Mr. Chapman, was in attendance at one of the field hospitals rendering aid to the wounded.

I am, respectfully, your respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN McCONIHE,

Colonel, Commanding.

Colonel VORIS,

Commanding Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteers.

[36.]

Report of Colonel Harris M. Plaisted, Eleventh Maine Infantry, commanding brigade, of operations on south side of the James River, Va., May 12-16, 1864.

HDQRS. THIRD Brigadier, FIRST DIV., TENTH ARMY CORPS.

Bermuda Hundred, Va., May 20, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the part taken by my brigade in the affairs of the 12th to 16th, inclusive, in the vicinity of Fort Darling or Drewry's Bluff:

On the morning of the 12th instant Terry's division moved out with other troops of the Tenth Corps in the direction of the Petersburg pike, the Third Brigade having the advance of the division. Thedivision bivouacked in the open field near Perdue's, south of the pike and about one mile from the Halfway House. The Third Brigade occupied the left flank and bivouacked in line of battle, forming two sides of a square, with four companies in the rear as a reserve. A strong picket of 200 men from each regiment was posted. Twice during the night the men were called to arms by picket-firing. On the morning of the 13th our forces moved upon the road to Chester Junction, on the Petersburg and Richmond Railroad, which point was reached at 8.30 a. m., the Third Brigade in the advance. At this point I was ordered to cross the railroad, take a path through the woods by a wide circuit, with a view to gain the right and rear of the enemy's fortifications, having for guides a colored man [and] a Mr. Perdue. The Brigade pushed forward with caution, the One hundredth New York Volunteers in advance, with skirmishers and flankers out. The advance being delayed by the skirmishers and flankers, owing to the thick woods, I was ordered by General Foster, chief of staff, to push forward without flankers and skirmishers - at least they must to delay the column. The One hundredth was advanced several hundred yards from the remaining regiments of the brigade, and one company from that regiment thrown forward 100 yards of more as advanced guard. Every by path and thicket was searched by three or four mounted orderlies and my staff officers, and every inhabitant upon the way arrested and questionable. In this manner the movement was executed without a halt or check those occasioned by obstacles of the way, defiles, &c., to the Chesterfield road, about one mile from the enemy's right flank, when General Gillmore and staff, with a squadron of cavalry, took the advance capturing on the Chesterfield road the enemy's mounted vedettes. The One hundredth New York here was posted upon the Chesterfield road to block up the way in the direction of the court-house, the enemy's cavalry having appeared in that direction. The Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers then took the advance to the Salem Church, half a mile farther, where it was posted to guard the Richmond road while our column was passing. The Tenth Connecticut Volunteers then having the lead, advanced to within a few hundred yards of the rear of the enemy's works, the skirmishers of the