In June of 1864 General Butler, under whose com-
mand he was, sent for him to visit his headquarters and
advised him that he was to take a number of men and
cross the James river, establish a pontoon bridge across
the stream, fortify the end of the bridge-head and hold it
if possible against all attack. General Foster once told
me that at the close of the interview. General Butler
said to him that he had about equal chances of success or
of going to hell in the attempt. He swung the pontoon
across the river, then let go the ropes by which it was
connected with the land seized, thus leaving no escape
for the men. Before daylight he had built an earthwork
to protect the head of the bridge on that side, and that
bridge was maintained until the close of the war. This
crossing was known as "Deep Bottom."



LIFE AND MILITARY SERVICES OF

Just after this he was placed in command of a division,
and his presence there was deemed of so great impor-
tance that he was ordered to make the headquarters of
the division at that point.
During the fall of 1864, he with his command took
part in the hard fighting north of the James river, as
the result of which the Confederate forces were forced
back to an inner line of earthworks, within about six
miles of Richmond, which they continued to hold until
the fall of that city on the 2d day of April, 1865.
