On June 2d Grant ordered an assault along the whole Confederate line for 3:30 a. m. next day. Lee behind his intrenchments waited, unmoved, the avalanche. Out of the grayness of the early morning of June 3d it came with 80,000 men—and fell back in bloody repulse. The awful slaughter was over in scarcely more than ten minutes. Ten thousand Federals had fallen. Our loss, though heavy, was a mere fraction of that number. To have won at Cold Harbor called from Grant a master plan; a plan strong at least as that which opposed it; a plan which should have combined in equal shares, daring with skill, skill with caution, caution with numbers wisely and prudently used.
Concurrently with his advance from the North Grant had ordered Butler forward up the James toward Richmond. At Drewry's Bluff, where Beauregard, with a hastily collected army, met the enemy, the Washington artillery was privileged to fight against the former commander at New Orleans. Eshleman was still in command of the battalion, his valor rewarded with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. On the right of the line, May 15th, a section of the artillery was thrown forward with Johnson and Hagood, and the Louisiana gunners found themselves opposed to six or eight pieces of artillery. ‘Our artillery engaged at very short range,’ said Beauregard, ‘disabling some of the enemy's guns and blowing up two limbers. Another section of the same command opened from the right of the turnpike. They both held their positions, though with heavy loss, until their ammunition was spent, when they were relieved by the reserve artillery under Major Owen.’ The battle over, Butler scurried back to his intrenchments at Bermuda Hundred.
After Cold Harbor, Early was sent with the Second
