General Barlow was marching to his (General Smith's) left, I rode in that direction, hoping to get General Barlow's division up about the same time as General Gibbon's division, and so have the corps massed in time for any offensive operation General Hancock might determine upon. I found that General Barlow had lost his road, marching toward City Point instead of Petersburg, though he had read General Grant's dispatch previously referred to. It was nearly midnight before I found General Hancock's headquarters, and I knew nothing of what had transpired meanwhile. Shortly after daylight on the 16th I was directed by the major-general commanding to go to the left to make an examination of the ground and to report the result on my return. I proceeded to the left of General Birney's division, arriving there, say, one hour after daylight. The enemy were then placing a battery in the cultivated field near the Shands house, where General Burnside's corps and the part of the Second Corps afterward operated. They were going into positino in great haste and had not yet thrown out skirmishers, for I was within 200 or 300 yards of their position. I immediately notified General Birney, whose own skirmishers did not cover the ground as I thought they should have done. The enemy rapidly seized the ground in General Birney's front, and I am very much of the opinion that the attack made by General Birney, in which Colonel Eagan was wounded, was made to retake ground occupied by the enemy some time after daylight one the 16th.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. H. MORGAN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Staff.

Major-General HANCOCK,

Commanding Second Corps.

[40.]

Report of Captain Michael Beahen, Eighth New Jersey Infantry, of operations July 26-29.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH NEW JERSEY BATTALION,
Near Petersburg, Va., October 7, 1864.

SIR: In compliance with circular of October 6, 1864, from headquarters Third Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, I have the honor to make the following report:

This regiment, in conjunction with the brigade, broke camp on the afternoon of July 26, 1864, and marched all night, arriving at Deep Bottom on the morning of the 27th. We took an equal part with others of the brigade in all the movements that occurred during the day, which resulted in the abandonment of an advanced line of works by the enemy. On the evening of the 28th we recrossed the river at Deep Bottom, and arrived in rear of the Eighteenth Corps at 4 a. m. of the 29th, where we remained during the day. At night we took up a position on the line made vacant by the withdrawal of a portion of the Eighteenth Corps.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

MICHAEL BEAHEN,

Captain, Eighth New Jersey Battalion, Commanding.

Captain T. H. DUNHAM,

Aide-de-Camp and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

[40.]