From the Bapi'dan to Spotsylvania Courthouse. 241
get into position, nor did it fire a shot upon this column before they were captured. I felt confident that a few shots would disperse this force, which offered so fine a mark to artillery; hence I remained to the last, endeavoring to check them until the artillery could get into position. There was no surprise; my men were up and in the trenches, prepared for the assault, before the enemy made his appear- ance. The first assault on the right, where [were] two pieces of artillery and one brigade, was handsomely repulsed. The main attack must have been repulsed, had any artillery [been] on the line, which could have possibly swept the ground over which they advanced. The ground was an open field into abattis in front for some distance.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
E. JOHNSON, Major- General.
REPORT OF GENERAL A. L. LONG, FROM 4TH TO 3IST OF MAY, 1864.
STAUNTON, November 25th, 1864.
MAJOR, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the artillery of the Second Corps from the 4th of May to the 3ist of May, 1864:
I received orders on the 4th of May from Lieutenant-General Ewell to move my artillery to the front. I immediately broke up my grazing camps in the neighborhood of Gordonsville, and directed Colonel Brown to move his division of artillery in the direction of Locust Grove. Cutshaw's battalion was ordered to report to Col- onel Carter, who had been ordered some days before to the vicinity of Raccoon Ford, with Page's battalion of his division Nelson's battalion had been some time on the front, operating with Early's division of infantry. On the 5th all my artillery was concentrated at Locust Grove, on the old turnpike from Orange Courthouse to Fredericksburg, in the immediate vicinity of the infantry of the Second Corps. On reporting to General Ewell I learned that the enemy was in his front. Major-General Ed. Johnson's division of infantry was advanced, accompanied by Nelson's battalion of artil- lery. After moving a short distance the division was deployed across the pike, and one battery (Milledge's) was put in position to the
