About the 24th of October orders were issued and preparations made for another movement by the left flank, this time the object being the seizure of the South Side railroad. To assist this movement the Army of the James was to make a demonstration against Richmond on the north bank of the James. The expedition on the left consisted of Hancock's 2d and Warren's 5th corps supported by the 9th corps under General Parke. On the afternoon of the 25th, at 10 o'clock, our division was withdrawn from the works at Fort Alex. Hays and vicinity and moved to the rear and bivouacked for the night near the Southall house. At 2 p. m. on the 26th we continued our march across the open country in rear of the fortifications to the Weldon railroad and halted for the night, at 5 p. m., near the Lewis house.
At 3:30 a. m. we resumed our march, going down the Halifax road to the Church road, and on the latter past the Wyatt house to the Vaughn road, and down this road to the Cummings house, where we were massed, while the 2d division under General Egan drove the enemy from the ford on Hatcher's run, which was soon accomplished and the way opened for the crossing of the rest of the corps. Our division then crossed the run, moved up the Vaughn road a short distance to the Dabney's mill road, kept on this road until we reached the Boydton plank road, at a point about a mile and a half south of Burgess' tavern. This old tavern is located at the point where the plank road crosses Hatcher's run. A road known as the White Oak road, coming from the west, intersects the plank road at this point.
We moved up the plank road to near the tavern, where we entered a large field surrounded on all sides by dense woods. Here our brigade formed a line of battle facing north, and then stacked arms and rested. It appears that we were waiting for the 5th corps under General Warren to connect with our right before commencing our attack. A drizzling rain had set in.
While we were waiting for Warren's approach, Generals Grant, Meade and Hancock were in consultation in the field near the point where the left of our regiment rested. For some twenty minutes we had a good view of those famous men. General Grant, considering his high rank, was quite plainly dressed, and no one would have taken him for the commander of all the armies of the United States. General Meade, who wore glasses and also was plainly attired, looked more like an old college professor than like a soldier. General Hancock always looked the grand soldier which he was, whether he appeared in dress or fatigue uniform.