the Ninth was sent unsupported to charge a work to
the left of Fort Gilmer, across an open field where its line
was enfiladed by the enemy's fire, and was repulsed; then
four companies of the Eighth, as skirmishers, were sent
against the same work, with no better success, and after
this bitter experience, four companies of the Seventh were
sent to their destruction on an errand equally hopeless. Had
the brigade been sent together, instead of its three
regiments in detail, the rebel line would have been carried
and the road to Richmond opened to us. This is no
conjecture. The testimony of a rebel staff-officer on duty
at Fort Gilmer, and that of our own officers who were
captured, fully substantiate the statement.

"About noon on the following day, the 30th, the regiment
moved a mile to the left and went into the rifle-pits to the
left of Fort Harrison. Soon after, the rebel Maj.-Gen.
Field, who had commanded the Ft. Gilmer line the day
previous, made a determined assault on Fort Harrison from
one side, while Hoke's division attacked on the other; but
the attack was not made simultaneously and was repulsed with
heavy loss. While this charge was being made, Col. Shaw was
struck on the head by a rifle bullet, but was uninjured. The
next morning the rebels opened their batteries on our line.
During the cannonade, Lieut. Bjornmark was wounded in the
foot by the fragment of a shell.

"The following is the report of Capt. Weiss to the
commanding officer of the regiment, announcing his arrival
in Richmond:

"'LIBBY PRISON, RICHMOND, VA., September 30, 1864.

"'_Sir_:--I respectfully inform you that the following
officers of the Seventh U. S. C. T. are here, prisoners:
Capts. Weiss and McCarty, Lieuts. Mack, Sherman, Eler,
Ferguson and Spinney. Lieut. Ferguson and myself are wounded
in the head, but doing well.

"'Please inform our friends of the above, and oblige,

"'Yours, on the part of my associates,

"'JULIUS A. WEISS,

"'_Capt. Seventh U. S. C. T._"

"On the 5th of October, the regiment was relieved from duty
in the trenches by the Eight, and moving a short distance to
the rear, went into camp near division headquarters.

"On the 6th, Gen. Birney divided the regiments of his
com