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held his ground, though unable to push the flanking movement of the day further in that direction. Rain began to fall at noon, but the bloody fray went on, and was contined while daylight lasted. The dead and wounded lay thickly strewn along the ground, and, after fourteen hours of deadly struggle, night put an end to the battle of May 12th. Grant's dispatch, the same evening, spoke in high terms of our successes during the day, and at the same time said; "the enemy are obstinate, and seem to have found the last ditch." *

station, Beaver Dam. During that night, Sheridan destroyed the depot at that place, a vast amount of stores, the railroad track for about ten miles, and recaptured some 400 of our men on their way as prisoners to Richmond and its horrible jails.

The next morning, May 10th, Sheridan resumed operations, crossing the South Anna at Grand Squirrel Bridge, and went into camp about daylight, On the 11th, he captured Ashland Station, destroyed there, besides public stores and buildings, six miles of railroad, embracing six culverts, two trestle bridges, and the telegraph wire. The same morning-to use the words of a

Sheridan, whose starting upon a special service against the rebel communications with Richmond was noted above (p. 430); entered upon his work dispatch-"he resumed the march on with all the fire and vigor which characterized his movements as head of the cavalry of our army. His plan was to cut off the enemy's supplies in his rear, and, traversing the Peninsula, to penetrate the defences of the rebel capital. The expedition having set out, May 9th, n.oved towards Fredericksburg, and then, by a southerly course, on the road to Childsford, on the border of the county, turning the enemy's right, and at evening, without opposition, crossing the North Anna at Anderson's Bridge. This brought the advance, Custer's brigade of Merritt's division, within striking distance of the Virginia Central Railroad, at the neighboring

* " The sixth day of heavy fighting had been ended. Grant had been foiled; but his obstinacy was appar

ently untouched, and the fierce and brutal consumption of human life, another element of his generalship, and

which had already obtained for him with his soldiers the sobriquet of the butcher,' was still to continue. He telegraphed to Washington, 'I propose to fight it

out on this line if it takes all summer." "-Pollard's "Third Year of the Wa" p. 265.

1864.

Richmond. He found the rebel Gen.
J. E. B. Stuart, with his cavalry, con-
centrated at Yellow Tavern, immedi
ately attacked him, and, after an obsti
nate contest, gained possession of the
turnpike, capturing two pieces of artil
lery, and driving his forces back toward
Ashland, and across the north
fork of the Chickahominy. At
the same time a party charged down
the Brock Road, and captured the first
line of the enemy's works around Rich-
mond. During the night, Sheridan
marched the whole of his command
between the first and second line of the
enemy's works on the bluffs overlook-
ing the line of the Virginia Central
Railroad and the Mechanicsville Turn-
pike. After demonstrating around the
works, and finding them very strong,
he gave up the intention of assaulting,
and determined to recross the Chicka-
hominy at Meadow Bridge. It had
been partially destroyed by the enemy,

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CH. IX.]

SHERIDAN'S CAVALRY RAID.

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433

Sheridan next moved to Haxall's Landing, on the James River, where he was in immediate communication with Butler and his forces. This raid of Sheridan's had the effect of drawing off the whole of the enemy's cavalry force, and of making it comparatively easy to guard our large and important army trains. Being conducted, also, with rare address and skill, it produced upon the rebels moral effects not to be ignor ed, and was one of the steps in the progress towards that brilliant reputation which Sheridan attained before the close of the war.*

but was repaired in about three hours, under a heavy artillery fire from a rebel battery. Gen. Merritt made the crossing, attacked the enemy, and drove him off handsomely, the pursuit continuing as far as Gaines's Mills. On the afternoon of the 12th, the corps encamped at Walnut Grove and Gaines's Mills. On the morning of the 13th, the march was renewed, and our forces encamped at Bottom's Bridge. The Virginia Central Railroad bridges over the Chickahominy, and other trestlebridges, one sixty feet in length, one thirty feet, one twenty feet, and the railroad, for a long distance south of the Chickahominy, were destroyed. Great praise was given to the division sagacity, Grant had made an admirable choice of a commanders, Gens. Gregg, Wilson and Merritt, and Gens. Custer and Davis, Cols. Gregg, Divine, Chapman, McIntosh and Gibbs, brigade commanders; and all the officers and men behaved splendidly." The losses, all told, were estimated at about 350. The rebel loss was not ascertained, except that, as was soon after made known, their chief cavalry commander, J. E. B. Stuart, was shot in battle at Yellow Tavern.

"OL. IV.-55.

* Coppée thus speaks of Sheridan: "With his usual commander. A young man, then only thirty-three years of age, Sheridan had already become the most distinguished cavalry officer in the service. He was a graduate of West Point, and devoted to the profession of arms. To great and untiring energy, dashing bravery, and enthusiasm in fighting, he added the natural gift of being able to control, in an electric manner, the affections and wills of his men; and he was

now to show that he had strategic intuitions of the first order, and tactical intelligence of the most clear and rapid kind. To no better man in the whole army could the difficult task have been assigned of utilizing all the troops, and grasping the strategy of this extenorder out of chaos," etc.-" Grant and his Campaigns," sive and important division. He at once brought

p. 381.

CHAPTER X.

1864.

GRANT'S ONWARD MOVEMENTS TOWARDS RICHMOND.

Position of army affairs at this time-Meade's congratulatory order-Reinforcements - Grant orders a movement to the North Anna-How executed-Strength of the rebel position - Severe fighting — Cold Harbor secured-Sigel's co-operation expected - Movements of Gens. Crook and Averill - Sigel's ill suc cess-Superseded by Gen. Hunter - Butler's co-operation also looked for- Attack on Fort Darling, Drury's Bluff - Grant not satisfied — Rebel attack on Butler, who gets shut up in his entrenchments — Kautz's cavalry expedition against the Danville Road-Attack by the army, June 1st - General attack against the enemy's lines, June 3d-Gallant fighting and heavy losses - Grant's views as to change or modification of plan - Preparation, severe skirmishing, etc.—Effort to gain possession of PetersburgGillmore and Kautz - Failure -- Determination of Grant-The movement from Cold Harbor to the south of the James River - Hunter's active operations and partial success - Sheridan's important cavalry raid against the Virginia Central Railroad Some remarks of Grant quoted — His views on several points of interest.

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THE position of the Army of the Potomac, after the fiercely-contested battle of May 12th (p. 431), was, on the whole, satisfactory. Our losses, it is true, had been heavy, fearfully heavy, and the rebels, under Lee, had resisted Grant's advance with an energy and courage worthy of a better cause; but Grant was gathering in large reinforcements, and was certain of being able to push the enemy's ablest general further and further backward, and either shut him up in Richmond or compel him to surrender. Gen. Meade sought to encourage the troops under his command by a congratulatory order, May 13th, in which he spoke in the highest terms of their gallantry, steady endurance and success in the battles already fought, and which was concluded

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return thanks to God for the mercy thus shown us, and ask earnestly for its continuance. Soldiers! your work is not yet over. The enemy must be pursued, and, if possible, overcome. The cour age and fortitude you have displayed, renders your commanding-general confident that your future efforts will result in success. Let us determine, then. to continue vigorously the work so well begun, and, under God's blessing, in a short time the object of our labors will soon be acomplished."

During the week following, heavy rains and the bad state of the roads necessitated a suspension of active operations in the army. The time was spent in resting and refreshing the troops; in getting reinforcements from Washington of some 30,000 volunteers for 100 days service, at the call of the president; and in various manœuvres and occasional sharp skirmishes at and before Spottsylvania Court House. The

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