much damaged that the ceased his fire, and apparently withdrew his pieces. Observed the enemy open from a battery on the crest of the hill near some old chimneys. Immediately directed the fire of the two sections to the right of Captain Roemer's battery against him, compelling him to change his position, first to the right behind a barn, then again farther to the left of our range; also directed the fire of all my guns which could be brought to bear against the enemy's charging parties about noon.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. A. EMERY,

Lieutenant, Commanding Third Maine Battery.

Lieutenant SAMUEL CHAPIN,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Artillery Brigade, 9th Army Corps.

No. 218. Reports of Captain Adelbert B. Twitchell, Seventh Maine Battery.

SEVENTH MAINE BATTERY VETERAN VOLUNTEERS, Near Petersburg, Va., August 8, 1864.

CAPTAIN: *

FIFTH EPOCH.

On the night of the 14th of June my guns were placed in position near the James River. Crossed the James at 7 a.m. June 15, and went into park at 8 a.m. Joined the division at 12 o'clock at night and arrived in front of Petersburg at 4 p.m. of the 16th. One section was sent out during the night to report to Captain Roemer, chief of artillery, Third Division, and on the morning of the 17th another section was sent to the front. On the afternoon of the 18th, when the Ninth Corps drove the enemy across the railroad, my battery was ordered into position in rear of the line of the Second Division, on the crest between the belt of pine woods that extend out to the turnpike road, and the small clump of pines to the rear and right of the Taylor house. I kept up a constant fire during the afternoon to prevent the enemy from strengthening his works, and to assist our troops to advance. At night threw up a redoubt for all my guns. The evening of the 20th, when the Third Division moved to the right to relieve a division of the Second Corps, my battery was put in position to the left of the Hare house. The battery was within 300 yards of the enemy's line, and I opened fire several times on their works. During the night of the 23rd the division moved to the left, and with four guns I relieved Mink's battery, of the Fifth Corps, placing my guns in a redoubt to the right of the brick wall or the Taylor house. Tuesday, June 28, the left section was placed in position on the hill to the left of the turnpike road. The position is a commanding one, and has since been occupied by two batteries.

July 9, the left section of my battery was placed on the front line across the railroad and near the ice-house, one gun bearing up the ravine, and the left piece ranged on the fort to the left of the turnpike road. My guns since arriving in front of Petersburg have been in the positions above stated forty-seven consecutive days up to the 4th of the

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*For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 6 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p.981.

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