June 17. — The anniversary of Bunker Hill. We moved forward and occupied the first line of the enemy’s pits, they having been taken by General Potter last night. At 2.30 P.M. we were ordered to move over and support Willcox, who was going to charge the enemy’s rifle-pits. Willcox charged, and was unsuccessful, being driven back. Our division was then formed in line, the 1st and 2d brigades in the first line, and the 3d brigade in the second line. Colonel Gould had command of the first line, giving me command of the 1st brigade. At about 6 P.M. we charged forward, and under a heavy fire, about 200 yards, and took the rebel pits, losing heavily in doing it. We were, as usual, under a destructive enfilading fire. We held the pits some two or three hours, when the rebels charged on us, driving us from the pits into our lines again. Our men were without ammunition, and fell back on that account. We mustered 130 men in the brigade after the fight. During the fight to-day, I saw General Barlow right up in our front line.
[I could hear the rebel officer order his men forward and tell them to keep steady when they charged us. Crawley[1] was killed. We lost just about half the number of men we took into the attack. General Ledlie was drunk and quarrelled with Crawford. I believe that General Ledlie, the officer of whom I am speaking, is dead, and as this diary is never to become public property, it does not seem unfair for me to tell the truth here and to state some facts. General Ledlie was drunk on May 24, at the North Anna. There were several times that he had had too much to drink during the campaign. I think the poor man was a coward and took the liquor to try and fortify himself for the fight. Anyway, in the charge that was made this day, when I found that we were to make the charge, I made all my men take the caps off their guns. I knew from previous experiences in the campaign that, if we made a charge and the men had the caps on their guns, when we got within a few yards of the works the men would stop to fire and then turn and run, and that would be the end of it. The only chance was to keep on the steady jump and rush them right over the works. I told my men what was to be done, and said, “When you get the order to charge, you leg it like the devil. Don’t stop for anything, just run as tight as you can ” ; and they did so, and went swarming over the rebel works, capturing lots of their men, with lots of ammunition and knapsacks and all their fixings. Then came the end, which is always likely to happen when one’s commanding officer is incompetent through drink or anything else. After holding the place for three hours, we ran out of ammunition. I sent back messenger after messenger, begging them to send us ammunition. The men were there exposed to a heavy fire, both enfilading and direct from the front, and without ammunition to reply to it. It was dark before we were driven back, and then, as I have said in my diary, I could hear the rebel officer giving the order to his men: “Steady, men, steady!” while they were advancing on us. We had to retreat, as we had nothing to shoot with. When we got back over the plain into the valley from which we had started, — for we were formed in a ravine before making the charge, — I asked for General Ledlic, to whom I was to report, and who was in command of the division. He was asleep on the ground. His adjutant-general went up and kicked him awake, poked him, and said, “Colonel Weld wishes to report.” I said, “General, we have been driven back and our men are all scattered, and I don’t know what to do.” He drew himself up in a hazey-dazey sort of way, and said, “Why Colonel Weld, there are thousands of men all around here”; and then tumbled down in a drunken sleep again. If I had been older and had more sense, I should have preferred charges against him. I think there is less harm in writing what I am writing here now, because some six weeks later, when we led the charge at the Mine, I am told the same thing occurred. I did not see him there, so I cannot vouch for it, but the evidence before the Committee on the Conduct of the War shows that he was intoxicated in a bomb-proof and never went out to the Mine where we were at all.]
[1] Sergeant-major, recently appointed an officer. I believe he had not received his commission.
