fifty yards of the crater, so as to render their five peculiarly accurate and destructive. Such of the enemy as survived this treatment, hopeless of support from their friends under the fire directed against the latter by all our guns, gladly surrendered on the last charge of our infantry. The enemy had gained nothing save a wholesome lesson, and that he had purchased at immense cost of life and labor. Major Gibbes, commanding the guns on the right of the crater, as soon as possible caused all of them that bore on the enemy's approaches to be opened. His left gun alone had effective command, and it was culpably left for a time unserved, through the misbehavior of Lieutenant James C. Otey, who, owing to a combination of circumstances, was the only officer at the time present with the company. This was remedied by Major Gibbes himself repairing to that gun and having it worked with excellent effect until he received a severe and dangerous wound and was borne from the field. The guns thus again silent for a season were re-opened by the timely arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Huger, who, with the assistance of Captains Winthrop and Haskell, of General Alexander's staff, and of Private L. T. Covington, of Pegram's blown up battery, worked the guns again under a concentrated fire until another officer of the battery arrived from the rear and continued its service with cannoneers obtained from other guns. Our guns on the north of the Appomattox meanwhile put forth their strength, as did those all along General Beauregard's line and those farther off to the right, to occupy the enemy elsewhere and prevent his too great concentration at his point of attack. The result was signally satisfactory. A subsequent attempt of the enemy to reach Gracie's salient, farther to the left, by a sap, was with comparative ease frustrated by the fire of our mortars.*

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. N. PENDLETON,

Brigadier General and Chief of Artillery, Army of Northern Virginia.

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of Northern Virginia.

[For report of casualties in artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia, from May 4 to December 1, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 1052.]

Numbers 295. Diary of the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.+

June 16.-Pickett and Field move at 3 and 5 a. m., cross James River at Drewry's Bluff, and move down the turnpike toward Petersburg to occupy the line abandoned by General Beauregard. We found a picket of the enemy on the turnpike near Chester and the line occupied by the enemy. Reconnoitering, and an effort to get him out, we get the left, including Howlett's.

June 17.-During the day we possess ourselves of the line by an advance of Pickett and Field. On the night of this day there is heavy fighting at Petersburg, and urgent calls are made by General Beauregard for aid. Kershaw arrives near Perdue's.

---------------

*For continuation of report, see Vol. XLII, Part I.

+For portion of this diary (here omitted) covering movements from May 7 to June 15, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 1056.

---------------