After the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Dansler, Major Boykin was promoted to that position, and Captain Partlow made Major.  By the death of Colonel Keitt, Boykin and Partlow were raised in regular grade, and Captain McMichael made Major.  Lieutenant Colonel Partlow was wounded at Deep Bottom soon after this, and did Hot return to duty until near the close of the war.  Colonel Boykin and Major McMichael were both captured at Cedar Creek, and neither returned until after peace was declared.  The regiment was commanded during the remainder of the service, with short exceptions, by Captain Leaphart.

Colonel Keitt being senior Colonel now in the brigade, was placed in command.  It was unfortunate for Colonel Keitt and his command, being transferred to our army just at the moment it was in one of the most active and vigorous campaigns of the war.  The men were ill-prepared to meet the requirements expected of soldiers, to undergo forced marches in the burning heat of summer, to accustom themselves so suddenly to the scant and badly-prepared food, night pickets in the open, in face of the enemy, and all the hardships incident to a soldier’s life in the field.  These troops had seen but little of real service, having only done garrison duty around Charleston, quartered in barracks or good tents, while now they had to take the field, with no advantage of the veterans, in the way of supplies and in accommodations, and with none of their experience and strength of endurance.  They had all the courage of the veteran troops, but lacked acclimation.  Their company discipline was well enough, and had excellent company and field officers, but were sadly deficient in regimental and brigade drill.  It is doubtful if either their commander or any of their field officers had ever been in brigade drill or executed a maneuver in a larger body than a regiment.  Like all new troops in the field, they had overloaded themselves with baggage, and being thus overloaded, straggling was universal in the regiment, until they became endured to the fatigues and hardships of the march.  Had they come out two or three months earlier, and taken on the ways and customs of the soldier in the field, it would have been much better.  Still they deserve the highest degree of praise for their self-denials, their endurance, and fortitude in the march and in battle.  The necessity of the occasion caused them to learn rapidly the intricacies in the life of the veteran, and their action in battle in a few days after their arrival, stamped them as a gallant body of men.

On the night of the 31st of May orders came to prepare to march.  Grant had withdrawn from our front, and was still rolling along on Lee’s right.  Both armies were now moving in the direction of Cold Harbor, where McClellan, two years before, had tried to stay the flight of his troops and to check the victorious march of Jackson, Hill, and Longstreet.  Now Grant was tempting fate by moving his beaten troops to this ill-fated field, there to try conclusions with McClellan’s old antagonist.