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Petersburg, June 15, 1864,
Hinks' Division achieved a brilliant success, capturing the line of works in its front, and seven pieces of artillery.
Had the Army of the Potomac arrived in time to follow up the success of the colored troops,
Petersburg would have been taken then; but, by the time that the Eighteenth corps was reinforced,
Lee's army had hurried thither by rail and were filing into the intrenchments.
The opportunity was gone.
In this assault of June 15th, the casualty lists show that the temporary success of the Colored Division was dearly obtained.
Among the heavier losses were:
| Regiment. | Killed. | Wounded.1 | Missing | Total. |
| 4th U. S. Colored Infantry | 15 | 110 | 10 | 135 |
| 22d U. S. Colored Infantry | 14 | 116 | 8 | 138 |
The first opportunity to go into action granted
Ferrero's Division, was at the
Mine Explosion, or
battle of The Crater, at
Petersburg, July 30, 1864.
This division was selected to lead the assault; but, at the last moment, the order was changed and it was sent in last.
It was not ordered forward until the assault was a bloody failure, and although it did all that men could do, it was unable to retrieve the disaster.
This change of plan relieved the colored regiments of all responsibilty for that defeat.
Still, they fought bravely, and held their ground under the most discouraging circumstances.
How well they stood is attested by their terrible losses.
casualties in
Ferrero's Division at the battle of the
Mine, July 30, 1864.
| Regiment. | Killed. | Wounded.2 | Missing.3 | Total. |
| 23d U. S. Colored Infantry | 74 | 115 | 121 | 310 |
| 29th U. S. Colored Infantry | 21 | 56 | 47 | 124 |
| 31st U. S. Colored Infantry | 27 | 42 | 66 | 135 |
| 43d U. S. Colored Infantry | 14 | 86 | 23 | 123 |
| 30th U. S. Colored Infantry | 18 | 104 | 78 | 200 |
| 39th U. S. Colored Infantry | 13 | 97 | 47 | 157 |
| 28th U. S. Colored Infantry | 11 | 64 | 13 | 88 |
| 27th U. S. Colored Infantry | 9 | 46 | 20 | 75 |
| 19th U. S. Colored Infantry | 22 | 87 | 6 | 115 |
| | | | | |
| Total | 209 | 697 | 421 | 1,327 |
To any one familiar with the extent of regimental losses in action, these figures tell a heroic story.
Hard fighting was also done by colored troops at Chaffin's Farm, September 29, 1864, where
Paine's Division (colored) of the Eighteenth Corps, and
Birney's
4 Colored Brigade of the Tenth Corps--in all, about 10,000 strong — were actively engaged.
These troops participated in the assaults on
Fort Gilmer and the intrenchments at New Market Heights.
Among the regiments sustaining the heaviest losses were the following:
| Regiment. | Killed. | Wounded.5 | Missing. | Total. |
| 6th U. S. Colored Infantry | 41 | 160 | 8 | 209 |
| 5th U. S. Colored Infantry | 28 | 185 | 23 | 236 |
| 4th U. S. Colored Infantry | 27 | 137 | 14 | 178 |
| 36th U. S. Colored Infantry | 21 | 87 | | 108 |
| 38th U. S. Colored Infantry | 17 | 94 | | 111 |
