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Chapter 41: reorganization.
The engagement at deep Bottom and Ream's Station.
From the 23rd of June until July 26th, the regiment, composed of those who had escaped capture, returned convalescents and recruits from depot were reorganized by First.
Lieut. Wm. F. Rice, of Brighton, the senior officer left for duty, under whose command it performed much arduous and important work, and was exposed many days.
Advantage was taken of the little time not consumed in the above fatigue duties, in drilling the recruits, who were brought up to a good degree of efficiency under the above-named officer's supervision.
Here 62 more recruits were received from the depot.
At 4 P. M. on the 26th of July, the regiment under orders with the brigade, took up the line of march to the
Appomattox, which was crossed on pontoons at 11 P. M. of that night, and continued on until 9 A. M. of the following morning (July 27), crossing the
James at
Deep Bottom at the above hour, and halted in the breastworks on the north bank after a forced march of 20 miles.
In front was an open field for half a mile, with a slight rise on the opposite side to which the woods extended.
Skirmishers advanced and engaged those of the enemy with vigor.
The enemy had a battery of four pieces on his right, and one on the left, which for some minutes, shelled the breastworks, in which the First Brigade lay, when they were silenced by a battery on the right and the shells of the gunboats in the rear.
The regiment lay in support during the afternoon and, during the night, threw up breastworks on the crest of a hill overlooking an open field of a mile in width and which terminated in other hills and woods, in the edge of which the morning showed
