O. B. Willcox, August 6, 1864

COLONEL:

I have the honor to report that on the 30th ultimo Hartranft’s brigade was promptly formed close in rear of the left of Ledlie’s division, and ready to move forward at 3.30 a.m. Humphrey’s brigade occupied part of the second line of our rifle-pits and the covered way leading to Hartranft’s brigade, and was ready at the same hour. The mine exploded at 4.45 a.m. As soon as the explosion, and the First Division advanced, Hartranft’s advance passed through our front line of pits in column of battalions (at 5a. m.), and three regiments occupied the left of the exploded work on the left of the First Division, their ranks considerably broken by the irregularity of the ground. The First Division, halting in the crater, soon closed up the way so that two regiments of Hartranft’s brigade remained on the rear slope of the rebel work, and two regiments halted in rear of our works, waiting for space to move up. The distance between the two lines was about 140 yards. In obedience to instructions from General Burnside I ordered General Hartranft forward without waiting for the First Division, with instrucetions to gain Cemetery Hill if possible. This was about 5.15 a. m. Meantime the enemy had recovered from their surprise, and now concentrated so heavy a fire upon the pomt that our troops, in seeking temporary shelter, became still more mixed with each other and with the First Division, lost their ranks and much of their regimental organization, in spite of the eftorts of many of the officers, and every new regiment that marched into the breach only increased the huddle and confusion, and interfered the more with the officers in reforming for another advance. I did not, therefore, push the remaining two regiments of this brigade into the crater, but reported to General Burnside that no more troops could assault at this breach to advantage, and recommended attack on the right and left of it. [sent repeated and peremptory orders to General Hartranft to advance, but he reported it impossible. I ordered him to send at least a regiment to the left and within the enemy’s lines, clean out the rebels on that flank as far as possible, and then advance. I aim sure that both he with his staff and the regimental commanders did all in their power to obey these orders. The Twenty-seventh Michigan Volunteers started toward the left, but its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Wright, was shot, and the enemy, while protected by their traverses, had so long a line of fire from their pits, that the Twentyseventh was unable to make any headway, notwithstanding that General Hartranft succeeded in disinterring one of the rebel guns in the work and firing it down this flank in aid of the movement.

About 7 or 8 o’clock the colored division moved into and on the right. of the crater, and I sent orders to Hartranft to follow up and support them, if they succeeded in advancing. At the same time I pushed forward Humphrey’s brigade in a front attack against the rebel riflepits on the left of the crater. The Second, Twentieth, and First Michigan Regiments went in line, and with no great loss carried the pits the length of their line, capturing some 40 prisoners, but the Forty-sixth New York broke, and in their disgraceful retreat threw two remaining regiments of the Second Brigade into temporary disorder and separated them from the line of battle. Meantime Hartranft got out another gun, and was able to use it on his right flank, when an assault was made upon that side and upon the negro troops, who now occupied it, without advancing toward Cemetery Hill. This assault on the crater was repulsed with much loss to the rebels, the troops of my division that were with Hartranft springing to the edge of the crater and firing until the enemy were driven back and sought the shelter of their rifle-pits. The two guns spoken of were manned by men of this division and of the Fourteenth [New York] Heavy Artillery, under the guidance of Sergt. W. Stanley, Company D of that regiment, who behaved with great skill, coolness, and bravery, but unfortunately was killed during the day. Another assault was afterward attempted on the rear of the work and was again repulsed. The enemy brought field artillery into position on several points along the Jerusalem plank road and Cemetery Hill, and a barn to the left of the hill. Their mortar batteries also got the range of the crater, and the shells fell with destructive precision among our troops, so closely packed together. Nevertheless, General Hartranft reported that he had some of his troops in better shape, and thought they could hold the position if ammunition could be supplied. I had already brought ammunition up to within 200 yards of the crater, and immediately sent in 10,000 rounds by men of the Vifty-first Pennsylvania, part of whom were shot in the attempt. The enemy now had full sweep of the ground between the crater and our rifle-pits, and at my request Col. Guy V. Henry, commanding a brigade in the Highteenth Corps, and General Ferrero, with detachments of colored troops, began three covered ways toward the crater, from which also the men began to work from their side toward us. Affairs were in this condition when I was summoned, with the other division commanders, to corps headquarters about 12.30 p.m. During my absence the work was evacuated under orders of the brigade commanders inside, sent to them from the major-general commanding. At the time of the evacuation the enemy made a third assault with a column of re-enforcements from General Hill’s corps. This assault was virtually repulsed by the fire of our artillery, particularly Roemer’s (Thirty-fourth New York) and Mayo’s (Third Maine) batteries, and by the men remaining in the crater whom the order to withdraw did not reach, The rebel column, marching down the hill over open ground, was so shattered by our fire that it broke to one side, and the other fell back, rallied, and finally swayed off to the left of the crater into their riflepits, and advanced again under cover, when the most of our troops had left the work. In this last affair this division lost some of its bravest men, who staid fighting it out to the last. Hight regiments were engaged, two regiments held in reserve, and the three that failed through the cowardice of the Forty-sixth New York to reach the rebel breastworks, were employed partly as provost guard and partly in manning our breast-works on the right and left of the crater to keep down the fire of the enemy from their pits during the evacuation of the rebel work. After dark this division promptly relieved that part of the Eighteenth Corps that had occupied its front during the action.

The losses of this division, amounting to 40 commissioned officers and We captured about 100 rebel prisoners.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,