“In Special Correspondence.” From the (Montgomery, Ala.) Daily Mail, August 26, 1864, p. 2, a member of Law’s Brigade wrote his account from “Near Deep Bottom.”

From William H. Niles, Co. K, 7th Ga., to his brother George and sister Alice, from On Weldon R. R. 2½ miles from Petersburg, Sept 7th 1864. “If I remember correctly I wrote you last from Malvern Hill. Our Div. fought there on the 15th and 16th of August and recrossed the river in time to engage in the assault on the enemies troops at Ream’s Station on the 28th.” Alice E. Niles (Andrews) Letters, 1859-1864; Rare Book, Manuscript, Special Collection Library; Perkins Library; Duke University; Durham, NC.

Hamil’s book, page 30 states that on the evening of the 16th he was on picket duty on the battlefield. [Hamil, John Wesley]. The Story of a Confederate Soldier. Cragford, AL.” by F. M. Hamil, Route 1, 1973. I sent you an extract via separate e-mail yesterday.

Talbot, Edith Armstrong. Samuel Chapman Armstrong: A Biographical Study. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1904, pp. 115-117. You can access the book at: http://books.google.com/books/download/Samuel_Chapman_Armstrong.pdf?id=IGQ7g3vWAMUC&hl =en&capid=AFLRE71txLi39myXRTvRFZYB0P_jDq8oUKPx_E0MQ1VMkm5kbke5g7BpqhOKLeD4wcWgfIAITWcb VZhG00Aa9OS0wdN_9q_-CA&continue=http://books.google.com/books/download/Samuel_Chapman_ Armstrong.pdf%3Fid%3DIGQ7g3vWAMUC%26output%3Dpdf%26hl%3Den.

“In the Trenches Before Petersburg, August 30, 1864

….

“I forgot in my last to tell you about the flag of truce in our campaign at Deep Bottom, over the James River. It was to bury our dead, and being in command of our picket line that day, I was present. We met the rebels half-way between the lines. I saw thousands of them swarming their works, and scores came to meet us, bringing on stretchers the ghastly, horrible mutilated dead whom we had lost in the charge the day previous. The sight a and smell would have made you wild, but we are used to it. I had no particular business, and so I talked with the rebel officers and found myself conversing with Colonel Little, of the Eleventh Georgia Regiment, and with the rebel General Gary. They were very gentlemanly, and we had …. The rebs told me they buried a good many of our colored men, for they were the very men we had fought the day before.”

John Casper Branner, Casper Branner of Virginia and his Descendants (Privately Printed: Stanford University, 1943), pp. 234-235.

“New Market Heights, Va.,

59th Ga. Regt

Aug 15th, 1864

Dear Mr. Branner,

….

The Division (Field’s, Hood’s old) is now entrenched on New Market Heights, which are located about four miles below Chapin’s Bluff and two above Malvern Hill within one and a half miles from the river almost directly opposite Wilcox’s landing. We had a sharp brush with the Yanks yesterday evening during which we lost four howitzers, which had been planted down on the picket line; everywhere else the Yanks were repulsed with considerable loss.

…..

Aug. 18th. Orders have come to move before finishing this, I was compelled to leave off writing. The Yanks attacked our extreme left again yesterday morning and broke the lines of the 64th Georgia, Bryants Brigade, Anderson’s Benning’s and Law’s brigades having been ordered to their support. We attacked them and drove them back and retook the works after about two hours hard fighting. The Yanks fought obstinately; they had portions of three corps engaged. Our loss in killed and wounded was tolerably heavy, but the Yankee loss was much heavier, besides a good number taken prisoners. We lost our Genl. Officer killed, Genl. Sanders. The Yanks had negroes engaged also.

….

Ours truly,

G. W. Waldrop”