Numbers 95. Report of Lieutenant John W. Roder, Battery K, Fourth U. S. Artillery.

HDQRS. BATTERY K, FOURTH U. S. ARTILLERY,
Near Petersburg, Va., September 3, 1864.

MAJOR: In compliance with instructions from headquarters Artillery Brigade, Second Army Corps, I have the honor to submit the following report of the participation of Battery K, Fourth U. S. Artillery, in the recent campaign from the 4th of May to the 30th of July, 1864:

FIRST EPOCH.

According to instructions from headquarters Artillery Brigade, Second Corps, I left camp near Stevensburg, Va., on the evening of the 3rd day of May, 1864, and marched with the other batteries of the corps about 4 miles in the direction of Ely's Ford, and halted until daylight, when I was directed by the chief of artillery to report with my battery to General Birney, commanding Third Division, Second Corps. I marched with the division and crossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford. Went into near the Chancellor house about 4 p. m.

May 5.-Left camp at 8 a.m.; marched with the division in the direction of Todd's Tavern; arrived on the battle-ground of the Wilderness at 3 p.m.; took up a position assigned to me by the chief of artillery nearly on the left of our line; remained there all night.

May 6 and 7.-Remained in the same position; no fighting on this part of the line occurred.

SECOND EPOCH.

May 8.-I was directed by General Birney to leave my position and march with the division to Todd's Tavern, a distance of about 4 miles; was then ordered by the general to send one section to guard the Spotsylvania Court-House road and one on the road to the right of it, which I did by detaching the right and left sections; remained there all night.

May 9.-Left Todd's Tavern, at 1 p.m., marched 6 miles in the direction of Spotsylvania Court-House, and went into camp for the night.

May 10.-Left camp at 9 a.m.; marched in the direction of Spotsylvania Court-House; crossed the Po River in the afternoon engaged the enemy for several hours; fired 291 rounds of solid shot and shell with good effect; checked the enemy's advancing column twice; recrossed the river toward evening and went into camp for the night.

May 11.-Left camp at 8 a.m.; went into position near by and on the right of our line; remained there all night.

May 12.-Left camp at 1 a.m.; marched about 3 miles to the left of our line and went into position near the Brown house. About 12 m. I was directed by the chief of artillery to send one section to the front, which I did by detaching the l eft section, under command of First Sergt. Thomas Cusack. I assisted myself to place it in position on line with our skirmishers and about 400 yards from the enemy's works, where it did good execution, firing solid shot, shell, and spherical case. The enemy returned the firing with both in-