f Coal Harbor. We arrived at Coal Harbor
about ten o'clock in the morning. Fighting was still going on. The rebels
had attacked the Sixth and Eighteenth corps about two o'clock in the
morning, but were repulsed losing five hundred and twenty prisoners, who
passed by our battery. We were not in action to-day, but yet exposed to
the enemy's artillery fire. Our horses were unhitched and unharnessed for
the night.

_Friday, June 3._--Battle on Gaines' Farm. The battle began at four
o'clock in the morning. Our battery took position about eight o'clock A.
M., but changed it two hours after, going nearer to the front, and
engaging one of the enemy's batteries at once. The breastworks in our
front were of a very weak construction. During the afternoon the enemy
fired with solid shot. As soon as they struck our breastworks, they
stopped. It was only to ascertain the exact range. The use of
strengthening the breastworks was demonstrated to the men of the first
piece, but they did not feel disposed to work. At eight o'clock in the
evening, the enemy's batteries commenced a heavy cannonade on our lines.
Having gained the precise range of our battery, they fired very correct,
two shots passing clear through the breastworks, wounding five men of the
first piece: W. Sweet, in the face; Gileo, slightly, in the face; Swett,
in the back, badly; Coleman, in the groin; and Whitford, right arm shot
off. The engagement lasted a-half an hour. We were told afterwards, that
the firing of our battery caused great havoc amongst the rebels. Charles
Lake was badly wounded by a shell, during the day. In the night, Major
John G. Hassard brought orders for our battery to take an advanced
position in front of Gaines' Hill, before daybreak the next morning,
saying he would see to the erection of strong breastworks by the
engineers.

_Saturday, June 4._--Battle on Gaines' Farm. At the appointed time, we
went to take position on Gaines' Hill, but were disagreeably surprised to
find no fortifications at all. The Fourth Regiment, New York Heavy
Artillery, had just began to throw up a miserable frame of rotten rails.
Besides that, these men were scared to death, and, as soon as the
sharpshooters commenced to fire, could not be induced to work any longer.
We were compelled to lay down, the breastworks being so poor that we did
not dare to provoke the enemy's artillery fire, and standing by the guns
would have been sure death. It was clear to every one's mind