No. 9. Report of Brigadier General Marsena R. Patrick, U. S. Army, Provost-Marshal-General, Army of the Potomac.1
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICER OF PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, August 10, 1864.
GENERAL: *
FIFTH EPOCH.
Marching 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 23d, 26th, and 29th of June, left Parsley’s Corners, passing by Tunstall’s Station, to near White House, to Roper’s Church, cross the Chickahominy and James Rivers, Knox’s Cross-Roads, and City Point. The regiment,+ by orders of General Grant, was sent by transport to Wilcox’s Landing; marched toward Charles City Court-House to report to General Sheridan; returned on the 29th of June, and from that date to the 30th of July has been engaged in doing provost and guard duty at City Point and on the lines of communication to the Army of the Potomac.
The Third Pennsylvania Cavalry (Lieutenant-Colonel Jones commanding), the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers (commanded to nearly the end of the Fifth Epoch by Lieutenant-Colonel Winslow, after that by Colonel A. H. Tippin), and the One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel Collis commanding) have moved with the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac daily. On the 21st of May these tree regiments took part in the skirmish at Guiney’s Bridge, clearing that passage (the accompanying list of casualties will show with what loss++). The Third Pennsylvania Cavalry has been on several occasions called upon to act upon the flanks of the army, and in the advance, besides detachments of it being frequently sent out as scouting parties, on all of which occasions it has behaved with great coolness and judgment. The Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers has been employed as prison guard at these headquarters, by no means a light duty, and has given very general satisfaction in their performance of it. In the skirmish on the 21st of May they acted with a great deal of dash and bravery. This regiment has also acted at times on the flanks of the army. The One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers has been doing exclusively guard duty for headquarters camp and train. In the skirmish of the 21st of May it
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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.279.
+Twentieth New York State Militia.
++Shows 3 men wounded in the 68th Pennsylvania.
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took its part promptly, and the colonel of the regiment showed a great deal of promptness in the maneuvering the troops under his command on that occasion. This regiment has also at times acted upon the flanks of the army.
I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
M. R. PATRICK,
Provost-Marshal-General.
Brigadier General S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
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), pages 272-273 ↩