1864/07/31 Report of Lt. Col. P.B.Buckingham

At about sundown of the day of the date above named, the commanding officer of the brigade to which my regiment was then attached notified me personally that a detail from the different regiments of the brigade would be placed under my command for the purpose of taking possession of and holding a small earth-work in which was located four pieces of artillery, which the rebels had been compelled to abandon during the fight, and, if possible, to remove them. The detail consisted of two companies from the Twentieth Connecticut Volunteers, two from the Nineteenth Michigan, and two from the Eighty-fifth Indiana Volunteers, in all about 225 men, which reported to me soon after dark, and, accompanied by the brigade commander (Colonel Coburn), I proceeded to the designated point and placed my command in line of battle a few rods in rear of the earth-work in which the pieces of artillery were located, and in front of the men comprising the command of Colonel Cobham, of the Second Division of this corps, who had before dark occupied the ground in my rear and had posted a picket just in rear of the works, in which the guns were situated. Soon after my arrival at this point I proceeded to examine in person the exact location of the rebel works and the pieces of artillery, and found they were situated scarcely twenty rods from a formidable line of breast-works, occupied by a brigade of rebel troops, and the intrenchments in the rear of which the coveted pieces of artillery lay were so low that the men on picket there were compelled to lie flat down in order to obtain any cover from the fire which was constantly kept up by the rebels in front. About 9 p.m. the rebels opened a heavy fire along our front, which lasted about half an hour, during which my command was ordered to lie down, and most of Colonel Cobham's command fell back some fifty rods, in considerable disorder, but soon rallied, and returned to its original position. Soon after dark, Colonel Cobham notified me that he was ordered to remove the pieces of artillery in question, and that my command was not needed there; that he proposed to open fire upon the enemy and have a party ready to rush in during the fire and draw the pieces off, and advised me to withdraw, so that my command would be out of his way and removed from under fire. But as my orders were imperative to stay until the object for which the expedition had been sent was accomplished, I directed my command to remain. At my suggestion another plan was adopted, which soon resulted in securing the prize for which both Colonel Cobham and myself were mutually laboring. Shovels, picks, and ropes were sent for, and a detail, made from my own and Colonel Cobham's command, succeeded in making an excavation in front of each gun; a rope was attached to the muzzle of each, and the four pieces were successively drawn through the apertures and taken off, the last one being removed about 1 a.m. of the 16th of May. About midnight the enemy opened a heavy musketry fire, not only in our immediate front, but along the entire left of our line, but as our pickets did not indicate that an advance was being made, the men, both those at work and in line, were again ordered to lie down, and as a result the object of the expedition was accomplished without the loss of a man. Immediately after the guns were removed orders were received to abandon the position and return to our former position, which was done, my command reaching camp about 2 a.m. The pieces removed were four nearly new brass light 18-pounder Napoleons. I desire to render due credit to Colonel Cobham and his command for the assistance rendered on the occasion, and will only suggest that had his plan been carried out it must have resulted in the loss of many men, and also been uncertain of accomplishment.