No. 113. Report of Captain Benjamin F. Meservey, Eighteenth Massachusetts Infantry, of operations May 23-June 12.

HDQRS. EIGHTEENTH MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS, Camp near Fort Corcoran, Va., August, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to continue the report of the operations of the Eighteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, after Lieutenant-Colonel White was wounded on the 23rd of May, 1864.

THIRD EPOCH-CONTINUED.

During the evening and night of that day no other casualty occurred.

May 24.-The regiment at night moved farther to the right and bivouacked.

May 25.-It marched nearly to Little River and was detailed to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Herring for duty in destroying the Central railroad. The men labored earnestly and cheerfully all day, and made very through destruction of the rails and sleepers for over a mile.

May 26.-It was ordered up near the front in support of the line of battle, and at night was sent out on picket. At 11 o'clock, in accordance with orders received from Lieutenant-Colonel Throop, the division officer of the day, the picket-line, retaining its intervals, retired a half-mile to the rear at Quarles' Ford, and without any casualty crossed to the north bank.

FOURTH EPOCH.

The picket guard marched in rear of the ammunition train all day the 27th, and bivouacked at 12 o'clock at night. On the 28th, after a long day's march, the regiment crossed the Pamunkey River and joined the brigade.

May 29.-The brigade moved forward.

May 30.-Continued the advance on the Shady Grove road, skirmishing with the enemy; 3 men were wounded.

May 31.-The regiment built breast-works on the line.

June 1.-The brigade moved forward three-fourths of a mile, and at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon took a new position, the Eighteenth Massachusetts Volunteers on the right. Beyond the regiment, a swampy and heavily wooded ravine separated it from Burnside's corps. This ravine was perpendicular to the line of battle, and extended nearly to the intrenchments of the enemy. As soon as the position was gained, the regiment commenced throwing up a defense of rails and logs, but had made but little progress when the enemy, debouching very suddenly from the ravine, where he had formed unobserved, drove in the pickets and made a vigorous attack, confining his attention to his regiment with the design of turning the right flank of the brigade. His attack was made in column of deployed battalions, and he advanced the colors of his first two regiments within 40 yards of our line, but so rapid and accurate was the fire he met that he halted, placed his colors in the ground, and laid down, afterward retiring under cover of the darkness. The regiment exhausted its ammunition, but as no farther advance was