At the close of the day on the 3d of June there were many of our wounded lying between the lines and very near the enemy's intrenchments, completely covered by the fire of his pickets and sharpshooters. But our men made extraordinary efforts by night to get in their wounded comrades, and so far succeeded that very few were left. There were many dead of both sides lying there unburied, and General Grant proposed an arrangement with General Lee for bringing in the wounded and burying the dead. This proposition was made on the afternoon of the 5th, but no cessation of hostilities for the purpose took place until the afternoon of the 7th, when a truce was agreed upon from six to eight in the evening. Very few wounded were collected. Of those not brought in at night by their comrades, as before mentioned, the greater number had died of their wounds and exposure. The dead were buried where they lay.

The number of casualties in the Army of Northern Virginia during this period, from the 27th of May to the 12th of June, are nowhere stated. General Lee reported to the Secretary of War, on the 3d of June, that his loss that day was small. Up to, and including, the morning of the 1st of June, they were probably nearly equal to our own; in the afternoon of the 1st of June, less than ours, but still severe; on the 3d of June, very much less than ours. According to the Tabular Statement of the "Medical and Surgical History of the War," the number of its wounded, from the 1st to the 12th of June, was 1,200; its missing, 500. This would make its killed and wounded about 1,500. The authority for the statement is not given. The actual number was probably much greater. But even that number, when added to the probable number of killed and wounded between the 27th of May and midday

casualties, 11,729. The losses in the Eighteenth Corps he estimates at 1,900 wounded, 500 killed and missing; total, 2,400. Grand total, 14,129. The number of sick sent to general hospitals North, 3,000.

Total loss, 17,129.

of the 1st of June, would give between three and four thousand killed and wounded for the whole period we are considering, and, including the missing, not less than between four and five thousand. Besides the Confederate general officers already mentioned as killed or wounded, it is noted in the Tabular Statement of Casualties that General Kirkland of Heth's division, General Lane of Wilcox's, General Finnegan of Mahone's, and General Law of Field's divisions were wounded. In the Diary of Longstreet's Corps it is mentioned that General Law was wounded.

On the 5th General Birney was returned to the Second Corps, and extended its left to the Chickahominy. General Warren was withdrawn to the rear of Cold Harbor, and General Burnside, with his left on Smith's right, was extended along the Matadequin toward Allen's mill-pond.

On the 7th Griffin's and Cutler's divisions moved to the Chickahominy, and held from the left of Hancock to Despatch Station.

Two attempts were made by Lee to attack the right flank and rear of our army-one on the 6th, the other on the 7th. On the 6th General Early moved out on the north side of the Matadequin, getting as far as Bosher's on Burnside's right flank, but becoming entangled in the swamps of that stream, and troops from Anderson's corps failing to cooperate in time, probably owing to the same cause, he could effect nothing, and retired to his intrenchments. On the 7th he made a similar effort on the south side of the Matadequin, which failed from the same cause.

XII.-9

CHAPTER VII.

PASSAGE OF JAMES RIVER-ASSAULTS UPON THE INTRENCHMENTS OF PETERSBURG.

A FEW days after the Battle of Cold Harbor, General Halleck proposed to General Grant that the Army of the Potomac should invest Richmond on the north bank of the James. This would have given greater security to Washington, but it would have left open to Richmond not only all the lines of supply on the south bank of the James, but, through railroad connections with Lynchburg, the supplies of the Valley of Virginia and of West Virginia would have also been available for it. The original plan of campaign was therefore adhered to. The Central and Fredericksburg railroads had not been sufficiently damaged, and, on the 5th of June, General Sheridan was directed to move to Charlottesville with two of his divisions, starting on the morning of the 7th, destroy the railroad bridge over the Rivanna near that town, and the Central Railroad from that point to Hanover Junction, if practicable, which being effected, he would rejoin the army. General Sheridan carried instructions to General Hunter (whom he was expected to meet at Charlottesville) to unite his forces with Sheridan's, and, after thoroughly destroying the Central Railroad, to join the Army of the Potomac.

General Hunter, moving up the Valley of the Shenandoah, had, on the 5th of June, encountered a force, consisting of Jones's, Vaughn's, and Imboden's brigades, under BrigadierGeneral Jones, at Piedmont, about ten miles northeast from

Staunton, defeated it, and captured 1,500 men, with three guns. On the 8th of June he formed a junction with Crook and Averill at Staunton, and moved by way of Lexington upon Lynchburg, the possession of which, with its manufacturing establishments and stores, was important to the Confederates. General Vaughn, who succeeded to Jones's command, fell back to Waynesboro' at Rockfish Gap, on the railroad to Charlottesville.

As soon as General Lee received information of Jones's defeat, General Breckinridge was sent back to the Valley with the force he had brought with him from it, and on the 11th of June General Early moved his corps to the rear, near Gaines's mill. In the evening of the 12th, he was directed to move at three o'clock the next morning for the Shenandoah Valley, by way of Louisa Court House and Charlottesville; to strike Hunter's force in rear, and, if possible, to destroy it; then to move down the Valley, cross the Potomac near Leesburg or Harper's Ferry, and threaten Washington. General Breckinridge was directed to unite with him.

General Hunter was supposed by General Lee to be at that time at Staunton, and Breckinridge at Waynesboro'. General Early marched on the morning of the 13th, at two o'clock.1

The object in threatening Washington appears to have been the protection of Lynchburg and the upper part of the Valley of Virginia. It could hardly have been made with

1 General Early, mentioning the condition of the Second Corps, refers to its heavy loss at Spottsylvania Court House, “where it lost nearly an entire division, including its commander, Major-General Johnson, who was made prisoner." Of the brigadier-generals with it at the commencement of the campaign, he says: "Only one remained in command of his brigade. Two (Gordon and Ramseur) had been made major-generals; one (G. H. Stewart) had been captured; four (Pegram, Hays, J. A. Walker, and R. D. Johnston) had been severely wounded; and four (Stafford, J. M. Jones, Daniel, and Doles) had been killed in action. Constant exposure to the weather, a limited supply of provisions, and two weeks' service in the swamps north of the Chickahominy, had told on the health of the men. Divisions were not stronger than brigades ought to have been, nor brigades than regiments."

the expectation of drawing off from around Richmond any very large part of our forces operating against it.

On the morning of the 8th of June, General Lee learnt from Major-General Hampton that General Sheridan had crossed the Pamunkey the day before, and had encamped that night between Aylett's and Dunkirk on the Mattapony; and that he had with him artillery, ambulances, wagons, and beef cattle. General Hampton was directed to follow him with two divisions, and he at once set out for Gordonsville and Charlottesville with his own division, directing General Fitz Lee to follow as speedily as possible with his division.

On the 9th of June General Meade directed Major Duane, Chief-Engineer of the Army of the Potomac, to select and intrench a line in the rear of the position at Cold Harbor, to be held while the army was withdrawing. The intrenchment extended from Elder Swamp to Allen's mill-pond, passing by Cold Harbor, and was finished on the morning of the 11th of June.

On the 10th, General Warren was directed to move his two divisions held in reserve near Leary's, on the 11th to Moody's on the New Kent Court House road, four miles from Bottom Bridge, keeping them out of the observation of the enemy. He was advised confidentially of the part his corps would take in the march to the James, and directed to be prepared to move as soon as it was dark on the evening of the 12th.

On the 9th of June, General Butler sent General Gillmore and General Kautz on an expedition against Petersburg, the object being to capture the city and destroy the railroad bridge across the Appomattox. General Gillmore had with him 1,800 infantry of his own troops, under the command of Colonel Hawley, and 1,200 of General Hinks's, which were to move up from City Point and join him. General Kautz had about 1,500 cavalry. General Gillmore says that the ponton