Today in History:

72 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 72 N. AND SE. VA., N. C., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LVIII.


Numbers 4. Itineraries of the Army of the Potomac, Sheridan's Cavalry Command, and the Army of the James.*

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

Engineer Brigade.

January 7.-Lieutenant O'Keefe, with 150 men of the Fifteenth [New York] Engineers, embarked on steamer George Chase, with engineering and siege material, for Fort Fisher.

January 22.-Company I, Fiftieth [New York] Engineers, Captain Folwell, left for Major-General Sherdian's army.

January 29.-Companies B and D, Fifteenth Engineers, started, with 620 feet of bridging, animals, &c., on transports for the South; destination unknown.

Troops engaged in drill and work on the fortifications around City Point.

February 5.-A train of thirty boasts arrived from Washington. The whole command, 1,900 strong-composed of the Fifteenth New York Volunteers Engineers, Sixty-first Massachusetts Volunteers (leaving the pickets on Bailey's Creek), Eighteenth New Hampshire, First Maine Sharpshooters (two companies), and Michigan Sharpshooters-started, via railroad, for the front, at about 5 p. m., with orders to report ot Major-General Parke, commanding Ninth Corps. Bivouacked near the Avery house.

February 6.-Received orders from General Parke to move the brigade up to the Aiken house. The troops of the command occupied the line between Batteries Numbers 24 and 26, the right resting on Battery 24; headquarters of the brigade in rear of Fort Howard. A detail of 187 men from Engineer Brigade relieved the First Division, Sixth Corps, from picket duty.

February 7.-Troops under arms at 5 a. m. until 8 a.m.

February 8.-The Fifteenth Engineers and Michigan Sharpshooters occupied that portion of the line between Battery 24 and the marsh; the Eighteenth New Hampshire and Sixty-first Massachusetts, battery 25 (Fort Howard). Three hundred and eight men on picket duty.

February 9.-The command occupied the line from Battery 24 to Fort Howard, doing the picket duty.

February 10.-Troops in same position as yesterday.

February 11.-The Engineer Brigade relieved this morning by General Griffin's troops of the Ninth Corps, and ordered to return to City Point and occupy their old camp at that place. Column started at about 10 a. m., reaching City Point during the afternoon.

February 12 to 15.-Troops occupied in drill, camp duty, and work on fortifications.

February 15.-General Benham returned from duty in New York.

February 16.-A raft of thirty-two boats received from Captain Lubey at Deep Bottom, being part of the bridge at Aiken's Landing-replaced by a pile bridge.

February 16 to 28.-troops occupied in drill, camp duty, and work on fortifications of City Point.

March 12.-Hall's Independent Battalion Sharpshooters, Michigan Volunteers, ordered to report to headquarters Ninth Corps, with a view of being consolidated with the First Michigan Sharpshooters; started via railroad same day.

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*From returns of the commands indicated for January, February, March, April, May, and June, 1865.

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Page 72 N. AND SE. VA., N. C., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LVIII.