CHAPTER XLIV.

(June 15 to October 26, 1864.)

SIEGE OF PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND.

DEFENCES OF PETERSBURG.-GENERAL GRANT'S PLANS.-A MISTAKE.-FIRING INTO PETERSBURG. -MOSBY'S RAID INTO MARYLAND.-FIGHT AT MONOCACY.-ALARM THROUGH THE NORTH.— BLOODY REPULSE AT THE FORT.-DUTCH GAP CANAL.-HEAVY REPULSE AT RHEAMS'S STATION. -TREACHERY OF THE REBELS.-JEFF. DAVIS'S TERMS FOR PEACE.-STORMING NEW MARKET HEIGHTS.-DUEL ON THE JAMES-SURGINGS OF THE BATTLE.

We must now return to General Grant, and the army with which he was besieging both Richmond and Petersburg. We last left him about the middle of June, having just accomplished his wonderful march from the region of the Chickahominy to Bermuda Hundred. He was then, with the main body of his army, struggling with the foe, amidst the ramparts which protected Petersburg on the southeast. The city of Petersburg lies principally on the south banks of the Appomattox. It was defended by concentric lines of earthworks, with square redoubts and rifle trenches. The outer lines had been carried on Wednesday night, June 15. Rebel reënforcements were rapidly crowded down from Richmond, which checked our further advance. All day Thursday there was incessant fighting. At daylight on Friday the conflict was resumed. In a bloody strife across the breast works, Griffin's and Curtin's Brigades of Potter's Division captured five hundred men, and gained a position but a mile and a half from Petersburg. Occasionally a few shells were thrown into the city. It was a great disappointment to the community, and doubtless to General Grant, to find that the city was so strongly fortified that it could not be taken by assault.

It was the object of General Grant gradually to sweep around Petersburg, so as to destroy the railroads running from the south and the west, by which the city received its supplies. The first road south of the James is that which runs from Petersburg to Norfolk. This was in our possession. The next, which ran due south to Weldon, was the one now to be assailed. On the night of the 20th of June, the Second Corps moved out from its intrenchments to the left, in preparation for the flank movement which was intended. Under General Birney, the troops pressed fo:ward as rapidly as possible in a southerly direction, intending to strike at a distance of several miles from Richmond. They marched until noon, beneath an intensely hot sun, and through blinding clouds of dust. They then, at what is called the Jerusalem road, encountered the enemy in such force as to show that the Weldon Railroad could not be taken without severe fighting. At night the disposition of our army was as follows: At

Deep Bottom, north of the James River, General Foster's Division of the Tenth Corps was established. General Butler had the remainder of the Tenth Corps at Bermuda Hundred. In the intrenchments which had been thrown up east of Petersburg, the Eighteenth Corps held the right, the Ninth the centre, and the Fifth, except Griffin's Division, the left. Three or four miles south were the Second and Sixth Corps, which had been checked in their advance towards the Weldon Railroad.

On this day, Tuesday, the 21st, President Lincoln visited the army, and held long and confidential interviews with Generals Butler and Grant. Early the next morning the movement against the railroad was resumed. The cavalry of Wilson and Kautz were sent on a detour to cut it, ten miles south of Petersburg. At the same time the Sixth and Second Corps moved directly against the road. As these corps struck into some thick woods, a gap was left in the line. The eagle-eyed foe took prompt advantage of the error. A whole division swept through the space, and, impetuously striking General Barlow's flank of the Second Division, rolled it up, capturing many prisoners. The rebels then rushed on, almost unimpeded, spreading wide havoc. Several whole regiments were captured. The whole of McKnight's Battery was taken, though a few of the men, with most of the horses and caissons, escaped to the rear. The Twentieth Massachusetts, under Captain Patten, at this crisis effected a change of front, and presented such firm resistance to the foe, that his advance was checked. This heroic regiment was already sadly weakened by its previous deeds of daring.

Gradually the broken corps was rallied. All the day the fight was continued. The disaster in the morning was somewhat repaired in the afternoon. But our loss was great, and we could boast neither of skill nor success in the conflict. Five hundred of our men were killed or wounded, and two thousand were taken prisoners. Nearly the whole of Pierce's Brigade, one of the best in the army, was captured. A reconnoissance the next morning disclosed the enemy strongly intrenched this side of the Weldon Railroad. During the whole of the day there was picket firing, and occasional sharp skirmishes, but no advance was attempted on either side. The heat of the day was terrible. Those engaged in fighting, and also the wounded, suffered severely.

On Thursday, the 23d, there was another cautious movement made, but the enemy in defence of the railroad was found too strongly intrenched to be displaced. Wilson and Kautz had, however, successfully cut it at a point below, and were now sweeping across to cut the Danville road. In the attempt to swing around our extreme left, to reach a point unprotected, we were again assailed by the foe, and met with another mortifying repulse, after having sustained a heavy loss.

Friday was ushered in with a tremendous roar of artillery. Throughout the day there was a great noise from the batteries, and a vast amount of iron was thrown through the air, doing but little harm. Fifty miles north, at White House, on the Pamunkey, Sheridan's cavalry very narrowly escaped destruction. They were attacked and almost overpowered on their march from White House, to join the main body of, the army. Saturday was a

day of picket firing and battery bombardments-of noise, confusion, peril, and fatigue, with but little accomplished. The sanguine were disappointed by these delays. But those soberly reflecting upon the strength of the foe we had to encounter, and upon the immense advantages which he enjoyed in being at home and behind his intrenchments, saw nothing to discourage in an occasional repulse. Five times since our army left the north banks of the Rapidan, the rebels in all their force had thrown themselves across our line of march. Four times we had dislodged them. The community had full confidence in General Grant and in his army, and had no doubt of final success.

For ten days there was apparently but little done. Our troops were, however, constantly busy. They were taking new positions, and intrenching themselves, massing the troops more closely, moving down divisions to within supporting distances, and making all other needful arrangements for an advance. Some of these movements were conducted under a very hot and accurate fire from the rebel batteries. During all these days, there was more or less of fighting along the whole line. The rebels shelled General Butler's front at Bermuda Hundred very spiritedly. On Saturday, the 25th, Sheridan succeeded in crossing the James River in safety at a point near Fort Powhattan, where the gunboats could protect his crossing. His wagon-train was six miles long, and as his troops, six thousand in number, crossed two abreast, it made an extended line. The enemy in vain endeavored to molest his rear. From the Pamunkey to the James, General Sheridan held the rebels at bay, fighting from one position to another, while he urged his wagons along as rapidly as possible. Though every cannon and gun was saved, five hunarmen were lost during the march. The weather was excessively hot and cy, and the troops suffered excessively from dust and drouth.

From General Smith's front near Petersburg, day after day, every five minutes a thirty-pound Parrott shell was thrown into the city. Constant practice gave us great accuracy in our firing upon the rebel lines. The army and the navy were busy every hour. On Wednesday, the 29th, an alarm, at one o'clock in the morning, called the whole Eighteenth Corps under arms at once. Some heavy siege-guns having been put into position, the practice was commenced of throwing a shell into the city every fifteen minutes during the night. This must have been a terrible disturber of slumber. These shells exploded with thunder roar. Crashing through a roof and bursting within a dwelling, the building and its inmates were blown to destruction. On Thursday, the 30th, the shells kindled large fires in the city. The ringing of the alarm-bells which was distinctly heard, and the volumes of flame and smoke which filled the air, indicated the distress of the people. In the mean time the Christian and Sanitary Commissions were busy all along our lines, distributing vegetables, and fruit, and all other comforts, to our worn and needy soldiers.

The movement of Wilson and Kautz against the Danville road deserves more particular mention. Generals Wilson and Kautz started out from the vicinity of Prince George Court-House, on Blackwater Creek, at two o'clock in the morning of June 22d. Their force numbered about

eight thousand mounted men. They had sixteen pieces of artillery, four of which were rifled ordnance, four twelve-pounders, and four small mountain howitzers. They struck the Weldon Railroad at Reams, tore up the track for several hundred yards, and burned the dépôt and other public buildings. Sweeping rapidly across the country by the way of Dinwiddie Court-House, they struck the Petersburg and Lynchburg Railroad at Sutherland's Station. Thence they followed along the railroad to Ford's Station, about twenty-two miles west of Petersburg, destroying the track and burning locomotives and dépôts.

The next morning, the 23d, at two o'clock, General Kautz started in advance, and pressed rapidly along the road towards Burksville, where the Richmond and Danville road intersects the Petersburg and Lynchburg road. In two hours he reached Wilson's Station. He arrived at Burksville about noon. Here he destroyed the track for several miles, and burned dépôts, cars, and other property. All the energies of the party were devoted to destruction. The main column, under General Wilson, followed about three miles in rear of the advance. About three o'clock in the afternoon, this column was attacked, in flank, by a rebel brigade. A sharp fight ensued, which lasted till nightfall, when the rebels retired. General Wilson bivouacked at Nottaway, and Kautz not far from Burksville. The next morning both parties marched for Meherrin, on the Danville road. General Kautz followed the rail, while General Wilson crossed the country. These movements of a band of eight thousand men in the vicinity of a hostile army one hundred thousand strong, were very hazardous. At Meherrin they formed a junction and marched together to Keysville, destroying the track and other railroad property as they advanced. The next morning the march and the work of destruction was resumed. The latter part of the day they reached the long covered viaduct which spanned the Staunton River. Every rod of track, it is said, was destroyed from Burksville to this bridge, a distance of thirty-five miles. The enemy had collected in force for the protection of this bridge. From their intrenchments they opened upon our troops with grape and canister. After a sharp skirmish they were compelled to withdraw. They had succeeded in their raid, with the exception of destroying the bridge, and now commenced a rapid return through Christianville, across Meherrin Creek, and thence to the double bridges on the Nottaway. The enemy began to appear in force, at various points, to cut off the retreat of Wilson and Kautz. It was designed to cross the Weldon Railroad at Jarrett's Station. But as a large rebel force was assembled there to oppose them, they changed their route to Stony Creek, which is a few miles above. The troops dashed across the bridge and formed in line of battle.

The rebels came on in such force that our troops stood on the defensive, hastily throwing up breast works of rails, logs, and earth. The toils were now being wound around this heroic little band. In the endeavor to escape, General Kautz's Division, at eleven o'clock at night, started with all the wagon and ammunition trains, and a large crowd of contrabands, for Reams's Station, several miles up the rail towards Richmond.

Towards daylight, General Wilson followed, with the rest of his force, leaving three regiments behind as a rear-guard.

As General Kautz approached Reams's Station he found the enemy posted in great strength there. Wilson soon came up. But their united force was not sufficient to cope with the foe. The patriots were attacked fiercely and thrown into great confusion. The detachment which was left at Stony Creek was also flanked and partly cut off. Our situation had become quite desperate. The rebels were rapidly capturing our guns and trains, and hurling their shot with fearful destruction into our ranks. Resistance became hopeless, and as the capture of the whole party seemed inevitable, the order came for every man to save himself the best way he could.

"The detachments moved," says the Army and Navy Journal, “hither and thither, and a general helter-skelter race for our lines was made, over ditch and fence, through swamp and wood, dodging into by-paths to escape the enemy, who hotly pursued, shooting at the unresisting rear, and measuring the amount of his slaughter only by the speed of his defeated opponents. The enemy followed close up to our lines, and there gave up the pursuit. On the evening of the 28th the main part of Kautz's force reached the picket reserve, and there bivouacked all night, after terrible exhaustion and excitement. The old camp was reached on the evening of the 30th. For two or three days, squads and solitary horsemen straggled into the lines every hour. Kautz's familiarity with the country enabled him to get his men through rapidly. But they were utterly exhausted, some of them riding along asleep on their saddles, and all were thoroughly used up."

General Wilson retreated towards Suffolk under cover of the night. He crossed the Nottaway about thirty miles below, and regained the Union lines on the 1st of July, a few miles from Powhattan. Great fears had been entertained for his safety. But by taking this very wide circuit he escaped capture. His force was in a pitiable condition, jaded, worn, with clothing in rags, and horses scarcely able to stand. They had lost their entire wagon and ambulance train, all of their guns, most of their caissons, and many horses. Our total loss in men was about fifteen hundred. The rebels also captured nearly two thousand negroes who were eagerly following in the train of our army, in pursuit of freedom. The enemy came upon us in such overpowering numbers as to gain an easy victory. Still, as a war measure, General Grant considered the destruction of the Danville road as worth all it had cost.

On the 29th, Captain Whittaker, with forty men, having cut his way through to General Meade's head-quarters, had brought news of General Wilson's situation. The Sixth Corps and General Sheridan's Cavalry were immediately dispatched for their relief. These were too late. They, however, destroyed portions of the Weldon road, and recaptured many contrabands. While Generals Wilson and Kautz were making this im portant raid, the army at Petersburg was very diligently conducting the siege with almost daily skirmishings and bombardments.

General Hunter had been stationed to guard the Shenandoah Valley,

VOL II-36