Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-08-11
NORTH BANK OF THE JAMES,
At the Point nearest Malvern Hill,
July 29th. 1864.

DEAR JOURNAL: 1 dropped you few line.
from near Petersburg on the Goth, saying
that we (the I'd corps were going somewhere
| and expressing the opinion that we were go
ing down on the Weldon railroad to make {
raid on the enemy's communications, but in
stead of that we have come this way to frus
trate movement of theirs on our own crack
er line, and were ust in time
There has been small force of rebels in
this vicinity for some time past, enough tc
keep two companies of Maine volunteers
who were in small redoubt on the river
bank, pretty busy holding them in check. Ac,
cording to the best information l can gather,
General Canby's corps, from New Orleans,
had been here two or three days and were
ordered to Washington, and all except about
5000, belonging to two different brigades,
left On the 22d and 23d. On. the oath the
rebel troops, supposed to be part of the
Maryland invaders, began arriving, and con-
tinued to arrive and be placed in position on
the 25th. Prisoners said that they expected
to capture our forces and have swim in the
river on the 9th, and sure enough on that
morning they had four gun battery in posi-
ton and their skirmish line had entrenched
itself on the edge of an open field about 80
rods in width extending down to the river.
But while they were getting such a good
ready, old U. S. was not asleep This point
was distant from Petersburg, by the crooked
road we must travel, about % miles. On
the morning of the 26th our corps commenced
moving with five days rations in haversacks,
and soon after dark its advance was here
crossing the river at this point on two pom
toon bridges. Our division, which moved at
dusk made a rapid march without resting,
crossing the Appomattox at midnight lust
above Point of Rocks, and the James at day.
light. Such a sudden change from SO long a
spell of picket and fatigue duty and lying in
the trenches, caused more struggling than
ever saw before, one company of tours "
coming IN with l officer. l sergeant and !
private another with l corporal and 2 pri-
Yates, and from that up to Is men. being the
highest brought in by any one company / be-
lleve, and all the old regiments in our brig
aue SsrdSSleu just as PAD, but 1t did no harm
as they nearly all walked or crawled up with
in an hour after we stopped, but we were an
awful sore-footed lot of boys that dav.
When we came upon the bank on this side
the rebels were in plain sight across the
field, and as soon as we could take breath.
our Sd brigade q believe) opened tle ball bv
sending strong skirmish line over their way,
which, after a sharp little skirmish, made
them hike" in such hurry that thew for
got all about taking their battery along, which
had been shelling US pretty lively all the
morning. So our boys brought the four guns,
limbers and caissons and few artillervmen
over to the river. 1t was curious piece OF
piece of work, for they had good road to
run it off on, and plenty of time to do it, and
to give up their batteries so easily is not a
characteristic feature of the Johnnies.
Soon after we (the 36th) formed in line OF
battle and marched across the field and wait.
ed few hours, and then marched bv flank
| three-quarters of a mile through the pine
woods and found another line on its edge
with the rebels in plain sight entrenched hal
mile In our front across an open field. We
expected an order to charge, but it did MOI