these despatches.) The Confederate losses must have at least equalled ours.

In support of the movement to the left, General Butler, having been directed to make a demonstration on the north side of the James, sent part of the Eighteenth Corps, under General Weitzel, to make a demonstration on the Williamsburg road north of the White Oak swamp, and part of the Tenth Corps, under General Terry, to demonstrate on the Charles City and Darby roads. Under cover of General Terry's demonstration, General Weitzel was to push through the White Oak swamp at Hobson's crossing, and move up the Williamsburg road to the Confederate line of intrenchments.

The plan was carried out successfully, General Weitzel arriving at the road near the Seven Pines battlefield at one o'clock in the afternoon. Moving up the road toward Richmond, at the end of a mile and a half he found himself in front of the Confederate intrenchments, which, upon examination, he found to be thinly held by a small body of dismounted cavalry with three guns, and determined to attack, believing he could easily carry them. At the same time he sent Colonel Holman, commanding the First Brigade, Third Division, colored troops, across the York River Railroad to find the enemy's left and turn it.

In the meantime the enemy were not idle. On the 19th of October General Longstreet returned to his corps and took command on the north side of the James and on the Bermuda Hundred front. North of the James he had the

hone broke three lines of battle, and during the night the enemy retreated, leaving his wounded and more than 250 dead on the field. Later.-The total number of prisoners, according to General Hill's report, is 700."

According to the Table of the Adjutant-General's Office, our casualties were 143 killed, 653 wounded, and 488 missing. The errors of this table, as heretofore explained, are in the numbers of the wounded. Its numbers of killed and missing are, undoubtedly correct.

troops known as the Local Defences, under General Ewell, Hoke's division, Field's division, and Gary's cavalry brigade. These troops, in the order mentioned, held from the river to the White Oak swamp. Pickett's division still held the

Bermuda Hundred front.

Longstreet perceived on the morning of the 27th that General Butler was moving against his left, and anticipated that the heavy skirmishing from the New Market to the Charles City road was designed, because of its long continuance, not to precede an assault, but to cover an attempt to turn his left flank by pushing a column through the White Oak swamp, taking possession of the unoccupied works on the Williamsburg and Nine Mile or New Bridge roads, and moving down them. He accordingly directed Field and Hoke to move to the left along the works, leaving only skirmishers in them, and sent General Gary to the Nine Mile road to hold the works there. Moving rapidly, the left of Field had just crossed the Williamsburg road, when Weitzel's skirmishers, preceding his line of battle, were advancing to attack.

General Weitzel had for his attacking force, Colonel Cullen's brigade of his First Division, which was formed in line of battle on the right of the Williamsburg road, supported by the First and Third brigades, General Marston commanding the division. On the left of the road the attacking force was Colonel H. S. Fairchild's brigade of the Second Division in line of battle, the division commanded by General Heckman. This force, preceded by skirmishers, advanced to the attack over open ground, at half past three o'clock, but instead of the fire of a thin line, were met with a heavy musketry fire, together with that of some guns. They got close to the works, but were repulsed with considerable loss in killed, wounded, and missing, each brigade losing three colors.

Colonel Holman crossed the railroad and upon the New Bridge road came upon a salient held by some of Gary's men, dismounted, the last occupied part of the intrenchments. This a part of the brigade charged upon and captured, taking two guns, but Gary then came upon the field, and charging along the line of works, took Holman's men in flank, recaptured the guns, and forced Holman to fall back. As they fell back, Colonel Holman received General Weitzel's order to return to his command.

Colonel Kiddoo was severely wounded in this affair while leading his regiment.

Shortly after dark General Weitzel began to withdraw to the Charles City road, the rain, darkness, mud, and narrow road making it very fatiguing for the troops, who were marching all night.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, General Terry was ordered to press his demonstration, and, if the chance occurred, to carry the enemy's intrenchments. This was attempted, but the whole attack was repulsed.

The loss in the two commands is not given in the reports. By the Table of the Adjutant General's Office it was 516 killed and wounded, and 587 missing.

Being covered by intrenchments, the casualties of General Longstreet's command must have been much less. On the Williamsburg road he reports his loss (Field's division and Gary's brigade) to have been 64 killed, wounded, and missing.

It may be in place here, at the close of active operations in 1864, to mention that on the 7th of November, Surgeon McParlin, Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac, reported to General Meade, "that the number of wounded of the Army of the Potomac from May 3 to October 31, 1864, may be considered as amounting to 57,495. This was exclusive of the Eighteenth Corps while it served with the

Army of the Potomac, and does not include the Ninth Corps at the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House. According to a memorandum of General Warren, the killed and wounded of the Fifth Corps during the period stated by Surgeon McParlin exceeded 11,000.

In the latter part of November, the season for active operations having ceased, General Hancock was called to Washington by the Secretary of War to organize the new First Army Corps, which, it was expected, would be ready to take the field in the spring, when the roads and country would admit of the resumption of active operations.

He had served in the Army of the Potomac with the greatest distinction from its earliest operations at Williamsburg down to the time of his leaving it, being conspicuous in all its battles and operations.

CHAPTER XII.

THE WINTER OF 1864-65-MOVEMENT TO BREAK UP THE WAGON-TRAIN ROUTE OF SUPPLY FROM HICKSFORD, ON THE WELDON RAILROAD, TO PETERSBURG, AND EXTENSION OF OUR INTRENCHMENTS TO HATCHER'S RUN-THE CAPTURE AND RECAPTURE FORT STEDMAN - PREPARATIONS MOVE AGAINST LEE'S RIGHT FLANK AND THE DANVILLE AND SOUTH SIDE RAILROADS.

OF

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THE defeat of General Early at Cedar Creek on the 19th of October by General Sheridan substantially closed the campaign in the Valley of Virginia.

The Sixth Corps was returned to the Army of the Potomac, arriving before Petersburg by divisions between the 4th and 16th of December, and Brig.-General T. M. Harris's division of the Army of West Virginia was also detached from General Sheridan's command, and was sent to the Army of the James.

About the same time General Early's corps, now commanded by General Gordon, rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia. Kershaw's division had returned to it in the latter part of November. The Army of Northern Virginia now had an effective force of infantry amounting to 50,000.1

Wise's brigade is not included in the above numbers. Wise's brigade in the Return of December 20th, and that of November 30th, and in Returns preceding it, is