Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

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[526] wounded in front of our lines, who had been left on the ground since the 8th. Some were still alive, and we had noticed one who had occasionally raised himself to nearly a sitting posture. Today he was trying to knock himself in the head with the butt of his musket, making several feeble efforts. Grant only consented to ask a flag of truce for the wounded some days after Cold Harbor on June 3. On more than one occasion, the wounded Federals had been burnt by fires in the woods.

On the 14th, we found the enemy gone from our front, but none of the wounded were now found alive. The man who had tried the day before to kill himself was found to belong to the Maryland brigade. He had been partially stripped and was most elaborately tattooed. At night, Field's division was transferred from our left flank to the extreme right, where we found Warren's corps already in front of us, having been transferred the night before.

We did not know it at the time, but it afterward appeared that Grant had designed another great battle for us this morning. Only the fearful roads, due to the recent rains, and the exhaustion of his men had forced him to abandon the effort. On the 11th, he had sent his famous despatch that he would ‘fight it out on this line if it takes all the summer.’

On the night of the 13th, the moon was young, the night foggy, rainy, and intensely dark. The 5th and 6th corps were ordered to march by farm roads, passing in rear of the 2d and 9th, cross the Ny, move through fields to the Fredericksburg road, on it recross the Ny, form on Burnside's left, and attack our right flank at 4 A. M. on the 14th. The 2d corps and the 9th were to be ready, and, when ordered, to join in the attack upon our whole line. Though every precaution had been taken to mark the way with bonfires and men posted along the route, Warren only arrived on time with about 4000 men. The rain had put out the fires and the men had lost their way and floundered in the mud, until they were so broken and scattered that they could not be gotten into condition for operations that day, and the proposed attack was abandoned. We had doubtless had a narrow escape from serious trouble. With ordinary weather the distance was not great, and both the 5th and 6th corps could have surprised our flank at dawn in the morning. Our