No. 246. Report of Captain Samuel S. Elder, Battery B, First U. S. Artillery.1
HDQRS. HORSE BATTERY B, FIRST U. S. ARTILLERY,
Near Richmond, Va., April 26, 1865.
MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by Horse Battery B, First U. S. Artillery, in the operations of the Twenty-fourth Army Corps after leaving the north side of the James River, Va.:
On the 27th of March the battery left camp near Deep Bottom, on the north side of the James River, Va., and marched to the extreme left of the line, in rear of Petersburg, Va. April 2, engaged the enemy, and same evening advanced to near Petersburg by the Boydton
plank road, the enemy retreating before the army. April 3, 4 and 5, following the enemy up on the line of the South Side Railroad. April 6, engaged him at Rice’s Station, Va. April 7 and 8, in pursuit of the enemy. April 9, engaged the enemy at Appomattox Court-House, Va., the engagement ending in the surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. April 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, remained at Appomattox Court-House. April 17, commenced the march for Richmond, stopping at Burkeville Junction about forty hours.
Casualties: 1 man killed and 1 wounded.
Loss in material: Horses killed and worn out, 34; mules worn out and abandoned, 2.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
SAML. S. ELDER,
Captain, First U. S. Artillery, Commanding Battery B.
Major C. C. ABELL,
Chief of Artillery, Twenty-fourth Army Corps.
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), pp. 1225-1226 ↩