THE EIGHTEENTH CORPS AT COLD HARBOR.

229

On the 9th of July following, I had a conversation with General GrantJ^out the campaign, in which I expressed the opinion that the battle of Cold^bor was fought in contravention of military principles, with which, after®°me discussion, he seemingly agreed, saying that he had never said any-, about it, because it could do no good. On the 19th of the same monthe referred to the former discussion, saying that he had come to the conclu-^ 0ri that I had intended to whip him over Meade’s shoulders, and that he° il ght “ it was a very good battle anyhow.”

fr bis report dated July 22d, 1865, General Grant devotes to the subject° u| y the following sentences: u On the 3d of June we again assaulted theferny’s works in the hope of driving him from his position. In this attemptf | llr l°ss was heavy, while that of the enemy I have reason to believe wase °ttiparatively light.”

. There is a branch of the art of war which can be executed with such pre-eis i°n as fairly to entitle it to be classed as a science. I refer to logistics,Jj* l yi: ‘ as that term relates to the moving of armies and the placing of troopstbe proper time in the immediate vicinity of a chosen battle-field. Com-6 te ignorance of this subject or culpable neglect ruled the logistics that^ght the Army of the Potomac to the battle-field of Cold Harbor in 1864.e Union arms were robbed of the advantages of the position, and of thecess gained by General Sheridan on the 31st of May, by a failure to con-' ;l ' a te the army against the right flank of the enemy early on the morningthe 1st of June. From the failure there resulted a concentration that left^ r ex posed flanks % in close proximity to the enemy, caused a delay of many°^ rs iu the attack of the 1st of June, made that attack fruitless in results,

I gave to us the murderous order of parallel advance to battle of June 3d.

II conclusion, let us review the logistics of Cold Harbor. On the 30th ofthe line held by the Army of the Potomac ran along the road from

anover Court House to Cold Harbor, beginning at a point about six miles: i of the Court House, where the right of the Sixth Corps rested. To the^ came the Second, Ninth, and Fifth corps in the order named, the left offift ^ 8 ^ er cor P s being near Bethesda Church. On that day at White House ,hist. 011 rQ ^ es U e left, the Eighteenth Army Corps was debarking. On theSheridan, with two divisions of cavalry, had engaged and driven thesi from their rifle-pits at Cold Harbor. The force he encountered con-fla 1 hifantry and dismounted cavalry, which proved that he was on Lee’sK Ahen Lee had as yet but little infantry. Sheridan, thinking it unsafetov ; ltt cmpt to hold the place with his isolated command, retired from theip rj |’ was me t by an order to hold Cold Harbor at all hazards. Return-,. e |.’ 116 ^'occupied the works, and strengthening them held his position untilby the Sixth Corps, about 10 o’clock the next morning.ii |(! 31st the determination was reached to concentrate at Cold Harbor,Pb afternoon the Sixth Corps moved under orders for Cold Harbor,

b°sip ^ een rn ii es distant; the Second Corps was ordered to march and take^ i°n on the left of the Sixth Corps, having about the same distance to

6 wide gap between tlie Eighteenth and the Fifth corps made two additional flanks.—W. F. S.