that it was with great difficulty that a train of wounded could be taken through. During the morning of the 20th all of the ambulances returned to the front, and were in readiness for action. The day, however, passed quietly. New roads were looked up to be used in case of necessity. On the morning of the 21st the enemy again made a determined assault on our lines, and were severely repulsed, leaving many of their wounded in our hands. The wounded men were carried back, as usual, on the stretchers, and after having their wounds dressed were placed in ambulances, and sent to the hospitals. The ambulances were this day under a severe artillery fire from the enemy.

During the three days' fighting the ambulances conveyed from the field of battle to the hospitals of the corps, 773 of our own wounded, 30 of other corps (Ninth), and 153 of the enemy, besides about 300 sick sent to hospital on the 18th and 19th. Owing to the condition of the roads and the distance, it was considered impracticable to send any of the Fifth Corps ambulances to City Point. Our sick and wounded were, therefore, by direction of the medical director of the army, taken from the Fifth Corps hospitals to City Point by the ambulance train of the Sixth Corps, which duty was performed promptly and cheerfully. The large number of casualties is good evidence that the men of the ambulance corps did their duty well under fire. Great credit is, however, due the officers and men of this department for the untiring energy with which they worked day and night, in the rain and mud, in order to transport the wounded back to the hospitals as quickly as possible. It might be proper for me to state that it was not possible for the hospitals to be any nearer, it not being considered safe, and the roads being in such condition that it would have been almost impossible to have gotten the heavy hospital trains through them.

During the three day's engagement 2 sergeants were killed, 1 sergeant and 5 stretcher-men wounded, and 19 stretcher-men missing, making the total number of casualties in the ambulance corps, 27. Eight horses were also killed, and shells passed through two of the ambulances.

I have the honor to submit, with this report, a list of casualties.*

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. F. DRUM,

Captain and Chief Ambulance Officer, Fifth Army Corps.

Surg. J. J. MILHAU, U. S. Army,

Medical Director, Fifth Army Corps.

Numbers 126. Report of Lieutenant George W. Dresser, Fourth U. S. Artillery, Inspector of Artillery, of operations October 27.

FIFTH CORPS, ARTILLERY HEADQUARTERS,

October 29, 1864.

GENERAL: About 2.30 p. m. October 27 I left Fifth Corps headquarters, near Armstrong's Mill, in company with yourself and staff, and joined General Crawford, commanding Third Division, Fifth Corps. Found him with his division, skirmishers engaged, his right flank resting on Hatcher's Run, about on a line with General Griffin's line, and his line extending in a westerly direction toward the saw-mill road (the road passing by Dabney's steam-mill), with his left refused, to protect left flank. His whole line was advancing. After finding it impossible to get a battery through the thicket, to be posted to enfilade the ene-

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 2 killed, 6 wounded, and 19 missing.

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