Grant's campaign. The next move was to swing the
army southward to the line of the James River and prepare to move upon
Richmond and its defences from that side. This change of base was one
of General Grant's finest achievements, admirably planned, and so
skilfully executed that for three days Lee remained in total ignorance
of what his adversary was doing. The Second Connecticut withdrew from
its position on June 12th, late at night, reached the river on the
16th, and, moving up it in transports, was disembarked and sent toward
Petersburg, to a point on the left wing of the army. It reached
position on the night of the 19th and entrenched. The usual
occurrences of such marches as attended this change of scene were
varied for the men, as the regimental history suggestively relates, by
a notable circumstance--a bath in the river. "It was the only luxury
we had had for weeks. It was a goodly sight to see half a dozen
regiments disporting themselves in the tepid waters of the James. But
no reader can possibly understand what enjoyment it afforded, unless
he has slept on the ground for fourteen days without undressing, and
been compelled to walk, cook, and live on all fours, lest a
perpendicular assertion of his manhood should instantly convert it
into clay."

The operations against Petersburg had been going on for some time when
the regiment arrived, and for two days it lay in the rifle pits it had
dug under continual fire, with frequent resulting casualties. It was
"the most intolerable position the regiment was ever required to hold.
We had seen a deadlier spot at Cold Harbor, and others awaited us in
the future; but they were agonies that did not last. Here, however, we
had to stay, hour after hour, from before dawn until after dark, and
that, too, where we could not move a rod without extreme danger. The
enemy's line was parallel with ours, just across the wheat field; then
they had numerous sharpshooters, who were familiar with every acre of
the ground, perched in tall trees on both our flanks; then they had
artillery posted everywhere. No man could cast his eyes over the
parapet, or expose himself ten feet in the rear of the trench without
drawing fire. And yet they did thus expose themselves; for where there
are even chances of being missed or hit, soldiers will take the
chances rather than lie still and suffer from thirst, supineness, and
want of all things. There was no getting to the rear until zig-zag
passages