Bushrod R. Johnson to G. W. Brent, July 15, 1864

COLONEL: General Gracie relieved Wise’s brigade at 8 p. m. yesterday. General Gracie reports from his own and the observations of others that the enemy have mdde no change in their positions, except to connect the rifle-pits on the left of his right regiment. They threw mortar shells into his lines at intervals of ten minutes nearly all night, without inflicting much injury, however. General Elliott and Colonel Faison report nothing of interest. The losses and annoyance which the enemy occasion in my lines are simply due, in my opinion, to a want of proper ammunition; from necessity, no doubt. So far as appliances with this army are concerned, we are husbanding our ammunition—that is, men or ammunition; one or the other—the enemy compel us to sacrifice. This is the simple question with us: Which shall we expend, human life or ammunition? We have none of the former material to spare, and the supply of it for future purposes is necessarily limited; of material for manufacturing the latter nature affords a bountiful supply. So far as Iam informed, human energy and toil is all that is required to furnish us ammunition enough to give us daily immense advantages over the enemy. Surely this energy and toil can be supplied, if the proper officers are duly aroused to the necessity for their action and of the great responsibility which is resting on them. I refer to the officers whose duty it is to see that the ammunition is manufactured in sufficient quantity and that it is properly distributed. As the contest is now daily going on, our success depends as much upon the active operation of our troops and the expenditure of ammunition as it ever does on a field of battle. Daily casualties are reducing both armies, and our object should be to cause double, treble, or quadruple the number of casualties in the enemy’s lines that they cause in ours. I feel satisfied I can do this on my line if I am supplied with ammunition; at least, if supplied with ammunition, I shall be able to bring to bear a great amount of human energy and activity which now lies idly wasting away under the enemy’s fire. I may also be permitted to state the fact that whilst we husband our ammunition and the enemy are thinning our ranks with comparative impunity—our men being compelled simply to suffer and endure—a moral effect is being produced which may prove very detrimental to our future success. I hope and implore that all the human energy in our workshops may be at once brought into successful action, and I think we can confidently and securely answer for the result in the field. I would also suggest that our artillery, guns and mortars, so far as employed, inflict loss and annoyance on the enemy’s front line. While we see within our reach their troops resting securely in the rear, or engaged actively in firing or other measures of attack on our lines, we need ammunition to be used freely on all lines within our reach.

The following list of casualties is

respectfully submitted: Elliott's