guns, sixteen officers, and four hundred men, with a loss of about five hundred men. A pause now ensued, but skirmishing was kept up by the picket lines, and there was a moderate fire of artillery. In the afternoon Gen. Patten's division was relieved by that of Gen. Ledlie. An advance of this latter division was ordered, under cover of artillery, upon the enemy's breastworks, from which, after a desperate contest, they were driven, and the position carried, with the capture of some prisonGen. Burnside was now about a mile and a half from the city and threw some shells into it. Several attempts were made by the enemy to recover the intrenchments during the day, but without success. About 9 o'clock at night, however, a desperate attempt to retake them was made and succeeded. In this affair about two hundred prisoners were made on each side. The loss of the division was estimated at a thousand. The rest of the line dur

ers.

ing the day was engaged in skirmishing, without any attempt at decisive assault. On the right the 18th corps had been withdrawn and returned to the intrenchments at Bermuda Hundred. The 5th corps, under Gen. Warren, had come and massed on the left in the rear of Gen. Burnside's 9th corps. The 2d corps was commanded by Gen. Birney, as Gen. Hancock was suffering from an old wound.

The proper dispositions were now made for a vigorous assault early on Saturday morning the 18th. The line was formed by the divisions of Gens. Martindale and Hinks, of the 18th corps, on the right, extended by the 6th, 2d, 9th, and 5th, in the order named, to the left. On sending out skirmishers preparatory to the assault, at 4 A. M., it was found that the enemy had withdrawn to an inner series of defences. New arrangements, therefore, became necessary. At noon a general advance of the 2d, 9th, and 5th corps was ordered. From the 2d corps an assaulting column of three brigades was sent forward, while the rest of the corps threw out double lines of skirmishers to divert the attention of the enemy. The men moved promptly up to the works to be assaulted, which were situated near the Petersburg and City Point Railroad. As they came out from cover, they were received by such a desperate enfilading fire from the left, that they retired without reaching the breastworks, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. In the afternoon a second storming party was organized to commence the attack from Gen. Mott's position. His division, with detachments from the other two of the corps, advanced in two columns about 5 P. M., but were received with such a destructive fire from concentrated batteries and musketry, as to force them back with terrible loss, in spite of the greatest bravery on their part.

The 9th corps, on the left of the 2d, was prompt to act during the day. There was brisk skirmishing, but no decisive advantage was gained. The line was established during

the afternoon across the Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad.

On the left of the 9th, the 5th corps, at the time of the attack of the 2d, made a determined and vigorous advance against the south side of the Norfolk Railroad, and was partially successful. In the evening their efforts were again renewed, but were foiled by the enemy. The division of the 18th, on the extreme right, experienced the same results as the other troops. The operations of the day had been unsuccessful. The loss of the four days' operations was estimated above ten thousand men.

On Sunday, June 19th, there was skirmishing and considerable artillery fire, but no decisive movement. The loss was estimated at a hundred men. The 6th corps, heretofore on the north side of the Appomattox, now took a position on the right, and the colored division of Gen. Ferrero, of the 9th corps, arrived, and was posted in front. At night the enemy made an attack on the centre of the line, but were driven back. During the afternoon an attack with infantry and artillery was made on Gen. Butler's lines at Bermuda Hundred by a division of Gen. Longstreet's corps under Gen. Pickett. At the same time, three ironclads from Richmond made their appearance near Dutch Gap, but retired before the fleet of Admiral Lee. During the same night, squads of the enemy made their appearance along the James River and destroyed the wharfs at Wilcox's and Westover landings.

Monday, the 20th, was unusually quiet near Petersburg. Some demonstrations of the enemy's cavalry were near the White House, but without any serious result to the convalescents there.

On Tuesday, the 21st, a movement was made to occupy and destroy the railroad from Petersburg to Weldon. On the previous evening the 2d corps moved from its entrenchments on the right centre to the left, and its position was occupied by the 9th and a part of the 18th. In the morning, crossing the Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, it marched as rapidly as possible in a southerly direction. A division of the 5th and one of the 6th corps moved out in support. Before noon, the 2d corps halted, and in the afternoon a division, under Gen. Barlow, with sharpshooters skirmishing in advance, was sent forward and found the enemy's lines in the neighborhood of the Jerusalem road, which bisects the region between the Norfolk and the Weldon Railroad. The position was known as Davis Farm, about three miles below Petersburg, and a mile from the railroad. The enemy proved to be in force, with artillery planted in earthworks. They advanced to attack, and a severe skirmish ensued, and the advance line of Gen. Barlow was withdrawn, and rejoined the column. The loss was about a hundred men. A reconnoissance toward Petersburg, at the same time, was attended with no results. So threatening was the aspect of the enemy on the left, that a squadron

of cavalry was sent to protect that flank, and the corps retired to form position for the night. In the lines east of Petersburg comparative quietness prevailed. The bridges across the Appomattox, between Petersburg and Pocahontas, the village on the Richmond side of the river, were shelled daily by the batteries of Gen. Grant. On the same day, the 21st, a division of the 10th corps, under Gen. Foster, crossed the James, at a point between Aikin's Landing and Four Mile Creek, and occupied Deep Bottom, about ten miles from Richmond. On the opposite side of the river, about six miles from Gen. Foster, the enemy had a battery at a position called Howlett's. In this position he threatened, to some extent, the southeast approaches to Richmond. At the same time the 18th corps moved from Bermuda Hundred to Petersburg, and occupied the position vacated by the 6th corps.

Early on Wednesday, the 22d, the movement against the railroad was resumed. The object was to cut off the communication with Petersburg from the south. At the same time a cavalry expedition was sent about ten miles further south, under Gen. Wilson, to destroy the railroad. The general movement was designed to consist of an advance of the 2d and 6th corps directly against the road. The 2d corps was on the left of the Jerusalem road, with Gen. Gibbon's division resting its right on the left of the road. Gen. Griffin's division of the 5th corps was on the further side. The position of Gen. Gibbon was so near the works of the enemy that any further advance by him would bring on a general engagement. The advance was, therefore, ordered for the left of the line, consisting of the divisions of Generals Barlow and Mott, and the 6th corps. It was to have been made at daybreak, but was delayed by each corps apparently waiting for the other to lead. At length each corps was ordered to advance independently, and to protect its own flank as connection between was not made. The line was deployed in open style, covering a large extent of ground, until it approached the presence of the enemy, in more intricate ground, when the left of the 2d, under Gen. Barlow, was pressed well in toward the right, thus opening a gap between it and the 6th corps. Gen. Barlow threw out flanking regiments to protect himself. But no sooner was the entire line of the 2d corps in position, and Gen. Barlow's division had commenced to intrench, when it was attacked on the flank by the enemy. In its advance, the 2d corps had separated from the 5th, on its right, and the 6th was now far distant, on the left and rear. The enemy took advantage of the error. One entire division, with Mahone's brigade, pushed through the interval. The flank of Gen. Barlow was instantly rolled up and a large number made prisoners. This movement of Gen. Barlow's force quickly uncovered the flank of Gen. Mott's division, and exposed him to the same danger. Gen. Mott

at once fell back, with the loss of many made prisoners, and thus exposed the left flank of Gen. Gibbon's division. The line of intrenchments occupied by Gen. Mott was now captured by the enemy, who thus pressed Gen. Gibbon in front and rear. Several regiments were captured, with McKnight's battery, before the enemy were checked by the bravery of the 20th Massachusetts. The broken corps was soon rallied and a new line formed, and further attacks of the enemy repulsed. The 6th corps was also attacked on its left flank by a division of Gen. Hill's command, and its advance line driven back, thus widening the gap between it and the 2d. In the evening, Gen. Meade getting both corps well in order, directed an advance. The 6th recovered its former line and the 2d a part of its line, and intrenched for the night. At daylight the enemy appeared, strongly intrenched, before the Weldon Railroad. The loss of the day included about two thousand made prisoners, four guns, and some colors.

On the next day, the 23d, Gen. Wright moved out to the extreme left, and finding that the enemy had not advanced so far, sent out a reconnoitring force to the railroad. They reached it unopposed and cut the telegraph. The 3d, 4th, and 11th Vermont regiments were then sent forward to hold the road. But they had hardly reached it when they were attacked on their flank by a division of the enemy under Gen. Anderson, and their position was turned at once. Several hundred were taken prisoners, and some were killed and wounded. The enemy, elated with success, pushed the troops back to the main body, and then began a general attack. The line was withdrawn toward evening to the cover of the breastworks. The loss of the enemy in these two days was disproportionately small. Elsewhere, during the day, nothing of importance occurred.

On Friday, the 24th, the enemy opened with artillery upon the position of Gen. Stannard's division of the 10th corps. After an hour, a charge was made, which was repulsed with a loss to the enemy of one hundred and fifty prisoners, besides some killed and wounded. No important movements were made in other parts of the line. During the evening, the cayalry force under Gen. Sheridan, while marching from the White House to the James River, were attacked by the enemy and a bloody struggle ensued. The enemy were finally driven off, after a loss by Gen. Sheridan of four to five hundred men. His trains were saved from capture.

On the next day, the 25th, the principal demonstration was made in front of Gen. Burnside's position. It consisted of the advance of a strong skirmish line, which was easily repulsed.

The cavalry expedition of Gen. Wilson set out from the camps near Prince George Court House, on the morning of June 22d. His

force was between six and eight thousand men, with three batteries of four guns each. The column moved to the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad at Reims' station. Here it took up and burned the track for several hundred yards, the water-tank, depot, and public buildings. It thence moved to Sutherland's station, on the Petersburg and Lynchburg Railroad, and advanced to Ford's station in the evening. Here two locomotives, sixteen cars, a depot, and a few stores were burned, and several miles of the road destroyed. On the next morning Gen. Kautz advanced toward Burkesville, which he reached in the afternoon, and destroyed the property of the road as at the other stations. Meanwhile the main body followed, and encountered in the afternoon a body of the enemy near Nottoway. A sharp conflict ensued until night, when the enemy retired. On the 24th the column reached Keysville, and bivouacked for the night. About eighteen miles of the road, besides other property, were destroyed during the day. On the next day the bridge over Staunton River was reached, but it was found to be well defended by the enemy. The return of the expedition now commenced. On the route they were so harassed by the enemy as barely to escape capture. On Thursday and Friday, July 1st and 2d, they arrived within the lines, in straggling parties, in a most pitiable and wretched condition, both men and horses being jaded and worn beyond description after their hard march, severe fighting, and the relentless harassing of the enemy. The entire wagon train, the ambulance train, all the guns (sixteen), nearly all their caissons, and many horses had been lost, and between ten and fifteen hundred men. More than a thousand negroes had been collected and followed the column, but most of them were recaptured by the enemy. It was asserted that about fifty miles of the Danville Railroad had been destroyed. A

movement was made by the 6th corps to aid the expedition, on learning its situation, but without important results.

The weather at this period was exceedingly hot, and the army suffered greatly. At the same time a drouth prevailed, water became scarce, and the dust rose in clouds at every movement. The condition of the army at this time is thus described by the "Army and Navy Journal":

The medical and commissary department had been troops were thoroughly worn out. While their spirit well conducted, but it is not too much to say that the and enthusiasm were, and always have been, beyond all praise, the fatigues of so extraordinary a campaign had been overpowering. Officers experienced its effects as well as men. Their conspicuous bravery had stretched out, dead or wounded, commissioned officers of all grades, not by hundreds, but by thousands, before the James was crossed. The effect was apparent in some want of skill and experience in succeeding battles. Captains were sometimes commanding the familiar forms and voices that had led them ing regiments, and majors brigades. The men missto the charge, would complain that they had not their old officers to follow. On the other hand, more than one leader of a storming party was forced to say, as he came back from an unsuccessful attempt against the outworks of Petersburg, "My men do not charge as they did thirty days ago.' A few commanders, too, showed the fatiguing effects of the campaign by a lack of health, by a lack of unity and harmony, or of alertness and skill. The last attacks telling on men and officers, and the two achievements on Petersburg show clearly how the campaign was on the Jerusalem road of the 22d and 23d of June, put the matter beyond all doubt. On the former occasion, the gallant 2d corps, whose reputation is enemy's onset, and one of the very finest brigades in unexcelled, fell back, division after division, from the the whole army was captured, with hardly a shot fired. In our account at that time the probable cause of the disaster was intimated. But when, in addition to this, the Vermont brigade of the 6th corps was the rapidity of the fighting must be checked awhile. The pace was now too great. There was need of rest, recruitment, and some reorganization.

badly cut up on the following day, it became clear that

THE second movement against the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and for the occupation of Lynchburg, thereby to cooperate with Gen. Grant against Richmond, commenced about May 31st. Gen. Sigel was removed from the Department of Western Virginia, and Gen. Hunter placed in command.

The commands of Gens. Crook and Averill, which retired to Meadow Bluff, were reorganized and prepared for a simultaneous advance upon the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and Lynchburg. Gen. Burbridge, in Kentucky,

was ready to move upon extreme Southwest Virginia, so as to prevent any advance from that direction upon the rear of the combined forces about to move against Lynchburg. The position of the enemy at this time was most unfavorable for opposing these movements. Gen. Breckinridge, with the only Confederate force of importance west of the Blue Ridge, had been withdrawn to the army of Gen. Lee, leaving nothing but a few small brigades of inferior cavalry, about two regiments of infantry, and a small brigade of dismounted troops acting