During the latter part of November the Ninth Corps was ordered to the right of the line to relieve the Second Corps, which had been on duty in the trenches in front of Petersburg since the movement of the Ninth Corps to the Weldon Railroad, in August. On the 29th the brigade marched to the vicinity of Hancock Station, on the military railroad, and was assigned to the main line of trenches, the Thirty-sixth being detailed for duty in Fort Rice as its permanent garrison. Thus, after an absence of nearly three months, the regiment was again on duty in the old line, a little to the left of the position it occupied during the summer months. Though in a new location all the scenes around us were familiar. Immediately on our left stood the celebrated Fort Sedgwick, better known in military histories as Fort "Hell,"—a name given to it by the soldiers on account of its exposed situation, which invited the fire of the enemy's artillery. It was frequently subjected to terrific cannonading from the guns opposite.

In front of us stood the grim batteries in the enemy's main line of defence. The principal battery in that portion of the line was in Fort Mahone,—called by the rebel soldiers Fort "Damnation," for the same reason which won for Fort Sedgwick its profane sobriquet. The brigade extended from Fort Meikle on the right, held by the Fifty-eighth Massachusetts, connecting with the left of the First Division, to Fort Davis, about forty rods to the left of Fort Sedgwick, held by the Seventeenth Vermont, Fifty-Sixth Massachusetts, and Thirty-first Maine, which constituted the right of General Griffin's (Second) brigade.

The principal duty devolving upon the regiment during the winter was picket duty in the trenches. The picket line was an intrenched work about one hundred and fifty yards in front of the fort, and about the same distance from the rebel picket line. Little of an exciting nature occurred during the day, but at night the picket-firing was kept up by both sides. There was more or less artillery firing from the main lines on each side, the shells going over our heads. When the enemy became aware of the change of troops in their front, and the substitution of the Ninth Corps for the Second, they supposed that the colored troops still belonged to the Ninth Corps, and their firing was sharp and continuous; but after being told that the colored regiments had been transferred to another department they subsided into their usual round of firing. At times the batteries indulged in lively duels. Almost directly in front of the line occupied by the regiment was a battery containing one or more eight-inch columbiads, which threw its shells to a great distance in the rear of our main lines, and annoyed the signal station at the Avery house, the range of which they had obtained. In one of the artillery duels our guns in Fort Sedgwick poured such a fierce fire into this battery as not only effectually to silence it, but finally, by a lucky shot, to burst the gun which had caused so much trouble.

During the raid which General Warren made with the Fifth Corps to Nottaway, in December, the regiment was ordered to be in readiness to march, but was not withdrawn from the fort; and again, in February, during the movement to Hatcher's Run, it was expected that the regiment would be ordered to the left; but the order to be prepared for movement was not followed by orders to leave.

Now and then an incident transpired to enliven the spirits of the men. On one occasion, after some days of extremely cold weather, firewood became very scarce on the picket line, and one of our sergeants called out to the enemy that he proposed to cut down a large tree which stood midway between the picket lines. He accordingly went out, followed by five men with axes; but before he could begin the work of chopping, he was joined by a rebel lieutenant and four men with an axe, who had come out for the same purpose. As each side claimed the tree it was agreed that both parties should assist in cutting it down, and then divide it as equally as possible. The top fell toward the enemy's lines, and two men stood on the trunk, back to back,—they who had stood so often face to face,—and cut through the trunk, our men taking the butt and the enemy the branches. That night the blaze of the little fires in the rear of each picket line added to the comfort of the men in their weary watches.

On the 31st of January a truce was declared during the passage of Vice-President Stephens and the Peace Commissioners from Petersburg to City Point. Many of the men along the entire Petersburg front crossed the lines to "confer with the enemy" in the peaceable exchange of coffee and sugar for tobacco and such other commodities as the "Johnnies" had.

During a portion of the month of January the regiment was commanded by Captain Fairbank, in the absence on leave of Lieutenant-Colonel Barker. Adjutant Haskell also received a leave of absence, and some of the enlisted men were permitted to go home on furlough.

Once or twice battalion drill was ordered on the open ground in rear of the fort; but, as the enemy had perfect range of the place, they did not propose to allow any show or parade in force, and their well-directed shots rendered any exposure for such a purpose impracticable.

Tidings of the steady and successful march of General Sherman's army were frequently received, and information of the capture of Fort Fisher, Wilmington, and Charleston was communicated to the enemy in shotted salutes of one hundred guns from all the batteries in the main line of works.

Toward the close of February there were many indications that the enemy contemplated the evacuation of Petersburg, and attempt a junction with the army of General Johnston in North Carolina. Desertions from the troops along our front became very frequent, and the statements made by these men tended to arouse the apprehension of the commanding officers lest the enemy should elude our grasp. The pickets were kept constantly alert, and on dark and foggy nights scouts were sent out to ascertain if any movement was being made by the enemy. For the month succeeding the 25th of February there were numerous indications of changes in the enemy's position. These movements were accompanied with much yelling and firing on the part of the confederates, and whenever the scouts or skirmishers advanced they were followed to our lines by large numbers of deserters. One night, early in March, we saw the flames of an extensive fire in Petersburg, and heard distinctly the ringing of the bells. The reserves were under arms, and moved up to the main line, prepared to follow any withdrawal of the enemy. After the excitement had subsided the rebel pickets informed us that the fire in the city was accidental. Thus week by week, and month by month, the winter passed away, and the warmer sun and opening ground and balmy air proclaimed the approach of spring, that season for more active and exciting work. Toward the middle of March enormous quantities of supplies were forwarded to the left. The trains were loaded with provisions, and the tops of cars covered with men returning to their regiments from hospitals and convalescent camps.

Old soldiers needed not to be reminded that an active campaign would soon be inaugurated, and with the proverbial instinct begotten of experience began that personal preparation for effective work and rapid marching in selecting what things to throw away. Inspections became more frequent and exacting, and the fact of a speedy movement "was in the air." Sutlers were ordered to City Point. The reserve division was moved to the left of Fort Davis, to stake out and fortify a new defensive line covering the left and rear of the Ninth-Corps line, and in a few days had a strong line of intrenchments.

While these preparations were in progress, in fact, while the army of the Potomac was under marching orders, the enemy suddenly and unexpectedly assumed the offensive. On the night of the 24th of March, the day General Grant issued his orders for a forward movement of his armies, a strong force of the enemy, consisting of Gordon's corps and Bushrod Johnson's division, the whole commanded by General Gordon, was prepared for an attack on the right of the Ninth Corps. Before daylight on the morning of the 25th three heavy columns of the enemy charged and captured the main line on our right from Battery Nine to Fort Haskell, including Fort Stedman, the principal work in that portion of the line. The columns after reaching the works charged to the right and left of the aperture, and advanced a heavy line to the rear to seize the military railroad and sever connections with City Point. By this time a portion of the Third Division, under General Hartranft, reached the scene of action, and attacked the enemy with such vigor as to drive him into Fort Stedman and the adjoining lines. With the reinforcements from this division the troops on the right and left of the works held by the enemy were enabled to form a line perpendicular to the main line, and not only successfully resisted any attempt of the enemy to advance, but confined him to that portion of the line already occupied.

Preparations were at once made to retake the captured line; and General Hartranft's division, by a gallant charge, succeeded in reoccupying the works, and captured more than nineteen hundred prisoners. While this movement was in progress on the right, the troops of the Second and Fifth Corps, on the left of the Ninth, attacked and captured the enemy's strongly intrenched picket line in their front, gaining very valuable ground, capturing nearly a thousand prisoners, repelling several desperate attacks of the enemy to recapture the works.

In the action at Fort Stedman the regiment was represented by Captain Hodgkins, who was serving on the staff of General Hartranft, commanding Third Division. It was an action in which the Ninth Corps won deserved credit, exacting from the enemy a bloody price for his temerity, and fully avenging the disaster at the explosion of the mine eight months before.

Comparative quiet was maintained by the enemy for a few days following their repulse on the 25th. On the 27th General Sheridan and the Cavalry Corps arrived in rear of our lines, and moved to the left. On the 29th the surplus artillery of the army of the Potomac, two hundred pieces, was sent to the Ninth Corps, and the several corps designated for the turning movement on the left moved out. The operations of the army had begun on a grand scale.