moved into the front line. At 7 a. m. it was moved three-fourths of a mile to the left and erected new works. At 11 a. m. it was ordered to rejoin the division then on the right and half a mile beyond the plank road. General Rice, who had a special command, now returned and assumed command of the brigade. At 4 p. m. the brigade moved to the Lacy house, and at 10 p. m. took up the line of march for Spotsylvania. The brigade was now joined by the Fourteenth Brooklyn.

SECOND EPOCH.

On the morning of the 8th of May, after having marched all night, the brigade arrived at Todd's Tavern, halted for breakfast, then moved forward and met the enemy at Laurel Hill. General Rice directed the Fifty-sixth and Ninety-fifth to move forward and clear the enemy from an orchard that he then occupied almost half a mile from the road. These regiments cleared the orchard, but were found to be inadequate to hold it. The Fourteenth Brooklyn and Seventy-sixth and One hundred and forty-seventh New York were sent up to their support. Subsequently they were relieved by troops from another division, and the brigade moved in rear of a ridge, where they remained until 5 p. m., when it again moved forward and to the right of the orchard, where breast-works were erected and occupied until 2 p. m. on the 10th, at which hour the brigade, under the command of General Rice, moved forward to attack the works of the enemy, then about 600 yards in our front. The attack failed and the brigade returned to a position nearly in rear of that which they had occupied. In this charge General Rice was mortally wounded. After having his leg amputated, he was asked by the attending physician which way he desired to be turned that he might rest more easy. He replied, "Turn me with my face to the enemy." These were his last words, and indicated the true character of the man, the soldier, and the patriot. Colonel Fowler, being the ranking officer, now assumed command of the brigade. On the evening of the 11th the brigade again moved to the attack of the enemy's works. After having been in line for half an hour, subjected to a severe flank fire from the left, the brigade was withdrawn, the attack having been suspended. A considerable loss was sustained in killed and wounded.

At 8 a. m. on the 12th the brigade again moved forward to the attack. After moving forward about 400 yards, and at the foot of a ravine, the underbrush was of such a dense character that it was found impossible to push the line through it, and, as the troops upon the right and left encountered the same difficulty and were unable to move forward, the brigade was withdrawn. At 1 p. m. the brigade was moved to the left for nearly 2 miles, to a point where a portion of the Second Corps had captured the works of the enemy, but had subsequently abandoned them. The Fifty-sixth, One hundred and forty-seventh, and Fourteenth were ordered to form a column to attack the works, but before the column was formed the order was suspended. These regiments, and subsequently the others of the brigade, were then moved to a point of the works where they were cleared of the enemy and formed in line nearly at right angle with the works, the left resting on the works. In this position they were directed to fire continually to prevent the enemy, who occupied the opposite side of the breast-works, from firing or from sallying out.

40 R R-VOL XXXVI, PT I