History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1864 BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 289
was ordered towards the close of April, 1864. In the meantime, Captain
Charles A. Winn, of company G, was promoted to Major.
Embarking upon transports, the regiment, together with the entire command.
proceeded to Fortress Monroe, and on the 1st of May, landed at Yorktown.
where General Butler was re-organizing the Army of the James to operate
against Richmond. The Fifty-eighth was assigned to the Third Brigade, First
Division, of the Eighteenth Corps. On the 4th of May, Butler's Army proceeded by water to Bermuda Hundred, on the right bank of the James. On
the 6th the First Division, commanded by General Brooks, moved out to the
neighborhood of Petersburg. Here a detachment of two hundred men from
the Fifty-eighth was sent to slash the woods near the Appomattox, the gunboats
shelling the opposite shore. On the 9th the division had a sharp encounter
with the enemy, in which the regiment lost twenty killed and wounded. On
the following day it was engaged in destroying the Petersburg and Richmond
Railroad. The destruction was made complete for a considerable distance, the
rails being twisted, the ties burned, and the bridges destroyed. In the heavy
attack of the enemy on the 16th, the regiment suffered no loss. During the
remainder of the campaign on the south side of the James, it was actively
employed in field and fatigue duty, but was not closely engaged.
Upon the transfer of the Eighteenth Corps, under General Smith, to Grant's
Army, near Cold Harbor, the regiment embarked with the command in two
transports, one of which, having on board companies A,,C F, and E, under
command of Lieutenant Colonel Martin, was disabled on the passage, by which
it was delayed several days. The remaining companies, under Major Winn, arrived, debarked at White House with the main body of the corps, and immediately commenced the march to the front, arriving at Cold Harbor on the 1st
of June. At five P M., a charge upon the enemy's line was ordered, and the
battalion forming with the Fortieth Massachusetts, advanced across an open
field, in which it was much exposed, to a wood where the enemy was posted in
rifle-pits, from which he was quickly driven, and pursued to his intrenched line
in rear of the wood. This it was impossible to carry, and the advantage gained
was secured by intrenching, which was executed under the fire of rebel sharpshooters. The loss in this encounter was thirty-five killed and wounded.
On the 3d of June, in the grand assault of the Union forces upon the enemy's works at Cold Harbor, the battalion participated, and was much exposed.
"The Fifty-eighth," says a correspondent of the New York lHerald, "under
command of Captain Cecil Clay, of company K, then charged the enemy's
works, and succeeded in carrying his rifle-pits. Here, however, the men found
themselves close prisoners, as it was utterly impossible for a head or an arm to
make its appearance, without being riddled by bullets. For two long hours
the regiment held its position, and until it was re-inforced." It sustained considerable loss in this charge, and was daily at the front until the 13th, when the
army withdrew. The Eighteenth Corps now returned by transports from White
House to Bermuda Hundred, and on the 15t1, crossing the Appomattox, attacked
the enemy's lines in front of Petersburg, the Fifty-eighth holding the right of
the line. The outer works were carried, and at evening the regiment was relieved from the front, and returned to Point of Rocks.
On the 24th of June, the veterans of the regiment, who had never been allowed the furlough which was promised to all who would re-enlist, were ordered
to Philadelphia to enjoy their long delayed respite from duty. In consideration
37-VOL. II,