market, while the other tore up the Lynchburg railroad so far west as Amherst C. II.; thence crossing the country to Newmarket and uniting with the former. Attempts to surprise and seize bridges over the James at Duguidsville, Hardwicksville, &c., so as to cross and come in on Grant's left, were all baffled by the vigilance of the enemy; while heavy rains had so swollen that river that Sherman's pontoons would not reach across it: so he was compelled to choose between returning to Winchester and passing behind Lee's army to White House and thence to Grant's right. He wisely chose the latter; following and destroying the canal to Columbia," where he rested a day, sending scouts with advices to Grant; thence moving easterly, destroying bridges and railroads, across the Annas to the Pamunkey, and down the right bank of that stream to White House;" where four days were given to most needed rest and recuperation; when he moved down to the James, crossed it at Jones's landing, and reported to Grant in front of Petersburg on the 27th-just in time. Gen. Lee-foreseeing clearly the speedy downfall of the Confederate cause unless averted by a prompt concentration of its remaining forces and a telling blow delivered thereby on some one of our encircling armies, which were now palpably crushing out the life of the Rebellion-resolved to anticipate Grant's initiative by an attack on his lines before Petersburg and Richmond. This attack was made on Fort Steedman, nearly east of Petersburg, where its success would have cut our army in two, 10 March 10. and probably compelled a hasty concentration to recover our lines and works; thereby opening a door for the unassailed withdrawal of the Rebel army southward by the most direct route, to unite with that of Johnston and thus overpower Sherman. It was delivered by Gordon with two divisions: all that was disposable of the Rebel Army of Virginia being collected just behind the assaulting column and held in hand as a support. Gordon charged at daybreak;" his men rushing instantly across the narrow space that here separated the confronting lines, and pouring into Fort Steedman, which was held by the 14th N. Y. artillery, who were completely surprised and overwhelmed; part of them fleeing for their lives, while the residue were made prisoners. The guns were deserted without a struggle, and immediately turned by their captors on the adjacent works, whereof three batteries were abandoned by the Union troops and seized by the enemy. Here their triumph ended. Their assault on Fort Haskell, next to Fort Steedman on the left, was but feebly made and easily repulsed; they failed to press forward and seize the crest of the ridge behind the forts, thus cutting our army in two; the 20,000 men whom Lee had massed in their rear to support the assault either were not promptly ordered forward or failed to respond: so that their initial success had only isolated them, a comparative handful in the midst of an army of foes. In short, it was the Mine explosion repeated with the parts reversed. For, when our soldiers had recovered from their aston ishment, and the 9th corps was ral- from the banks of the James, where lied to drive the foe out-Hartranft's it had so long menaced Richmond, division making the counter-assault and brought over to the left of our -the Rebels were too few to hold lines facing Petersburg; when the their perilous position; while the 5th (Warren's) and 2d (Humphreys's) ground over which they had reached corps moved quietly out" southit was so swept by our guns from westward till they had crossed Hatcheither side, that 2,000 preferred to er's run; when, facing northward, surrender rather than follow their they advanced, feeling for the enefleeing comrades through that terri- my's right. Sheridan was on our exble fire. Aside from this, the loss of treme left, at the head of nearly either army was some 2,500. 10,000 cavalry, acting under orders directly from Gen. Grant. The 9th (Parke's) and one of Ord's divisions were left to hold our extended lines under the command of Gen. Parke: all dismounted troopers being ordered to report to Gen. Benham, who guarded our immense accumulation of supplies at City Point. Nor was this the extent of the enemy's mishap. Gen. Meade, convinced that their lines generally must have been depleted to strengthen this assault, ordered an advance along the front of the 6th and 2d corps, holding our works before Petersburg to the left of Fort Steedman; and this was made with such spirit that the thinned line of the enemy recoiled before it, and their strongly intrenched picket-line was wrested from them and permanently held by their antagonists. Thus, instead of shaking himself free from Grant's gripe, Lee had only tightened it by this bold stroke; rendering his withdrawal to North Carolina even more difficult and hazardous than before. Grant had already" prepared, if not issued, his order for a general, determined advance by his left on the 29th. To the obvious reasons which had formerly impelled a movement to flank the enemy's right was now added the necessity of intercepting and precluding Lee's withdrawal to North Carolina. Hence, the strategy of a nearly simultaneous attack on both flanks of the Rebel position was now abandoned: three divisions of the Army of the James, now commanded by Ord, being withdrawn" 13 Dated March 24. Humphreys crossed Hatcher's run at the Vaughan road; while Warren, moving farther to the left, crossed four miles below, where the stream, since its junction with Gravelly run, has become Rowanty creek; thence moving up by the Quaker road to strike the Boydton plank-road. Sheridan moved nearly south to Dinwid die C. H.; where, at 5 P. M., he halted for the night. Warren's corps alone encountered any serious resistance this day. Approaching the Confederate lines, Griffin's division, leading, was sharply assailed; but held its ground and repulsed the enemy, taking 100 prisoners. Our loss here was 370 killed and wounded. Warren rested for the night in front of the Rebel intrenchments covering the White Oak road. Humphreys-moving in an extended line, over a densely wooded and difficult country, repelling skir mishers only had not struck the LEE ATTACKS WARREN AND SHERIDAN. Rain fell heavily all that night and next day our infantry doing little beyond perfecting their formation and their connections; while Sheridan, pressing back the enemy, without much fighting, behind his intrenchments, pushed forward part of his cavalry on their right flank to FIVE FORKS, where they found the enemy too strong to be ridden over or driven off; and returned, through the rain and mud, to Dinwiddie C. H. Grant, who was on the field, directing the general movement, ordered Warren to support the cavalry; placing him under Sheridan's command. 731 enemy's intrenched line when night | hurling his division back in disorder arrested his advance. on Crawford's, which likewise broke; so that there was, for a moment, a prospect of another Chancellorsville. But behind these two stood Griffin's division, well posted in more open ground, whence it refused to be driven; stopping the Rebel advance, while the routed divisions rallied behind it, enabling Warren to assume the offensive; Humphreys supporting his counter-charge by sending in Miles's division on Warren's right to strike the enemy's left flank. Before these well-timed charges, the enemy recoiled; taking refuge behind his intrenchments along the White Oak road; having lost heavily by his assault, mainly in prisoners. Still, his position was so strong that repeated and vigorous attempts by Miles, Mott, and IIays, under Humphreys's orders, to penetrate it at different points, were repelled—the abatis which covered its front being even more formidable than the Rebels behind it. Next morning," the rain had ceased; but the earth was so soaked and flooded that Grant proposed in the main to stand still. But Lee had other views. Alive to his peril, he had left his works immediately covering Richmond to be held by some 8,000 men, under Longstreet, while he hurried all the rest of his infantry, through rain and mire, to the support of his endangered right; his cavalry, which had been posted at Stony creek, far on his right, and which Sheridan's advance had isolated, making a long detour around Dinwiddie C. H. to regain its lost communications. Warren had pushed forward skirmishers on his left to seize the White Oak road beyond the Rebel right, and had ordered Ayres to advance Winthrop's brigade through the woods to support the effort; when, at 10 A. M., Lee dealt him an unexpected and staggering blow: striking Ayres heavily in flank and rear; Sheridan, meantime, had renewed his once foiled effort to turn the Rebel right by a resolute advance from Dinwiddie C. H. to Five Forks; and, while Lee's infantry was in conflict with Warren, he had advanced to and carried the coveted position. But now-the attack on Warren having failed-Lee impelled Pickett's and Bushrod Johnson's divisions of infantry westward along the White Oak road to Five Forks, where they fell upon Devin's division and Davies's brigade of cavalry there posted, drove them out in disorder, and followed them nearly to Dinwiddie C. H.; at length interposing between Devin and Sheridan's main line, and com 16 March 31. pelling Devin to make a long detour by the Boydton plank-road to rejoin his chief. The Rebels, mistaking this for a farther retreat, attempted pursuit; thereby presenting their flank and rear to Sheridan, who charged with the brigades of Gregg and Gibbs; compelling the enemy to let go of Devin, and permit him to rejoin his chief without farther trouble. And, though they now assailed the latter in superior force, fully resolved to drive him, they were unable to make any headway. Sheridan dismounted his troopers, posted them behind a slight breastwork, and received his assailants with so deadly a fire that they recoiled; and darkness fell before they were ready to try again. When morning came, they had been withdrawn by Lee; who doubtless saw that Pickett was exposed to be struck in flank by Warren, while assailed in front by Sheridan, and thus disastrously routed. Meantime, there was very natural alarm and anxiety at headquarters, where it was only known that Sheridan had been driven back from Five Forks to Dinwiddie, and there attacked by the enemy in force, with every prospect of routing him. Warren received order after order to hasten to Sheridan's rescue, and had sent Ayres's division through the mire and darkness; but Ayres, moving on the Boydton plank-road, had been stopped at Gravelly run, where the bridge was gone; and it was 2 A. M. before he had rebuilt and got across it; hurrying on to Dinwiddie; where he arrived at daybreak;" just as the last of the Rebels-a picket of cavalry—were hurrying off to join their departed comrades. Sheridan, who had ascertained by midnight that the enemy were leaving, had been perfectly at ease while all beside his command had passed a night of apprehension on his account; so at daybreak he advanced, supported by Ayres, on the track of his late assailants; being, at 7 A. M., joined midway by Warren with his two other divisions. Advancing steadily and boldly, Sheridan had, with his cavalry alone, by 2 P. M., pressed back the Rebels into their works at Five Forks, leaving Warren's corps entirely disposable: and now, while directing Gen. Merritt, with his division of cavalry, to threaten to turn the Rebel right, at the same time that they were sharply pressed in front, Sheridan ordered Warren-hitherto passive in his rear-to advance the 5th corps on our right to the White Oak road, so as to be fully on the enemy's left flank, and then, by a left-wheel movement, fall upon that flank in full force, striking the enemy well toward the rear, and rolling his force up on itself, in utter rout and confusion. Meanwhile, McKenzie, with the inconsiderable cavalry of the Army of the James, just arrived, was to cover Warren's right flank against attack from the direction of Petersburg. This order was promptly and thoroughly obeyed; McKenzie vigorously attacking and driving the only Rebel force discoverable in that quarter. This done, he promptly countermarched, and was back in the vicinity of Five Forks, ready to participate in the combined attack, before Warren was prepared to charge. Sheridan was profoundly dissatisfied with the slowness of Warren's " April 1. |