OR XL P1 #267: Report of Brigadier General Hiram Burnham, commanding 2/1/XVIII/AotJ, June 20-July 1, 1864

Numbers 267. Report of Brigadier General Hiram Burnham, U. S. Army, commanding Second Brigade, of operations June 20-July 1.¹

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, FIRST DIV., 18TH ARMY CORPS,
Before Petersburg, Va., July 1, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my command from the 20th ultimo to present date:

Left camp at Bermuda Hundred on the 21st ultimo at 4 a.m., and marched to this place.

On the evening of the 21st I relieved Brigadier-General Upton’s brigade, of the First Division, Sixth Corps, placing the Tenth New Hampshire Volunteers and One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers in the front line of rifle-pits, with the Eighth Connecticut Volunteers and Thirteenth New Hampshire Volunteers in the second line. I held this position during the 22nd and 23d, my pickets keeping up a desultory skirmishing with the enemy. On the evening of the 23rd my command was relieved by the First Brigade, and in obedience to orders moved to the rear about a mile, remaining there during the 24th and 25th. On the evening of the 25th I relieved the First Brigade, placing my entire command, with the exception of the eight companies of the Tenth Ne Hampshire Volunteers, in the front line.

During the nights of the 25th and 26th a detail of colored troops, under the supervision of one of my staff officers, was engaged in placing abatis in front of the first line of rifle-pits. I held the front line until the evening of the 27th, with some skirmishing, the details of which are unimportant, when I was relieved by the First Brigade and returned to former camp, where my command remained two days. During this time I had heavy details engaged in cutting abatis for the front line.

On the evening of the 29th I relieved the First Brigade, placing in the front line all of my command, except the Eighth Connecticut Volunteers; that regiment was placed in the second line. My command still occupies this position. During the engagement of the 30th six casualties occurred in my command from the enemy’s shells.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. BURNHAM,

Brigadier-General

Captain W. L. KENT,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

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