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134 of the night of 2d July and a part of the next day, losing in killed and wounded during the engagement more than half their number.

Again, at the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3d, 1864, they covered themselves with glory. On the afternoon of the day the fight took place General Lee telegraphed the Secretary of War as follows: "General Finnegan's brigade of Mahone's division and the Maryland battalion of Breckinridge's command immediately drove the enemy out with severe loss." General Breckinridge also, in a letter dated January 6th, 1874, and published in Scharf's "Chronicles of Baltimore," thus mentions the Second Maryland's participation in the battle of Cold Harbor: "When I crossed over from the Shenandoah Valley in May, 1864, and joined General Lee on the North Anna, near Hanover Junction, a battalion of Maryland infantry was sent to me, and it remained under my command until I returned to the Valley in the following month. It had seen rough service, and I think all the field officers were absent from disabling wounds. While with me it was commanded by Captain Crane. I had occasion to observe this battalion along the North Anna, on the Tottopotomy, and in a series of other engagements of greater or less importance, ending with the battle of Cold Harbor early in June, and I take pleasure in saying that its conduct throughout was not merely creditable, but distinguished. Not being incorporated in any brigade, it came more frequently under my eye, and I presently fell into the habit of holding it in hand for occasions of special need. For instance, at Cold Harbor, where a point in my line was very weak, and was actually broken for a time by General Hancock's troops, the Maryland battalion and Finnegan's Florida brigade (the latter borrowed from General Hoke for the occasion) aided decisively to restore the situation, and behaved with the greatest intrepidity. *  *   Not in courage only, but also in discipline, tone and all soldierly qualities they were equal to any troops I saw during the war."

The following appeared in the Richmond Sentinel a few days after the battle of Cold Harbor: , June 6th, 1864.

Mr. Editor—The public have already been informed, through the columns of the public journals, of the great results of the late engagements between the forces of General Lee and General Grant; but they have not yet learned the particulars, which are always most interesting, and in some instances, owing to the confusion which generally attends large battles, they have been misinformed on some points. It is now known by the public that the enemy