On June 1 the regiment was engaged as a skirmishing line and exposed (although without much injury) to the enemy's shells, but the desperate struggle at Cold Harbor had opened and at dusk Gen. Hancock began to withdraw his corps at the left of the lines.
At 9 P. M. the men were called in and marched, during the night, about 12 miles, the road being very dusty and the heat intense. They bore up manfully, although they had been without sleep for three nights, and many without food.
At noon on June 2 the regiment arrived at Cold Harbor and the men again moved out as skirmishers under fire of the enemy, but suffered no loss. At night the brigade was massed in a hollow a short distance to the left of the works and ‘turned in’ for the night. Everyone expected hard work on the morrow and none was disappointed.
Just after midnight on the morning of the 3d, the men were awakened and given two day's rations of hardtack, coffee and sugar and were then permitted to sleep until daylight. Then they formed for the charge upon the enemy's lines and, after waiting three hours for the order, started on the double-quick,— and met the fate of all portions of the Union Army,—heavy loss and nothing gained.
On they ran, over two lines of works, across the fields which were swept by a terrible fire of canister from the enemy's batteries, while the musketry volleyed terribly.
Major Dunn was struck by a bullet, and fell, but rallied again.
The regimental colors fell but ‘Mike’ Scannell of Co. I, picked them up and carried them forward. When the line halted, Major Dunn said, ‘Mike, you keep the colors.’ ‘Not as corporal,’ said Mike, ‘Too many corporals have been killed already, carrying colors.’ ‘I make you a sergeant,’ responded the Major. ‘That's business’ answered Mike, ‘I'll carry the colors.’
The severity of the fighting was such that there were numerous changes of brigade commanders. First one Colonel would receive a wound and then another, down the list, until finally a Lieutenant Colonel commanded the brigade. The awful fire
