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June 1-3, 1864 - Battle of Cold Harbor, Va. Report of Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, U.S. Army, commanding Second Army Corps.

On the right Gibbon had been even less success-full, and had met with heavy losses. His attack was a little delayed, he reports, by the failure of General Owen to have his troops formed, but the delay was brief. Gibbon's line was unfortunately cut in two by a marsh, which widened as the line neared the enemy's works. The country over which he advanced was cut up by ravines. The line moved gallantly forward, however, until close to the enemy's works, but was not able to advance farther under the destructive fire. General Tyler was wounded and taken from the field, and the lamented McKeen, after pushing his command as far as his example could urge it, was killed. The gallant Haskell succeeded to the command, but was carried from the field mortally wounded, while making renewed efforts to carry the enemy's works. On the left, and separated from his brigade by the swamp described above, Colonel McMahon with a part of his regiment, the One hundred and sixty-fourth New York, reached the enemy's works, planting with his own hand his regimental colors on the parapet, where he fell covered with wounds and expired in the enemy's hands, losing his colors with honor. A portion of Smyth's brigade also reached the enemy's works, but failed to effect a lodgment owing,  General Gibbon states, to the fact that General Owen did not bring his brigade promptly to the support, as he had been directed, but deploying it on Smyth's left when he first became engaged. A portion of Gibbon's troops held ground so close to the enemy that they could only be reached by means of covered ways. Thus ended the assault at Cold Harbor. The major-general commanding was anxious that I should renew the attempt, if practicable, but I did not consider it wise to make another assault, if the matter was left to my judgment. The first report of casualties after the action, which was unusually short, hardly an hour in duration, showed a loss of 3,024. Among officers the loss had been without precedent. I had to mourn the loss of those who had hitherto been foremost and most daring and brilliant in action. Among the killed were Colonels McKeen, Haskell, and McMahon, already mentioned, three most promising young officers,who had never failed to distinguish themselves in battle; Colonel Byrnes, of the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteers; Colonel Porter, of the Eighth New York; Colonel Morris, of the Sixty-sixth New York; all tried and excellent officers. To this list was added, unfortunately, on the following day, Col. L. O. Morris, Seventh New York, killed in the trenches by a sharpshooter. When it is remembered that I had only my two smallest divisions actually engaged, it will be seen that the loss in commanders was unusually severe. It was a blow to the corps from which it did not soon recover. Soon after the failure of the assault, I was ordered to send Birney's division to support General Warren, where it remained until the 5th. We occupied this position until the 11th, there being no material change except the extending of my line to the left as far as the Chickahominy. Siege operations were conducted for several days, our lines being advanced by regular approaches, and a mine commenced. Before any practical result was reached the siege operations were abandoned. The daily skirmishing was sharp and caused us some loss. The nights were characterized by heavy artillery firing and sometimes heavy musketry, the close proximity of our lines causing unusual nervousness. On the 12th, a new and shorter line, covering Cold Harbor, was built, and roads opened to the rear of the old line, and immediately after dark the troops, except the pickets, were drawn out of the first line and assembled in the second, from which they moved about 11 p.m. to Long Bridge. The picket-line was drawn in at 3 a.m. on the 13th without molestation. This terminates the operations of my command during the fourth epoch of the campaign. The bearing of the troops under my command on the march and during the operations on the Totopotomoy, and especially at the bloody battle of Cold Harbor, was distinguished for bravery and good conduct. My subordinate commanders deserve high commendation for their faithful performance of duty. My staff behaved with their usual zeal and gallantry. Capt. Alexander M. McCune, acting assistant provost-marshal, Second Corps, a valuable officer, was mortally wounded on the evening of the 5th by a shot thrown from the enemy's batteries. The following is a list of the casualties, as far as can be given, occurring in the Second Corps, during the fourth epoch of the campaign:

O = Officers.    M = Men.   A = Aggregate.

COMMAND

-- Killed --

-- Wounded --

-- Missing --

Corps Headquarters Artillery Brigade First Division Second Division Third Division TOTAL

O 0 0 16 8 2 26

M 0 1 565 257 111 934

A 1 41 1279 1507 336 3164

O 1 0 17 25 3 46

M 0 5 156 246 37 444

O 0 3 49 46 11 109

M 0 32 476 925 172 1605

NOTE--The casualties of the Fourth and Eighth Ohio Volunteers, Fourteenth Indiana Volunteers, and First Delaware Volunteers are not included in the above table, as reports of the losses have not been furnished from those regiments. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General of Volunteers.

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