Historic leaves, volume 6, April, 1907 - January, 1908

[66] others are wounded. About midnight Captain Willard C. Kinsley is slightly injured in the head by a spent ball. We have no sleep that night. We are within two miles, good shelling distance, of Petersburg. Thus we spent Bunker Hill Day, 1864.

June 18. At 7 a. m. we advanced through woods and dug some pits, but went forward again, and at noon occupied the Norfolk Railroad at a point where there was a deep cut between banks that were twenty-five or thirty feet high. At 7.30 in the evening, when it was dark, we advanced rapidly across a ravine which was just beyond. In that short run two men of Company E were wounded, John E. Fuller and John O. Sullivan: George Farrar was wounded later the same day. Heavy skirmishing went on ail that day, and an artillery duel in the afternoon. The officers had been ordered to brigade headquarters, where they were informed that there was to be a night attack. By this time our forces had taken two of the enemy's lines of works, and now we were expecting to charge on their third. But the order for some reason was changed to a left flank movement, which brought us on the other bank, where breastworks were again thrown up. Later we lay back of them in a position exposed to the enemy, who woke us next morning by firing at us from close range.

June 19. We lay in our works with shells and bullets flying around us all day. Our works were about five hundred yards from the enemy's, and our skirmishers were across the ravine on a side hill. As soon as it was dark we went to work on our entrenchments. (Comment: We made a mistake, in my opinion, that we did not charge the enemy that night, for it seems as if we could have gone into Richmond just as well as not. But Grant was with us, and the countermand must have come from him.)

June 20. I am twenty-four years old to-day. Last night we worked until 2 o'clock, and were turned out again at 4 this morning. The enemy's sharp-shooters are on the lookout for the man careless enough to show himself.

June 21. We are in our works all day; pleasant weather. I was detailed for picket at 9 p. m. As we were expecting a charge from the enemy, there was no sleep for picket or brigade.