Hancock was moved from his place in line during the night and ordered to the left of Wright.  I expected to take the offensive on the morning of the 2d, but the night was so dark, the heat and dust so excessive and the roads so intricate and hard to keep, that the head of column only reached Old Cold Harbor at six o’clock, but was in position at 7.30 A.M.  Preparations were made for an attack in the afternoon, but did not take place until the next morning.  Warren’s corps was moved to the left to connect with Smith:  Hancock’s corps was got into position to the left of Wright’s, and Burnside was moved to Bethesda Church in reserve.  While Warren and Burnside were making these changes the enemy came out several times and attacked them, capturing several hundred prisoners.  The attacks were repulsed, but not followed up as they should have been.  I was so annoyed at this that I directed Meade to instruct his corps commanders that they should seize all such opportunities when they occurred, and not wait for orders, all of our manoeuvres being made for the very purpose of getting the enemy out of his cover.

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