SHERIDAN ROUTS PICKETT AT FIVE FORKS. 733 movements, and suspected him of not | Warren's indifference or inefficiency; wishing to make a decisive charge for he believed this chasm in our that day. It was now 4 P. M.-dark. charging lines could never have been ness, in that wooded region, would opened if our troops had been hanquickly follow sunset-when all of- dled with energy and resolution. He fensive operations, over ground to therefore deprived" Warren of his which our men were strangers, must command, giving it to Griffin, whose utterly cease. As yet, many more division he ordered thrown forward of our men than of the enemy had to fill the gap in our line, which was fallen this day; and the morrow now impelled forward with irresistible would doubtless show the Rebels momentum; while Merritt, with the either strongly rëenforced or missing. cavalry, charged the enemy's front. Sheridan-a raging lion on the battle-field-sought to hurry Warren's movements, using some language more energetic than courteous; and at length-the whole corps having reached the position assigned it and faced westward the charge was made; McKenzie's horsemen having been thrown out on Warren's right, so as completely to outflank the Rebels and bar their retreat northward. The Confederates, facing their foes in each direction, stood bravely to their arms; but they were two divisions-Pickett's and Bushrod Johnson's-against at least double their number, and their case was manifestly hopeless. In a few minutes, Ayres's division burst over their flank intrenchments, taking 1,000 prisoners; while Griffin struck their refused flank in the rear, capturing 1,500 more; and Crawford-resisted only by skirmishers-pressed forward rapidly to the Ford road, running northward from their center, precluding their retreat toward Lee; and then, turning southward on that road, came rapidly down upon their rear, taking 4 guns Ayres's division advanced nearest to the White Oak road and the Rebel defenses, with Crawford's on its right, or farther north; Griffin's being in reserve behind it. But Crawford's left, advancing across open ground under fire of the enemy-whose left had been refused and formed at right-our cavalry all the time sharply angles with its main line to meet this attack-swerved to the right to gain the shelter of the woods, opening a gap between it and Ayres's right, on which the Rebels now directed their fire, causing it to waver and crumble; a portion of it going to the right-about in haste and disorder. Sheridan was watching this turning movement and charge in no amiable temper, and now saw its success imperiled by what he considered Swinton says that "After the close of the action, Sheridan relieved Gen. Warren from duty." Sheridan's official report does not sustain this averment. assailing their front and right, and at length charging over their intrenchments, as Ayres and Griffin, having turned their left out of its works, bore down upon its renewed front, hurling all that remained of the enemy in disorderly flight westward; charged and pursued for miles by our cavalry until long after dark, and until our prisoners exceeded 5,000; while our total loss this day was but about 1,000. At this cost, Warren, however, in his defense, asserts positively that Sheridan's order did not reach him till after the fighting was over. Lee's right wing had been substan- | tially demolished. Among our killed was Brig.-Gen. Fred'k Winthrop (Col. 9th N. York), cousin to Maj. Theo. Winthrop, killed at Big Bethel. Wright and Ord swung to the right, pressing on Petersburg from the west; while Humphreys, farther to our left, with Hays's and Mott's divisions of the 2d corps, having Sheridan now directed Griffin to stormed a redoubt in his front, came move eastward with two divisions up with two divisions, closing in on of his infantry to Gravelly church, their left. Thereupon, the Rebel lines some miles toward Petersburg, thus defending Petersburg on the south reopening his communications with were assaulted by Gibbon's division. the rest of our army, while Griffin's of Ord's corps, which carried by own division (now Bartlett's) support- storm two strong and important ed McKenzie's cavalry, which had works-Forts Gregg and Alexander pushed northward up the Ford road-shortening our besieging lines, and to Hatcher's run. weakening the defenses of that city. Fort Gregg was held by Harris's Mississippi brigade, now reduced to 250; of whom but 30 remained when it fell. Gibbon's loss in this assault was about 500. And now, as darkness fell, by Grant's order, our guns in position before Petersburg opened from right to left, making the night lurid with a bombardment that proclaimed the signal victory just achieved on our Miles's division of the 2d corps left, and predicted more decisive tri- had been sent to rëenforce Sheridan, umphs at hand. Wright, Parke, and reaching him at daybreak, and had Ord, still holding our intrenchments been directed to follow the White facing Petersburg and thence east- Oak road eastward toward Petersward to the Appomattox, were or- burg, and attack the enemy at the dered to assault, and did assault, at intersection of the Claiborne road, daybreak next morning." Parke, in where they were reported in force; front of Petersburg, carried, with Sheridan following immediately, with his (9th) corps, the outer line of Griffin's and Crawford's divisions of Rebel works confronting him, cap- the 5th. Miles assailed and carried turing some guns; but found an in- the designated position; forcing the ner line behind them which he could enemy northward across Hatcher's not force, and desisted; Wright, run, and pursuing them to Sutheron his left, with the 6th corps, sup- land's dépôt; where he was about to ported by two divisions of Ord's, attack when Gen. Humphreys came charging at dawn, drove every thing up and reclaimed Miles's division: before him up to the Boydton road; when Sheridan desisted, returned to on which, wheeling to the left, to- Five Forks, and took the Ford road ward Hatcher's run, he swept down out to Hatcher's run, where he crossed the rear of the Rebel intrenchments, the 5th corps and moved rapidly tocapturing many guns and several ward Sutherland's dépôt, to strike in thousand prisoners: meantime, Ord's flank and rear the enemy who had conother division had forced the ene- fronted Miles. But Miles, ere this, my's lines at the run; and now under Humphreys's order, had dis Sunday, April 2. RICHMOND EVACUATED BY THE REBELS. 735 lodged and defeated his antagonists, | was spoken; but the whole assemtaking 2 guns and 600 prisoners. Longstreet, who had hitherto held the defenses of Richmond north of the James, had joined Lee at Petersburg at 10 A. M. this day, with Benning's brigade; and A. P. Hill, on Lee's left, now ordered a charge by Heth to regain some of the works carried by Parke in his assault. The attack was so vigorous and persistent that our men holding City Point were ordered up to Parke's support. Heth was repulsed. Hill was shot dead while reconnoitering this day. He was among the ablest of Lee's lieutenants. Petersburg was still held by the Rebel army; but Lee saw that it could not be held much longer. His heavy losses-by this time exceeding 10,000 men-and the utter demolition of his right, rendered it morally certain that to hold on was to insure the capture or destruction of his army; and well he knew that his veterans were the last hope of the Rebellion. For Grant was now at liberty to throw forward his left to the Appomattox; while it was morally certain that his cavalry would soon clutch the railroad junction at Burkesville, which had now become the jugular vein of the gasping Confederacy. At 10 A. M., therefore, he telegraphed to Davis in Richmond a dispatch, containing very nearly these words: "My lines are broken in three places. Richmond must be evacuated this evening." That message found Mr. Davis, at 11 A. M., in church, where it was handed to him, amid an awful hush; and he immediately went quietly, soberly out-never to return as President of the Confederacy. No word blage felt that the missive he had so hastily perused bore words of doom. Though the handwriting was not blazoned on the wall, it needed no Daniel to declare its import. But no one can duly depict that last afternoon and night of Confederate rule in Richmond but an eyewitness: so let Pollard narrate for us the visible collapse and fall of the Slave Power in its chosen metropolis. After stating how, upon Mr. Davis's withrawal from church, "the rumor was caught up in the streets that Richmond was to be evacuated, and was soon carried to the ends of the city," he proceeds: "Men, women, and children, rushed from the churches, passing from lip to lip news of the impending fall of Richmond. And yet, the calm, beautiful sky of that Spring day, it was difficult to believe it. To look up to unassailed by one single noise of battle, to watch the streets, unvexed by artillery or troops, stretching away into the quiet, hazy atmosphere, and believe that the capital of the Confederacy, so peaceful, so apparently secure, was in a few hours to be the prey of the enemy, and to be wrapped in the infernal horrors of a conflagration! "It was late in the afternoon when the signs of evacuation became apparent to the incredulous. Wagons on the streets were being hastily loaded at the departments Danville dépôt. Those who had determined with boxes, trunks, &c., and driven to the to evacuate with the fugitive Government looked on with amazement; then, convinced ment's example. Vehicles suddenly rose to of the fact, rushed to follow the Governa premium value that was astounding; and ten, fifteen, and even a hundred dollars, in gold or Federal currency, was offered for a conveyance. Suddenly, as if by magic, the streets became filled with men, walking as though for a wager, and behind them excited negroes with trunks, bundles, and luggage of every description. All over the city, it was the same-wagons, trunks, bandboxes, and filling the streets. The banks were all open, their owners, a mass of hurrying fugitives, and depositors were as busy as bees removing their specie deposits; and the directors were equally active in getting off their bullion. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of paper money was destroyed, both State and Confederate. Night came; and with it came confusion worse confounded. There was no sleep for human eyes in Richmond that night. "The City Council had met in the evening, and resolved to destroy all the liquor in the city, to avoid the disorder consequent on the temptation to drink at such a time. About the hour of midnight, the work commenced, under the direction of committees of citizens in all the wards. Hundreds of barrels of liquor were rolled into the street, and the heads knocked in. The gutters ran with a liquor freshet, and the fumes filled and impregnated the air. Fine cases of bottled liquors were tossed into the street from third-story windows, and wrecked into a thousand pieces. As the work progressed, some straggling soldiers, retreating through the city, managed to get hold of a quantity of the liquor. From that moment, law and order ceased to exist. Many of the stores were pillaged; and the side-walks were encumbered with broken glass, where the thieves had smashed the windows in their reckless haste to lay hands on the plunder within. The air was filled with wild cries of distress, or the yells of roving pillagers. 64 But a more terrible element was to appear upon the scene. An order had been issued from Gen. Ewell's headquarters to fire the four principal tobacco warehouses of the city-namely, the public warehouse, situated at the head of the basin, near the Petersburg railroad dépôt; Shockoe warehouse, situated near the center of the city, side by side with the Gallego flour-mills; Mayo's warehouse, and Dibrell's warehouse, on Cary-st., a square below Libby prison. The roar of an immense conflagration sounded in their ears; tongues of flame leaped from street to street; and in this baleful glare were to be seen, as of demons, the figures of busy plunderers, moving, pushing, rioting, through the black smoke and into the open street, bearing away every conceivable sort of plunder. "The scene at the commissary dépôt, at the head of the dock, beggared description. Hundreds of government wagons were loaded with bacon, flour, and whisky, and driven off in hot haste to join the retreating army. Thronging about the dépôt were hundreds of men, women, and children, black and white, provided with capacious bags, baskets, tubs, buckets, tin pans, and aprons; cursing, pushing, and crowding; awaiting the throwing open of the doors, and the order for each to help himself. "About sunrise, the doors were opened to the populace; and a rush that almost seemed to carry the building off its foundation was made, and hundreds of thousands of pounds of bacon, flour, &c., were soon swept away by a clamorous crowd." Our lines opposite Richmond— that is, north of the James-had been held, since Ord's withdrawal southward, by Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, with Kautz's division of the 24th, and Ashborne's and Thomas's divisions of the 25th corps, under instructions from Grant to make the utmost show of strength and purpose to assault, so as to keep the enemy here in force, "Late in the night, Mayor Mayo had dis- while the bulk of our army should be patched, by a committee of citizens, a remonstrance against this reckless military flanking and fighting him out of Peorder, which plainly put in jeopardy the tersburg. These instructions had whole business portion of Richmond. It was not heeded. Nothing was left for the been faithfully, efficiently obeyed; citizens but to submit to the destruction of though Longstreet, confronting Weittheir property. The warehouses were fired. The rams in the James river were blown zel, had at length suspected the true up. The Richmond, Virginia, and another character of Grant's strategy, and one, were all blown to the four winds of had himself, with a part of his force, heaven. The Patrick Henry, a receivingship, was scuttled. Such shipping, very lit- moved southward to the help of Lee tle in amount, as was lying at the Richmond at Petersburg. Weitzel, however, wharves, was also fired, save the flag-of-persisted in speaking daggers, but truce steamer Allison. "The bridges leading out of the city namely, the Danville railroad bridge, the Petersburg railroad bridge, Mayo's bridge, leading to Manchester and the opposite side of the James, were also fired, and were soon wrapped in flames. using none; and, throughout the memorable Sunday evening of the Rebel Hegira, though his guns were silent, his bands were vocal far into the night, treating our friends behind the opposite intrenchments with va |