OR XLVI P1 #249: Report of Bvt. Brigadier General Richard H. Jackson, commanding 2/XXV/AotJ, April 10-17, 1865

No. 249. Report of Bvt. General Richard H. Jackson, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division, Twenty-fifth Army Corps.¹

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Petersburg, Va., April 28, 1865.

COLONEL: In obedience to instructions from department headquarters of the 24th instant I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my division since leaving the north side of the James. As I did not take command of the division until the 10th instant its operations prior to that date are contained in the reports of the brigade commanders, which are very full, and are herewith inclosed.

On the 10th instant, at Appomattox Court-House, I was appointed to command this division, and was ordered to march it to Petersburg. I commenced the march on the 11th instant and arrived near the present encampment on the 17th instant. The march from Appomattox Court-House to this place was performed under unusual difficulties. The roads to Burkeville Junction were in very bad order, and the horses and mules in the supply and brigade trains and the battery attached were the worst I have ever seen in the army; they were hardly able to haul the empty wagons. In this connection I think it proper to state that the animals were without forage when I started from Appomattox Court-House, and that no provision was made by the chief quartermaster for supplying them along the line of march, in fact the

train must have been entirely forgotten by him. On my own solicitation I received one day’s forage from the chief quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac at Burkeville Junction.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. JACKSON,
Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Bvt. Colonel E. W. SMITH,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of Virginia.

ADDENDA.
HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
Camp Lincoln, Va., May 14, 1865.

Major D. D. WHEELER,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Twenty-fifth Army Corps:

MAJOR: I have the honor to bring to the notice of the major-general commanding as worthy of promotion by brevet in the army the following-named officers:

Major Lewis S. Barnes, Ninth U. S. Colored Troops, division inspector, to be lieutenant-colonel by brevet for highly meritorious services since his connection with this division and for his ability, energy, and faithful conduct since its organization to the present time. As this promotion is well deserved I earnestly hope it will be made.

Surg. C. P. Heichhold, Eighth U. S. Colored Troops, chief medical officer of the division, to be lieutenant-colonel by brevet for highly meritorious services during the last campaign in Virginia against the rebels.

Colonel James Shaw, jr., Seven U. S. Colored Troops, commanding First Brigade, to be brigadier-general by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Colonel W. w. Woodward, One hundred and sixteenth U. s. Colored Troops, commanding Third Brigade, to be brigadier-general by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Colonel L. F. Haskell, Forty-first U. S. Colored Troops, to be brigadier-general by brevet for gallant and meritorious conduct in action April 2 and 9, 1865.

Major Thomas Wright, Thirty-first U. S. Colored Troops, to be lieutenant-colonel by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Captain William V. Smith, Seventh U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for gallant and meritorious conduct in the attack on Fort Gilmer September 29, 1864. Captain Smith is now suffering from wounds received in that action.

Captain Thomas McCarty, Seventh U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for gallant and meritorious conduct in the attack on Fort Gilmer September 29, 1864.

Captain Charles L. Rice, Seventh U. S. Colored Troops, brigade inspector, to be major by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Captain Frank F. Newland, Eighth U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for gallant services in action April 2 and 9, 1865, and for meritorious conduct during the whole of the recent campaign.

Captain Fred. A. Chapman, Twenty-ninth U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Captain Ira H. Evans, One hundred and sixteenth U. S. Colored Troops, brigade inspector, to be major by brevet for gallant services in action on the 2nd and 9th of April, 1865, and for meritorious conduct during the last seven months.

Captain Marshall H. Twitchell, One hundred and ninth U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

Captain Charles Kireker, One hundred and sixteenth U. S. Colored Troops, to be major by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

First Lieutenant Francis H. Taggart, Eighth U. S. Colored Troops, to be captain by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

First Lieutenant William H. Brooks, Eighth U. S. Colored Troops, to be captain by brevet for conspicuous gallantry in action October 13, 1864, to be major by brevet for gallant services in action on the 2nd and 9th days of April, 1865, and for meritorious conduct during the last seven months.

First Lieutenant M. T. Kelly, One hundred and sixteenth U. S. Colored Troops, to be captain by brevet for meritorious services during the recent campaign from March 27 to April 9, 1865.

First Lieutenant James M. Lyon, Forty-fifth U. S. Colored Troops, to be captain by brevet for meritorious services during the last seven months and for gallant conduct in action April 2 and 9, 1865.

The services of Colonel E. Martindale, Eighty-first U. S. Colored Troops, are believed to have been of great value during the rebellion. Although not having served under my immediate command I think that his claims for promotion should be consider. I therefore respectfully recommend, if it meets the views of the major-general commanding, that he be nominated for promotion by brevet to the rank of brigadier-general.

I respectfully invite the attention of the major-general commanding to the letter of Colonel James Shaw, jr., of April 20, 1865, advocating the promotion of Surg. C. P. Heichhold, Eighth U. S. Colored Troops, and to my own indorsement of May 2, 1865, on that letter, which is herewith inclosed.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. JACKSON,
Brevet Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

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