Colonel Christ halted, and held his brigade, lying down, about half way from the ravine to the enemy's works. This position the brave troops of Christ's brigade continued to hold until night, when they performed important service. In the evening, with guns in position at the Shands house, the First Division moved over the same ground, but taking a better direction, with Crawford's division, Fifth Corps, on their left. General Burnside's orders were that General Potter, commanding Second Division, should go in after the First and my division follow the Second, but as, at the time General Ledlie, commanding the First Division, commenced his attack, I thought Potter's troops could not be brought up in time, I ordered Christ's brigade to support General Ledlie at once. Colonel Christ threw forward his supports rapidly on both flanks of Ledlie's line, sharing the front attack, and capturing a stand of colors and 100 men of the Thirty-fifth North Carolina Regiment in the breast-works of the enemy. This consoling moment of victory was saddened by the loss of Captain Rhines, commanding First Michigan Sharpshooters, who fell at the enemy's works amid the very cheers of his men, who had carried the point. The gallant Colonel Christ was also wounded on the field. Hartranft's brigade was moved to supporting distance of Christ, but by General Burnside's order was not sent forward.

June 18, at 4.30 a.m. I was ordered to move forward again and attack. A party of skirmishers was sent out in advance to feel for the enemy, and reported that the latter had fallen back, and with skirmishers deployed I moved on, Hartranft's brigade in front, across the fields and into the woods, toward the Taylor house. In the woods we encountered the enemy's skirmishers and a brisk shelling from their batteries across the Norfolk railroad. We drove back their skirmishers steadily out of the woods and into the cut of the Norfolk railroad, which formed a deep cover. On coming to the edge of the open field near the Taylor house, we found that the enemy had built a strong line of intrenchments beyond the railway cut and a winding ravine, through which ran a small creek, whose banks, immediately in my front, were steep and covered with wood and thicket. Here, then, were two lines of obstacles interposed between me and the enemy's works. Moreover, the advance to the railroad was over an open field exposed to fire. The enemy's line was about 800 yards from the Taylor house, running along the foot of Cemetery Hill, turning to our right toward the Hare house, and crossing the railway at a point where a gun in position swept the railroad cutting for some distance. I brought up Roemer's battery and put part of it in position to command this gun, and part to reply to a battery which fired upon the left and front. General Crawford's division, Fifth Corps, had advanced through the woods in connection with me, and on my left, and Potter's (Second) division, Ninth Corps, now came up to support me. I ordered Hartranft to carry the railroad cut, which he did in good style. Crawford's troops did the same on our left. After this General Barlow's division, Second Corps, came up on my right, and I proposed to Crawford and Barlow replied that he had no orders to attack. I considered a vigorous attack on Barlow's front essential to my success, as I was exposed to a heavy enfilading fire from the works that there curved around my right. The enemy's sharpshooters were picking off my men in the cut every moment, notwithstanding the traverses we threw up. At 3 p.m. a general attack was ordered by the major-general commanding the army, and Hartranft began to move his command again, with Curtin's brigade, of Potter's