No. 41.
Report of Lieutenant Colonel Denis F. Burke, Eighty-Eight New York Infantry.1
HDQRS. EIGHTY-EIGHTH NEW YORK STATE VET. VOLS., October 14, 1864.
LIEUTENANT:*
FIFTH EPOCH.
June 16, moved into position on the left flank of the army abut two miles from Petersburg; assaulted the enemy’s works toward dusk; succeeded in driving the enemy from his works, and established ourselves in his line. 17th, moved to right in support of batteries, where we remained until the 19th, when we moved out in advance of our position to the support of batteries, where we remained until the 19th, when we moved out in advance of our position to the support of skirmishers; were relieved and ordered to the support of a battery. 20th, moved farther to the right to support a battery; returned and advanced with line to the front abut three-quarters of a mile; threw up breast-works. 21st, taken from the front and placed in reserve; marched to the extreme left flank of the army, relieving the cavalry; threw up breast-works and commented our line with the rest of the army. 22d, advanced in front of our breast-works in line and engaged the enemy. We were repulsed, being attacked in front, flank, and rear; fell back to our breast-work. 23d, repaired our works and remained in the support of batteries until July 11 [12]2, when, at 5 a. m., we moved to the left, leveling the works, and were sent out to support the cavalry. Returned and marched in the direction of the Williams house, where we rested. On the 13th moved to the left, halting at front of Petersburg, and encamped until 26th, when we marched in the afternoon in the direction of Deep Bottom, where, after a severe night march, we arrived at Deep Bottom, where we went in support of First Brigade, First Division, Second Corps. Moved to the left and threw up works, and remained until the night of the 29th, when we again moved across the James River and continued our march all night until the next morning (the 30th), when we arrived in front of Petersburg, where we were placed in support of Ninth Corps during the assault.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
DENIS F. BURKE,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Eighty-eighth New York.
Lieutenant GEORGE MITCHELL,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Consolidated Brigade.
—————
* For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 3 to June 15, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 396.
—————
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), page 351 ↩
- SOPO Editor’s Note: The date in parentheses is the correct date and was added by the editors of the Official Records. The date as listed is what the officer originally, mistakenly, wrote. This is true throughout the Official Records. ↩