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1019 Series I Volume XXXVI-I Serial 67 - Wilderness-Cold Harbor Part I

Page 1019 Chapter XLVIII. RAPIDAN TO THE JAMES.

bring a heavy enfilanding, fire on my right flank, and under this galling and destructive fire, and with heavy loss, the position was held during the night. I do not think that I overestimate when I state the number of prisoners, taken in this charge at over 400.

It should be stated by way of explanation, and in justice to the brigade commanded by the late Colonel J. C. Drake, and which formed the first line, that although it had encountered a very destructive fire, and suffered quite severely, portions of it were in the edge of the woods in front of the enemy's works when my line advanced, and assisted materially in holding the lines, taking also a considerable number of prisoners.

I cannot speak in too high terms of the conduct of my command on this occasion. After they had received the order to charge they neither faltered nor wavered, but, although greatly fatigued by heavy marches and night labor, they went as directly to and over the enemy's works as if there had been no obstacle in their path, and with a dash of enthusiasm that could hardly have been anticipated. I do not injustice to others to particularly mention as worthy of commendation, Captain James M. Nichols, Lieutenant William E. D'Arcy, and Adjutant Taylor, Forty-eighth New York State Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel MacDonald and Captain Pell, Forty-seventh New York State Volunteers; Major E. L. Walrath, Captain S. P. Smith, and Adjutant Sanford, One hundred and fifteenth New York State Volunteers, and Captains Finley and Littell, Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers. I am also indebted to my staff for the faithful manner in which they aided me during the afternoon. A list of the casualties of my command, amounting to 224, has already been forwarded to division headquarters.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. B. BARTON,

Colonel Forty-eighth N. Y. State Vols., Commanding Brigadier

Lieutenant D. BEEBE

A. A. A. G., Third Div., Eighteenth Army Corps.


No. 270. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Zina H. Robinson, Ninth Maine Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of operations June 1-2.


HDQRS. NINTH REGIMENT MAINE VOLS.,
THIRD Brigadier, SECOND DIV., TENTH ARMY CORPS,*

Near Petersburg, Va., June 27, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report of the part in action of June 1 and 2 at Cold Harbor, Va., sustained by the regiments under my command:

Although fatigued by a heavy march and having eaten nothing since the afternoon of May 31, at the order to advance the whole brigade, with a simultaneous cheer, burst from the woods and swept through the field into the woods beyond. At the edge of woods encountered a line of shoal rifle-pits, which the enemy evacuated at our approach, and retreated to their first line of entrenchments, 100 yards in rear. We succeeded in forcing them from that line, also taking a number of prisoners, but being exposed to an enfilading fire

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*Late Second Brigade, Third Division, Eighteenth Army Corps.

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Page 1019 Chapter XLVIII. RAPIDAN TO THE JAMES.