OR XL P1 #86: Reports of Major Samuel McConihe, 93rd NY, June 13-July 31, 1864

Numbers 86. Reports of Major Samuel McConihe, Ninety-third New York Infantry.¹

HDQRS. NINETY-THIRD Regiment NEW YORK STATE VOLS., August 9, 1864.

CAPTAIN: *

FIFTH EPOCH.

June 13, moved to Charles City Court-House, crossing the Chickahominy River at Long Bridge, twenty miles. June 14, marched two miles, and crossed the James River at 11 a. m.; continued our march one mile and encamped. June 15, marched eighteenth miles and went into redoubts in front of Petersburg, Va. Regiment went on picket and remained all night. June 16, at sundown made charge, with doubtful results. June 17, moved down Petersburg road half a mile and built advance works. June 18, 4 a. m. brigade charged half a mile over two lines of the enemy’s works. At 12 m. charged the enemy’s pits unsuccessfully. At 4 p. m. ordered back to the front line. June 19, at 3 a. m. moved forward and built works in the garden at O. P. Hare’s house. June 20, moved to the front of the Hare house and built new works. At 11 p. m. was relieved by the Ninth Corps, and moved two miles to the rear and bivouacked. June 21, 10 a. m. crossed Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad one mile and built works. June 22, brigade advanced, took new position on the right half a mile, and, while at work, our right and left were driven in, and at 4 p. m. we retired under heavy shelling. Sundown made charge across corn-field and took position in edge of woods. June 23, relieved, and retired behind works and bivouacked; at 9 a. m. moved into works. June 24, moved half a mile to the rear and built works. June 26, advanced half a mile and built works. June 27, relieved, and went back to old position. June 28, advanced to new line half a mile front and built secure works, and remained in them until 11 p. m. of the 11th of July, when we were ordered to level them. This being done, at daylight on the morning of the 12th the brigade moved out to the left about two miles. On the 13th at sunrise we moved to the right and in the rear of the Fifth Army Corps and encamped. On the morning of the 17th we moved camp about 500 yards. July 23, moved one mile to the left and encamped. July 24, built breast-works. July 26, broke camp at 6 p. m., and moved out by the City Point road, passing by Cedar Level

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*For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 4 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 481.

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Station; thence taking the road to the Appomattox, crossing that river at 10 p. m.; thence taking the road to Jones’ Neck, on the James River, arriving at the river at 2.30 a. m. July 27. At daylight we crossed the James to Deep Bottom on pontoons. Moved down the river-bank about half a mile, and we were in line of battle during the entire day. July 28, this day we were occupied in strengthening our position, and at dark we moved out, recrossed the James, and took the road back to Petersburg. July 29, at daylight we formed ourselves in rear of the position occupied by the Eighteenth Corps in front of Petersburg; were halted in mass and remained in that position until 7.30 p. m., when we moved up to the line occupied by the Eighteenth Corps, and were placed in the entrenchments in the front line and immediately in front of the Hare house. At 10 p. m. received orders that at 2 a. m. on the morning of the 30th the whole command was to be under arms, and if any unusual sound was heard on our left that would cause the rebels to raise their heads above their works we were to keep them down. At 4.30 a. m. the explosion took place, and from that time during the entire day there was constant firing between the pickets. At 10 p. m. we were relieved by the Eighteenth Corps and moved back to our old position on the left flank of the army, arriving at that place at 2 a. m. of the morning of the 31st of July. During these operations we sustained a loss of 3 commissioned officers wounded, 5 enlisted men killed, 14 enlisted men wounded, and 13 enlisted men missing, and aggregate of casualties of 3 officers and 32 enlisted men.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAMUEL McCONIHE,

Major Ninety-third New York Veteran Volunteers, Commanding Regiment

Captain F. E. MARBLE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 2nd Brigadier, 3rd Div., 2nd Army Corps.
HDQRS. NINETY-THIRD NEW YORK VETERAN VOLS., June 25, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In compliance to orders just received I would respectfully report the affair of the 22nd instant as follows:

The regiment was engaged in building breast-works in the woods on the advance line, the enemy the while keeping up a brisk skirmish fire and shelling along our whole line; the works were near completion when sharp vollies of musketry were heard on our left and rear and in a few moments the First Division, Second Army Corps, came running down through us and in a line parallel to our works. The regiment was held in position until all on its left had given away, though some of its number had undoubtedly joined with the throng. Then finding the enemy pouring in upon our rear and flank the regiment fell back to the second line of works without confusion or disorganization. In this affair we ascertained that 2 officers and 4 men were wounded and 9 men were missing. Of the latter from the best information we can get 3 were probably killed and 3 wounded.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
SAMUEL McCONIHE,

Major Ninety-third New York Veteran Volunteers, Commanding Regiment

Captain MARBLE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 2nd Brigadier, 3rd Div., 2nd Army Corps.

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