Captured at Petersburg

Today I thought I would continue to share the story of John L. Hoster, a Sergeant in the 148th New York. Hoster is the subject of an article I have written that will be published later this spring. The diaries he kept during the Civil War--which have some incredible content--are preserved in the Special Collections of the New York State Historical Association here in Cooperstown. Today's installment features the beginning of Hoster's most harrowing experience as a soldier. If you'd like to read more about Hoster, click on my John L. Hoster label to see all of the entries I've written about him.
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Outer line of Confederate fortifcations, in front of Petersburg, Va., captured by 18th Army Corps, June 15, 1864.
Library of Congress.

Daylight on June 12th, 1864 brought the promise of yet another hot day for Sergeant John L. Hoster. "I arose early this morning," he wrote in his diary...

...and finished my morning report. Thos. Pringle, who is with the cooks, brought the coffee up very early. After breakfast I commenced writing a letter, but before I finished it we received orders to pack rifles and be ready to march immediately. We left at 10 a.m., our regt. in the lead, and arrived at the White House at 3 p.m. We halted on the other side of the R.R. from where we encamped before and stacked arms and the cooks made coffee. I took a good wash before supper.

Hoster didn't know it, but Ulysses S. Grant's great turning movement that would carry the Army of the Potomac across the James River to confront Petersburg had just begun.

Monday, June 13th
Very warm. I sent Parmalee after a ration of beans and Parmalee cooked them during the night and we had them for breakfast this morning. We also drew a few potatoes this morning, and Parmalee made some potato soup for dinner. Our sutler came up this forenoon and sold any amount of goods. I purchased a can of peaches, a can of oysters, a jar of pickles, some cake and cheese and with some coffee that Wade made, he and I had a fine dinner. Gen. Martindale came over and took breakfast with Col. Guion at his solicitation. The Gen. ate his breakfast under a large tree. Wade and I put up our shelter tents on our guns and lounged in the shade all afternoon. We had to leave at 6 o'clock and march to the landing a few hundred yards in the distance where we embarked on the transport "Webster" about dark. I took a quiet evening smoke, after which I turned into my nest, a small space in the cabin on the upper deck which I had reserved. Our regt. is all aboard.

Tuesday, June 14th
Warm and pleasant. We lay in the stream last night and started at 4 o'clock this morning, passing West Point at 7. Our cooks made coffee this morning. Corpl. Wade is now my chum. Passed Yorktown at 9:30 a.m., passed Ft. Monroe at 12:15, Jamestown at 4:30 p.m., Wilson's Landing at 5:50 p.m., and arrived at Bermuda Hundred at 7:30 p.m. At half past eight we took up our line of march, marching to near where we crossed the Appomattox at pontoon bridge and stopped for the night.

Maj. Gen. William F. Smith's 18th Corps had barely returned to the Army of the James when Smith received orders to depart early on the morning of June 15th to cross the Appomattox River and attack Petersburg. At 2 a.m., the column moved out.

Wednesday, June 15th
Very warm. We started out very early this morning, crossing the Appommattox on a pontoon bridge...

The 148th and the rest of Brig. Gen. John H. Martindale's were third in line to cross the river on this morning. Traveling with the column, New York Times Correspondent Henry J. Winser painted the scene for his readers:

With springy, elastic step MARTINDALE's well-tried veterans passed over, conversing gayly as they came, and bringing with them a spirit that entirely dispelled the grave and sober spell which the silent movement of their comrades had thrown over all. With the sun came warmth, and we lookers-on on the river bank stopped shivering and became hopeful of getting to Petersburgh before night.

The 18th Corps approached the city from the northeast. Martindale's division advanced on the Appomattox River Road, while Smith's other two divisions and his cavalry moved on Martindale's left. Early that morning Brig. Gen. Edward W. Hinck's all-black division engaged and defeated a small Confederate force. After this success, Smith took the better part of the day to scout, organize, and close his forces up upon the Confederate defensive line. In the meantime, the 148th New York occupied the right flank of Martindale's advance. John L. Hoster's account countinues:

...when we came to a house where lived a woman who professed to be Union, the skirmishing commenced. We proceeded a short distance when nearly all of our regt. was sent on skirmish, the right of our company on the Appomattox. We ran into the enemy line before we were aware of it. They fired a volley into us. We concealed ourselves as much as possible and during the day we dug small rifle pits for protection. Soon after noon I fired on a man across the river who was taking observations with a glass. He ducked his head and went off around a hill and a battery soon made its appearance and began to throw shot and shell at us, wounding James Roe and Chas. Marshall, H Co. Benjamin Watkins in command of our right fell back offering the rebs an opportunity to flank us. At 4:30 we were obliged to surrender to a company of the 26th. Va.

Further details of the capture can be found in a letter sent to the Seneca County Courier by Chaplain Ferris Scott:

...the saddest part of the tale for Seneca Falls remains to be told. Lieut. Court. Van Renssalear, as brave and fine an officer as we have in the Regiment, had the misfortune of being captured by the Rebs, together with some 25 or 30 of his Company. He and those captured with him were on the extreme right of the Regiment and had taken possession of a house as a shelter from which to act as sharp-shooters. While in the house the Regiment was ordered to fall back. He did not get the order, and was left behind; and before he was aware of it, the Rebs surrounded the house and took the whole squad prisoners. I haven't been able to obtain an accurate list of those taken yet, but will in a day or two, and will send it on. Sergt. Hoster, John Hudson , and in fact the majority of the good fighting men in the Co., are gone to Richmond. The only ones who escaped were those who had been sent to rear for ammunition, water, &c., &c., and who were not in the fight at the time.

Sergeant Hoster did not in fact go to Richmond, as Scott believed. Hoster continued to record his own account:

We were marched back to their breastworks and sent by the Major in command to the Col. commanding Battery 5. From there to Gen. Wise and to the Custom House in Petersburg where we were questioned, then to P.M. office where we were searched and relieved of our watches, letter knives, etc. My spy glasses were also taken. We were then confined to a building on a back street. There we found Thos. Crelly of our company, who had arrived before us.

 For the Confederates attempting to make sense of Grant's latest move, these prisoners from the 148th New York provided some valuable information. With a quick search at the excellent Siege of Petersburg Online blog I found this bit of information published in the June 16th edition of The Petersburg Express:

Twenty-three prisoners brought in last night, belonging chiefly to the 148th N. Y. regiment, all concur in the statement that Baldy Smith’s entire Army Corps (the 18th) is on this side of the river again.

Smith and his 18th Corps succeeded in capturing Petersburg's outer works on the evening of June 15th, but they lost a golden opportunity to take the city quickly. For John L. Hoster, his great ordeal as a prisoner of war was just beginning.

Cold Harbor: A Soldier's View - Continued

See Part One
See Part Two

Rain continued to fall during the night of Thursday, June 2, 1864 at Cold Harbor, as a front moved through bringing cooler temperatures. At roughly 3 o'clock on the morning of June 3 Colonel George M. Guion roused the men of the 148th New York and ordered them to prepare breakfast. The men made a hasty meal and before 4 a.m. began to move through the mists to the front. Lieutenant General Grant had ordered an army-wide assault to begin at 4:30, and the 148th was assigned to lead Brig. Gen. John H. Martindale's division toward the Confederate works.

General Martindale had received orders to form his command in columns of division in mass, deploy a strong line of skirmishers, and to advance along a ravine that led toward the Confederate entrenchments. Martindale deployed his men in the compact, exceedingly narrow formation prescribed. The total width of his front was two companies in double line, with regiments stacked one behind another. To head the assault column he chose the brigade of Colonel Griffin A. Stedman, Jr. For his skirmishers: the 148th New York.

Stedman's brigade would advance along the north side of the ravine. At promptly 4:30, the brigade moved out, with the men of the 148th deployed forward at very short intervals to cover the brigade's front and right flank. Behind the New Yorkers came the 12th New Hampshire heading the assault column. The men moved through a line of trees, pushing Confederate skirmishers back until they reached a clearing that stretched nearly 400 yards over flat, open ground to the Confederate main line. Here, the 148th halted and skirmished with the rebels while the rest of the brigade closed up in the woods behind them. On the right of the 148th's line the woods had fallen away more quickly, leaving the soldiers little or no cover as they skirmished in the open fields. Sergeant John L. Hoster and his comrades likely spent much of this morning lying in prone position as they sparred with their Confederate counterparts.

While the skirmish action heated up, Colonel Stedman halted the brigade in the trees to await the sounds of the rest of the 18th Corps's attack. Mounted and brandishing a ramrod as a sword, Stedman had ordered his men to uncap their pieces and to fix bayonets. He wanted his men to take the Confederate works with a rush when the orders came.

Veteran Mississippians, Alabamians, and Georgians held the Confederate line opposite Stedman's brigade, and had spent all night fortifying it. According to historian Gordon Rhea, the rebels awaited the assault in two lines behind waist-high breastworks. They had taken advantage of the terrain to form a horseshoe shaped line that would allow them to fire on federal attackers from three directions.

Soon enough, General Martindale heard firing off to his left and ordered his division forward. While the 148th held its ground skirmishing, the deep columns of Stedman's command pushed forward intrepidly. In his official report, Colonel Stedman recalled the scene as the 12th New Hampshire rushed forward:

Immediately a heavy fire of musketry was poured upon the whole left flank, mingled with grape and canister. So intense was this flank fire as to confuse the rear and push it constantly to the right, but with determined bravery the column pushed on over a perfectly open and level field, which is considered the most effective obstacle that can be opposed to advancing troops. The head of the column reached the rifle-pits of the enemy, from which their skirmishers were driven. At this moment the enemy opened upon the head of the column a fearful fire of musketry, grape, and canister, none having been fired from that point of their works before. No troops could advance under it, and the brigade, already decimated by the flank fire, broke upon meeting the direct, and retiring to the woods reformed, ready, if ordered, to repeat the attempt.

Leading the assault, the 12th New Hampshire suffered fearfully, losing over half of its strength. Seeing the futility of its charge, Colonel Stedman ordered his brigade back to the treeline, where they remained under harassing fire for much of the rest of the day. Here the men threw up breastworks using cups, plates, bayonets and whatever other tools they possessed.

For the 148th, June 3 had been a harrowing day as they faced the Army of Northern Virginia for the first time. The regiment had lost over 100 men skirmishing in the fields in front of the Confederate works that morning, including more than thirty killed or mortally wounded. On June 7, Chaplain Ferris Scott wrote home to update his friends and neighbors on the casualty lists in the regiment. For Company A, Sergeant Hoster's company, he reported the following losses:

Co. A—Marvin Burroughs, right hand; Thomas O'Grady, left side and arm; L. B. Cross, left hip, slight; Samuel Scott, right temple, slight; Serg't Fred S. Gibbs, face; James H. Stout, both legs and arms; Serg't H. W. Rumsey, leg; Corp. Thos. Pringle, finger—is on duty; Corp. John O'Keisinger, killed; Theodore Van Rennselaer, abdomen, mortally; George Matthews, both legs, slight; Thos. Hastie, left fore-finger; Burton A. Tuttle, right thumb; Charles D. Graham, right shoulder; William White, both thighs, flesh wounds; Joseph Feeder, heel, slight; Isaac Conkey, neck and breast; _. W. Pilbeam, left foot; David B. Hull, rght elbow; William J. Updike, ankle out of joint; John Hanntz, killed; Michael Dunnington, killed.

Late on the evening of June 3, after a long and emotionally draining day, John L. Hoster wrote a brief entry into his diary:

Friday, June 3rd
Cool and pleasant to those who are not exposed to the fire of Johnny Reb. We were called up at 3 o'clock and told to get our breakfast. We moved in three quarters of an hour to the front, and our regiment went out as skirmishers. We marched near the enemy's works and met with a terrible slaughter. We were forced to fall back on the rifle pits. Our Company then moved to the left where we lay till we were relieved at night. There were only 4 or 5 of us with the Lt. [Cortland Van Rensselaer] when we came in, the rest being scattered far and wide. We went back to the rifle pit where we spent the night. Some of our boys were wounded by shell from our own battery. Ball struck twice near my head, filling my eyes with dust, I saw Reb flag and piece of artillery through my glass.

The end of Grant's failed assault at Cold Harbor was just the beginning for Sergeant Hoster. The next ten days would be some of his most eventful during the war.

Cold Harbor: A Soldier's View

See Part One

As the sun rose in the east on June 1st, 1864, Sergeant John L. Hoster and the men of Company A, 148th New York began their final march to link up with the Army of the Potomac. Their trip by river and land was all part of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's plans to deliver a knock out blow against the Army of Northern Virginia.

So far, Grant's efforts had shed much blood, but had failed to gain a clear cut victory over Robert E. Lee. And yet, with the two armies stalemated along the North Anna River, the Lieutenant General believed that victory was near at hand. "Lee's army is really whipped," he wired to Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck in Washington on May 26, "... I may be mistaken but I believe our success over Lee's army is already insured." Grant planned to break the deadlock by swinging the Army of the Potomac eastward again and establishing it on the south side of the Pamunkey River. Meanwhile, he would reinforce Maj. Gen. George Meade's army by pulling forces from the Army of the James. These troops would land at White House on the Pamunkey, move overland to link up with Meade's army, and the combined force would hopefully defeat Lee's army east of Richmond.

For Sergeant Hoster and the men of Company A, June 1st would prove a hot, fatiguing, and frustrating day. The 18th Corps had stopped at 11 p.m. the evening before, some two miles short of its objective - New Castle Ferry on the Pamunkey. Late that evening, Maj. Gen. Baldy Smith received updated instructions from Grant's headquarters - move to New Castle Ferry and take position on the right of the 6th Corps in the morning. Smith determined that the orders indicated a need for haste, and so at dawn he set his men in motion without even allowing time for breakfast. Sergeant Hoster's entry for June 1st began:

Moved early in the morning, proceeded eastward 2 miles more, stopped in a cornfield (any amount of mulberries at old church nearby). We rested a while, putting up our shelters to shield us from the sun. Here we saw a large wagon train consisting of army wagons and ambulances. 

Unfortunately, there had been a mistake. While Hoster and his fellow soldiers rested in the fields around New Castle Ferry, Smith searched in vain for the 6th Corps, which was nowhere to be found. The morning hours melted away and the sun rose higher. Eventually the mistake was discovered. The day before (May 31), a cavalry engagement at a small crossroads called Cold Harbor - less than ten miles distant from New Castle Ferry - had drawn the attention of both commanders, and sent infantry in motion. On the evening of the 31st, the 6th Corps received orders to move to Cold Harbor during the night, and army headquarters intended also to direct the 18th Corps there to form on the 6th Corps right. Unfortunately, the aide writing the order had accidentally written "New Castle Ferry" instead of Cold Harbor. The slip up would cost the Army of the Potomac hours, and cause traffic jams on the roads on June 1st. It also meant that John Hoster and his comrades would have to retrace their steps and then march for Cold Harbor during the broiling heat of a  summer afternoon. His June 1st entry continued:

Sometime during the forenoon we started for the Army of the Potomac where we arrived before sundown. A sharp artillery battle came off immediately upon our arrival. We halted at noon at Old Church. Our wagon train moved to the front with us but were obliged to retire on account of shells. A shell struck in B Company. We moved a little to the right and formed in line of battle, marching a short distance through the woods. The rebs threw shells all around us. A little after dark we formed line perpendicular to the rear and halted in the edge of the woods. I feel very much fatigued, not having had a chance to make coffee since morning.

Though it had served since September of 1862, the hard march of a campaign was a relatively new experience for the 148th. After marching some 15 miles on May 31, their activities on June 1 would have tested the unit. The march was accompanied by many delays as the 18th Corps waited for the 6th Corps to clear the roads in front of it. In his history of the 12th Hew Hampshire, another regiment brigaded with the 148th, Asa W. Bartlett recalled:

The memory of that day's march will exist as long as any man who was in it continues to live. The temperature, even in the shade, must have been close up to, if not above, blood heat, and following much of the time, as the troops had to, directly in rear of the baggage train of the 6th Corp, the dust was worse, if possible, than the heat.

"Cold Harbor Tavern, June 3, 1864." Sketch by Edwin Forbes. Library of Congress.

As his diary mentions, Hoster and the 148th arrived on the field in early evening, just as things began to heat up. The 6th and 18th Corps had been ordered to assault Confederate lines at Cold Harbor, and the bombardment Hoster experienced was an artillery duel that erupted before the assault. The 148th and the rest of John H. Martindale's division of the 18th Corps did not participate, instead forming at a right angle to the assaulting columns to protect the northern flank of the assault force, which did not have enough troops to connect to the rest of the army. The assault that went forward that evening did not ultimately succeed, though it did find weak points in the Confederate line. Meade and Grant, encouraged by the progress made, decided to order more troops to Cold Harbor for an assault the next day, June 2nd.

These plans did not come to fruition, as delays and snafus prevented the army from moving into position until late in the day, tired and worn out. Grant decided to postpone any further actions, but sent out orders for an army-wide assault to begin at dawn on June 3rd. He believed Lee's army, with its back to the Chickahominy River, was on its last legs. He also knew that the Republican National Convention would soon meet in Baltimore, and that President Lincoln needed a victory. One final push might finish the affair.

For Hoster - June 2nd passed off quietly, though Company A was in the presence of the enemy throughout the day:

"The Battle of Cold Harbor, Throwing up Breastworks." Sketch by Edwin Forbes. Library of Congress.

Thursday, June 2nd
Very warm. Moved a little to the left early this morning and constructed breastworks. About 8 o'clock [Private Francis L.] Crawford brought us a little coffee, which revived us greatly. After it was served we turned in our salt pork and Frank boiled it. Mat Carol was struck in the side with a spent ball this forenoon, bruising the skin. [Private Marvin] Burroughs was shot through the hand about noon and stray shot flies over our head occasionally. Coffee again about 3 P.M. I made some in my cup about noon. Several prisoners were taken last evening, also this morning. The 40th Mass. sharp shooters are skirmishing. A lively fire has been kept up all day, considerable artillery firing. An order came about dark to move, but was immediately countermanded. A severe shower came up about 4 P.M. [John C.] Appleby and I pitched our tent about 6 P.M. I made some coffee. Sergt. [Charles H.] Travers issued two days rations of hardtack. A whiskey ration was issued to us at dark. Just after I had turned in the Col. [George M. Guion] came by and told me to caution the men to keep their guns dry. They would not use them tonight, but would want them in the morning.

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Source Note: For background on the overall operations of the army, I am drawing on Gordon C. Rhea's excellent book, Cold Harbor: Grand and Lee, May 26 - June 3, 1864, as well as the Official Records.

The Road to Cold Harbor

Over the past few months I've spent quite a bit of my spare time turning my master's thesis into a journal article for publication. My thesis, Love at War: The Civil War Courtship of John L. Hoster and Josephine Cole, explores the impact that the Civil War had on courtship rituals by utilizing primary sources related to Sergeant John L. Hoster of the 148th New York and his future wife, Josephine Cole. In completing this project, I rediscovered how amazing it was to work with such a rich trove of primary source documents. While my thesis focuses particularly on the story of John and Josie's courtship, there are many other incredible aspects of John's story that I was only able to reference briefly, if at all.

As I picked up these sources again, I realized that these stories were ripe for exploring here on the blog. So over the next few months I plan to put together a few posts on John Hoster's wartime story. I hope you will excuse the diversion from Gettysburg.
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A bit of background first. John L. Hoster was born on July 15, 1842 in Canoga, New York, a small Finger Lakes village. The 1860 Census lists John as a farm laborer living on his father's farm. In the summer of 1862 John enlisted in the 148th New York, and was elected to serve as a sergeant of Company A, which was recruited primarily from Seneca Falls, Geneva, Fayette, and Canoga.

The 148th left New York in September and was sent to Virginia, where it served around Suffolk and Norfolk in the Department of Virginia. After avoiding combat for much of its early service, in the spring of 1864 the 148th took part in Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler's campaign against Richmond and Petersburg as part of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James. The unit saw action at Swift creek, Proctor's creek, Drewry's bluff and Bermuda Hundred. The campaign stalled however, as Butler's forces got "bottled up" between the James and Appomattox Rivers. With the Army of the James safe from attack but unable to make further progress, Grant looked to detach troops to send north of the James River to join with the Army of the Potomac in its bloody campaign against the Army of Northern Virginia.

The 18th Corps, commanded by William F. "Baldy" Smith, received orders to join Grant. To do so Smith's 17,000 soldiers would board transports and steam down the James River, round the tip of the Peninsula, and steam up the York and Pamunkey Rivers to White House Landing. Here his troops would disembark and travel the rest of the way overland to link up with the Army of the Potomac east of Richmond. The movement would begin on May 27th.

Throughout the war Sergeant John L. Hoster kept a diary, which he filled with daily entries. His diaries now reside in the Special Collections of the New York State Historical Association here in Cooperstown. Here's what John recorded of the movement to reinforce the Army of the Potomac:

Friday, May 27th
Warm. Received orders at 11 A.M. to be ready to march in half an hour with camp and garrison equipage. We left at 3 P.M. Our knapsacks were not carried for us as was first intended. We moved about 2 miles to the right and some to the rear, where we halted and encamped for the night. I pitched my tent with [John C.] Appleby and [Melvin] Tubbs. There is some prospect of a peaceful night. Appearance of rain this evening.

Saturday, May 28th
Very warm. Reveille about 4:30 this A.M. We had some applesauce for breakfast which I stewed last evening. I put some pockets in my jacket this forenoon. Received a letter from mother and one from Louisa. Potatoe soup for dinner. Fell in line at 2 P.M. I did not go out. Inspection at 4 P.M. I took [Peter] Muldoon's gun out, mine not being very bright. Each Company Commander inspected his own Company. Lt. Van [Lieutenant Cortland Van Rensselaer] is in Command, Capt. [Robert C.] Daly in Corps Hospital. At five o'clock we received orders to be ready to march at 6:15 P.M. Sergeant [Frederick S.] Gibbs drew 4 days rations of hardtack, but received an order from the Col. [George Murray Guion] not to issue but two. We had no sooner returned two days rations when we received another order to issue the whole. They could not be found in time to issue and failing to get transportation, they were left. Left camp at 6:15 - crossed Appomattox on pontoon bridge - marched to within one mile of point and halted for the night. Rained during the march.

Sunday, May 29th
Cool. Arose at 3:30. Resumed march before I could make coffee. Arrived at point at 5 A.M. Beautiful place, negroes doing duty. Embarked on "Thos. A. Morgan" river boat from Yorktown to Old Point and left soon after, proceeding down the river. Gen. [John H.] Martindale in command of Division, Arthur S. Baker from Seneca Falls and Capt.[Alexander] Gilchrist [Jr.] in his staff. I made some coffee for Appleby and me with three pieces of candle I found on the deck. At one o'clock we rounded to and proceeded up the river to the rescue of a transport that had run aground. Succor had been received from other vessels and we proceeded again on our downstream trip, arriving at Ft. Monroe at 3:30 P.M. Appleby made some coffee about 5 o'clock and we had a fine meal on hardtack. Left Ft. Monroe at 6:30 P.M. proceeding up the York River enroute to West Point, laying off at Ft. Monroe just long enough to get provision for the boat. Arrived at Yorktown at 10 o'clock, stopped long enough for the officers to go ashore. 2 A.M. found us anchored off West Point.

"Maj Gen Smith's Expedition disembarks at the White House," sketch by William Waud, May 30, 1864. Library of Congress.

Monday, May 30th
Warm and pleasant. Arose at daylight this morning. Part of the infantry and a portion of the cavalry landed. 6:30 A.M. again found us underway enroute for the White House. Appleby made a good cup of coffee after we started. Officers have good living inside. Truly shoulder straps are trump here. Arrived at White House at 2 P.M. Railroad bridge crosses Pamunky to the James. Saw several white citizens on the shore, both men and women, who waved their hands as we passed. Formed a line after landing and stacked arms and permission was given to make coffee. Indications of the presence of a large cavalry force here not long since, undoubtedly Sheridans. After sundown we moved a short distance to the left across the railroad, formed in column by Divisions and those who felt disposed pitched their tents. Appleby, Tubbs and I pitched ours together. 

Tuesday, May 31st
Very warm. Reveille roused us out this morning some after daylight. After breakfast I wrote a letter to mother, but was obliged to be brief partly because the Chaplain [Ferris Scott] wanted to go with the mail and partly because I learned that we were to get ready to march immediately. We lounged around all forenoon. Transports are continually arriving loaded with troops. We took our knapsacks down and stacked them near a clump of trees. After dinner Jack Rumsey issued an order for sugar and I furnished the money. Crushed loaf at 23cts. a pound. At 1 P.M. Sergeant Gibbs with a squad drew two days rations of hard bread, 4 of salt pork and five of sugar and coffee. We are to carry nothing but our rubber blankets and shelter tents. Occasional firing to the left. General Smith is with us. Left camp this afternoon at 3 P.M., proceeded up the railroad some distance, then striking the main road. The 8th Maine is with our brigade. Our regt. is on the left. We have but little artillery with us. Near dark we came across some of Grant's pickets. At 11 o'clock our regt. halted for the night. About 100 men are going on picket. We lay just in rear of the picket line. The day has been very warm.

 As Sergeant Hoster and his comrades waited through the heat of the day for orders to move out on May 31st, Maj. Gen. Smith awaited for his wagons and reserve ammunition train to arrive at White House. He also sought to clarify his instructions from General Grant, having not heard anything since receiving orders dated May 28th. As the hours passed, Smith began to change his mind, and determined to set out that afternoon without his supply and ammunition trains. Little did Hoster know that afternoon that he and the 148th were setting out toward one of the war's bloodiest one-sided engagements.