1862 June 30 before Rcihmond,Va.]

                 
[page 44]        
 [from the diary of Samuel Johnson of the 1st Massachusetts Independent Light Battery]

                         June 30th  

At 9. A. M we harnessed up again, and
continued our retreat.  At one P. M. we
formed a line of battle in prolongation of
Kearney’s Div. at Glendale;  our right resting
on the Charles City cross roads.  At ½ past
two P. M. Longstreets div. was discovered
advancing to attack our lines; at three
he opened a brisk fire on us from a 6 pdr
battery.  Battery D. 2nd U. S. and our battery
immediately opened fire on his lines, and

for three hours poured in upon him a most
deadly and distructive fire. So accurate was

our fire, that one battery which was in
position in our immediate front, was entirely
demolished, and two others which were trying
to gain a position, were so completely
disabled, that they become perfectly useless:
not however until we had one man
instantly killed, and another mortally woun-
-ded.  About six P. M. the vents being
blown out of our guns, and the guns being
so much heated as to render them unfit
for service, we were releived by a R. I.
battery.  We then retired about one mile
to the rear:  all in our immediate front,
had now become very quiet: the rebs
having been repulsed in all their attempts
to dislodge us.  On our left however things
wore a much different aspect.  Heintzelmans
corps greatly outnumbered by the rebs, was
being severely pressed, and slowly but
surely driven, though they disputed every
inch of the ground with a terrible stuborn
stubbornness, which cost the rebel army a
large amount of valuable lives.  Every
thing on that part of the line began to
wear a most serious face, and for a short
time the capture of our entire army
seemed very probable..  Fortunately Mc Call’s

division of the 5th Corps, and the 1st N. J.
brigade of the 1st Div. of the 6th Corps, cor
came up at this critical moment, and
were sent to the immediate front. and
the tide of battle soon changed:  the
rebs were repulsed. and driven back in
confusion.  all the lost ground was
regained, and we remained, undisputed
victors on that part of the line also,
At 8. P. M. we were sent to the front
again, and just as we were going into
position, a brigade of the rebs was discov-
-ered crawling on their hands and knees
up the hill to charge on our line of
batteries.  Battery D. 2nd U. S. immediately
opened on them a double shotted fire of
canister, driving them back in confusion,
killing and wounding one half their
number.  After this all became very quiet;
we remained in our position until mid-
night.  when we limbered up our guns
and fell back.  We lost also one man
taken prisoner.  Warm and quite
pleasant.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493