| Headquarters Army of the Potomac |
| Provost Marshall General's Department |
| June 10, 1864 |
| |
| Major General Humphreys |
| Chief of Staff |
| |
| General, |
| Six deserters were forwarded this a.m.
from the headquarters of the Fifth Army Corps. They are from
Ransom's brigade, of Ransom's division and make the following
statement: Five of them belong to the Forty-ninth North Carolina
Regiment, and deserted their picket-post at 9 o'clock last night,
near the railroad bridge crossing the Chickahominy. ***** |
| ***** They give a very accurate
description of the railroad battery, which is a 64-pounder rifled
gun, mounted upon a strong wooden car, the front of which is heavily
plated on an angle protecting the gun and wheels of the car. The gun
is fired through an opening or port, and has very little range. The
sides of the car are not plated or protected. It was last fired from
a cut which gave protection to the sides. ***** |
| Very respectfully, your obedient servant, |
| George H. Sharpe |
| Colonel and Deputy Provost Marshal General |
| {The gun was described as a
64-pdr, but is was a 32-pdr that threw a 64-pound bolt, as well as
the usual round shot and shell of 32-pounds. "Very little range" was
at least 1,000 yards in combat in 1862.} |
|