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GRANT CROSSES THE JAMES.

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road nearly down" to Louisa C. H.; | struck the James at Wilcox's wharf, but, soon finding the Rebels too nu- between Charles City C. H. and Westmerous and pressing, he retraced his over. Wright and Burnside, crosssteps to Trevilian's, where he had a ing the Chickahominy at Jones's sharp, indecisive, sanguinary fight, bridge, moved thence to Charles City and then drew off; making his way C. H.; our trains, for safety, taking to Spottsylvania C. H., and thence roads still farther to the east. The by Guiney's station to White House, enemy made some attempts at annoyand so rejoined Gen. Grant. His ing our right flank during the march, raid was less effective than had been but to no purpose. Pontoons and calculated, because Gen. Hunter, who ferry-boats being at hand, the paswas expected to meet him at Gor- sage was promptly and safely made;" donsville, had taken a different di- and very soon our guns were thunrection, leaving more foes on Sheri- dering at the southern approaches to dan's hands than he was able satis- the Rebel capital. factorily to manage. His total loss, mainly in the last fight at Trevilian's, was 735, whereof some 300 were prisoners. He brought out 370 prisoners. The Rebel loss in killed and wounded was at least equal to ours, and included Gen. Rosser and Col. Custer, wounded, and Col. McAllister, killed.

This is not a military history, and its author makes no shadow of pretension to other military knowledge, than that which is necessarily gained by all students of history; while no one who carefully reads this volume will accuse him of partiality or special admiration for Gen. Grant. Yet the criticisms which have been leveled at that commander's advance to Richmond seem so unjust as to demand exposure.

Gen. Grant now decided to pass the Chickahominy far to Lee's right, and thence move across the James to attack Richmond from the south. It was a bold resolve, especially as the "Why not embark his army at authorities at Washington had a set- once for City Point?" has been tritled and reasonable repugnance to a umphantly asked, "and establish it movement which seemed to place there at a cost of a few hundred men, the Federal City at the mercy of Lee. instead of fifty or sixty thousand?" Taking up the rails from the Chick- The question not only ignores the ahominy to White House, and ship- Rebel losses in the course of this ping them around for use south of movement-losses which were at least the James, Smith's corps was like- as large in proportion to their resourwise embarked and returned to But- ces as ours-but ignores also the obler; while the Army of the Potomac vious fact that Lee's army around was put in motion" for the passage Richmond, hard pressed by a superiof the James: Wilson's cavalry, in or force, was no peril to Washington advance, crossing the Chickahominy and the loyal States; whereas, to leave at Long bridge, followed by War-it on the Rapidan and take ship for ren's corps; which was passed at the James was either to make the Long bridge by Hancock's, which enemy a present of our capital, with

4 June 12.

50

60 June 12-13.

$1 June 12.

6 June 14-15.

its immense stores of every warlike material, or compel that division and dispersion of our forces whereof McClellan had so persistently, and with some justice, complained. Lee at Richmond, with the country northward to the Potomac thoroughly exhausted and devastated, could not reach Washington at all without abandoning Richmond to its fate; and corps after corps of our army could be transferred to the Potomac in less than half the time required for a march of the Rebel forces to Centerville. Of course, Grant set out expecting to defeat Lee decisively between the Rapidan and the Chickahominy, and was disappointed; but it is difficult to see how he could have evaded obstacles at least as serious as those he encountered. As he pertinently observed, the Rebel army was his true objective; and this must be encountered, whichever route he might take. Had he attempted, as Lee evidently anticipated, to advance by Gordonsville or Louisa C. H., flanking Lee's left instead of his right, he would have been starved into a retreat before he came in sight of the James.

The moment it was decided that Meade's army must cross the James below Richmond and threaten that city from the south, Grant hastened to Butler's headquarters to impel against Petersburg whatever force might there be disposable, so soon as it should be certain that that attempt could be seasonably supported by the legions of Meade.

Butler, after the dispatch of the best part of his force, under W. F. Smith, to Meade, had been inclined to keep quiet within his intrenchments; but that was not permitted. His northern outpost at Wilson's wharf, north of the James, held by Gen. Wild with two Black regiments, had already been summoned and charged " by Fitz-Hugh Lee's cavalry, who, after a fight of some hours, were beaten off with loss: and now Gen. Gillmore, with 3,500 men, was thrown across the Appomattox, to approach Petersburg by the turnpike on the north, while Gen. Kautz, with 1,500 cavalry, should charge into it from the south or south-west. Two gunboats and a battery were simultaneously to bombard Fort Clinton, defending the approach up the river.

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The combination failed, though it should have succeeded. Gillmore advanced" unresisted to within two miles of the city, where he drove in the enemy's skirmishers and haltedor rather, recoiled-deeming his force altogether too weak for the task be

Petersburg, at the head of sloop navigation on the Appomattox, 22 miles south of Richmond, is the focus of all the railroads but the Danville which connected the Confederate capital with the South and South-west. Petersburg taken and firmly held by our forces, the stay of the Rebel Gov-fore him, and understanding that he ernment and Army at Richmond must be of short duration. But merely to take it, without the ability to hold it against the force which Lee, near at hand, could easily send against it, would be worse than useless.

" May 24.

was free to exercise his discretion in the premises. Kautz, on the other hand, made his way not only up to but into the city-the Confederates' attention having been concentrated on Gillmore-but, now that they

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W. F. SMITH FAILS AT PETERSBURG.

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were released from apprehension on | Fatalities multiplied. Hancock, with this side, they turned upon Kautz; two divisions, forming the van of the driving him out with ease. Army of the Potomac, came up just after nightfall, and waiving his seniority, tendered his force to Smith, who put partof it into the captured works, relieving his own troops, but made no further use of it. And Hancock, it seems, in the hurry of the moment, when there were a thousand things to be attended to at once, had not, up to 5 P. M. of that day, even been apprised that Petersburg was to be assaulted, and had lost some hours of the morning waiting for rations, which would not have stopped him if he had known" how urgent was the necessity for haste: and some further time by marching by an inaccurate map, which carried him too far to the left.

Grant, having hurried from the Army of the Potomac, when it had begun to cross the James, to Bermuda Hundreds, directed Butler to push W. F. Smith's corps, just arrived from the Chickahominy by steamboat via White House, against Petersburg as quickly as possible; it being known that A. P. Hill, with the van of Lee's army, was already on the south front of Richmond. Smith moved out accordingly, crossing the Appomattox by a pontoon-bridge at Point of Rocks, and following Gillmore's route southward to Petersburg; confronting, before noon," the north-east defenses, 24 miles from the river. Hincks's black brigade was sent up directly, taking a line of riflepits and two guns.

But there though moments were inestimableSmith paused"-not assaulting till near sundown, when part of his force was sent forward, forming a very strong skirmish line, and cleared the enemy's rifle-trenches in their front, capturing 300 prisoners and 16 guns, with a loss on our part of about 600." And now-though the night was clear and the moon nearly fullSmith rested till morning, after the old but not good fashion of 1861–2.

se June 15.

7 Grant, in his final, comprehensive report, says:

"Smith, for some reason that I have never been able to satisfactorily understand, did not get ready to assault the enemy's main lines until near sundown."

As more than a year had intervened when this report was written, it is not probable that Gen. Grant's satisfaction on this point will ever be perfected.

Col. Simon H. Mix, 3d N. Y. cavalry, was killed in front of Petersburg, fighting at the

Smith's hesitation to follow up his success proved the turning-point of the campaign. Before morning, there was a very different sort of enemy in his front from that he had beaten yesterday-the van of Lee's iron-sided veterans, who did not comprehend how formidable intrenchments and batteries could be lost when assailed only by strong skirmish-lines. their arrival, the fall of Petersburg, a few hours since so imminent, was indefinitely postponed.

By

During the 16th, Warren and head of his regiment. He had served with credit since early in 1861.

So says Swinton ('Army of the Potomac'), who quotes Hancock's report as his authority; and adds:

"There is on file in the archives of the Army a paper bearing this indorsement by Gen. Meade: 'Had Gen. Hancock or myself known that Peters

burg was to be attacked, Petersburg would have fallen.'

Swinton seems to have been eagerly supplied, by those officers who are not admirers of Gen. Grant, with all the weapons of assault in their armory.

Burnside came up, with the greater part of the Army of the Potomac; but so did Lee, with most of the Army of Virginia. Smith held our right, touching the Appomattox ; Hancock, Burnside and Warren reaching farther and farther to the left, which was covered by Kautz's cavalry. Meade, after posting his army, hastened to City Point for a consultation with Grant; and, returning at 2 P. M., gave orders for a general assault, which was delivered at 6 P. M. Hancock's, Burnside's, and part of Warren's corps, went forward in the face of a terrible fire from a sheltered and formidable foe, and a night of combat and carnage resulted in a general advance of our lines, though at a heavy cost. Birney, of Hancock's corps, had stormed and carried the ridge in his front; while Burnside, repelled during the night by the deadly fire he encountered, carried at daylight the outwork defying him, capturing 4 guns and 400 prisoners. Potter's division, which had made this desperate charge, was now relieved by Ledlie's, which pushed our advance still farther, or to within a mile and a half of the city, which was hence reached by our shells. On other points, however, we had either been repulsed, or had made no progress; while the preponderance of losses, and even of prisoners, was heavily against us. And, as the advanced position gained in Burnside's front was projected, as it were, into the enemy's still unshaken lines, a tremendous assault upon it was made the next night, and our men driven out with heavy loss.

The desperate struggle for Petersburg having drawn the Rebel forces

mainly to that city, Gen. Butler, by order, struck out," under Terry, from his front at Bermuda Hundreds toward Port Walthall junction, with intent to take, and if possible hold, the railroad. Terry, finding the railroad slightly held, seized, and was proceeding to destroy it, when the approach of Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps, marching from Richmond on Petersburg, compelled him to draw back. Grant had foreseen and provided against this contingency, by relieving (with part of the 6th) Smith's (18th) corps, and sending it to the aid of Butler; but, by some mistake, Smith's men were halted too soon; so that Terry was overpowered and hurled back; and, when he again advanced, rëenforced, the enemy had so strengthened their former works that they were deemed impregnable.

Grant, believing that a good part of the Rebel army had not yet arrived, ordered another general assault for the 18th; but, when our skirmishers that morning advanced, the enemy had abandoned their works in our immediate front, withdrawing to a new, stronger, and more symmetrical line nearer Petersburg.

Hours were now spent in making new dispositions to assault this with effect; and, at 3 P. M., an attack was made, first by Martindale, commanding the division left here of Smith's corps; then by Birney, in temporary command of the 2d; and later by the 5th and 9th; but with very heavy loss, and no success, save that Martindale carried the enemy's skirmish-line in his front, and made a few prisoners. The losses of the enemy, sheltered behind their works,

❝ June 16.

MEADE FAILS TO HOLD THE WELDON ROAD.

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bore, of course, no comparison to | don railroad reached; but hardly had

ours.

It had now been established, at a cost of fully 10,000 men," that Petersburg could not be carried by direct assault, no matter in what force: and our troops were directed to intrench strongly in its front, while the 2d and 6th corps were moved" to the left, with intent to find and turn the enemy's right; cutting or holding the Weldon railroad.

operations upon it begun, when Hill again struck the flank of our three regiments in advance, and routed them, taking many prisoners, and driving the fugitives back on the main body; when he again desisted, carrying off his captives. Our losses in this baffled effort were scarcely less than 4,000 men, mainly prisoners; with no resulting advantage, save a moderate extension of our left toward the Weldon railroad.

The 2d moved around to the Jerusalem plank road, where it was met The mishap of this first attempt to by the enemy in force, and driven clutch the Weldon railroad involved back a short distance; the 6th not or drew after it another. Gen. Wilbeing at hand. Next morning, the son, with his own and Kautz's diadvance was resumed by both corps, visions of cavalry, together 8,000 but too tardily and disconnectedly strong, had on that day been imthe country being, for the most part, pelled still farther to our left, on a thickly wooded and difficult. A. P. raid against the enemy's railroads. Hill was watching the movement, Moving southward for some distance, and, at the proper moment, threw a he turned abruptly to his right, and division of his corps in between our struck the Weldon road at Reams's two, striking rapidly in flank succes- station, where he burned the dépôt sively Barlow's, Mott's, and Gibbon's and tore up a long stretch of track. divisions, rolling them up and forcing Passing thence rapidly westward, he them back, with a loss of 4 guns and struck the Lynchburg road at a point many prisoners. At the same time, 15 miles from Petersburg, and folanother of Hill's divisions struck the lowed it westward to Nottoway staflank of the 6th corps likewise, in- tion, destroying the track for 22 flicting on it also considerable loss. miles; here encountering and defeatBut Meade now arrived on the field ing a Rebel cavalry force under W. -the Rebel advance having been F. Lee. Hence, he dispatched Kautz checked-and, getting both corps to Burkesville, the junction of this well in hand, he ordered, at nightfall, with the Danville road, where both an advance, which was made, and roads were torn up, as was the Danmost of the lost ground recovered-ville so far S. W. as Meherrin staHill not being in force to resist him tion; where Kautz was rejoined" by in the open field.

Our advance southward was resumed next morning," and the Wel

1 Between June 10 and 20, Meade's losses were killed, 1,198; wounded, 6,853; missing, 1,614 total, 9,665. And this does not probably

Wilson, and the work prosecuted so
far as Roanoke bridge (over the
Staunton); where they were con-

include the losses of Sheridan's cavalry, who
were fighting north of the James.
62 June 21. 63 June 23.
*4 June 24.

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