32 MCCAUSLAND'S FLIGHT; GRANT'S MOVEMENTS. men. After a severe fight of several Meanwhile Grant was continuing his operations against Petersburg. * Pond, The Shenandoah Valley, pp. 105-106. † Ibid, p. 106. As we have seen, Butler had made a disastrous failure of his campaign at Drewry's Bluff and had intrenched himself at Bermuda Hundred. On June 9 Butler ordered General Gillmore and General Kautz to capture Petersburg and destroy the railroad bridge across the Appomattox. On the morning of the 10th Gillmore with 1,800 men arrived before the Confederate works on the City Point road, General Hinks with 1,200 men coming up a mile to his left. Both deemed the Confederate works too strong to be carried, so forebore. Kautz with 1,500 men and cavalry moved along the Jerusalem plank road four or five miles to Gillmore's left and at about noon made three unsuccessful attacks, then turned the Confederates in his front and advanced close to the city water works at Reservoir Hill. There he found the Confederate infantry and artillery intrenched and, satisfied that he could not capture the city, withdrew.* At this time Petersburg was held by about 2,400 infantry under General Wise, Dearing's cavalry and some local militia. After losing more than 50,000 men in his campaign from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, Grant concluded to transfer his army south of the James and continue operations against Petersburg and Richmond similar to those proposed by McClellan two years before. As a preliminary he * Battles and Leaders, vol. iv., p. 534 et seq.; Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65, pp. 196-197. SHERIDAN'S TREVILIAN RAID. ordered Sheridan on June 5, 1864, to take two divisions of cavalry and move on Charlottesville, destroy the railroad bridge over the Rivanna near that town, the Central Railroad from that point to Hanover Junction if practicable, and then rejoin the army. To General Hunter, whom it was expected he would meet at Charlottesville, Sherman carried instructions to unite with himself and join the Army of the Potomac. On the morning of the 7th Sheridan started with Torbert's and Gregg's divisions and 4 batteries of artillery, in all about 8,000 men. He crossed the Pamunkey at New Castle Ferry, moved up the north bank of the North Anna, marching by way of Aylett's and Childsburg, crossed both branches of the North Anna on the 10th and at night encamped about three miles northeast of Trevilian Station on the Central Railroad. Having learned of this movement General Lee ordered Wade Hampton with his own division of cavalry to follow in the direction of Gordonsville and directed Fitzhugh Lee with another division to follow Hampton as speedily as possible. The latter had about 5,000 men and 3 batteries of artillery. On the morning of the 9th he marched from Atlee's Station of the Virginia Central Railroad toward Beaver Dam Station, passed Louisa Court House on the 10th and that night encamped about three miles northwest of Trevilian Station. At the same time Fitzhugh Lee was near Louisa Court 33 House about six miles east of the station. During the night Hampton learned that Sheridan had encamped and determined to attack him at Clayton's Store, about midway between Trevilian Station and Carpenter's Ford on the North Anna. His own division was to advance by way of the station while Lee went from Louisa Court House to the store by the direct road. By daylight Hampton had reached the station and was moving toward Clayton's Store with Butler's and Young's brigades, Rosser's brigade advancing by a road on his left, when Sheridan was encountered with Torbert's division in advance. There was a sharp skirmish between the advanced parties, whereupon Hampton dismounted his men and formed them in dense timber across the road. Custer with his brigade was sent to the left to strike the Louisa Court House road and move up in Hampton's rear. He passed unnoticed and unopposed to his assigned position and captured many of the Confederate horses. Torbert's division was then dismounted, assaulted Hampton's position and carried it, though with severe loss, and drove Hampton back on Custer at Trevilian Station. Custer captured many prisoners. Gregg attacked Fitzhugh Lee on the Louisa Court House road and drove him before him, pursuing until night. Hampton's division fell back in the direction of Gordonsville and during the night was joined by Fitzhugh Lee, who made a detour for that purpose. 34 THE ENGAGEMENT AT ST. MARY'S CHURCH. At night Sheridan learned that Hunter was moving on Lynchburg and that Breckinridge was at Gordonsville. As his ammunition was low, therefore, he decided to return. On the morning of the 12th Gregg's division began the destruction of the railroad toward Louisa Court House and at 3 P. M. Torbert's division reinforced by a brigade of Gregg's went up the Gordonsville road to secure a passage over Mallory's Ford of the North Anna, since Sheridan had decided to return by way of Spotsylvania Court House. Torbert became heavily engaged with Hampton, the battle continuing until 10 o'clock at night with Hampton the victor. Accordingly Sheridan returned by the route he had come, recrossed the North Anna at Carpenter's Ford and reached White House on the Pamunkey on the 21st, followed by Hampton who moved on the south side of the North Anna. Sheridan's loss at Trevilian Station on the 11th and 12th was 102 killed, 470 wounded and 435 captured or missing. Hampton says he captured 570 prisoners and that the loss in his own division was 59 killed, 258 wounded and 295 missing. * Sheridan arrived at White House on the Pamunkey on June 21, 1864. On the 22d the depot at this place was broken up as Grant had established Official Records, vol. xxxvi.; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, vol. ii.; Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65, pp. 230-234; Battles and Leaders, vol. iv., pp. 233-239; Pond, The Shenandoah Valley, pp. 40-42. a new base at City Point. A train of 900 wagons set out under cover of Sheridan to cross the James River on the pontoon bridge at Bermuda Hundred. It crossed the Chickahominy at Jones' Bridge and moved to Charles City Court House en route past Malvern Hill, in advance of which were the cavalry divisions of Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee hanging on Sheridan's flank. Keeping Torbert's division with the trains, Sheridan sent Gregg with his division and two batteries to St. Mary's Church to cover the exposed flank. On his arrival there Gregg intrenched in a strong position. During the 24th there was some skirmishing; late in the afternoon Hampton and Lee attacked Gregg on the right flank and in the front and after a stubborn contest forced him to give way, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. Hampton pursued to within two and a half miles of Charles City Court House. The trains were moved back to Doutharts' Landing on the James and were ferried over, Sheridan following them across on the 26th. The Union loss was 29 killed, 188 wounded and 122 missing. Hampton's loss was 6 killed and 59 wounded, but Lee's is not reported. Meanwhile the general movement to the south of the James began on the 12th and terminated on the 16th, when the entire Army of the Potomac was south of the river in rear of Bermuda Hundred. Before all the army had crossed Grant ordered an ad 7 36 THE ASSAULT ON PETERSBURG. the skirmishers advanced, and by 9 o'clock one and one half miles of the Confederate works had been taken, besides 16 guns and nearly 400 prisoners. General Hancock, commanding the 2d corps, had been ordered to march on Petersburg on the morning of the 15th after rationing his troops, but neither he nor General Meade was informed of Smith's movement. The position he was to occupy was incorrectly laid down on the maps and it was dark when he came to Smith's position. During the night Hoke's division was sent by Beauregard to form on Wise's left and extend to the Appomattox. B. R. Johnson's division was withdrawn from Bermuda Hundred and early on the 16th took position on Hoke's right. From Wise's right to Hoke's left, a distance of five miles, the Confederates had on the 16th about 14,000 men besides artillery. On the morning of that day Egan's brigade of Hancock's corps attacked and carried the Confederate redoubt. At 10 A. M. Burnside's 9th corps came up and formed on Hancock's left, so that the whole body of Union troops facing Beauregard numbered 53,000. At 6 P. M. Hancock assaulted with the 2d corps, supported by two brigades of the 18th on the right and two of the 19th on the left. After a severe loss the Union troops carried three redoubts and other connecting works.* * Battles and Leaders, vol. iv., pp. 540–542. During the night of the 15th B. R. Johnson's withdrawal from the front of Butler's right being discovered, early on the morning of the 6th Terry advanced and after a sharp fight, in which he took many prisoners, occupied the main line of Beauregard's intrenchments. At 6 P. M. Pickett's division sent by Lee from Drewry's Bluff drove in Terry's skirmishers and recaptured the works, but upon advancing still farther to attack Terry was repulsed. On the morning of the 17th portions of the Confederate works were assaulted and captured by the 2d and 9th corps. Meanwhile Warren's 5th corps had arrived and formed on the left of the 9th. In the afternoon, therefore, the 2d, 9th and 5th made another assault and carried some important positions with heavy losses on both sides.* During the night another golden opportunity was thrown away. Beauregard withdrew across a ravine, formed a new line from 500 to 1,000 yards in rear of the one he had been occupying and intrenched it. Now that the last chance of an easy victory was gone, Meade acted with energy and spirit, ordering a general assault for the 18th. This being made by piece-meal was unsuccessful, but the ground gained was close up to the Confederate works and on this part of the field the two opposing lines remained substantially the same in position until the close of the war. In these * Battles and Leaders, pp. 542-543. |