morning formed line of battle west of the station, and about 1 p.m. marched toward Rice's Station, where we found Gordon's corps in line and throwing up entrenchments to oppose us at the station. I formed line of battle on the left of the Sixty-second Ohio Volunteers and advanced, a short distance, driving in the enemy's sharpshooters, under a severe musketry and shell fire; halted at the Phillips house, about one mile southeast of the station, and remained under arms during the night. In this skirmish Captain Oliver C. Gregory and three enlisted men were wounded.

During night the enemy retired, and we followed after daylight, our skirmishers, under Lieutenant Colonel R. P. Hughes, being constantly engaged and taking several prisoners. At Sandy River General Crook's cavalry division came up on our right, and advancing to Bush River we found the enemy inclined to dispute the passage. Under Colonel Osborn's directions I formed my regiment in line on the left if the road and advanced to the river, with the Sixty-second Ohio Volunteers, on my left and the Thirty-ninth Illinois supporting. Having received permission from Colonel Osborn I crossed the river and formed line on the left of the cavalry. I then deployed Companies E and I, under Captains Craven and Blanchard, to cover my left and front, and receiving an order from Major-General Crook to charge I advanced in line to the edge of the woods on top of the hill in my front, the enemy falling back before my skirmishers. At this point I received an order from General Foster to remain where I was. In about half an hour the rest of the brigade moved up, and the column marched without further opposition to Farmville, arriving about 5 p.m., and camped for the night west of the town. At the crossing of Bush River I lost 1 enlisted man killed and 4 wounded.

Next morning, the 8th instant, marched at 6 a.m., and at midnight halted a short distance from Appomattox Station until 4 a.m. of the 9th instant. The men were very much fatigued, weary, and foot-sore, yet not a murmur was uttered as they fell in again for the march, none of them having had breakfast and but a few had had anything to east since noon of the previous days, as they were too tired after their thirty miles march to do anything save sink down beside their gun stacks and take the short sleep allowed them. Pushing on for a couple of miles, the command halted for breakfast, and again moved forward rapidly, passing at double-quick through Sheridan's cavalry camps. We arrived on the extreme left in time to check what seemed very like a rout of a brigade of cavalry; coming into line very quickly, though much encumbered by demoralized cavalrymen breaking through my ranks, I charged, under Colonel Osborn's orders, with the Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, on my right, the Sixty-second Ohio on the left, and the Sixty-seventh Ohio in reserve. The men advanced with great ardor through the woods for about one-third of a mile, until we reached the open ground. Here I endeavored to check the regiment until the enemy's line could be developed by our skirmishers, but the excitement was so great that my regiment and the Thirty-ninth Illinois could not be halted, until a discharge of canister from a battery 300 yards in front brought them to their senses. I gave the order to lie down, and at that moment another battery, about 400 yards on my right, poured in an enfilade fire with spherical case. In a minute or two I lost 5 enlisted men killed and 20 wounded. The enemy fired a few rounds, and were beginning to get a most accurate range, which would have had a murderous effect on my men, when Colonel Osborn directed me to withdraw behind a crest in the edge of the woods. The enemy, perceiving this