The regiment arrived at Yorktown, Va., April 24th, and landing at
Gloucester Point, on the opposite bank of the York River, went into
camp. Here the reenlisted men rejoined the regiment from "veteran"
furlough, bringing with them 176 stalwart recruits. These new recruits
were distributed through the companies, and though almost without drill
or preliminary discipline, they marched, fought, bled and died in the
rough campaign of '64 as manfully as did the seasoned veterans they
strove in their pride to emulate, both in bravery and endurance.
Yorktown was a very familiar spot to most of us. It stood just across
the York River from our camp, on a high bluff-like shore, and still
surrounded by the earthworks captured from Magruder, turned and
strengthened by ourselves; grass-grown in the months that had passed
since we sailed away from them.
The plains below the town, where the camps of our brigade had been,
were now white with the tents of a part of the troops of the newly
organized army of the James. This new military organization was
composed of the Tenth Corps, drawn from the troops in South Carolina,
consisting of three divisions, commanded by Generals Terry, Turner
and Ames; the Eighteenth Corps of three divisions too, commanded
by Generals Brooks, Weitzel and Hinks; and of a cavalry division
commanded by General Kautz. These corps were commanded respectively
by Major-Generals Q. A. Gillmore and W. F. "Baldy" Smith, the whole
army by Major-General Benjamin F. Butler.
Our regiment was in the Third Brigade of Terry's Division. The other
regiments of the brigade were the 24th Massachusetts, 10th Connecticut,
and the 100th New York.