On this day Wilson returned from his raid upon the Virginia Central Railroad, having damaged it considerably.  But, like ourselves, the rebels had become experts in repairing such damage.  Sherman, in his memoirs, relates an anecdote of his campaign to Atlanta that well illustrates this point.  The rebel cavalry lurking in his rear to burn bridges and obstruct his communications had become so disgusted at hearing trains go whistling by within a few hours after a bridge had been burned, that they proposed to try blowing up some of the tunnels.  One of them said, “No use, boys, Old Sherman carries duplicate tunnels with him, and will replace them as fast as you can blow them up; better save your powder.”

Sheridan was engaged reconnoitring the banks of the Chickahominy, to find crossings and the condition of the roads.  He reported favorably.

During the night Lee moved his left up to make his line correspond to ours.  His lines extended now from the Totopotomoy to New Cold Harbor.  Mine from Bethesda Church by Old Cold Harbor to the Chickahominy, with a division of cavalry guarding our right.  An assault was ordered for the 3d, to be made mainly by the corps of Hancock, Wright and Smith; but Warren and Burnside were to support it by threatening Lee’s left, and to attack with great earnestness if he should either reinforce more threatened points by drawing from that quarter or if a favorable opportunity should present itself.

The corps commanders were to select the points in their respective fronts where they would make their assaults.  The move was to commence at half-past four in the morning.  Hancock sent Barlow and Gibbon forward at the appointed hour, with Birney as a reserve.  Barlow pushed forward with great vigor, under a heavy fire of both artillery and musketry, through thickets and swamps.  Notwithstanding all the resistance of the enemy and the natural obstructions to overcome, he carried a position occupied by the enemy outside their main line where the road makes a deep cut through a bank affording as good a shelter for troops as if it had been made for that purpose.  Three pieces of artillery had been captured here, and several hundred prisoners.  The guns were immediately turned against the men who had just been using them.  No (33) assistance coming to him, he (Barlow) intrenched under fire and continued to hold his place.  Gibbon was not so fortunate in his front.  He found the ground over which he had to pass cut up with deep ravines, and a morass difficult to cross.  But his men struggled on until some of them got up to the very parapet covering the enemy.  Gibbon gained ground much nearer the enemy than that which he left, and here he intrenched and held fast.