No. 322. Report of Brigadier General Adelbert Ames, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division, of operations August 5.1
HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Petersburg, Va., August 6, 1864.
MAJOR: In pursuance of instructions from corps headquarters I have the honor to render the following report of operations in the front of our command:
About 6.30 p.m. an explosion was observed to have taken place on the left of our line. I immediately hastened to the point and ascertained that the enemy had exploded a mine about forty yards in front of the extreme left of our advanced line, and immediately upon the explosion delivered a volley of musketry toward the breast-works, which was returned by some shots from our line, and was followed by considerable cannonading, both on the part of the enemy and our own troops. The explosion resulted in no injury to our line, and produced no alarm among the troops. I am of the opinion that the design of the enemy was either to frustrate some supposed mining operations on our part or to effect a lodgment in advance of their present line. After a cannonading of some half an hour’s duration everything became quiet, and the reserves, which had been ordered forward, were relieved.
A list of casualties has been transmitted.*
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. AMES,
Brigadier-General.
Major WILLIAM RUSSELL, JR.,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Eighteenth Army Corps.
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*Shows 1 officer and 5 men killed and 1 officer and 7 men wounded.
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Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 807 ↩