At this time only two hundred and fifty men were on duty. The Seventh returned to Virginia and crossed the Rapidan on the road to Richmond. They were held in reserve at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5–7, yet were heavily engaged May 12 at Spotsylvania Courthouse. From this day on the Seventh was engaged in combat nearly continuously. On May 18 and again on May 23 at the North Anna River every member of the color guard was killed or wounded. In these two engagements nearly one hundred Rhode Islanders fell. The Seventh was in reserve at Cold Harbor, where 7,000 Union soldiers became casualties in less than ten minutes; but were engaged in skirmishes at Bethesda Church and Mechanicsville. In mid June they arrived at Petersburg with only one hundred and twenty-five men present for duty. As they were constantly under fire, at least one member of the regiment was killed or wounded every day in July and August. On June 20, 1864, Company H mustered one man present for duty; only two commissioned officers remained, while most companies mustered ten men, some commanded by corporals. With such a reduced number men, the Seventh Rhode Island was pulled off the line and acted as engineers for the Second Division, Ninth Corps. Colonel Bliss was thrown from his horse at Spotsylvania, so Percy Daniels was commissioned as lieutenant colonel.