Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[430]

recapitulation.

	killed.		wounded.		missing.		aggregate.
	Officers.	Enlisted men.	Officers.	Enlisted men.	Officers.	Enlisted men.	Officers and men.
First Regiment			2	3		6	11
Fourth Regiment	2	12	6	60	3	38	121
Eleventh Regiment	2	7		50	2	39	100
Seventeenth Regiment	3	14	2	21	13	60	113
Twenty-fourth Regiment	1	3	4	57	1	13	79
	8	36	14	191	19	156	424

I have the honor to be, Major,

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Major: My report concerning the battles before Richmond has been delayed, first by the delay in the reports made to me by subordinate commanders, caused by the wounds or sickness under which all of them suffered, and next by movements of the brigade and duties in the field. After nightfall, on the twenty-fifth of June last, four regiments of the Second brigade, accompanied by Crenshaw's battery, followed, from the position on the extreme right of the division, the march of the other brigade to the left, and halted to bivouac on the Meadow Bridge road. The Fourteenth regiment South Carolina volunteers, under Colonel McGowan, was left on picket duty on the edge of the Chickahominy valley, in front of the position evacuated by the brigade, to be relieved by other troops of another division the same night, and to follow the march. By some mischance, however, it was not relieved at all. I had to remain in place the next day and night, and until the middle of the following day, when the retreat of the enemy down the opposite side of the river enabled it to cross and rejoin the brigade in the midst of the battle of Cold Harbor, where the light division, in the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of June, crossed the Meadow Bridge and attacked the enemy at Mechanicsville. The Second brigade, still marching in rear of the division, did not become actually engaged, but was deployed in reserve. It was exposed for some time to a fire of shot and shells, from which, however, the lines were much sheltered, by taking advantage of inequalities in the grounds, and causing the men to lie down. Only four men were wounded. At one time an erroneous report was brought to me that the enemy were appearing to our left and rear. A detachment from Colonel Marshall's regiment, thrown out as skirmishers, quickly detected the error. During the action, I sent forward my Aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Langdon C. Haskell, to learn whether reenforcements were needed from my brigade; but as he did not meet Major-General Hill, and did not find the state of battle such as to require my moving forward without waiting for orders, I remained in position. The brigade lay on its arms that night. Early in the morning of the twenty-seventh, I received orders from General Hill to take the advance with the Second brigade, and to drive the enemy from their position on Beaver Dam Creek, at Ellyson's Mills. Forming the First regiment South Carolina volunteers, Colonel Hamilton commanding, and the Twelfth, Colonel Barnes, in line of battle, with two companies of skirmishers--Captain Cordew's, of the First, and Captain Mills's, of the Twelfth--thrown forward, while the Thirteenth regiment South Carolina volunteers, Colonel Edwards, and the First regiment rifles, South Carolina volunteers, Colonel Marshall, followed in support — Crenshaw's battery being in rear. The brigade advanced to the attack. Slight resistance was made here by the enemy, and the passage of the stream, which presented a strong natural defence, was gained. Many Confederate soldiers, wounded or killed in a preceding unsuccessful assault, lay in the road toward the crossing of the creek, and had to be moved aside to allow the passage of our artillery. A small bridge, broken up by the enemy, had also to be repaired. This was toward eight o'clock in the morning. Crossing Beaver Dam Creek, the brigade advanced along the road amongst piles of knapsacks and other property, and burning stores abandoned by the enemy, with skirmishers from the First and Twelfth regiments out to the front and left. Coming into the edge of an open field, Captain Cordew's company, (First South Carolina volunteers,) deployed as skirmishers, was fired on by artillery in front, and Second Lieutenant N. C. Heine and a soldier were wounded. Captain W. T. Haskell's company, of the same regiment, advanced in open space, discovered that the forces meeting us in front from the left were those of Major-General Jackson, and entered into communication with them so as to avoid the risk of further mischief. In the mean time, two companies of the Twelfth regiment, (Miller's and Neville's,) sent out under