"Headquarters Hoke's Division,
"25th May, 1864.
"Captain, . . . owing to the dense fog, I could see nothing of the movement
of Major-General Ransom, and supposing that by this time the right of
the enemy had been turned, I ordered forward the brigades of Hagood and
Johnson with one section of Lieutenant-Colonel Eschelman's artillery and
found the enemy still occupying our outer line of entrenchments, supported
by eight pieces of artillery, with a second line of entrenchments along the
line of the woods in front of our outer line of works. The attack was
handsomely made and resulted in the capture by Hagood's brigade of five
pieces of artillery, besides a number of prisoners and a great many of the
enemy killed and wounded. The outer line of works was occupied, and
one regiment of Hagood's brigade extended beyond it in the direction of
James River. This regiment was ordered forward to connect with the
right of Ransom's division, but, to my amazement, found the enemy in strong
force behind entrenchments. It was not intended that this regiment should
attack the enemy in that position, as the movement was to be made by the
troops on the left, but it in its eagerness did so, and, I am sorry to say,
suffered heavily. When it was seen that the enemy still occupied my front,
this regiment was ordered back to await the further development of the
flank movement. In the meanwhile, the enemy made two charges upon
Hagood and Johnson, but were repulsed, and with the assistance of the
artillery,
the pike was cleared of the enemy before the flanking column
reached that point. . . . The commanding general will recollect that I
before stated that the strength of the enemy was in front of these two
brigades, and they deserve great credit. . . .
"The loss of these commands was necessarily heavy, owing to their
making a front attack. . . . I cannot refrain from calling the attention
of the commanding general to the fact that his desire to relieve my command
of the necessity of a front attack by the flank movement of Ransom's
division was on no portion of my line accomplished. . . .
"Respectfully, your obedient servant,
"(Signed) R. F. Hoke, Major-General.
"To Captain J. M. Otey, A. A. G."
