batteries of the Sixth Corps to prepare and follow up the contemplated attack by General Martindale. I took part in the advance, and immediately on the enemy's being driven from his position brought up batteries to secure our possession of the position taken. I also planted batteries on the bank of the river near the Page house, in the position which commanded the railroad bridge crossing over the Appomattox at Petersburg. This position, now forming the extreme right of our lines, has been since greatly strengthened, and constitutes a strong battery with an armament of three siege guns and four 8-inch mortars. I have thus far reported such operations of the artillery serving with the corps, to which I beg leave respectfully to refer for the operations of their batteries. They have doubtless rendered reports to the generals with whom they respectively served. I have received but two such reports, those of Colonels Tidball and Wainwright, commanding the artillery of the Second and Fifth Corps respectively. In the battle of the Wilderness, and indeed in the greater portion of the battles of this campaign, the ground and the nature of the operations have been unfavorable to the use of field artillery, yet hardly a day has passed from the crossing the Rapidan that one or more batteries have not been engaged. On some occasions, as on the Po, and at Spotsylvania Court-House, many batteries have been called into requisition, and always officers and men have performed the duties devolved upon them with gallantry and skill. The excellent condition in which the batteries have been kept, the promptitude with which their supplies, on which so much depended, were furnished under unusually unfavorable circumstances, and the efficient condition which the batteries have maintained down to the present time, give proof of the excellence of the battery officers, and of the system of organization adopted for the arm.

SIEGE TRAIN.

On the 16th of April, in obedience to the instructions of the major-general commanding, I submitted a project for the organization of a siege train, to consist as a minimum of forty siege guns, ten 10-inch, twenty 8-inch and twenty Coehorn mortars, recommending that the preparation of the train be intrusted to Colonel H. L. Abbot, First Connecticut Artillery. This project (a copy of which is appended, marked A) was approved and Colonel Abbot proceeded at once to the organization of the train, to which by subsequent orders were added six 100-pounder Parrotts and ten 8-inch siege howitzers. Colonel Abbot was ordered to the James River in advance of this army and served under the orders of Major-General Butler, commanding the Army of the James in its operations near Richmond, and on the arrival of this army before Petersburg reported to me. The siege train has since been employed in the siege operations of both armies. For a detailed report of its organization, labors and services, I respectfully refer to the excellent reports of Colonel Abbot, appended and marked I and K.*

June 27 I was placed by Lieutenant-General Grant in charge of all siege operations against Petersburg south of the Appomattox (see Special Orders, No. 42, headquarters Armies of the United States, appended and marked B). This order brought the artillery operations in front of the Eighteenth Corps, extending from the Appomattox to near the Hare house, as well as those of this army, under my direction. Colonel Burton, Fifth U. S. Artillery, was assigned temporarily to the Eighteenth Corps,

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*Embodied in Numbers 244, p.671.

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