General Hoke. My pickets, according to directions, fell back to the main body, and thus decoyed the enemy into the pits directly before my front line. My brigade then opened fire so sharply that the enemy could neither advance nor retreat, nor remain in safety where they were. They accordingly threw down their arms, and between fifty and sixty surrendered themselves and were passed to the rear, including one captain, six sergeants, and other non-commissioned officers. A portion of the enemy endeavored to escape to their own lines, and in so doing about forty were shot down in front of our brigade. Twenty-four of these are lying before the Fortieth Massachusetts, killed by their Spencer rifles, which were fired with great rapidity and precision. The casualties in my brigade were only 3 killed and 8 wounded.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GUY V. HENRY,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Lieutenant Colonel NICOLAS BOWEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, First Division.

[40.]

Reports of Brigadier General John H. Martindale, U. S. Army, commanding division, of operations on south side of the James River, at Cold Harbor, and in the Richmond (Va.) Captain, May 9-10, and May 26 - July 1, 1864.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Petersburg, Va., July 1, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the division under my command since the 26th day of May, 1864:

Early in the morning of the 26th of May I went in person with one regiment from the lines at Cobb's Hill across the bridge at the outlet of Bake-House Creek to Port Walthall. The regiment was the One hundred and forty-eighth New York Volunteers, commanded by Cool. George M. Guion. Skirmishers were deployed and the main body of the regiment advanced about 1,200 yards under cover of the woods, until the pickets of the enemy were encountered in force, and the main body of the enemy favorably posted at a mill on the creek and extended along a road leading toward Port Walthall Junction. At 7 a. m. I reported to the commanding general and under his orders directed the Second Brigade, commanded by General Devens, to move across the bridge with a view to dislodge the enemy, should it be found practicable to do so, with the portion of my command then off duty and at my disposal. The Second Brigade was soon got into position and an advance made toward the ground occupied by the enemy. General Stannard, with portions of his brigade about 700 strong, was also ordered by me over the bridge. These troops were placed to support the advance on the enemy's position. After I was in readiness to make the contemplated attack the commanding general received intelligence that his corps was to be mobilized and ordered to White House, on the Pamunkey, whereupon he ordered the movement which I was about to make to be suspended and to return my troops to their camps, and which was immediately done. In this reconnaissance the casualties were 2 killed, 2 wounded, and 2 missing.

On the 28th of May my division was moved, with the other portions of the Eighteenth Army Corps, near Bermuda Hundred. I was ordered