[ar68_124 con't]

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
May 21, 1864.

SIR: In obedience to orders from corps headquarters, I proceeded on the 7th instant with four brigades, viz, Burnham's, of this division, Barton's, Drake's, and Plaisted's, of the Tenth Corps, Hunt's battery, and Colonel Onderdonk's cavalry, to cut the Petersburg and Richmond Railroad. I took the [Bermuda] Hundred road to Port Walthall Junction and had not proceeded far before coming upon a small force of the enemy at the opposite end of a causeway leading through a marsh. The Eighth Connecticut Volunteers were thrown out as skirmishers and were supported by the balance of Burnham's brigade. The ground was most difficult to operate in, dense undergrowth and fallen timber in every direction. While Burnham's skirmishers were feeling the enemy in front the cavalry was sent out to the right to try and get to the turnpike. Report was soon brought in that the turnpike was close at hand. Plaisted's brigade was thrown to the right, and proceeding down a ravine under perfect cover, soon crossed the pike and reached the railroad, which it began to cut. Barton's brigade proceeded to the railroad to the left of Plaisted's, but not without a severe contest with a large force of the enemy that had discovered and opposed the movement. Drake's brigade was deployed to the left of Burnham's. The enemy soon disappeared from their front, and these two brigades were main-rained in position to cover the movements of the other two. The brigades on the railroad were directed to withdraw when it was found they were all engaged in fighting and had no force left to destroy the road. By a misunderstanding of the orders, Plaisted's brigade was withdrawn before Barton's and before the time contemplated in the order sent him, hence there was not as much of the road destroyed as ought to have been by this brigade. I regret to have to report a heavy loss in Barton's brigade, but it is believed nearly all, if not quite all, of his wounded were brought off the field. The casualties in the Eighth Connecticut were numerous. This regiment was exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy, which it returned promptly, harassing his flank while attacking Barton. A section of Hunt's battery, under direction of Colonel Drake and supported by his brigade, was used very successfully against a battery of the enemy. From 300 to 500 yards of the road were destroyed, together with the telegraph line on the railroad and two telegraph lines on <ar68_125> the turnpike. A large steam saw-mill with a large amount of lumber, which a negro reports as belonging to the Confederate authorities, was also destroyed.

Very respectfully,

W. T. H. BROOKS,

Brigadier-General.

P. S.--Since finishing the above report, the inclosed report of Colonel Plaisted was handed me.(*) No order was sent by me to Colonel Plaisted to "retire immediately;" that he was in danger of being flanked. On the contrary, I learn from the staff officer by whom the order spoken of in the body of my report was sent that he met Colonel Plaisted at the burnt saw-mill, bringing back his brigade. He therefore withdrew it without orders, leaving Barton's brigade without support. The saw-mill referred to by different reports was burnt under the direction of Colonel Dutton, Twenty-first Connecticut. I can well indorse what Colonel Plaisted says of Colonel Dandy, commanding One hundredth New York Volunteers, in every respect. Annexed is a tabular statement of casualties during the day's operations.

Very respectfully,

W. T. H. BROOKS,

Brigadier-General.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, 18TH ARMY CORPS.

O Officers.

M Men. A Aggregate

--Killed-- -Wounded- Missing. ---Total.----

Command. O M O M O M O M A

Second Brigade, First Division, Eighteenth Army Corps, Brig. Gen. H. Burnham commanding.

.... 5 4 64 .... 10 4 79 83

Second Brigade, Second Division, Tenth Army Corps, W. B. Barton, colonel 48th New York Volunteers, commanding.

.... 14 .... 152 .... 30 .... 196 196

Second Brigade, Third Division, Tenth Army Corps, J. C. Drake, colonel 9th Maine Volunteers, commanding.

.... 1 .... 9 .... .... .... 10 10

Total .... 20 4 225 .... 40 4 285 289

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, 18TH ARMY CORPS,

May, 1864.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
May 22, 1864.

SIR: My attention has been called to a dispatch of the Secretary of War, dated May 17, 9 p.m.. published in the New York papers, in which it is said: "The enemy under cover of a thick fog made an <ar68_126> attack upon Smith's line and forced it back in some confusion and with considerable loss." I beg leave to respectfully say that so far as this division is concerned--there being present, however, only one and one-half brigades, Burnham's and part of Sanders'--it was not forced back, in confusion or otherwise, one inch. Sanders' two regiments were brought from my left to strengthen my right, resting on the turnpike, while Burnham held one side of the enemy's intrenchments until orders were given to withdraw. In this position he resisted several vigorous charges of the enemy and captured some ---- hundred of them, caught and tripped by telegraph wire stretched in our front. The withdrawing of the Eighth Connecticut by Lieutenant-Colonel Smith from my right, on the plea of being turned, was unjustifiable and is no exception to the statement above made.

Very respectfully,

W. T. H. BROOKS,

Brigadier-General.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, 18TH ARMY CORPS.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
May 25, 1864.

SIR: On the 9th instant I proceeded with two brigades of this division--Marston's and Burnham's--to cover the movement of General Weitzel's division, which was to strike the railroad at the point struck by my command on the 7th instant.

There being no enemy to oppose the movement, as soon as General Weitzel crossed the railroad my command advanced to it, and then marched along it in the direction of Petersburg. About a mile beyond Walthall Junction a country road crosses the railroad, running obliquely toward the turnpike. Marston's brigade took this road and proceeded to form a connection with General Weitzel's division on the turnpike. Burnham's brigade continued to follow the railroad, and as soon as the country would admit was deployed to the left, with its right resting on the road. The country between the railroad and turnpike was almost impassable by reason of the dense undergrowth. General Marston was ordered by me to connect his left with Burnham's right on the railroad. Without my knowing, he had been ordered by General Smith to maintain a connection with General Weitzel on the right. In moving over to the left, one of his regiments, Ninety-eighth New York, Colonel Woad, became engaged for a few moments with the enemy that had crossed the pike and drove him back. The order of General Smith was afterward carried out, and General Marston's right connected with General Weitzel. One regiment of Burnham's brigade was thrown to the right of the railroad, connecting with the First Brigade. These positions were maintained throughout the night, and while we were in front of Swift Creek. During the night the enemy appeared three times in some force in front of General Burnham's pickets, driving them back until the Tenth New Hampshire, Lieutenant-Colonel Coughlin, moved forward to their support and soon dispersed the enemy. An ineffectual effort was made by Lieutenant Hunt to destroy with his battery the railroad bridge across Swift Creek. <ar68_127>

The casualties of this expedition were few, as the command was only opposed by a skirmish line of the enemy and the fire of sharpshooters. The Third Brigade, of this division, was put under the orders of General Martindale, and operated almost independently on our extreme left. No report has been received from the brigade of its operations.

I respectfully inclose Brigadier-General Marston's report(*) of the operations of his brigade, Brigadier-General Burnham's (+) was forwarded with a former report.

Very respectfully,

W. T. H. BROOKS,

Brigadier-General.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, 18TH ARMY CORPS.