496

SHERIDAN'S GREAT RAID.

same purpose. If successful, these operations would, with others carried on elsewhere, leave the rebellion without a prop.

Meanwhile, General Sheridan's glorious campaign in the Shenandoah valley was ended, and General Grant, on the 20th of February, ordered him to advance on Lynchburg as soon as the state of the roads permitted, and after the destruction of the railroad and canal near it, to join General Sherman, whose cavalry force was outnumbered by that of the enemy.

Sheridan, on the 27th, left Winchester with ten thousand cavalry, and moving rapidly, secured, on the 29th, the bridge over the northern fork of the Shenandoah, at Mount Crawford, and on the 30th, entered Staunton. Though Lee had been reinforced, as we have already narrated, with nearly all the troops in the valley, Early was still at Staunton with a moderate force, and now, on the approach of the Unionists, fell back and intrenched at Waynesboro. Sheridan, haying arrived in front of the Confederates, without the trouble of a reconnoissance, rushed upon them. The bugles rang out the spirit-stirring notes, the hostile position was swept like a tornado, and the capture effected of sixteen hundred prisoners, eleven pieces of artillery, with their horses and caissons, two hundred loaded wagons, and seventeen battle flags.

The prisoners were sent back to Winchester, and the victorious Sheridan, after destroying the railroad and bridges in his route, moved on, and reached Charlotte on the 3d of March. Here he halted two days, to destroy the railroad and bridges toward Lynchburg and Richmond, and wait until his trains should come up; but the Confederates, having had time to prepare for the defence of the place, he now abandoned the design of its capture. On the 6th, he moved his troops in two columns, one of which advanced to Scottsville, and thence moved up the James to New Market, destroying the locks, and in many places the banks of the canal. A force was sent from this point to secure the bridge at Duigidsville, which the enemy, anticipating the movement, burned.

The other column moved down the railroad and destroyed it to a point within sixteen miles of Lynchburg. The spring floods had swollen the river, the pontoons would not

REBEL ATTACK ON FORT STEADMAN.

497

reach across, and the bridge, having been burned by the enemy on their retreat, Sheridan was unable to join Sherman. He now, therefore, determined to move around Richmond on the north side, and reaching White House, put himself in communication with Grant. On the 10th, he concentrated his troops at Columbia, from which point he sent scouts to inform General Grant of his plans, and also desiring supplies to be sent to White House. The scouts arrived on the 13th, and Grant sent an infantry force to hold White House. Sheridan was now approaching the rebel capital, causing great alarm to its population. A strong force was sent out to cut him off, but turning to the left he crossed the North and South Anna rivers, and moving down the north bank of the Pamunkey, arrived a. the White House on the 27th, and joined the army of the Potomac; on the same day (the 27th) Sherman visited Grant. It was very important, at this time, that the South side and Danville railroads should be destroyed, as General Grant foresaw that by this route Lee would retreat to join Johnston, in case of evacuating Richmond. He now resolved to send Sheridan on this mission, around the enemy's left. The 29th of March was appointed for this movement, and two corps were to support the cavalry, and attempt to flank the hostile position at Petersburg; but an unexpected battle occurred on the 27th, by an attack in which the enemy carried Fort Steadman, in front of the ninth corps. The assault was made so suddenly, that the fort was at once carried, and its guns turned on the Union troops. Three mortar batteries near it were also captured. The Union troops held their position firmly on each wing, while Hartranft's division moved up to assist Wilcox in driving the rebels out of the captured works, from which they retired as the Union artillery made the place untenable, and many of them, dreading to retreat under a fire so destructive, laid down their arms. Nineteen hundred prisoners were captured by the Union troops, whose loss was nine hundred and nineteen.

General Meade ordered an advance of the other corps, to feel the enemy's line in front, and the result was the capture, in front of the Second and Sixth corps, of eight hundred and thirty-four prisoners. The time for a decided movement had now arrived, and the days of the Confed

498

GRANT'S INSTRUCTIONS TO SHERIDAN.

eracy were already numbered. The two commanders, Generals Grant and Sherman, in consultation, agreed that the latter should return to his army, and making a feint up the Neuse river upon Raleigh, move rapidly north to the line of the Roanoke. Grant knew that on the approach of Sherman to this river, the rebel chieftain would at once evacuate Richmond. Fearing lest, after the evacuation of Petersburg, Lee would escape, and join Johnston, Grant now resolved to carry out his original plan, of the movement on the Danville railroad. Accordingly, on the night of the 27th, he sent two divisions of Ord's corps, commanded by General Gibbon, and one of the Twenty-fifth corps, under Birney, together with McKensie's cavalry, to Hatcher's Run. General Sheridan received the following instructions: "The Fifth army corps will move by the Vaughn road, at three A. M. to-morrow morning. The Second moves at about nine A. M. having but about three miles to march to reach the point designated for it to take on the right of the Fifth corps, after the latter reaching Dinwiddie Court House. Move your cavalry at as early an hour as you can, and without being confined to any particular road or roads; you may go out by the nearest roads in rear of the Fifth corps, pass by its left, and passing near to or through Dinwiddie, reach the right and rear of the enemy, as soon as you can. It is not the intention to attack the enemy in his intrenched position, but to force him out if possible. Should he come out and attack us, or get himself where he can be attacked, move in with your entire force, in your own way, and with the full reliance that the army will engage or follow, as circumstances will dictate. I shall be on the field, and will probably be able to communicate with you. Should I not do so, and you find that the enemy keeps within his main intrenched line, you may cut loose, and push for the Danville road. If you find it practicable, I would like you to cross the South Side road, between Petersburg and Burkesville, and destroy it to some extent. I would not advise much detention, however, until you reach the Danville road, which I would like you to strike as near to the Appomattox as possible. Make Make your destruction on that road as complete as possible; you can then pass to the South Side road west of Burkesville, and destroy that in like manner. After having accomplished the destruction of the

GBAND ATTACK ON THE ENEMY'S LINES.

499

two railroads, which are now the only avenues of supply to Lee's army, you may return to this army, selecting your road further south, or you may go on into North Carolina, and join General Sherman. Should you select the latter course, get the information to me as early as possible, so that I may send orders to meet you at Goldsboro. (Signed) U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General."

The movement began on the morning of the 29th. Sheriaan moved round the rebel right, and reached Dinwiddie Court House, that night, the left of the infantry line extending to the point near which the Quaker road joins the Boydtown plank road. Sheridan was on the extreme left, and next him, in succession, were Warren, Humphreys, Ord, Wright, and Parke.

General Grant seemed now to be able to reach the enemy's flank, and sent word to Sheridan, not to cut loose, and operate against the railroads. "I now feel," said he, "like ending the matter, if it is possible to do so before going back. We will act together as one army here, until it is seen what can be done with the enemy."

The next day, rain fell so copiously as to render it impossible for artillery or trains to proceed. Sheridan, however, moved toward Five Forks, and Warren found the enemy in force on the White Oak road. General Grant's intention was at this juncture to give Sheridan a corp of infantry to move round the enemy's flank, and when this was done, to assault the front with the other corps. On the morning of the 31st, Sheridan obtained possession of the Five Forks, and Warren moved up to seize the White Oak road. The enemy attacked Ayres' division, and drove it back, while Crawford next had to retire on the third division under Bell, where the progress of the enemy was arrested. Warren, having been reinforced by a division of the second corps, reformed his line, and repulsing the enemy with. great loss, gained possession of the White Oak road.

The Confederates, in great force, now drove Sheridan from the Five Forks back to Dinwiddie Court House. The latter general deployed his cavalry on foot, which caused the enemy to do the same, and being reinforced by McKensie's cavalry, a division of the fifth corps, and, later, by the other two of the fifth, Sheridan resumed the offensive next morning, and moving again on Five Forks drove the enemy

500

WEITZEL ENTERS RICHMOND.

into their intrenchments. The fifth corps advancing, routed the enemy, and Merritt assaulting the hostile works, carried them at several points. The Confederates, driven from their intrenchments, were completely routed, their artillery captured and turned upon them, and upward of six thousand prisoners captured. General Warren was here superseded, and his command given to General Griffin. General Grant now ordered Miles' division of Humphrey's corps to move rapidly and reinforce General Sheridan, and the enemy's lines were bombarded continuously during the night. In a general assault, next morning, the army swept on, and General Wright forced the line in his front, capturing many guns, and several thousand prisoners. Ord's two divisions, and his other remaining ones, which had forced the enemy's lines at Hatcher's Run, now joined, and the two corps closed the enemy on the side next them, in Petersburg. General Parke carried the main line in his front, and partly captured two strong works, south of Petersburg. The lines were now shortened, and strengthened. The battle raged fiercely from right to left, and on Sunday, April 2d, affairs were rapidly approaching a crisis. In a desperate combat of Hill's corps, to regain Fort Mahone, General Hill was killed, and Sheridan coming up on the left, and rear, the enemy fled in dismay with the loss of their guns, and a large number of prisoners. Richmond and Petersburg were both evacuated that night, and the rebel president, Jefferson Davis, fled toward Danville. On Monday General Weitzel, with that portion of the Army of the James (partly composed of colored troops) under his command, on the north side of the James river, entered Richmond triumphantly, capturing one thousand prisoners, and five hundred pieces of artillery. The two armies, meanwhile, had a race for Burke's Station, which Grant reached first. It is fifty-three miles from Petersburg.

On the 6th of April, Sheridan found that Lee, who could not advance by railroad, was attempting to get round him to the west, and he at once moved out to strike him in flank, followed by the Sixth corps.

The Second and Fifth corps were pressing Lee in the rear so closely, as to compel him to abandon his wagons and artillery. He appeared to have the intention of striking the railroad at Farmville, and General Ord now moved toward