OR XLII P1 #259: Report of Lieut. Col. Samuel B. Taylor, 62nd OH, August 13-14, 1864

No. 259. Report of Lieut. Col. Samuel B. Taylor, Sixty-second Ohio Infantry, of operations August 13-14.¹

Hdqrs. Sixty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteers,
Near Petersburg, Va., September 2, 1864.

Sir: I have the honor to report the part taken in the expedition to the north side of the James River by this regiment from the 13th to the 21st ultimo.

The evening of the 13th ultimo the regiment received orders to move with three days’ cooked rations. Marched to the James River and crossed on the pontoons and marched to within a short distance of General Foster’s picket-line at Deep Bottom, where we bivouacked till morning. At 4 a. m. the morning of the 14th General Foster’s skirmishers moved forward and engaged the enemy one-fourth of a mile in our front. I received orders to have the movements of my regiment to conform with those of the Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers on my right; also the brigade was to move by regiments in echelon. The brigade was formed in this manner and moved forward to the field occupied by the enemy, where the line was halted and aligned preparatory to advancing on the enemy’s works. In a short time Colonel Pond, commanding brigade, gave the order to “charge with a yell.” The enemy were driven to their main line of works. In the charge my ankle was thrown out of place, which rendered me unable for further service. I relinquished the command of the regiment to Maj. F. M. Kahler.

The loss in the charge was two men wounded.

S. B. TAYLOR,
Lieutenant-Colonel Sixty-second Ohio Volunteers.

Capt. R. O. Phillips,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., 1st Brig., 1st Div., 10th Army Corps.

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