section of a battery on a high bluff near the river to open fire on Fort Clifton and to occupy the attention of the enemy. At this time I had advanced so far that the shot from Fort Clinton, aimed at the section of the battery, fell behind and out of range of my column. I was detained in the position in which I then was for more than an hour in finding a practicable road for my artillery. At length a path was found and cleared by pioneers, and I put the column in motion, and, passing through a dense thicket, formed it on an open field which extended to Swift Creek, and fully 2,000 yards above Fort Clifton. I disposed my command and batteries so as to guard the left flank of Brooks' division, and connected my skirmishers with the skirmishers of Burnham's brigade. Having reported to the commanding general my position, I rested, awaiting his orders. No assault was made on my lines during the night. I opened a road by which direct communication at short distance was had with the center of Brooks' line, and through which ambulances, rations, and ammunition were supplied to his command. Early in the morning of the 10th I received orders from Major-General Smith to move my command, except artillery, on to the railroad and to tear it up. My infantry troops, under the immediate supervision of Colonel Sanders, proceeded to tear up the track and burn the ties and bend the rails for the distance of more than a mile back toward Walthall Junction. After this work was completed I received orders to move my command back to the position occupied by me the morning of the 9th, to cover and hold the road and defile over Bake-House Creek back to Cobb's Hill. I placed my command accordingly. Brooks' division was then withdrawn to that road, and I was instructed to move Sanders' brigade across by the road near the Widow Dunn's house, to afford any assistance to the Tenth Army Corps, should it be desired. I moved accordingly, and got the brigade in a suitable position to afford the aid indicated. No occasion for employing the troops arose, and at sundown I returned with them to the camps from which they were moved on the morning of the 9th. No casualties happened during the operations above described.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

J. H. MARTINDALE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Lieutenant Colonel N. BOWEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[36.]

Report of Brigadier General George J. Stannard, U. S. Army, commanding brigade, of operations at Cold Harbor, and in the Richmond (Va.) Campaign, May 31 - June 20, 1864.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, SECOND DIV., 18TH ARMY CORPS,
June 20, 1864.

In obedience to orders from division headquarters, that portion of the brigade which landed from transports, consisting of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Regiments, marched at 3 p. m. on the 31st of May, preceded by the Second Brigade, from White House Landing, on the Pamunkey River, in the direction of New Castle. The Ninth New Jersey Regiment, of this brigade, had not yet arrived. At 11 p. m. the command bivouacked in line of battle on the left of the road and parallel with it, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts being placed on picket. At 7.30 a. m. on the 1st of June resumed the march, arriving at Cold Harbor at about 3 p. m. At 4.30 p. m., the command having