in the rear, and their whole line would be taken. Two of men then reconnoitered the woods and came to the open field, where they found a line of battle behind their works facing the Second Corps. Their left then rested on Hatcher's Run, we being directly behind them. I then took the prisoners and recrossed the run and carried them to the rear. Three of my men remaining to watch the movements of the enemy, they captured 5 more prisoners, making our total 69. I received a receipt for 64 from the sergeant of the provost-guard, Second Division. The three men that stopped behind saw the rebels move off to their right. They then entered the works, and met the Second Corps coming in. the whole squad rejoined their command in the p.m. in front of Petersburg.

Yours, &c.,

AUGUSTUS MERRILL,

Captain Company B, First Maine Veteran Volunteers.

Numbers 131. Reports of Brigadier General Truman Seymour, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, SIXTH ARMY CORPS,
April 17, 1865

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this division in the assault upon the lines of Petersburg, April 2, 1865:

The command was placed in position directly in rear of the old picket-line and in front of Fort Welch. It formed the left of the corps; the Second Brigade, Brevet Brigadier-General Keifer commanding, being on the right of the division, and the First Brigade, Colonel William S. Truex, Fourteenth New Jersey Volunteers, commanding, on the left; each being in three lines. The troops were moved out of camp soon after midnight, and while forming were exposed to a severe and close fire of musketry from the enemy's picket-line, by which a number of officers and men were slain, but it was borne with great patience, until about 4 o'clock, when the firing of the signal gun from Fort Fisher let loose the corps upon the enemy's works. The men sprang forward with alacrity, jumped the

picket-line, and pushed steadily forward. They were met by a sharp fire from the enemy's pickets, which was soon suppressed, and by a heavy enfilanding fire of artillery from the left of our point of attack. But the men moved forward with enthusiastic cheers, forced the lines of abatis in front of the rebel works, and mounted the parapet. A hand-to-hand conflict ensued, and not a few gallant officers and men, nobly in advance, were seriously wounded, but the enemy was soon overpowered, and the works were ours. For some moments after the entrance of this division the firing continued on our right, upon the other divisions of the corps.

It is difficult to distinguished from among the many acts of conspicuous gallantry in this assault. The colors of the Tenth Vermont in the First Brigade, and of the Sixth Maryland in the Second, were honorably prominent in the advance of regiments, though they can, nevertheless, be scarcely said to have led. Major Prentiss, commanding the Sixth Maryland, was seriously, if not mortally, wounded while on the very parapet encouraging his command by his chivalric courage.