road. The Sixth Ohio remained picketing on the farther side of the stream till the afternoon of the following day, December 10, when they were driven in by a large force of the enemy and recrossed the stream, and then were ordered back to camp. On December 11 the cavalry command was ordered to the bridge on the Nottoway, where they joined the division and returned to camp with it. The loss on the reconnaissance was: killed, 2; wounded, 18; missing 1; total, 21. The number of wounded admitted into hospital, 12. The Third Pennsylvania also lost some men, but of

these I have no report.

On our return to camp a new picket-line was established and the Fifth Corps, camping in rear of the army, relieved us from a long portion of our former line, so that the duty was far less severe than it had been for some months past.

During the rest of the month the division remained in camp and the winter quarters were now improved and perfected, so that by December 31, with very few exceptions, every regiment had an excellent camp.

The only losses of property in the medical and ambulance departments during the campaign were as follows: 1 hospital tent and 1 wall tent, accidentally destroyed by fire; 1 field case and 1 pocket case of instruments, lost during the expedition and battle on Boydton plank road, October 27, 1864.

There were no casualties in the ambulance corps. Those in the medical department were as follows: Asst. Surg. S. Powell, First New Jersey Cavalry, died August 8, 1864, at Macon, Ga., while a prisoner of war; Asst. Surg. Z. A. Northway, Sixth Ohio Cavalry, died September 27, 1864; Asst. Surg. S. M. Murphy, Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, died November 16, 1864; Hospital Steward S. M. Potter, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, died September 6, 1864; Asst. Surg. J. C. Stanton, Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, taken prisoner September 16, 1864; Surg. A. Wood, First Massachusetts Cavalry, discharged from service for physical disability on November 2, 1864; Asst. Surg. P. E. Sickler, Tenth New York Cavalry, discharged from service for physical disability on November 30, 1864.

As probably there will be no report of this division prior to the date at which I took charge, I desire to record the names of the following officers who were ordered to remain with the wounded at Trevilian Station on June 13, 1864, and were thus left in the lines of the enemy. After attending to the wounded under their charge for a few days only they were sent to the military prison. The names

of these officers were: Asst. Surg. S. Powell, First New Jersey Cavalry; Asst. Surg. P. E. Sickler, Tenth New York Cavalry, and Hospital Steward Bates, First Massachusetts Cavalry. Assistant Surgeon Powell died at Macon, Ga., August 8, of chronic diarrhea. Assistant Surgeon Sickler was released about September 10, and on November 30 was discharged from service on account of chronic diarrhea contracted while a prisoner.

In this report the account of some proceedings may appear un satis-factory and incomplete, but the many differences between the cavalry


Page 627 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.