lery in question, and that my command was not needed there; that he proposed to open fire upon the enemy and have a party ready to rush in during the fire and draw the pieces off, and advised me to withdraw, so that my command would be out of his way and removed from under fire. But as my orders were imperative to stay until the object for which the expedition had been sent was accomplished, I directed my command to remain. At my suggestion another plan was adapted, which soon resulted in securing the prize for which both Colonel Cobham and myself were mutually laboring. Shovels, picks, and ropes were sent for, and a detail, made from my own and Colonel Cobham's command, succeed in making an excavation in front of each gun; a rope was attached to the muzzle of each, and the four pieces were successively drawn through the apertures and taken off, the last one being removed about 1 a. m. of the 16th of May. About midnight the enemy opened a heavy musketry fire, not only in our immediate front, but along the entire left of our line, but as our pickets did not indicate that an advance was being made, the men, both those at work and in line, were again ordered to lie down, and as a result the object of the expedition was accomplished without the loss of a man. Immediately after the guns were removed orders were receive to abandon the position and return to our former position, which was done, my command reaching camp about 2 a. m. The pieces removed were four nearly new brass light 12-pounder Napoleons. I desire to render due credit to Colonel Cobham and his command for the assistant rendered on the occasion, and will only suggest that had his plan been carried out it must have resulted in the loss of many men, and also been uncertain of accomplishment.

I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

PHILO B. BUCKINGHAM,

Lieutenant-Colonel Twentieth Connecticut Volunteers.

Captain JOHN SPEED,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Third Div., 20th Army Corps.

Numbers 271.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Godfrey Rider, jr., Thirty-third Massachusetts Infantry, of operations May 2-21.

HDQRS. THIRTY-THIRD MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS,
Near Cassville, Ga., May 21, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that the Thirty-third Massachusetts Volunteers left their camp in Lookout Valley on the 2nd day of May, 1864, proceeding, in connection with the Third Brigade, to a position near Buzzard Roost, Ga., the march occupying seven days. On the 8th, Sunday, the regiment advanced with the brigade to a gap near Buzzard Roost, forming a junction with the right of the Fourteenth Corps, the brigade returning at night to the remainder of the Third Division, Twentieth Corps. Monday, 9th, the brigade again advanced to the gap, where it was formed in line of battle on the right of the Fourteenth Corps, a portion of the Thirty-third being thrown forward as skirmishers; but at 2 p.m. of that day the