to hasten with my regiment through the woods and report to Colonel Barton, Forty-eighth New York State Volunteers, commanding brigade. Doing so he placed me on the left of his front line of battle and then the brigade was moved forward to and across the road leading easterly toward Drewry's Bluff. Here my men at once threw up a light barricade of fence rails and logs, behind which they lay for twenty-six hours. Again were my skirmishers thrown forward, to whom I gave orders to acto coolly and not waste ammunition but make every shot tell. These were relieved every four hours, by which means each company and man had opportunity to exhibit their mettle and yet rest what they could. All were prompt in the execution of my orders and manifested the cool, ready obedience exhibited by the Eleventh on other fields of danger. No shelter was procurable without tools (and my pioneers had been detained by one of Colonel Howell's subordinates) to secure even the reserve from casualty by the enemy's missiles, as his rifle-shots passed continually near, and his spherical case, from a howitzer opposite my front, bursting over, dropped splinters and contents among officers and men. Many narrow escapes were had, but few casualties were suffered. At 6 o'clock eve orders came from General Turner to make a general advance along the line. I immediately threw forward four companies to support the two already on the skirmish line. The advance was made, but soon Captain Hill, in command of my companies, sent me the information that he had advanced over the enemy's slashing nearly to his earth-works; should have entered them but for the want of support on the right by the One hundred and fifteenth New York Volunteers, and the left by the Sixth Connecticut Volunteers, as both regiments advanced with him, but had fallen back 30 to 40 yards. I then ordered forward a sufficient force from the companies in support to cover his flanks, and instructed Captain Hill to move with caution. The enemy, seeing the flanking regiments fall-back, returned to the position in the woods which he had left when our forces advanced. No doubt if properly supported by the other regiments, Captain Hill and the companies of the Eleventh would have entered and held the time of works they charged upon, and which success might have given a different result to the four days' fight. Several wounded prisoners were brought in, captured on the grounds which my companies charged over. These prisoners asserted their loss from the fire of the "Maine boys" far exceeded that from the other regiments, and that my men must be all sharpshooters, yet my orders had been generally obeyed to the letter and less than one-fourth the ammunition were expended by the Eleventh than was by those on the right and left. The general ascertaining the result of the movement, the advanced party was ordered to fall back, the companies in support withdrawn, and the line occupied for the night.

On the 15th, at 9 a.m., I was ordered to report with my regiment to Colonel Plaisted, my proper brigade commander, which I did, and was thus relieved after forty-five hour constantly in line of battle, in position, skirmishing with the enemy all the time. Except the time occupied by inspection of arms, the overstated officers and men were permitted to rest until 6 p.m.,at which hour an aide of General Terry's came with orders for me to move my regiment to an outpost at the house beyond the railroad, on the extreme left, accompanied by a section of artillery. Arriving at the spot I could gather little information relative to the position other than it was