Numbers 170. Report of Bvt. Major General John F. Hartranft, U. S. Army, commanidng Third Division.

U. S. ARSENAL, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 3, 1865.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Third Division, Ninth Army Corps, in the operations in front of Petersburg, Va., from March 30 to April 9:

On the night of March 30, in compliance with orders from corps headquarters, the First Brigade of my command, consisting of the Two hundredth, Two hundred and eighth, and Two hundred and ninth Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers, under command of Lieutenant Colonel W. H. McCall, Two hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, was massed near the Avery house, and the Second Brigade, consisting of the Two hundred and fifth, Two hundred and seventh, and Two hundred and eleventh Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers, under command of Colonel J. A. Mathews, Two hundred and fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, near Fort Prescott, with a view of forming an assaulting column in front of Fort Sedqwick at daylight on the following morning, but at 2,45 a. m. March 31 orders were received countermanding the movement, and the troops were accordingly sent back to their respective camps. The division was held in readiness in camp during March 31 and April 1 ready to meet any emergency.

At 11 p. m. on the night of April 1 my troops were massed in the manner heretofore mentioned, and at 3 o'clock on the morning of April 2 an assaulting column was formed in front of Fort Sedqwick, to the right of the Jerusalem plank road and between our main line of works and the picket-line. The First Brigade, First Division, Ninth Army Corps, Colonel Samuel Harriman, Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, commanding, consisting of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Regiments Wisconsin Volunteers, Eighth and Twenty-seventh Regiments Michigan Volunteers, and One hundred and ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, reported to me for orders at Fort Sedgwick at 2 o'clock on the morning of April 2, in compliance with orders from Major-General Parke, commanding corps, and was put into position on the right of the Third Division.

The assaulting column was formed in column of regiments, with the left resting on the Jerusalem plank road, in the following order: Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Cox commanding; Two hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Major Morrow commanding; Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Dodd commanding; Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Heintzelman commanding. The Two hundred and ninth and Two hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, of the Third Division, were held in reserve behind the works. Three regiments of Harriman's brigade, of the First Division, also formed in column of regiments on the right of the Third Division in the following order: Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, Colonel Bintliff commanding; One hundred and ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel C. K. Pier [Thirty-eighth Wisconsin, commanding]; Eighth Regiment Michigan Volunteers, Major R. N. Doyle commanding. The Twenty-seventh Michigan and Thirty-seventh Volunteers were held in reserve in rear of the line of entrenchments. Strong engineer parties were formed in front of the assaulting columns. These