From Reams' Station the cavalry moved westward, carried the crossing of Rowanty Creek after a brisk skirmish, and marched rapidly on Dinwiddie Courthouse. The Fifth Corps also passed to the west side of the creek and moved on its appointed route. Meantime Humphreys, with the Second and Third divisions of the Second Corps, marched down the Vaughan road to where it crosses Hatcher's Run. The Confederate intrenchments on the opposite bank were not strongly manned; the stream was, however, so obstructed that the cavalry were driven back in an attempt to cross it; but De Trobriand's brigade easily carried the passage with a skirmish line. Before reaching Hatcher's Run, Humphrey's second division under General Smythe was turned abruptly to the right on a path leading northeasterly towards Armstrong's Mill. Advancing about three-fourths of a mile, the enemy was found intrenched in strong force, and nothing was done save to form connection between the two divisions of the Second Corps. In the afternoon the Confederates made a furious assault on Smythe's position, endeavoring to turn his right flank. This attempt was frustrated by the firmness of his troops, aided by McAllister's brigade of Mott's division, which held the extreme right. These maintained their ground with the utmost stubbornness and repulsed repeated attacks that were continued till dark.

Next day the Fifth Corps, which had moved up the west bank of Hatcher's Run, was brought into connection with the Second Corps; and Gregg's cavalry, which had, meanwhile, returned from Dinwiddie, took position to cover the left of the infantry. Warren then threw forward his left, under Crawford, towards the Boydton plankroad. That officer advanced as far as Dabney's, whence he drove a force of Confederates under General Pegram. But the Confederates, having meanwhile found out where the exposed flank of this turning column lay, put in practice the usual and always suc cessful tactics. A considerable force was sent by a detour by the Vaughan road to take Crawford's division in the rear, and cut off his retreat; while at the same time they opened an

attack in front. This flanking force first fell upon Gregg's cavalry, which was driven back to Hatcher's Run. Such a movement on the part of the enemy had been anticipated, and to strengthen Crawford, Ayres' division was ordered up to his support. But, while moving in column, that division was attacked and driven back, and then Crawford's division was repulsed in confusion and with heavy loss. Wheaton's division of the Sixth Corps, which had also been sent forward to re-enforce the left, only arrived in time to take part in the general discomfiture. The line of retreat was towards the position held by the Second Corps on Hatcher's Run. The Confederates, elated with their easy victory, followed up vigorously and dashed out into an open space in front of that corps. Here, however, they were met by a sharp fire from Humphrey's troops, who had intrenched themselves, and the enemy ceasing the attack, hastily retired. The Union loss in these operations was about two thousand, of which the larger part fell on Crawford's division. The Confederate loss is stated to have been near a thousand, and included General John Pegram, who was killed.

The action of the 6th put an end to the contemplated advance towards the Southside Railroad, and the only result gained was to prolong the left of the Union line westward to Hatcher's Run.

WARREN'S OPERATIONS ON THE WELDON ROAD.--After the action of February, winter operations were confined to expeditions for the purpose of crippling the Confederate lines of supply. Of these operations, the most important and extensive was that made by General Warren for the complete destruction of the Weldon Railroad. This road, though the Union lines were long ago planted across it, was still of considerable service to the Confederates, who were able to use it up to within a few miles of the Union position, and from the point of stoppage supplies were hauled by wagon. Warren's expedition was to completely break up this line for a distance of twenty-five miles southward. The force consisted of the

Fifth Corps, Mott's division of the Second Corps, and Gregg's mounted division. Setting out on the 7th of December, with four days' rations, the troops moved southward, and that night reached Nottoway. The railroad-bridge over this stream was destroyed by General Gregg. Next day the march was renewed to Jewett's Station, to which point the railroad-track was torn up from the Nottoway. The work of destruction was resumed early on the morning of the 9th, by forming line of battle on the railroad, each division destroying all on its front, and then moving to the left alternately. A force of the enemy was encountered, but was driven by Gregg across the Meherrin River. At Hicksford, on the south side of this stream, the Confederates had three forts or batteries, armed with artillery, and connected by rifle-pits, and manned by a considerable body; so that it was impracticable to force a crossing at that point. As the attempt to turn the position would occasion at least two days longer time than that for which the expedition was provisioned, General Warren resolved to return. The railroad destruction was carried over a distance of eighteen or twenty miles, and was very complete. The return was made with the same success. The entire distance travelled was about a hundred miles in the six days. The loss was trivial.

Subsequent occurrences during this period call for no special mention. The army settled itself in winter-quarters to await the season for the opening of the spring campaign.

VII.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE SIEGE OF PETERSBURG.

Regarded as a whole, the operations I have brought together under the designation of the Siege of Petersburg, form a fruitful study. From the extent of time they cover, the energy with which they were prosecuted, and the skilful man

ner in which they were met by the defending army, they are remarkable in the history of modern warfare.

The characteristic of these operations is the progressive development of the intrenched Union line to the left. Starting from the position directly east of Petersburg taken up by the Army of the Potomac on its first arrival in June, the lines of contravallation were gradually extended south and southwest of the town, till at last they stretched from the Appomattox to Hatcher's Run, a distance of fifteen miles.

This extension was less designed than accidental. It grew out of a series of manoeuvres by the left, of which manoeuvres the original purpose was in each case to turn the right of the Confederate system of defences, and lay hold of the Southside Railroad. Criticism should, thereforé, first be directed to these operations regarded in the light of their original intent, rather than from the point of view of the incidental result arising therefrom.

In their most general relations, these operations are to be looked upon as a swinging movement of the left pivoting on the right. The intrenched lines before Petersburg were strongly held, and on these as a point d'appui, it was attempted to throw the left against and around the Confederate right. But these manoeuvres had several characteristics that invariably robbed them of the success hoped from them: the pivotal force was generally stronger than the body to which was assigned the turning movement, and by reducing the garrison of his defences to the minimum, Lee was able to accumulate on the menaced point a force sufficient to meet, and almost always to repulse, the body threatening his communications. Moreover, these movements were invariably made in extended lines, which had the inevitable result to expose a flank. This system the enemy soon learnt so well, that his invariable plan was to attack the flank as soon as it was exposed. The region of country southwest of Petersburg in which these operations were conducted was highly favorable to the Confederates, being densely wooded, intersected with swamps, and possessing few roads; and they had a great ad

vantage in their minute knowledge of the topography of the country, which was nearly terra incognita to the Union commander. The success of the Confederate tactics was wonderful; each movement, saving that to the Weldon Railroad, which was conducted on a different principle, ending in a check, generally accompanied by one or more thousand prisoners. The aggregate of captures made by the enemy in these successive swoops is astonishing. But notwithstanding the many costly proofs received of the fatality attending these unlimited extensions, the type of operation was adhered to with a constancy only accountable on the supposition that the Union commander was enamored of it.

These turning movements, though in each foiled as regards their primal object, always resulted in a further prolongation of the intrenched line to the left. It remains to ask, was this extension of front a real gain? The answer will depend on whether it was a front of offence or defence. If of the latter, it cannot be considered a gain, for in the part assigned the Army of the Potomac it was nothing if not offensive. But beyond the Weldon Railroad the extension to the left carried Grant no nearer Lee's line of communications, the Southside Railroad-in fact, rather away from it, for Lee, by thrusting his right southward along the Boydton plankroad, caused the Union intrenched line to run in the contrary direction to that of the Southside Railroad. It may indeed be said that the prolongation of the Union line caused Lee to extend also, which was, pari passu, to weaken himself. But it is doubtful whether the advantage in this process was to the Union side. Lee always took the risk of holding his works with a force greatly inferior to that his antagonist was willing to employ : so that, proportionately, Grant could cut loose no heavier a turning column than with much shorter lines.

In the object General Grant had in view, which was the capture of Petersburg, there would appear to be, theoretically, two modes in which this might have been accomplished. The first is by a system of regular approaches from the points most favorable. These were the site of Fort Sedgwick, and