urgent messages for assistance there. Our artillery took position in front of and to the right of the Landrum house, and opened heavily. The enemy's artillery fire weak and undecisive, I presume on account of our having disabled and captured so many batteries in our first assault. One section of our artillery was advanced into the Salient, when it fired directly into the enemy's lines; another section was placed close to our line at left of the Salient. Both of these sections did effective service, but suffered terribly in killed and wounded. 11 a. m., the battle still raging, with great slaughter. At this hour General Hancock received from General Meade copy of following dispatch to General Grant:

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
May 12, 1864.

General GRANT:

Warren seems reluctant to assault. I have ordered him at all hazards to do so, and if his attack should be repulsed to draw in his right and send his troops as fast as possible to Hancock and Wright. Tell Hancock to hold on.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General.

Carried this dispatch to General Wright for him to read at 11.05 a. m. At---p. m., Cutler's division, Sixth [Fifth] Corps, marched on the field. Fighting continued unceasingly and desperately over the captured works; the enemy made desperate efforts to regain them, throwing their strength upon the salient angle held by the Second and Sixth Corps. Our force at that point was exceedingly strong, three or four lines deep in some places. The enemy persisted in their attack until about midnight of the 12th, but were forced to abandon their position and leave us in possession of the works which the Second Corps had so gallantly carried. In this battle the troops of the Second Corps had so gallantly carried. In this battle the troops of the Second were constantly under heavy musketry for about twenty hours. During the night the enemy withdrew into a second line of works, and the following morning the captured entrenchments presented a most terrible spectacle of dead and wounded, who were, indeed, piled upon each other for several hundred yards; the result of one of the most brilliant and deadly battles of this great war. The enemy cannot have lost less than 12,000 to 15,000 men killed, wounded, and captured this day-the hardest blow they have yet received in this campaign. Nothing could exceed the splendid intrepidity of our gallant officers and soldiers during this bloody contest. Harry Bingham, of our staff, badly wounded in the thigh.

May 13, 1864.-5.25 a. m., General Birney informed General hancock that his sharpshooters had advanced 800 yards in front of our line of works and found no enemy excepting 1 prisoner, who stated that the enemy had fallen back. A regiment of the Sixth Corps had also skirmished forward on Birney's right. 5.30 a. m., General Hancock sent the following to General Humphreys, chief of staff, Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: Our sharpshooters have advanced 800 yards into the enemy's lines without finding any one excepting 1 prisoners, who states that the enemy has gone. General Russell (Sixth Corps) occupies the salient where so much fighting occurred yesterday.

W. S. HANCOCK,

Major-General, Commanding Second Corps.

5.40 a. m., General Meade sent dispatch directing General hancock to push forward his skirmishers until they found out the enemy's position. Owen's brigade, of Gibbon's division, accordingly