which are somewhat scattered. Some of the brigades are much cut up. Nothing from Whiting."

On the morning of the 17th General Beauregard took up a position in front of General Butler's lines, and intrenched it. "The enemy," he says, "is now hemmed in by our lines, which completely cover the southern communications of the capital, one of the principal objects of our attack." "The complete success," he adds, "was lost by the hesitation of the left wing, and the premature halt of the Petersburg column before obstacles in neither case sufficient to have deterred from the execution of the movements prescribed."

In the case of the Petersburg column, General Ames's division was sufficient to hold that in check, though its presence at Walthall Junction did not justify General Whiting's feeble course. As to the left wing, the fog, the resistance of Heckman's brigade, and the dispositions of Generals Smith and Weitzel, account, in great part, for the failure of its entire success. The attacks by the left wing on all other parts of Weitzel's front were unsuccessful.

The fog was equally detrimental to Smith's troops as to Ransom's.

General Beauregard reported his casualties on the 16th as 354 officers and enlisted men killed, 1,610 wounded, and 220 missing a total of 2,184. He says the enemy left in his hands 1,400 prisoners, five pieces of artillery, and five stands of colors.

The statements of losses in the reports and accompanying papers of Generals Smith and Gillmore are incomplete, and it is apparent that the Tabular Statement of the "Medical and Surgical History of the War" is not correct. I do not find the report of the Medical Director. Badeau's Tabular Statement furnishes the best data. According to it, Butler's loss on the 16th was 390 officers and enlisted men killed, 1,721 wounded, and 1,390 missing-total, 3,500. The

losses in the encounters previous to the 16th are not included.

General Kautz in his raid upon the Richmond and Danville Railroad destroyed the stations, tracks, some trains, and large stores of subsistence and other supplies at Coalfield, Powhatan, and Chula, the last, south of the Appomattox River. He then crossed over to the South Side Railroad (Petersburg and Lynchburg Railroad), and after destroying the roads and stations at Black's and White's, Wilson's and Wellsville, returned to City Point, reaching there on the evening of the 17th. On the 16th he found the railroad bridge over the Nottoway, which he had destroyed on the 8th, replaced by a new structure.

On the 20th, the advanced rifle-pits on Butler's right, General Ames's front, and a part of General Terry's were captured, and a sharp fight ensued to regain them, unsuccessfully on Ames's front; but on Terry's front, Colonel Howell's brigade, after a severe contest, conducted with skill and gallantry, retook the pits. The loss was severe, 702 killed and wounded. The loss of the enemy was equally great, and among their severely wounded was their Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General W. S. Walker, who was captured.

On the 22d of May, while the movement from Spottsylvania Court House was going on, General Grant learnt the result of General Butler's operations, and at once directed him to send all his troops under the command of General Smith to join the Army of the Potomac, except a number sufficient to keep a foothold at City Point. On the 25th the order was repeated, and the forces sent were directed to land at the White House, at the head of navigation on the Pamunkey. They were embarked during the night of the 28th and the morning of the 29th.

General Smith took with him Brooks's division of his own

corps, and the Second and Third divisions of the Tenth Corps, commanded by General Devens and General Ames. His force consisted, according to his report, of very nearly 16,000 infantry (enlisted men), sixteen guns, and a squadron (100) of cavalry.

General Butler retained about 10,000 enlisted men of infantry; Kautz's cavalry, 2,600; and Hinks's colored cavalry, about 2,000.

Before General Butler sent off any part of his force, General Beauregard was instructed to strengthen his line, retain sufficient force to hold it, and send forward the remainder to General Lee. Under this order Pickett's division and Hoke's brigade (Colonel Lewis commanding) of Early's division joined General Lee at Hanover Junction, and Hoke's division, consisting of Martin's, Clingman's, Hagood's, and Colquitt's brigades, joined him later at Cold Harbor.

General Beauregard retained Bushrod R. Johnson's division, about 5,000 strong, consisting of Ransom's, Gracie's, and B. R. Johnson's brigades, the last now commanded by Colonel Fulton, Wise's brigade, about 2,400 strong, and probably General W. S. Walker's South Carolina brigade, afterward commanded by General N. G. Evans, making a force of about 9,000 infantry. Dearing's brigade of cavalry also remained with him.

CHAPTER VI.

PASSAGE OF THE PAMUNKEY RIVER-TOTOPOTOMOY AND COLD HARBOR.

IN accordance with instructions received from General Grant, General Meade set the Army of the Potomac in motion as soon as it was dark, on the evening of the 26th of May, to cross the Pamunkey River at and in the vicinity of Hanover Town, some thirty-two or thirty-three miles, by the shortest route, below the position then occupied by the Army of the Potomac.

General Sheridan, with Torbert's and Gregg's divisions of cavalry, preceded the infantry, taking the river road in the afternoon of the 26th, and leaving some force at Little Page's bridge and Taylor's ford to deceive the enemy and watch those crossings until the army had passed. He was followed by Russell's division of the Sixth Corps, which was to make a forced march to Hanover Town. As soon as it was dark the withdrawal of the Army of the Potomac to the north bank of the North Anna began, and by three o'clock in the morning of the 27th was completed, the ponton bridges taken up, the other bridges destroyed, and the army on the march, following the advanced force. General Wilson's cavalry took the place of the infantry at the river crossings, and brought up the rear. The night was intensely dark, and the withdrawal was effected apparently without the knowledge of the enemy.

General Wright with Getty's and Ricketts' divisions fol

lowed Russell. The Fifth Corps, followed by the Ninth, which now formed a part of the Army of the Potomac, marched on a road more distant from the river, and were to cross the Pamunkey at New Castle Ferry, four miles below Hanover Town. The Second Corps followed the route of the Sixth Corps. The roads were not cleared for the Second and Ninth Corps until half-past ten in the morning.

At nine A.M. of the 27th, General Sheridan reported that he then occupied Hanover Town; that the crossing was taken with but little opposition; that two ponton bridges were laid and in use; that his first division had crossed, and that the second was about crossing.

In the vicinity of Hanover Town, on the Hanover Court House road, General Barringer's (formerly Gordon's) cavalry brigade of W. H. F. Lee's division was encountered and forced back toward the Court House as far as Crump's Creek, five miles northwest from Hanover Town. Our cavalry also occupied the road from Hanover Town to Atlee's Station and Richmond. A strong force of the enemy's cavalry was reported to be at Hanover Court House. At ncon of the 27th, General Russell reported from the south side of the Pamunkey that his division had reached that point an hour before.

On the afternoon of the 27th the routes of the army were changed; the Sixth and Second Corps were directed to cross the Pamunkey at Huntley's, four miles above Hanover Town, and the Fifth and Ninth Corps to cross at Hanover Town.

Some brief description of the streams and roads in the section of country in which the operations now about to be described, took place, seems to be necessary.

About two miles below Hanover Town, Totopotomoy Creek, after a course nearly due east of twelve miles, empties into the Pamunkey. It rises near Atlee's Station on the