First Division hospital was removed to the unoccupied camp, as the Birchett house during the pending operations was considered to be insecure. No heavy engagement took place on the left. General Mott's division (Third) participated only in some active skirmishing, which yielded the hospital about seventy wounded. These were speedily dressed and sent by rail to City Point. On the 6th the division returned to its old position in the works on the left of the corps front. The hospital again assumed its position in the wood in rear of the Deserted House, the First Division hospital, which had occupied this ground for a few days, moving out to a house near Meade Station, which had been its location during the heavy assaults of the 16th and 18th of June, 1864, the situation of the troops and hospital of the corps remaining as they now existed until the night of the 24th. The Second and Third Divisions were then relieved from the works and massed for action under cover of the woods. The First Division stretched out to hold the line hitherto defended by the corps as a whole. On the 25th, as it was necesszry to put the hospital in marching condition, the sick were sent to the Point depot. About 450 cases were also sent away who, had no movement been on the tapis, would perhaps have never appeared on the hospital records. They were men slightly indisposed, who were looked upon by regimental and brigade medical officers as unable with propriety to accompany the troops on the move.

At 2 p. m. of the 26th the Second and Third Divisions, accompanied by their hospital trains (the usual allowance of one-half of the ambulances and one medicine and one army wagon to each brigade), moved off toward the left. That part of the trains not permitted to follow the troops were sent within the defenses of City Point, there to remain until caleld for, or until the return of the troops. The line of march stretched through the woods by the Smith, Williams, and Gurley houses to Fort Dushane, outside of which the men bivouacked at night-fall. While here it was arranged, in order that the march might be more rapidly effected in the morning, that all trains permitted to accompany the divisions should remain at the Gurley house in park until their presence should be required at the front. To this order no exception was made of the wagons carrying medical supplies, so that when the line of march was again taken up the ambulances only accompanied the troops. Reveille was sounded about 3 a. m. of the 27th, and shortly afterward the march was resumed, the Second Division in advance. Leaving Fort Dushane the column moved along the Halifax road for about two miles and a half, when it struck off to the right along a narrow wood road leading to a crossing over Hatcher's Run, a short distance below Armstrong's Mill. An hour after daybreak the head of our column struck the enemy's pickets, about a quarter of a mile from the crossing. They were immediately driven in and the works defending the passage of the run assaulted and captured. This success was achieved with loss of about fifty wounded, sufficient to load up al the ambulances present with the Second Division, fifteen in number. The medical director made application for permission to send these loaded wagons back to the Gurley house, so that they might be relieved of the wounded they carried, and to have them return immediately to the front, where their service might possibly be required. This was disapproved, on the ground that straggling parties of the enemy's cavalry were now in our rear and might chance to interfere with the safe conduct of the train unless well guarded. Application for an armed escort was also refused. The wounded had, therefore, to be carried along with the troops toward the Boydton