Numbers 244. Reports of Colonel Henry L. Abbot, First Connecticut Heavy Artillery, commanding Siege Train, including operations June 14-October 31.

HEADQUARTERS SIEGE TRAIN AND SIEGE ARTILLERY,
Broadway Landing, Va., December 5, 1864.

General:*

On June 14 the Eighteenth Corps, under Major-General Smith, arrived in advance of the Army of the Potomac, and at once moved on Petersburg.

On June 20 Company I, First Connecticut Artillery, Captain Burton, was sent with two 30-pounder Parrotts (a third subsequently added) to his front.

On June 21 the rebel rams came down near Dutch, Gap, and with the Howlett house (rebel) battery, fired on our navy. Lieutenant Dimock replied from Battery Spofford, and ultimately silenced the latter.

On June 23 my regular train arrived from Washington Arsenal in charge of Captain Hatfield. Lieutenant-General Grant immediately ordered me to report to Brigadier-General Hunt, chief of artillery, Army of the Potomac, for the service of that train, detaching such companies from the Bermuda Hundred lines as were necessary for serving the guns, but not otherwise changing my duties under General Butler. Accordingly, since that date I have held the double position of commanding officer of the siege artillery of the Army of the James and of the siege train Army of the Potomac. All of the heavy artillery in front of Richmond has thus been served under a common head and chiefly by the First Connecticut Artillery. Prior to this date all my ordnance supplies were drawn from Captain A. Mordecai, chief ordnance officer, Army of the James. After its arrival the siege train was supplied by direct requisition upon the Ordnance Department, and subsequently, by order of General Grant, the procuring of all ordnance supplies for heave guns for both armies was placed under my charge.

The following is a full statement of firing done under the former system:

Station on Commanding 30- 20- 41/ 32- 24- Total

lines of officer. poun poun 2- poun pou numbe

Bermuda der der inc der nde r

Hundred. Parr Parr h howi r round

otts otts ord tzer how .

. . nan s. itz

ce ers

gun .

s.

Battery Major T. 349 378 - - - 727

Anderson S. Trumbull

Battery Pruyn Captains

Pierce and 155 54 - - - 209

Gillett

Battery Perry Captain E. 16

A. Gillett - 16 - - -

Redoubt Captain W. - - - 157 66 223

Dutton G. Pride

Fort Converse Captain W. 234 353 - - - 587

F. Osborne

Battery Lieutenant 166 24 19 - - 209

Spofford George

Dimock

Total. --- 904 825 19 157 66 1,971

My first duty upon the arrival of the train proper was to establish a suitable depot. After due examination Broadway Landing, on the Appomattox River, was selected, and three substantial wharves were built. My orders were to keep the material afloat, and this has been scrupu-

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*For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 4 to June 13, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part II, p. 191.

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