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eleven men and six horses wounded.
As soon as the passage was opened, I crossed with the two remaining batteries, and bivouacked for the night near Mechanicsville.
The next morning we were awakened by a few shots of the enemy, which passed over us without doing any damage.
Receiving an order to carry a battery to the top of the hill in rear, and protected by one of the enemy's redoubts, I ordered Captain Clark to this position.
Here, with other batteries of the division, he fired several rounds at the earthworks of the enemy, on the opposite side of a ravine in front of us, but received no reply.
The division then took up the line of march, with the reserve batteries in the rear.
The line was halted at Cold Harbor, and Captain Rhett's battery was ordered to the front to support Captain Bondurant's battery, which was actively engaged with a battery of the enemy.
I also ordered Captain Clark and Lieutenant Fry to bring their batteries up in easy supporting distance, sheltering them as much as possible from the fire of the enemy, which enfiladed the road, by placing them in a ravine to the left of the road.
Subsequently, I ordered the two reserve batteries on the right of the line, Captain Rhett retaining his position, but, by a new disposition of the forces, being on the left.
This new disposition of the line enabled the batteries to open on the enemy, which they could not do before, owing to our troops being between the enemy's and our batteries.
Captain Clark and Lieutenant Fry were still held in reserve to support the attack of the infantry, and here they were exposed to an annoying fire of the enemy's battery, which was to our left and front.
Captain Rhett's, with other batteries of the division, engaged the enemy's battery, and soon succeeded in silencing it. In this he had two men and one horse killed, and three wounded. We again bivouacked for the night in the position we had fought in.
At three A. M. of Saturday, we were ordered to move forward to a position at Dr. Gaines's house, where we remained, expecting the enemy's batteries to open upon us until twelve M., when we went forward and took position on the hill overlooking the approach to Grapevine Bridge.
Here we remained until two A. M. Monday morning, when we commenced to cross the stream — the bridge over which had been destroyed by the enemy, and had to be reconstructed by our men.
We continued the pursuit of the enemy until about twelve or one o'clock in the day, when we came up with him at White Oak Swamp.
Here he occupied a position on the hill opposite, with twelve pieces in sight.
All the batteries of the division were ordered to the front, and engaged the enemy, forcing him to change his position in a very short time, which he did, leaving three of his guns disabled on the field.
Taking up a position to the right of his former one, and having other batteries there, he again opened on us, and the firing continued obstinately, with still intermissions, until night.
In this position, the batteries of my battalion were more exposed, on account of the nature of the ground, and consequently suffered more than others.
I should mention that Colonel Crutchfield was in command on this occasion.
Captain Rhett lost two men killed and two wounded; also one horse killed and two wounded. In the three engagements, he expended thirteen hundred and twenty rounds.
Captain Clark lost one man killed and five wounded; two wheels were seriously damaged.
Captain Clark, at Mechanicsville and White Oak Swamp, expended three hundred and ninety-two rounds.
Lieutenant Fry had two men wounded and three horses killed, and fired three hundred and ninety rounds of ammunition.
On Tuesday morning, the first instant, we were ordered back to Seven Pines to refit, where we remained until Thursday, the third, when we again joined the division below White Oak Swamp, and returned with it to our camp on the Williamsburg road on Thursday, tenth instant.
It will be seen from this report that Captain Rhett's battery was in three engagements, and the other two, although in but one, were still exposed to the fire of the enemy on another occasion.
I cannot speak in too high terms of the gallantry of both officers and men of the battalion; not only their gallantry in the field, but the cheerful spirit with which they endured the hardships of the eventful war. As a proof of the heroic and dutiful spirit of the men, I cite with pride the fact, during the whole time, there was not a single straggler from the ranks.
I have the honor to be, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
H. P. Jones, Major, commanding Battalion.
Report of Major Henry Law.
sir: In obedience to orders, and in absence of Lieutenant-Colonel Wm. Martin, who was in command of the regiment at that time, I have the honor to report the operations of the Forty-second regiment Virginia volunteers, in the recent battles in front of Richmond, commencing the twenty-sixth June.
Early on Friday morning, the twenty-seventh, heavy firing was heard in front, which gradually receded down the Chickahominy River, on the north side, until late in the evening.
The Second brigade, to which this regiment is attached, was in the rear, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham, was ordered up. After being marched some two miles very rapidly, it came up where the battle seemed to be raging the fiercest.
The regiment was immediately formed in line of battle, and marched across a field on the right, which was done in good order.
Just as the regiment came up, the enemy, which was occupying a strong position in a piece of woods immediately in our front, gave way, leaving many dead and wounded on the field and in the woods.
The
