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or strike a base at the White House. Fortunately, in Grant's opinion, he chose the latter.

Thomas

under Gen. Dick Taylor;
was pushing out two large and well-
appointed cavalry expeditions, one from
Middle Tennessee, under Gen. Wilson,
against the enemy's vital points in
Alabama, the other from East Ten-
nessee, under Gen. Stoneman toward
Lynchburg,—and assembling the re-
mainder of his available forces, pre-
paratory to offensive operations, in East

From New Market Sheridan took up his line of march, following the canal toward Richmond, destroying every lock upon it, and cutting the banks wherever practicable, to a point eight miles east of Goochland, concentrating the whole force at Columbia on the 10th of March. Here he rested one Tennessee;† Gen. Sheridan's cavalry day, and sent Grant information of his was at White House; the armies of the whereabouts, and a request for supplies Potomac and James were confronting to meet him at White House. The the enemy, under Lee, in his defences news reached Grant on the 12th of of Richmond and Petersburg; Gen. March, and he dispatched immediately Sherman with his armies, reinforced an infantry force to get possession of by that of Gen. Schofield, was at White House, and ordered forward sup- Goldsborough; Gen. Pope was making plies. Moving from Columbia in a preparations for a spring campaign direction to threaten Richmond, to near against the enemy under Kirby Smith Ashland Station, Sheridan crossed the and Price, west of the Mississippi; and North and South Anna Rivers, and Gen. Hancock was concentrating a after having destroyed all the bridges force in the vicinity of Winchester, and many miles of the railroad, pro- Virginia, to guard against invasion, or ceeded down the north bank of the to operate offensively, as might prove Pamunkey to White House. This necessary." place was reached on the 19th of March, and as his cavalry had had long and fatiguing work before them, over winter roads, Sheridan found it necessary to rest and refit at White House. On the 24th of March, Sheridan moved again, crossed the James River at Jones's Landing, and formed a junction with the Army of the Potomac in front of Petersburg, on the 27th. During

this

move, Gen. Ord sent forces to cover the crossings of the Chickahominy.

Gen. Grant, in his report, states, "that in March, 1865, Gen. Canby was moving an adequate force against Mobile, and the army defending it

On the 24th of March, Grant issued his long and carefully prepared instruc tions for a general movement of the armies operating against Richmond. They were directed to Gens. Meade, Ord,

*The movement was made on the 20th of March, from Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan. Spanish Fort was

invested on the 27th, was bombarded April 8th, and evacuated by the rebels the same night. Fort Alabama River was thus opened for approach on MoBlakely was carried by assault, April 9th, and the bile from the north. On the night of April 11th, the city was evacuated, and taken possession of by our forces the next day. For a more full account, and the part taken by the navy, see Duyckinck's “War for the Union," yol. iii, pp. 663–673.

For Grant's brief notice of the expeditions under

sens. Wilson and Stoneman, see his "Report,” pp 74, 75.

CH. XX.]

LEE ATTACKS FORT STEADMAN.

and Sheridan, and are given in full in Grant's report (p. 61). They are also worth consulting by the reader as evidencing Grant's clearness of conception, fixedness of purpose, and the end which he expected speedily to attain.

Gen. Lee, having reached a point of great depression in regard to his prospects, and well aware that he must do something immediately, resolved upon making an attack on Grant's lines, which, if successful, would infuse some new life and energy into his troops, and prevent the continual desertions which were taking place almost every day. The assault was made, March 25th, in front of the 9th corps, which held from the Appomattox River towards Grant's left. At daybreak, two of the rebel divisions dashed suddenly in upon our entrenchments on Hare's Hill, and having carried Fort Steadman, and a part of the line to the right and left of it, established themselves there for a brief period, and turned the guns upon the adjacent batteries. These were at once abandoned by our men and occupied by the rebels. Checked by the activity of Fort Hascall, the next on the left of Fort Steadman, the enemy were unable to proceed further on either flank; and when Hartrauft's division came up, the rebels were pushed out of Steadman into the space over which they had come, and were gallantly repulsed, nearly 2,000 prisoners being taken. Our loss was sixty-eight killed, 337 wounded, and 506 missing. The rebel movement turned out to be a failure and a mortifying one too, and roused up our men to additional activity. Gen. Meade at once ordered

VOL. IV.-67.

529

the other corps to advance and feel the rebels in their respective fronts. Pushing forward, they captured and held the enemy's strongly entrenched picket line in front of the 2d and 6th corps, and 834 prisoners. The enemy made desperate attempts to retake this line, but without success. Our loss in front of these was fifty-two killed, 864 wounded, and 207 missing. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded was much greater.

Grant, of whose anxiety respecting the possible escape of Lee, we have spoken above, (p. 526) was of opinion, that by moving out at this time without delay, he would put his army in better condition for pursuit, and would at least, by the destruction of the Danville Road, retard the concentration of Lee's and Johnston's forces, and cause the rebels to abandon much material that they might otherwise save. Accordingly, immediate steps were taken for this purpose. Gen. Ord was sent, on the night of the 27th of March, with two divisions under Gibbon and Birney, and McKenzie's cavalry, to Hatcher's Run, which was reached at dawn on the 29th. The day before, Sheridan received his instructions to move, which he did, with his splendid cavalry force of 9,000 men, to Dinwiddie Court House, on his way to cut the rebel communications. He reached this point on the afternoon of the 29th of March, and the infantry line extended, on the left, to the Quaker road, near its intersection with the Boydton plank road; after Sheridan, on the extreme left, the position of the forces was, under Warren, Humphreys, Ord, Wright, and Parke.

Everything now, in Grant's judgment, looked favorable to the defeat of the rebels and the capture of Petersburg and Richmond, if the proper effort were promptly made. On the 29th of March, he communicated with Sheridan, directing him not to cut loose for the contemplated raid just at present. "I now feel," he said, "like ending the matter, if it is possible to do so, before going back. I do not want you, therefore, to cut loose and go after the enemy's roads at present. In the morning push around the enemy, if you can, and get on to his right rear. The movements of the enemy's cavalry may, of course, modify your action. We will act all together as one army here until it is seen what can be done with the enemy." From Wednesday night, the 29th, till Friday morning, March 31st, the rain fell in torrents, so as to render it almost impossible to move any wheeled vehicle, except by means of corduroy roads. Sheridan, however, during the 30th, advanced from Dinwiddie Court House toward Five Forks, where he found the enemy in force. Warren advanced and extended his line across the Boydton plank road to near the White Oak road, with a view of getting across the latter; but, finding

favorably. Grant determined not to extend his line any further, but to reinforce Sheridan with a corps of infantry, and thus enable him to cut loose and turn the rebel right flank; with the other corps an assault was to be made on Lee's lines. The result of the of fensive effort of the enemy a week be fore, when they assaulted Fort Steadman, particularly favored this. Their entrenched picket line captured by our troops at that time threw the lines occupied by the belligerents so close together at some points, that it was but a moment's run from one to the other. Preparations were at once made to relieve Humphreys's corps, to report to Sheridan; but the condition of the roads prevented immediate movement.

On the 31st of March, Warren was pressing his entire corps upon the rebel entrenched line on the White Oak road. Lee ordered an attack in force on Warren, which was made with great spirit, and division after division was driven back, until, on reaching Griffin's force, the troops were rallied and the assault repelled. A division of the 2d corps was immediately sent to Warren's support, the enemy driven back with heavy loss, and possession of the White Oak road gained. Sheridan advanced, and with a portion of his cavalry got possession of the Five Forks; but the was directed to hold on where he was enemy, after the affair with the 5th and fortify. Humphreys drove the corps, reinforced the rebel cavalry, deenemy from his front into his main line fending that point with infantry, and on the Hatcher, near Burgess's Mills. forced Sheridan back toward DinOrd, Wright and Parke made examina- widdie Court House. Here, as Grant tions in their fronts to determine the admiringly says, "Sheridan displayed feasibility of an assault on the enemy's great generalship. Instead of retreatlines; and the two latter reported ing with his whole command on the

the enemy strong in his front 1865. and extending beyond his left,

CH. XX.J

BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS.

main army, to tell the story of superior forces encountered, he deployed his cavalry on foot, leaving only mounted men enough to take charge of the horses. This compelled the enemy to deploy over a vast extent of wood and broken country, and made his progress slow."

Sheridan informed Grant of the position of affairs, and that he was falling back slowly on Dinwiddie Court House. McKenzie's cavalry and a division of the 5th corps were immediately ordered to Sheridan's assistance, and Meade having reported that Humphreys' could hold the position on the Boydton road, and that the other divisions of the 3d corps could go to Sheridan, they were so ordered at once. This was on the morning of the 1st of April, and Sheridan, now reinforced, assaulted the rebel troops and drove them back on Five Forks, which was held by them in force. This battle illustrated the superior strategy and tactics of Sheridan. By the skilful use of his cavalry, as a mask to cover the manoeuvring of the infantry, he made his arrangements so as to assault the rebels with tremendous effect; and by nightfall, the routed enemy fled westward from Five Forks, pursued for many miles by our cavalry.* Between 5,000 and 6,000 prisoners were taken, and a large

* Sheridan, for reasons given in his report, relieved

Warren of command of the 5th corps at the close of the battle. Sheridan's statements are, that, Warren was slow in his movements, not disposed to follow out

the command promptly, etc. Warren, on the other hand, has defended himself in his published "Account of the Fifth Army Corps at the Battle of Five Forks."

We need not enter into the merits of the question.

Swinton is of opinion that Sheridan's "reasons are wholly inadequate to justify that officer s conduct."

531

number of colors and guns. Our loss was reported as comparatively small, viz., a few hundred cavalry, and 634 infantry killed and wounded.

Grant, somewhat apprehensive lest the rebels might desert their lines dur ing the night, and by falling upon Sheridan before aid could reach him, drive him from his position and open the way for the retreat of Lee's 1865. army, sent Miles's division of the corps of Humphreys to reinforce Sheridan. A bombardment was also ordered of all the guns in the Petersburg lines, which, beginning at nightfall of the 1st of April, was kept up till four o'clock the next morning, Sunday, April 2d. An assault speedily fol lowed, from the Appomattox to Hatcher's Run, by the troops of Parke, Wright, and Ord. Wright penetrated the rebel lines with his whole corps, sweeping everything before him, and capturing many guns and several thousand prisoners. He was closely followed by two divisions of Ord's command, until he met Ord's other divisions, which had succeeded in forcing the enemy's lines near Hatcher's Run. Wright and Ord immediately swung to the right and closed all of the enemy on that side of them in Petersburg, while Humphreys pushed for ward with two divisions and joined Wright on the left. Parke succeeded in carrying the main line of the rebels, capturing guns and prisoners, but on reaching the inner cordon of works, was unable to force them.

On reaching the lines immediately around Petersburg, a portion of the corps of Ord, under Gen. Gibbon, be

gan an attack on the two strong, enclosed works, named Forts Gregg and Alexander. By a gallant and resolute charge, they carried these forts, the most salient and commanding south of the city, and thus materially shortened the line of investment necessary for taking it. The enemy south of Hatcher's Run retreated westward to Sutherland's Station, where they were overtaken by Miles's division. A severe engagement ensued, and lasted until both the right and left flanks of the rebels were threatened by the approach of Sheridan, who was moving from Ford's Station towards Petersburg, and a division sent by Gen. Meade from the front of Petersburg, when they broke in the utmost confusion, leaving in the hands of our troops their guns and a large number of prisoners. This portion of the rebel force retreated by the main road along the Appomattox River. The rebel commander, well aware that he could no longer resist Grant's assaults, sent a message to Jeff. Davis, this Sunday morning, April 2d, while he was at St. Paul's Church, Richmond, stating that the time had come when Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated. Silently, in the darkness of the night, the rebel troops, having left Petersburg, marched along the north bank of the Appomattox, northward to Chesterfield Court House, midway between Petersburg and the rebel capital. Here they were joined by the other troops from Bermuda Hundred and Richmond, and Lee's whole army, now not much more than 25,000 in number, pushed eagerly forward, and by the next morning succeeded in put

ting sixteen miles between them and Petersburg.*

1865.

Richmond was taken possession of by our forces, under Gen. Weitzel, early on Monday morning, April 3d. The rebels had blown up all they could, the vessels in the river, the bridges, etc.; they also set fire to the tobacco warehouses, and the flames spreading rapidly, notwithstanding the efforts of our men to extinguish them, laid the entire business portion of the city in ashes. President Lincoln visited Richmond the next day, in company with Admiral Porter; and throughout the country great rejoicings took place, and numerous patriotic addresses were made. In this connection, we may quote a paragraph or two from Vice-president Johnson's speech at Washington, on the receipt of the news, & speech which at the time was regarded as of no moment, but which, in view of the calamity that soon after fell upon the country, assumed an importance proportionate to the unlooked for elevation of Andrew Johnson to the presidency. After remarking that old Andrew Jackson would hang up as

"When in the gray dawn of Monday, April 3d, the skirmishers advanced from the lines before Petersburg, the city was found to be evacuated. At the same time

the Union force on the lines confronting Richmond from

the north side of the James was startled by a clamorous uproar, and the sky was seen to be lit up with a lurid glare. Surmising the meaning of this direful blazon, Gen. Weitzel threw forward a cavalry party that, entering the city without let, planted its guidons on the capitol. Thus Richmond fell! Marvellous as had been the one year's defence of the confederate capital, its fall was not less strange. Occupied, not captured, Richmond, to gain which such hecatombs of

lives had been sacrificed, was at length given up by the

civil authorities to a body of forty troopers!"--Swinton's " Army of the Potomac," p. 606.

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