Captain Stephen Thurber was in command of company D when they left Rhode Island on the 31^st of October 1864 and they headed to join the 2^nd regiment in the area around Winchester, Virginia. They made their way and arrived at Bolivar Heights, Virginia on the 19^th of November, after a brief rest they moved again this time to Kearnstown, Virginia where they arrived and made camp at about 9AM in a heavy rain. In all company D contained 85 officers and men.

 

    As the men rested from the march, the 2^nd RI along with the rest of the 6^th Corps was ordered to Petersburg, breaking and leaving camp on the 1^st of December 1864. The 2^nd RI and the 82^nd PA boarded the transport City of Albany and were safely landed at City Point, Virginia on the 4^th of December 1864. From here they went by train to Parke Station, Virginia and were immediately assigned position in the entrenchments near the Weldon Station, located between Fort Battery Six and Fort Wadsworth. The 2^nd found very comfortable quarters in the line and were well hutted. With their arrival the cannonade which had been quite for some weeks started anew but not much in front of the 2^nd, but as was said there were cannon to the right and cannon to the left all day and all night as if to welcome the new arrivals.

 

    On the 9^th of December 1864 the 2^nd RI was order on a reconnaissance toward Hatcher Run. The movement was intended to be a diversion in aid of General Warren who’s 5^th and 2^nd Corps were going into battle at Sussex Court House about 30 miles south of Petersburg, Virginia. The diversion helped and the 2^nd was returned to their camp. Although they did not remain even a few hours as they were ordered to advance in direct support of General Warren. They made it as far as Fort Sedgwick and again were recalled to their camp on the 11^th of December 1864. So after 3 days and 2 nights of no sleep and freezing march with one return under fire while drawing out the enemy (at Hatchers Run) they arrived back at their camp to enjoy a much deserved rest.

 

    Company F joined the regiment on the evening of the 24^th of December 1864, 85 officers and men in total. They had a quite few days until a raiding party of 300 rebels came through the pickets and attacked the camp taking 21 prisoners and wounding 3, most of the those captured were the pickets who never fired a shot in warning. The regiment turned them but only after they grabbed as many haversacks as they could (this was probably their mission). Michael McElroy and his Company had been with the regiment for two full months now and had been in several minor actions and had marched hundreds of miles. 1864 was now ended and 1865 would begin.

 

    As the New Year came so did the regiments new colors, the presentation took place on the 2^nd of January 1865; the old colors had been brought back to the state with the men who did not re-enlist. Now they were a regiment again. As if known that the Second was ready to defend its colors again, they were put into action on the 5^th of February they had their marching orders, this time at Hatcher’s Run and once more the Second showed that they were a regiment that could stand and fight. The two day battle ended with the sixth Corps lines extended about two miles and the enemy in a withdrawal back to their lines. The 2^nd returned to their camp on the 8^th and no other engagements occurred during February.

 

    March was to begin with a determined attack on the morning of the 9^th which was met by the Sixth Corps with the 2^nd on the skirmish line. The enemy was repulsed with no loss to the Second. On the 15^th the enemy decided to try again and focused on the Second’s position in the line. After about a half an hour of heavy fire the Second had not moved an inch and the Confederates choose to withdraw leaving several score behind as prisoners. On the 20^th the second was reviewed by Admiral Porter of the United States Navy. (Several men from the Second had transferred to the navy and river boats throughout the Rebellion). The 23^rd of March found a severe storm battering the area which sent the Confederates back as fire broke out in the woods in front of the works.

 

    On the 25^th of March 1865 the enemy began an engagement against the 9^th Corps which was started by groups of men claiming to be deserters. However these men were armed and defeated the pickets to allow the main body of the enemy to attack. It seemed as though the attack would work but a calm general by the name of Parke was in charge of the Corps and in fact the entire Army of the Potomac (as General Meade was absent from the field). General Parke called upon the Sixth Corps for help and with it the Second Regiment playing a major part. The 2^nd was sent in for a reconnaissance of the enemy. A charge was made into the enemy taking many prisoners. The counter attack by the enemy nearly turned the Second but they stood their ground with a very well aimed fire. The 2^nd RI broke the line of the rebels and stopped the counter attack in its tracks. This forced the Confederates to withdraw once again and with several hundred not in their ranks, the Second reported the wounding of only one man. The 2^nd, with some other troops who formed with the 2^nd when their regiments broke up, stayed and held the newly secured ground for the remainder of the night. The ground was fortified until the 28^th when Lt-Colonel Rhodes led the 2^nd and three other regiments on the picket line. While several small skirmishes by the 2^nd were made the enemy would not be drawn out and only handfuls of prisoners were taken. This would end the month of March 1865.

 

    On the evening of the 31^st of March 1865 the Lt-Colonel and the field and staff officers were at a banquet at brigade headquarters. General Edwards was handed an order which he read and than ordered the regiment commanders to his tent and the other officers back to their companies. At the general’s tent he read the orders which stated that the Army of the Potomac attack Petersburg in the morning and went over the regimental orders. Once back at the 2^nd RI the orders were countermanded, than renewed and countermanded again. The orders were renewed on the 1^st of April 1865 and were to be handled as secret with only the regimental commanders knowing what was to take place.

 

    Michael McElroy and his comrades were woken to orders to pack their gear with plates and cups inside of their haversacks as to not make any noise. No lights of any kind or horses were to be used until in line of battle outside of the works. As the 2^nd was forming in line the enemy opened a heavy fire from their pickets; such a deadly fire as it killed two of the 2^nd RI’s Color-Corporals before the advance to place. To answer the union batteries opened along the entire line of battle. The sky was soon filled with flying shot and shell. The lit fuses could be seen heading towards their targets. This cannonade continued through the night as the 2^nd lay in place between the two picket lines receiving fire from both sides while waiting for the sound of the bugles to attack. The attack was to begin at 4:00AM. As the bugles called for the advance to begin a shout went up from the entire Corps and away they went. The 2^nd swung off to the left in the third line. Soon though, the first and second lines became disorganized and seemed to melt away with the heavy fire. Now the 2^nd in the lead of the left soon reached the enemy’s pickets in their rifle pits, who begged for quarter, which was granted, and they were sent to the rear of the union lines. Their war had ended. As the 2^nd approached the forward two enemy forts, Colonel Rhodes ordered the regiment to advance between them again while under heavy fire from rifle and cannon. The 2^nd Regiment past between the forts, and flanking to the right, attacked Fort Fisher. The rebels fired hard with their rifles and four brass pieces but to no avail as 2nd took the fort, three of the four pieces and the gunners. The fourth piece was being moved down the hill by the confederates and was overtaken at the bottom by members of company E. Companies D and G held the three pieces still within the fort when a counterattack by the enemy was begun. They turned the pieces and loaded them to help stop the counterattack. Meanwhile, the men who had seized the fourth piece were now in danger of being overrun by the enemy.

 

      Lt.Halliday who was with the forth piece started his man back to the top of the works. When on top he saw that one private had stayed behind to cover the redeployment, Pvt Railton manned the forth piece and loaded it with rocks and bits of metal that were lying about. As the rebels front line was within 30 feet of the forth piece he lit it off. Such an explosion Lt. Halliday had never seen, the entire front two lines were broken and with that the men of Co. D and G fired the other three pieces along with musket fire. The enemy never recovered and left in retreat. Michael McElroy and the rest of the 2^nd RI were the first inside the rebel lines on the day but not the last. The 2^nd fought the rest of the day and found them on top of a hill which commanded Petersburg; it was here the 2^nd made camp for the night. The day cost the rebels General A.P. Hill, over 2000 men, and a score of cannon, the men made ready to advance on Petersburg in the morning. As morning came so too did the realization that the rebel forces had not stopped for the evening but had in fact evacuated Petersburg and as the 2^nd would find they also evacuated Richmond, those left behind in Richmond set fire to those places that could have been of use to the federal troops. As some of the Union troops took control of the two cities the rest of the Army went to find General Lee and his men. This action of chase lasted the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th of April with fighting every mile of the way. On the 6^th the infantry closed with the cavalry to fight the rebels. In the early hours of the 6^th the infantry began to harass to rear guard and trains. Lee decided to split his forces to try to escape but the 2^nd RI along with the 6^th Corps caught up to them at Sailor’s Creek.

 

    Here the cavalry of each force clashed as the infantry was brought into action. As the 2^nd came out of the woods they were on the extreme left of the third line when the crossing began. The first and second lines gave way and the 2^nd RI led the rest, while holding their cartridges above their heads they crossed the river through the mud and water. The fire from the enemy was very heavy and hot, but the 2^nd RI reached the other bank pushing back the front lines, but they were in fact falling back to form behind a massive concealed enemy force which was lying in wait for the Union advance. When the troops approached a scathing and murderous fire was opened, and the enemy charged down upon the 2^nd RI. It was hand to hand fighting with combatants mingling together and freely using bayonets and musket butts. The 2^nd RI and Seymour’s command had the entire weight of the enemy upon them. A battalion of Marines from Richmond was among the enemy’s numbers, these troops with a distain of fear and eagerness of fray fought with such energy that it throws the 2^nd’s lines into confusion and before they were aware they had to cross the river to gain safety. As they regrouped on the side where they had started a battery of Union force fired into the enemy, the fire was heavy with canister and cleared the way for Seymour along with the 2^nd crossed the creek again. Under heavy fire still from the enemy the men fought their way back across and faced the same Marines this time some of Wheaton’s men had crossed with them and the hand to hand combat this time forced the Marines to cross the creek, to surrender to the Union lines to save themselves from the anger of the 2^nd RI. From here the 6^th Corps in a new formation set it sights on the ridge and made its advance. Subject too heavy fire the troops pressed on through the woods and to the ridge, with the help of some cavalry which came up on the enemy’s rear the battle was over, the prize for today was General Ewell with commanders Kershaw, Barton, Corse and others along with 8,000 to 10,000 men with their arms 14 cannon and the rear trains. The cost to the Union was very heavy with the 2^nd RI’s lost as follows; 6 killed, 39 wounded (of whom 4 soon died of their wounds). The battle of Sailor’s Creek with its brilliant results closed the question on weather Lee would make his escape by way of the Danville Turnpike. With the next day the 6^th Corps moved to meet up with the 2^nd and 5^th Corps who had stopped Lee from heading towards Appomattox, now with Lee stopped, Grant again asked for his surrender. Lee refused but asked for terms, no answer was given so the pursuit continued on the 8^th of April. Four trains were waiting for Lee at Appomattox with supplies and the hope for survival, but not to be the Union scouts led by Col. Young of the 2^nd RI had informed Grant of this and Grant ordered the whole of the cavalry to cut them off, which they did. General Lee asked for a meeting with Grant and surrendered. The day was 9 April 1865; this portion of the war was over. After the 6^th Corps remained behind to help quell any problems with the returning confederate troops, but there would be no trouble. The 6^th Corps had a review in Washington DC and then camped until the 13^th of July 1865 when they were mustered out of service and began their trip home.

 

    After the war Michael McElroy was not heard from until he showed up in the Almshouse in Cranston, Rhode Island, although his mother was listed as a servant in Pawtucket in 1870 no one else from his family prior to the war could be found in two years of searching.