OR XLII P1 #206: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Martin P. Avery, 60th OH, December 8-14, 1864

Numbers 206. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Martin P. Avery, Sixtieth Ohio Infantry, of operations December 8 – 14.¹

HEADQUARTERS SIXTIETH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Before Petersburg, Va., December 14, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the late operations of the Provisional Brigade:

We marched to the rendezvous of the brigade on the evening of the 8th instant, where we remained ready to move at a moment’s notice till

4 p. m. on the 10th, when we marched with the brigade to Hawkinsville, on the Jerusalem plank road, twenty-two miles from Petersburg, arriving at 5 a. m. on the 11th. Left Hawkinsville to return at 2 p. m. on the same day, and by your direction marched to my old camp, arriving at 12 p. m., where we remained until 5 p. m. on the 12th instant, when we rejoined the brigade near the trestle of the military railroad, where we remained until the morning of the 14th, when we returned, by your order, to our old camp and reported to or brigade commander.

During the time we were encamped at the rendezvous the men suffered considerably from the inclemency of the weather. On the march out it rained almost incessantly and in returning the mud was over shoe deep which rendered the marching very hard and gave the men very sore feet, so that when I left camp the second time I was compelled to leave forty men that could not march. On the return numbers of men strayed from inability to keep up with the command, but on the evening of the 12th all of my men had reported at camp or the hospital.

On the evening of the 12th I reported 5 officers and 151 men present. This morning I reported 5 officers and 171 men for duty.

Very respectfully submitted.

M. P. AVERY,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

Bvt. Colonel G. P. ROBINSON,

Commanding Provisional Brigade, First Division, Ninth Army Corps.

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