left of Crawford's division in woods near Bethesda Church. Thirty men were on skirmish line when the rebels charged Crawford, but were repulsed in an engagement short, sharp, and decisive. May 31, our skirmishers were pushed forward across the Mechanicsville road, we following next day to within 100 yards of the road. Toward evening moved rapidly parallel with road and in southwest direction to support of (we believe) the First Brigade, occupying the works behind, and to rear of which they lay, firing briskly for several minutes. Lost: Killed, 1 officer; wounded, 5 men. Crossed the works but retired shortly after, throwing out 40 skirmishers, who rejoined us next morning. We left at midnight and threw up a line of breast-works in the woods on the opposite side of Mechanicsville road. Here we remained four days, changing front twice and throwing up two lines of works. On the evening of June 2 and morning of the 3rd we were subjected to very heavy shelling, unable to hit back except through our skirmishers. Lost: Killed, 1 officer and 3 men; wounded, 13 men, and several more slightly, who returned to duty in few days. Evening of June 5 moved with the brigade by rapid march past Gaines' Mill, resting next day at Cold Harbor. Again on the 7th, by roundabout march, to the strip of woods some hundred yards north of Richmond and York Railroad, and opposite a rebel battery posted near the bridge across the Chickahominy. Our brigade appeared to be alone here and our force seemed totally unknown to the enemy, though a regiment pushing through the woods as skirmishers elicited a few shells from the rebel guns, evidently of heavy caliber, and fired with small charge and short fuse.*

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. E. BAILY,

Captain, Commanding Regiment.

Captain F. H. COWDREY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 135. Report of Captain Alphons Serviere, Forty-sixth New York Infantry, of operations May 30-June 12.

HDQRS. FORTY-SIXTH Regiment NEW YORK VET. VOLS., Before Petersburg, Va., August 8, 1864.

SIR: In obedience to general orders of 7th instant, I have the honor to give below a report of the operations of my command since joining the brigade:

The Forty-sixth Regiment New York Veteran Volunteers, having been thirty days in New York to recruit and reorganize, left that place May 16, 1864, per steamer, for Alexandria and Belle Plain. Marched from the latter place May 22, via Fredericksburg, Bowling Green, Milford, and Penola Station to the Pamunkey, which it crossed on May 29, 1864. The regiment was temporarily assigned to the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Fifth Army Corps, from May 30 to June 4, 1864, during which time the same lost in skirmishes 2 enlisted men killed, 7 enlisted men wounded, and 1

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*For continuation of report, see Vol. XL, Part I.

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