Early in the morning repulsed an attack made by the enemy's skirmishers in front of our brigade. We captured a lieutenant and two men. Our loss was three, slightly wounded.

At eleven A.M. the brigade moved four miles to the left, to Bethesda Church, and labored for the rest of the day in the trenches. So keen were the sharpshooters on both sides, that it was very injudicious to keep otherwise than well covered.

An armistice of a few hours was arranged to enable the dead - many of whom had been lying between the lines for four days- to be buried.

Was spent in intrenching.

At five A.M. moved toward White-Oak Swamp. Marched all day and night.

Still marching. At afternoon the brigade camped on a fine farm.

The corps marched to within two miles of White-Oak Swamp Bridge, and halted. Our brigade was ordered to relieve Wilson's cavalry, said to be at the bridge. Found the enemy instead, strongly posted, with a square redoubt, mounting two guns, covering the bridge. Formed line of battle under a severe shell-fire. The enemy advanced to within three hundred yards of the bridge, and intrenched. The Twelfth-on skirmish-line-kept them busy. eral times the rebs endeavored to put a battery into position, but they failed to succeed. The Twelfth lost four wounded. At dark we were withdrawn, and followed our corps toward the James River. Marched all night, halting at St. Mary's Church. Since June 11 we had marched fifty-five miles.

Sev

At five A.M. marched toward Charles-City Court House. Camped three miles from the Court House. In the evening a pontoon bridge-over two thousand feet longwas laid across the James River, and the corps began to

cross.

Still in camp, near the Court House.

Marched to the river. Crossed on steamers " Joseph Powell" and "James Brooks." Reached Petersburg at dark, and found the Ninth Corps hotly engaged. Our

1864.

June 17.

June 1922.

June 23.

division was sent to support Burnside. Advanced through tangled thickets and marshy ground, under a heavy fire, and captured some prisoners. A general assault was then made, and bloodily repulsed.

The balance of the corps arrived. Our brigade, with Griffin on our left, and Burnside on our right, led another assault; the Twelfth being on the skirmish-line. Orders were to drive the foe from their intrenchments on the railroad. Col. Bates, in his report, says,

"This was performed under Lieut.-Col. Cook in gallant style, advancing so far that the remainder of the brigade thought they had been taken prisoners.'

The assault was made by our brigade and Griffin's division: the Ninth Corps never stirred.

Abbott's "History of the Civil War" says,

"The gallant assailants drove the rebels from their position, and captured a stand of colors, six guns, and four hundred

men."

At night, after a hard day's desultory fighting, the troops intrenched in a line three hundred yards from the enemy. The Twelfth Massachusetts and Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania were on skirmish-line, and kept matters so hot, that in one instance a reb gunner, within easy range, after loading his piece was unable to withdraw his rammer, and so fired it into our lines. The losses in our brigade during the day were heavy.

Remained in the trenches under a continuous fire. The dead and wounded were cared for under a flag of truce. Our lines were extended to the left, and the men were kept busy digging a covered way to the road.

Relieved by Col. Wilcox of the Ninth Corps, and moved two and a half miles to the left under a heavy shell-fire. Here ended the regiment's active service. It had been almost constantly on duty in this campaign as skirmishers, having been specially selected for this duty on account of its steadiness and reliability. During the advance to Petersburg the regiment captured more than its own strength in prisoners.

According to the memorandum kept by Col. Bates, from

1864. May 5 to June 25, a period of fifty days, the regiment The same

June 24.

had been under fire forty-one distinct times.
authority declared, that "it never fired into its friends,
and always manifested a Prussian stoicism."

The following table shows the losses in the regiment during the same space of time :

Grant's campaign has been a subject of much controversy and severe criticism. Perhaps the worst blow

aimed at it is found in Badeau's defence of the movement.

It is reasonably certain, after considering the operations, that Grant never intended to fight in the Wilderness; that he in common with so many Western generals thought that there was not much fight in Lee's army; and that, had he only been able to divest himself of this notion, much bloodshed might have been averted. His movements acknowledge the Wilderness campaign a failure; for, after all the slaughter from the Rapidan to the Chickahominy, he brought up just where McClellan had been two years earlier, and where he could have got without losing a man. The moment he crossed the James River he only vindicated his assertion made before his promotion to the chief command, that "the true way to Richmond was by approaching from the south.” And the moment he adopted that plan, the Confederacy began to gasp for breath.

All praise is to be awarded to Grant for his steadfastness, pertinacity, and bull-dog determination to "fight it out on this line if it takes all summer; but the fact will ever remain unshaken, that the overland route from the Rapidan to the James cost far more than it was worth, and that the loss inflicted upon the enemy was much smaller than our own. The way in which the army was

1864. handled, however, showed that a skilful hand was at the July 24. helm; and the continual flanking movements, fighting at every opportunity, tended greatly, no doubt, to weaken and discourage the rebels, and make final success in the spring of '65 possible.

1864.

June 25.

June 27.

July 1.

THE

CHAPTER XII.

HOMEWARD BOUND.-MUSTER OUT.

re-enlisted men and conscripts were turned over to the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts; and at three P.M., the regiment numbering eighty-five men marched for City Point.

66

"The Boston Journal's" correspondent wrote,

"This regiment, noted for its modesty as well as gallantry and heroic conduct, retired so quietly from the lines that its absence was not generally known till it was far on its way for home. Had its departure been known in time, it would have received such demonstrations of respect as have been accorded to none other."

Remained at City Point until June 27, when embarked on steamer "Vanderbilt," reaching Washington at ten A.M. June 28. In the afternoon took cars for Boston. When near Hâvre-de-Grace, a member of the regiment was severely bruised by collision with a bridge.

In passing through New York, the regiment received a very cordial welcome from their old comrades the Ninth N.Y.S.M.; and an exhibition drill by Company H of the Twelfth was greeted with hearty applause.

All along the route the regiment kept swelling its numbers by receiving men who had been absent on detached service, or in hospital; so that, on the morning of July 1, it reached Boston with one hundred and seventy men.

Breakfasted at Beach-street barracks; and at eleven A.M., escorted by the Westborough Independent Company of Militia, Capt. C. B. Winslow, with Gilmore's full band, the Twelfth Massachusetts commenced its last march, - to Faneuil Hall. 66 Repeatedly were the veterans greeted with the heartiest cheers of welcome."