George Martin
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVI/1 [S# 67]
MAY 4-JUNE 12, 1864--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va.
No. 1.--Organization of the forces operating against Richmond, under Lieut. Gen Ulysses S. Grant, U.S. Army, on the morning of May 5, 1864.
CAVALRY CORPS.
Maj Gen. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN.
THIRD DIVISION.
Brig. Gen. JAMES H. WILSON.
Escort.
8th Illinois (detachment), Lieut. William W. Long. p. 115
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No. 155.--Report of Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, U.S. Army, commanding. First Brigade. [In Part]
May 22, 5.30 a.m., crossed the River Ny at Smith's Mill; turned northeast to the Bowling Green road, crossed the railroad and turning south halted near Guiney's Station at 8 a.m., where we rested until 4 p.m., at which hour we moved west, crossing Guiney's Bridge at the confluence of the Ny and Po Rivers as far as Catlett's, then southwest to Madison's Ordinary, arriving there at 8 p.m., where the rest of the corps had gone into bivouac. Immediately upon arrival was ordered to the west to the crossing of the old Telegraph road in support of the cavalry in charge of Major Forsyth, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. p. 687
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CAVALRY, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 18, 1864.
SIR: I have the honor to report that I sent a detachment of about 300 men, under Major Forsyth, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, to Guiney's Station, where he encountered about the same number of the enemy's cavalry. He drove them from the station, which he burned; also the post-office and a few store-houses; broke the railroad and cut the telegraph; captured the mail, the most important of which is the paper inclosed.(*) The cars ran to this station last night. The enemy are intrenched at the Po River, where the Telegraph road crosses it. They have two pieces of artillery at this point. I can drive them away, if necessary, with some loss. I don't think there is anything except dismounted cavalry. I had a small skirmish on the road leading from Mattapony Church to Hamilton's Crossing. Only about 20 men drove them beyond the railroad, and my party returned via Hamilton's Crossing.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. T. A. TORBERT,
Brigadier-General. p. 803
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVI/2 [S# 68]
MAY 4-JUNE 2, 1864.--Operations on the south side of the James River, Va.
No. 13.--Report of Capt. Leroy A. Baker, Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, of operations May 14-16.
HDQRS. THIRTY-NINTH ILLINOIS VETERAN VOLS.,
May 21, 1864.
In compliance with instructions from division headquarters, I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 14th instant the Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers was ordered to accompany a supply train to Half-Way, a station on the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, where we arrived about noon. Colonel Osborn, then commanding the regiment, at once reported to General Gillmore for further instructions, and was assigned to General Marston's command on the extreme left of the line. We had some brisk skirmishing with the enemy during the afternoon, in which Colonel Osborn was wounded. On the morning of the 15th we received orders to intrench ourselves, and the Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania and Eighty-first New York Regiments were sent to our support, the three regiments forming the line running west from the railroad to the timber.
We had but little skirmishing during the day, and employed ourselves in digging a strong line of rifle-pits. The morning of the l6th we were well prepared for the fight. Early in the morning the Ninety-sixth and Eighty-first were taken from us to strengthen some other position, and we deployed so as to occupy the whole line. At 8 o'clock the enemy charged upon our works steadily and splendidly. We reserved our fire until they were within very short range. When we opened upon them they staggered, rallied, charged again, recoiled; then rallied and charged the third time. Our fire was too hot for them, however, and they fled in confusion, leaving the field literally covered with their dead and wounded. We now discovered that the forces had given back upon our right and were fighting nearly a mile in our rear. Our ammunition was entirely expended, there was no course left but to retreat. Collecting the wounded, we then fell back in order, receiving but a weak fire from the rebels upon our flanks. On reaching the fort on Hospital Hill, we were ordered to the rear, and arrived inside of our present line of works at 9 p.m. We entered the fight with about 550 men; our losses were 122 killed and wounded. Among the killed were 2 captains and the adjutant; and the colonel, major, I captain and 2 lieutenants were wounded.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,
LEROY A. BAKER,
Captain, Commanding Regiment.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS pp. 48/9
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CAMP ONE HUNDREDTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS,
Near Bermuda Hundred, Va., June 4, 1864.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the attack made by the enemy on the picket-line of the First Division on the 2d of June, on which occasion I was general officer of the day. The following regiments were on picket, viz, Eleventh Maine on the right, Thirty-ninth Illinois, center, Seventh Connecticut on the left:
At about 10.30 p.m. June 1 the enemy opened with artillery, first on the picket-line and afterward on the intrenchments, and continued his fire about three-quarters of an hour. From that time until about 6 a.m. there was no firing of consequence on either side.
Between 6 and 7 o'clock on the morning of the 2d the enemy commenced an attack on the Seventh Connecticut near the extreme left of our line. The portion of the picket-line occupied by this regiment commences about 60 yards to the left of the road leading directly from Sally-Port No. 2. It runs through the woods in continuation of the general direction of the line at the center until it reaches an open field, here it is deflected to the rear for some distance, forming a slightly obtuse angle, and again turns to the left through the open field. The left of the line is somewhat irregular and cut up by ravines. At two points in front of this line, viz, at the angle above mentioned and near the left, the rebel picket-line is not more than 25 yards distant from ours. The attack was made in greatest force at those two points, and our left flank turned by piercing the line at those places. The Seventh Connecticut having fallen back, the Thirty-ninth Illinois found itself attacked in flank and rear. Several squads of the Seventh having made their way through the woods and slashings to the headquarters of the picket-line, were posted in the woods on the left of the Thirty-ninth, and assisted in keeping the enemy at bay while the Thirty-ninth fell back by company to the rifle-pits held by their reserve. The attack was continued by the enemy along the line to the right in sufficient force to drive our whole picket force from its advanced rifle-pits, and a portion of the Thirty-ninth and Eleventh fell back as far as the open field in rear of the woods on the right; here they were rallied and the line reformed and pushed forward to the position now held. Rifle-pits were immediately constructed and skirmishers thrown forward into the woods. They found the enemy in line on the road in the woods running in rear of our former line, and his sharpshooters thrown forward in sufficient numbers to prevent any considerable advance of our troops. The enemy's artillery was heard moving on the road, and was evidently being placed in position to check our advance.
The attack was made in sufficient force to accomplish the object intended by the enemy, the occupation of our advanced line. Eight companies of the One hundredth New York Volunteers (200 men) and a detachment of 36 men of the Tenth Connecticut, reported to me at 10 a.m. They were employed as skirmishers and in digging rifle-pits.
Later in the day the Third New Hampshire under LieutenantColonel Plimpton, gallantly retook a portion of the ground on our left, lost by the Seventh Connecticut in the morning, and the line now established is nearly the same as formerly, except at the center and on the right, where it is from 100 to 200 yards farther to the rear.
I inclose a list of casualties during the day. Eleventh Maine Volunteers: Killed, 3 enlisted men; wounded, 4 officers, 29 enlisted men; missing, 1 officer, 4 enlisted men; total, 5 officers, 36 enlisted men. Thirty-ninth Illinois Veteran Volunteers: Killed, 1 officer, 1 enlisted man; wounded, 1 officer, 17 enlisted men; missing, 12 enlisted men; total, 2 officers, 30 enlisted men. Seventh Connecticut Volunteers: Prisoners of war, 4 officers; killed, 3 enlisted men; wounded, 3 officers, 10 enlisted men; wounded and prisoners, 2 enlisted men; total, 7 officers, 92 enlisted men. Aggregate: Killed, 1 officer, 7 enlisted men; wounded, 8 officers, 56 enlisted men; prisoners, 4 officers, 77 enlisted men; missing, 1 officer, 16 enlisted men; wounded and prisoners, 2 enlisted men; total, 14 officers, 158 enlisted men.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
G. B. DANDY,
Colonel 100th New York Vols., General Officer of the Day.
Captain TERRY.
OR V36 Pt. 2, pp. 88/9