ected advance until the afternoon. Then a most violent thunder
shower set in, putting a stop to all movements for the remainder of the
day.

The men of the Sixth and Eighteenth corps, tired and worn out from
marching, fighting, and the hard night's work in throwing up
intrenchments, had spent the early part of the day in quietly watching
the enemy, or lounging behind the breastworks, glad of an opportunity
for rest.

Orders were now given for a simultaneous attack along the whole line, to
take place at half-past four on the morning of the 3d. Our line of
battle extended from Coal Harbor to Tolopotamy creek, in the following
order, from left to right: Second, Sixth, Eighteenth, Fifth, and Ninth.
This line was nearly parallel with the Chickahominy, and from a mile and
a half to two miles north of it.

The rebels had not left the day unimproved, in concentrating their
troops and strengthening their works. They now held three lines of
breastworks, all of great strength; the first occupied by their skirmish
lines, the others by strong lines of battle. Between the two armies the
ground was low and swampy, while the positions occupied by both were
sandy plains.

At half-past six on the morning of the 3d, our army was astir; and the
skirmishers, leaving the cover of the rifle pits, were advancing.
Presently they fell in with the skirmishers of the enemy, and the sharp
cracking of rifles betokened the storm of battle.

As soon as the skirmishers were engaged, our artillery opened upon the
rebel works, and the conflict now commenced in earnest. Amid the
deafening volleys of musketry, the thunders of the artillery, and the
wild yells of battle, our brave fellows pressed rapidly across the space
between the hostile lines of works, and the whole Union force was thrown
against the rebel breastworks almost simultaneously. But the works were
too strong, the abattis too troublesome, and the rebel forces too
numerous. Their line could not be taken.

The vigorous and gallant assault made by the Sixth corps, resulted in
carrying the first line, where the rebel skirmishers had been posted,
and our troops got within two hundred and fifty yards of the main works,
but Martindale's division of Smith's corps, which advanced with the
Sixth corps, and on our right, found the task before it too great; the
troops of that division became disarranged and were repulsed. Although
General Smith, who was always up to the front, made several attempt