No. 53. Report of Captain Garrett Nowlan, One hundred and sixteenth Pennsylvania Infantry.1
HEADQUARTERS 116TH PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, August 10, 1864.*
FIFTH EPOCH.
June 13, crossed the Chickahominy River at 10 a. m., arriving within one mile of the James River that night.
June 14, crossed the James River in transports at 11 p. m., and camped for the remainder of the night.
June 15, started on the march in the afternoon about 4 o’clock and marched nearly all night.
June 16, all quiet until about 4 p. m., when our line charged the enemy and drove them from their position and which was occupied by us.
June 17, advanced still farther. Occupied position in orchard.
June 18, left in morning, advanced about two miles, charged the enemy, took two lines of work and held them.
June 19, lay in the rifle-pits all day.
June 20, moved out of the pits into the woods.
June 21, moved on to the left and build breast-works.
June 22, advanced beyond the breast-works and attacked the enemy between 1 and 2 p. m.; fell back, pursued by the enemy, but finally succeeded in driving them back.
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* For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations for May 3 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p.398.
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June 23, lay quiet all day. Moved to the right at night and built breast-works.
June 24, destroyed new works and fell back to old ones.
June 25, strengthening the works.
June 26, moved a short distance, but returned to our old position at night again.
June 27, our regiment, the One hundred and sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, transferred from Second to Fourth Brigade.
June 28 and 29, nothing of importance occurred.
June 30, mustered for pay. All quiet along our line.
July 1 to 7, nothing of importance occurred.
July 8, alarmed during the night; under arms for two hours.
July 9 to 11, nothing of importance occurred.
July 12, destroyed our works, moved on the left early in the morning to position formerly occupied by Sixth Army Corps; engaged all afternoon destroying breast-works. About 5 p. m. marched three or four miles farther to left, remained four or five hours, and marched back to position occupied in the afternoon.
July 13, moved to the right and encamped in rear of Fifth Army Corps.
July 14 and 15, destroying enemy’s old works.
July 16 and 17, nothing of importance occurred.
July 18, called out in line, and for an hour or two nothing occurring.
July 19, nothing of importance occurred.
July 20, on fatigue, building a road.
July 21 and 22, nothing of importance occurred.
July 23, on fatigue, building road.
July 24, nothing of importance road.
July 25, on fatigue, constructing road.
July 26, struck tents at 4 p. m.; traveled all night; nothing of any consequence occurring.
July 27, crossed the James River about 4 a. m.; regiment on picket same night.
July 28, build breast-works; worked all night.
July 29, packed up and left about 8 p. m.; recrossed the James River at 10 p. m. and continued on the march.
July 30, arrived before Petersburg about 5 a. m.; heavy firing in our front. Lay all day in rear of Eighteenth Army Corps as a reserve. Broke camp in evening and returned to old camp in rear of Fifth Army Corps.
GARRETT NOWLAN,
Captain, Commanding 116th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.
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 360-361 ↩