wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel Moulton being captured by the enemy, the command devolved upon Captain Tucker. In the Fifty-fifth, Captain Shearer and Nesbit, both being wounded within a few moments of each other, the command devolved upon Captain G. H. Hill. Major Brewster, Twenty-third Massachusetts, was also wounded at this time, leaving Colonel Elwell, of that regiment, my only field officer.

As soon as the intervening rifle-pit was cleared, and my command reached the rising ground on the edge of the ravine, it became at once evident that in view of the converging fire of musketry and the direct fire from artillery, which was cutting down each successive division as it rose the knolls, that it would be impossible for a sufficient number of men to reach the works to produce any effect on the enemy, and as no concert of action on the part of other commands was apparent, I ordered the remnant of my command to retire to the rifle-pits, which they did in good order, holding the advance line for more than two hours, when, having strengthened my second line with the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, Captain Hufty, who had opportunely arrived, I withdrew to that line. My loss in this movement was 31 commissioned officers, including all my staff, and 462 enlisted men, official lists of which have been duly transmitted. My command held this position until 8 p. m., when it was relieved by other troops and fell back to the second line of rifle-pits. On the morning of the 4th instant the Eighty-ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, Colonel Fairchild, reported to me, thus strengthening my command considerably. From this date until Saturday, the 11th, the command occupied these rifle-pits, during which time I alternated with the Second Brigade furnishing picket in front of our works. Nothing of note occurred during this time. My casualties were small, amounting to 3 officers and 50 men.

On Saturday, the 11th, moved my command up to the first line, relieving Colonel Stedman, Second Brigade, remaining there until Sunday evening, the 12th. At 9 p. m. of this date, in obedience to orders previously received, I withdrew the main portion of my command from the rifle-pits, leaving my pickets and the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Regiment as a support thereto, and marched rapidly to White House Landing, where I arrived at 5 a. m. 13th. At 4 p. m. of this day, all my command having come up, I embarked them on board transports for Bermuda Landing, on James River. Reaching Bermuda at 5 p. m. of Tuesday, 14th, the orders were changed to Point of Rocks, on the Appomattox, where I landed and went into camp at 9 p. m. At 2 a. m. on the 15th formed my brigade line, consisting of the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania, and Eighty-ninth New York Volunteers, the Twenty-third Massachusetts and Ninth New Jersey not having yet arrived. Crossed the pontoon over the Appomattox, and taking the Spring Hill road, in obedience to orders from Major-General Smith threw out a portion of the Eighty-ninth New York as skirmishers and advanced in the direction of Petersburg. I had advanced but a short distance when my advanced guard came upon the enemy's pickets, when I immediately deployed my command, forming my line of battle on the right and left of the road. I advanced in this way some three miles, driving the enemy. At length emerging from a thick piece of woods to the right of the railroad brought the right of my line in an open field, while the left, being covered by the woods, rested on the railroad. I lay here exposed to a heavy artillery fire from the enemy's earth-work in my front and on my right flank until 7 p. m., when I strengthened my skirmish line by two companies of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, under Captain Harrington. My line now advanced, driving the enemy from Battery Numbers 3,