ampaigning, into which they had been plunged without any gradual
steps of breaking in, and much more terrible experiences were close
at hand. Of these there came a slight foretaste in a skirmish with
the enemy on the 24th near Jericho Ford on the North Anna River,
resulting in the death of one man and the wounding of three others,
the first of what was soon to be a portentous list of casualties.

* * * * *

The movements of both armies were bringing them steadily nearer to
Richmond, and but one chance now remained to achieve the object of the
campaign, the defeat of Lee's army north of the Chickahominy and away
from the strong defences of the Confederate capital. The enemy,
swinging southward to conform to Grant's advance, finally reached the
important point of Cold Harbor on May 31st. Cavalry was sent forward
to dislodge him, and seized some of the entrenchments near that place,
while both armies were hurried forward for the inevitable battle. The
Sixth Corps, of which the Second Artillery was part, reached its
position on the extreme left near noon on June 1st, having marched
since midnight, and awaited the placing of other troops before the
charge, which had been ordered to take place at five o'clock.

It would have been a fearful waiting for these men could they have
known what was in store for them. But they were drugged, as it were,
with utter fatigue; the almost constant movement of their two weeks of
active service had left them "so nearly dead with marching and want of
sleep" that they could not notice or comprehend the significant
movements of the columns of troops about them preparing for battle, or
the artillery which soon opened fire on both sides; their stupor, it
is related, was of a kind that none can describe. They heard without
excitement the earnest instructions of Colonel Kellogg, who, in pride
and anxiety at this first trial of his beloved command, was in
constant consultation with officers and men, directing, encouraging,
explaining. "He marked out on the ground," writes one of his staff,
"the shape of the works to be taken,--told the officers what
dispositions to make of the different battalions,--how the charge was
to be made,--spoke of our reputation as a band-box regiment, 'Now we
are called on to show what we can do at fighting.'" The brigade
commander, General Emory Upton, was also watching closely this new
regiment which had never been in battle. But all fore