brigades, the First on the right, the Second on the left, were orders to move forward in line of battle at the given signal, followed by McKeen's on the right and Owen's on the left, formed in close column of regiments. Tyler and Smyth were already in position and McKeen and Owen were ordered to be in position before daylight the next morning to follow promptly the movement of the front line. The latter had orders to push rapidly forward and over the front line in column and effect a lodgment, if possible, on the enemy's works, and not to deploy till they got there. At daylight I rode to the line and found Owen's brigade not even under arms, and, of course, not in the advanced position i had assigned it the day before. As soon as it was put in position the signal was given and the troops moved to the attack. The country was rolling, in places intersected by ravines and marches, and my line was cut in two by a deep, impassable swamp, which widened as we advanced toward the enemy. The troops pushed gallantry forward a most terrific fire of cannon and musketry until close up to the enemy's works. General Tyler fell severely wounded early in the action, but his troops pushed on, followed on the right by McKeen, who, following his orders, struggled against the heavy fire of the enemy until himself and many of his gallant command lay dead upon the field, and his ranks were much thinned and scattered. The gallant Haskell succeeded to the command, and was almost immediately carried from the field morally wounded in a second to rush upon the enemy's works. On the left, and separated from his brigade by the swamp, the heroic Colonel McMahon, with a portion of his regiment, One hundred and sixth-fourth New York, gained the breast-work, and, while alongside of his colors cheering on his men, fell covered with wounds, and expired in the enemy's hands, they capturing also his colors and the men with it. A portion of the Third Brigade also gained the enemy's works, but being unsupported were unable to hold them. General owen, instead of pushing forward in column thought Smyth's line, deployed on his left as soon as the latter became fully engaged, and thus lost the opportunity of having his brigade well in head and ready to support the lodgment made by Smyth and McMaHonorable In this bloody assault the division lost many valuable officers and men. The gallant Colonel Porter, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, fell only a few yards from the enemy's works, surrounded by the dead of his regiment, which, although new to the work, fought like veterans. The loss of such officers as McKeen and Haskell cannot be overestimated. Captain Palmer, Nineteenth Massachusetts, division ordnance officer, had his horse shot under him, and was himself slightly wounded by a bullet while gallantly carrying an order for me. The next day Captain Wheelock, Fifteenth Massachusetts, chief of prisoners, was slightly wounded while performing the same duty on the right of the line. Where the ground was open some portions of the First and Fourth Brigades got so far forward and were subjected to such a close fire that the only way they succeeded in extricating themselves was to take advantage of the inequalities of the ground and constructed covered ways, working mostly at night. The wounded could be recovered and the dead buried only by means of a flag of truce, arrangements for which were made four days afterward. The division lost in this assault 65 officers and 1,032 men killed and wounded.

From the 3rd to the 12th the division was occupied in perfecting its position and pushing forward works the enemy con-

28 R R-VOL XXXVI, PT I