Department, and the Departments of the Susquehanna and Southwest Virginia, which it was now determined to unite under one commander.

CHAPTER LVII.

Dutch Gap Canal.-Movement North of the James.-Expedition of the Fifth Corps to the Weldon Road.-Attack by Hill.-Severe Fighting near Reams's Station.Losses.--Repulse of the Enemy. Subsequent Repulse of Hancock.-Renewal of Movement North of the James and Capture of Fort Harrison.-Further Operations on the Weldon Railroad.

SHERIDAN having, in the beginning of August, been detached from the Army of the Potomac and sent to supersede Hunter, Gregg assumed command of the cavalry. The monotony which had crept upon the operations of either army was varied on the 5th of August by the springing of a mine by the enemy in front of the Eighteenth Corps. This had been intended to countermine what was supposed to be a new work by the Federal troops. No charge followed, however. On the 9th an ord::ance boat at City Point accidentally exploded, involving great destruc ion of life and property. There were seventy killed and one hundred and thirty wounded.

The James River a short distance below Fort Darling makes a great bend, forming a peninsula called Farrar's Island; the neck of which is only half a mile across, while the river winds six miles around the bend. This part of the stream was filled with torpedoes and swept by batteries. General Butler proposed to cut a canal across this neck, and thus cause the enemy to prolong his works, while it would bring the Federal troops in close proximity to Fort Darling. From the very out et the work upon the canal was obstructed by the fire of the eneiny from Howlett House Battery, and, to relieve the working parties, it was determined to create a diversion. Accordingly, a fleet of transports was collected at City Point, and on August 12th the Second Corps was embarked upon them, apparently to go down the river. The Ten h Corps at the same time crossed the river on pontoons and joined Foster's Division on the right. On Saturday night, August 13th, the Second Corps landed from the transports near Deep Bottom, and moved into position along the Newmarket road on the east side of Four Mile Creek, while the Tenth Corps was on the west side of that stream. The gunboats at the same time engaged the enemy's works. Early on Sunday, the 14th, Foster moved out upon Strawberry Plains and encountered the enemy's skirmishers, who fell back beyond his rifle-pits. The enemy had, however, re-enforced from his right, and the Federal troops had before them D. H. Hill and Longstreet's Corps. The cavalry of Gregg covered the right flank, where was the Second Corps, with its left on Four Mile Creek, while the Tenth Corps, resting with its right on the other bank of the creek, had its left on the intrenched bluff at Deep Bottom. These dispositions consumed most of the day, Generals Grant, Butler, Hancock, and Birney being pres

ent, and it was not until towards evening that the whole line advanced. The Tenth Corps drove in the picket line of the enemy and captured four guns and a number of prisoners; but the Second Corps, encountering a very severe artillery fire, gained comparatively little ground.

On Monday, August 15th, amidst severe skirmishing, the line was extended to the right, and Malvern Hill threatened. As the right was extended, the enemy made corresponding movements, and the day was spent in manœuvring. On the 16th, the cavalry of Gregg moved on the Charles City road, where, being joined by Miles's Division of the Second Corps, it encountered the enemy under Chambliss, who, after a sharp fight, were routed, with the loss of their leader. The column then pushed on to White's Tavern, in the immediate vicinity of Richmond, but, finding the enemy in strong force, withdrew. Meanwhile, in the centre, the Tenth Corps carried a line of works and captured two hundred prisoners, but, everywhere encountering strongly-manned works, it also withdrew, and the reconnoissance ended. The attack was not intended to be serious at this point, and it remained to be seen what effect it would have on operations on the left.

At four o'clock on the morning of Thursday, the 18th, the Fifth Corps started from its camp, with four days' rations, for the Weldon Railroad. The column marched towards Reams's Station, driving in easily the enemy's skirmishers, of whom a part were captured. The first division, Griffin's, reached the railroad, and began to destroy it five or six miles from Petersburg; while the second, Ayres's, the third, Crawford's, and the fourth, Cutler's Marylanders, proceeded along the road towards Petersburg At Yellow Tavern they encountered the enemy's cavalry under Dearing, who fell back to Davis Farm, two and a half miles from Petersburg. Here General A. P. Hill was encountered, with the divisions of Mahone and Heth, Mahone, with his own brigades and those of Clingman and Colquitt, being east of the railroad, and Hill, with the brigades of Davis, Walker, and Archer, west of it. The Federal line was halted in an open field. Crawford's Division, comprising the brigades of Lyle, Wheeler, and Hartshorn, were east of the railroad, confronting Mahone, and Ayres on the west of the road, opposite Heth, who came forward with great vehemence, driving back Ayres about one mile upon his intrenchments, the first line of which was lost, the enemy pouring in pell-mell with the retreating troops. These, supported by Cutler's Division, gained the main line, that had been greatly strengthened over night, and against which the advancing tide of rebels beat in vain.

The Union troops, on Friday, August 19th, occupied an intrenched line, the left being on the Boydtown plank road, while across the railroad the right held the Jerusalem road, which it was necessary to connect with the main line at Petersburg. The line was formed as follows, from right to left: Wilcox's Division of the Ninth Corps, Crawford's, Ayres's, and Griffin's Divisions of the Fifth Corps. Between Ayres and Crawford ran the railroad, and between the right of the Fifth Corps and the Jerusalem road was a dangerous gap. At four o'clock in the afternoon, in the midst of a heavy rain-storin, Hill burst upon.

our lines with both divisions. Mahone attacked Bragg's Brigade of Crawford's Division, on our right, with great fury, overwhelming the Nineteenth Indiana, and pressing through the gap like a torrent, thus separating Wilcox and Crawford. The latter was strongly intrenched in a thick wood opposite Davis Farm. Mahone, therefore, while fiercely engaging him in front with his own troops and the brigade of Clingman, sent Colquitt's Georgians upon his flank, which was so effectually turned that nearly a thousand of Crawford's Division were made prisoners. Meanwhile, on the left, the impetuous advance of Heth had carried the intrenchments erected since the morning, besides driving back the line, and enveloping the regular brigade of Hayes. But the First and Second Divisions of the Ninth Corps now arrived to re-enforce the Federals, after an exhausting forced march. They formed quickly, and charged, capturing several hundred prisoners. This charge enabled the hard-pressed troops of the Fifth Corps to rally; and the rebels, being in turn overlapped, were driven back with loss, and the disaster of the earlier part of the day retrieved. The approach of night stopped the conflict. The Federal loss was one thousand five hundred killed and wounded, and about two thousand prisoners. The loss of the enemy was probably equally severe in killed and wounded. The result of this fight was to give the enemy possession of the Weldon road as far as Yellow Tavern, while our forces still held the position first taken by Warren.

On Sunday, the 21st, the Federal line held nearly the same position, and at nine o'clock the enemy again attacked with his usual impetuosity, and, after a conflict of two hours, was repulsed with the loss of over two thousand men, including Generals Saunders and Lamar killed, and Barton, Finnegan, and Andrews wounded. During the night of Sunday the cannonade was heavy in front of the Fifth Corps. But on Monday it was discovered that the enemy had retired, and intrenched himself three miles from Petersburg.

While these events took place, one division of the Second Corps had been withdrawn from Deep Bottom and hurried across to Petersburg in season to take possession of the intrenchments vacated by the Fifth Corps in their march to the Weldon Railroad. The other two divisions, Gregg's Cavalry and the Tenth Corps, commenced a similar movement on Saturday night, and soon Foster remained, as before, in sole possession of Deep Bottom. In a single night, by a forced march, in which the infantry outmarched the cavalry, the Second Corps crossed the two rivers, and reached the lines of the Ninth Corps on Sunday morning. On Monday, Barlow's Division (temporarily under Miles) was occupied in tearing up the railroad track from the line of the Fifth Corps down towards Reams's Station. On Monday night, Gibbon's Division marched towards Reams', and on Tuesday continued the destruction of the track in the region of that station. The weather continued wet, and the roads very bad.

On Tuesday, Warren again pushed his line towards Petersburg, and busily intrenched, skirmishing going on between the pickets as on Monday. The Second Corps was equally busy in tearing up the track in his rear.

On Tuesday night and Wednesday night the heavy cannon

ading was repeated by the enemy, the greater part being directed against the Eighteenth Corps. On Wednesday the destruction of the railroad was continued, so that by night it was complete from a point four miles from Petersburg down to two miles below Reams's, towards Weldon. Our line of battle in the Fifth Corps, meanwhile, extended clear across the Weldon road, and our skirmishers lay near the Vaughan road, three and a half miles from Petersburg.

On Thursday morning, the 25th, Gibbon's Division of the Second Corps moved down the railroad from Reams's Station, to prosecute the destruction of the road. When about a mile below the station, the cavalry advance, which had been skirmishing all the morning, was suddenly checked and driven back by the enemy's picket line. The old intrenchments erected by the Sixth Corps still surrounded the station in semicircular form, covering the railroad both above and below it. Miles (now in command of Barlow's Division) had posted his men as follows: Colonel Lynch's (First) Brigade on the right; next, the Second and Third Brigades, under Major Byron; next, the Fourth Brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brodie; finally, on the left, Alcock's Fourth New York heavy artillery regiment. The enemy appeared, soon after noon, in front of Miles, and Hancock at once ordered Gibbon to fall back and form junction with Miles's left, to cover and protect that flank. The cavalry followed, and covered the left flank and rear. Gibbon disposed his troops so as to face down the railroad in a southerly and southeasterly direction, his right joining Miles's left at the railroad, and Miles facing west. Thus the line was somewhat in the form of a horseshoe. In Gibbon's line, the Third Brigade was on the left, the First in the centre, and the Second on the right, joining Miles. About two o'clock the enemy's demonstrations culminated in a grand advance of his skirmish line.

The rebel column of attack, under General A. P. Hill, was composed of three brigades, commanded by Heth and Connor, with Pegram's Artillery. At half-past three o'clock this column emerged from the woods with fixed bayonets, and advanced at a rapid pace with loud cheers. The column was smitten with a concentrated fire from four batteries and musketry, but penetrated to within twenty paces of the line, when it recoiled. The Federals had suffered severely from a musketry fire from the enemy's right to cover this charge. The charge was repeated an hour later, with similar results. The enemy then brought up his batteries, which soon opened a very severe concentric fire upon the circular position of the Federals. The shot that passed the troops of Miles did considerable execution upon those of Gibbon. This was sustained for twenty minutes, when the fire suddenly ceased, and with loud yells the enemy sprang forward to a fourth assault, charging furiously with fixed bayonets, and without firing a shot. The distance he had to pass over from the woods to the line was not great, and the efficiency of our fire being destroyed by the previous cannonade, he gained the breast works, and in a hand-to-hand fight broke the line, forcing Miles back, and capturing several guns. To stop this irruption a portion of Gibbon's men were hurried to support Miles across a distance of half a mile, exposed to heavy fire. This had the effect of checking the

enemy for a short space, but the dismounted rebel cavalry, under Wade Hampton, seized the moment to charge the defeated line of Gibbon, and carried the works, and once more Gibbon was hurried back to restore the fight in that direction; but this time in vain. The enemy crowded forward on all sides, inflicting severe losses on the overpowered Unionists. Some regiments were reduced to mere skeletons; of the Massachusetts Twentieth, one of the best in the army, very few remained. As the night approached, Hancock withdrew his troops, leaving Reams's Station in possession of the enemy. The Federal loss was very heavy, including two thousand five hundred prisoners, one thousand killed and wounded, seven colors, and nine guns. That the enemy did not accomplish this feat without receiving severe punishment, is apparent from the following dispatches from General Meade:

"SECOND CORPS-12.30 P. M.-August 26, 1864 “A safeguard that was left on the battle-field remained there after daylight this morning.

"At that time the enemy had all disappeared, leaving their dead on the field unburied. This shows how severely they were punished, and, doubtless hearing of the arrival of re-enforcements, they feared the results to-day if they remained.

(Signed)

"To Lieutenant-General GRANT:

"G. G. MEADE, Major-General.”

"SECOND ARMY CORPS, August 26, 1864-1 P. M.

"Since sending my last dispatch, I have conversed with the safeguard referred to. He did not leave the field until after sunrise. At that time nearly all the enemy had left, moving towards Petersburg. He says they abandoned not only their dead, but their wounded also. He conversed with an officer, who said their losses were greater than ever before during the war.

"The safeguard says he was over the field, and it was covered with the enemy's dead and wounded. He has seen a great many battle-fields, but never such a sight. Nearly all the enemy's and all our wounded were brought off, but our dead were unburied. I have instructed General Gregg to make an effort to send a party to the field and bury our dead. G. G. MEADE, Major-General"

The results of this battle put the enemy in possession of the Weldon Railroad as far as Yellow Tavern. Reams is ten miles from Peters burg. The Federal troops still held three or four miles of railroad. On the same day, Butler's picket lines were driven in, with some loss, but were soon restored.

The Army of the Potomac now maintained its position for several weeks without attempting any important enterprise, although each day was marked by some of those events which are unavoidable where two armies are in such close proximity to each other. A persistent shelling was kept up by General Grant. The operations in the valley continued to attract attention, but the movements of Sherman in Georgia were watched with the utmost anxiety. He had operated against Johnston and Hood with more or less success, until, on the 4th of September, the capture of Atlanta was announced to the Army of the Potomac, and a salute of one hundred shotted guns was ordered, to which the enemy briskly responded. On the 14th of September a remarkable raid was successfully performed by the enemy. A herd of two thousand five hundred head of cattle, destined for the consumption of the Army of the Potomac, was grazing near Coggin's Point, on the