40 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



raained sec ire. The loss of Gen. Smyth was 

 about three hundred, and that of the enemy 

 who made the attack somewhat larger. 



During the night the 5th corps was brought 

 into connection, on the left of the 2d corps, with 

 the left of the 5th, covered by the cavalry of 

 Gen. Gregg. The 6th and 9th corps were also 

 so disposed as to render assistance to the 5th 

 and 2d. In the morning the position of the 

 troops was strengthened by constant work un- 

 til noon. At this time Gen. Crawford's division 

 of the 5th corps was sent toward Dabney's 

 'mills, in order to reach the Boydton plank road. 

 The country through which the route lay was 

 covered with woods, swamps, and ravines, cut- 

 ting it up in all directions. At the same time the 

 enemy, believing the Federal force had recross- 

 ed Hatcher's Run and abandoned the advance, 

 had sent out Gen. Pegram with his division. 

 About two miles above the Vaughan road his 

 skirmishers met those of Gen. Crawford, and 

 after a sharp contest were forced back toward 

 his original position. The division of Gen. 

 Evans came to the assistance of Pegram, and 

 the advance of Gen. Crawford was checked. 

 The division of Gen. Ayres was now sent to 

 support Gen. Crawford, and a brigade of Grif- 

 fin's to support Gen. Gregg, who was on the 

 left, and had been engaged for some time with 

 Lee's cavalry, which pressed his rear heavily. 

 During a lull which happened, his force threw 

 up breastworks. But toward evening they 

 were attacked with great force by the enemy, 

 and his pickets driven with his force into the 

 works. The battle increased, and many of his 

 officers were wounded. While this was taking 

 place on the left of the Vaughan road, the in- 

 fantry had again become furiously engaged on 

 the right of the road by repeated attacks of the 

 enemy along the line. Finally Gen. Gregg was 

 driven out of his breastworks, and his line 

 forced back to Hatcher's Run, where he soon 

 found that a similar misfortune had happened 

 to the infantry. It was not until the intrenched 

 lines on the Vaughan road and Hatcher's Run, 

 thrown up on the previous day, were reached, 

 that the routed troops could be rallied. The 

 enemy dashed forward with great elation, but 

 were met by such a sharp fire from the intrench- 

 ments as caused them to fall back rapidly to 

 the woods. Night put an end to the conflict. 

 The following is a report by Gen. Lee of the 

 operations of the day : 



TlKADQUABTEBS ABUT NOBTHE KIT VlKGINlA, Feb. 6, 1865. 



General S. Cooper ; 



The enemy moved in strong force yesterday to 

 Hatcher's Run. Part of his infantry, with Gregg's 

 cavalry, crossed and proceeded on the Vaughan road, 

 the infantry to Cattail Creek, the cavalry to Dinwid- 

 die Court House, where the advance encountered a 

 portion of our cavalry and retired. 



In the afternoon parts of Hill's and Gordon's 

 troops demonstrated against the enemy on the left 

 of Hatcher's Run, near Armstrong's Mill. Finding 

 him intrenched, they withdrew after dark. During 

 the night the force that had advanced beyond the 

 creek returned to it, and were reported to be re- 

 orouing. 



This morning Pegram' s division moved down tc 

 the right bank of the creek to reconnoitre, when it 

 was vigorously attacked. The battle was obstinately 

 contested several hours, but Gen. Pegram being 

 killed while bravely encouraging bis men, and Col. 

 Hoffman wounded, some confusion occurred, and the 

 division was pressed back to its original position. 

 Evans's division, ordered by Gen. Gordon to support 

 Pegram' s, charged the enemy and forced him back, 

 but was in turn compelled to retire, ilalone's divi- 

 sion arriving, the enemy was driven rapidly to hig 

 defences on Hatcher's Run. 



The Union loss during the day was estimated 

 at 1,500 to 2,000 men. The loss of the enemy 

 was estimated as exceeding 1,000 men, includ- 

 ing Gen. J. Pegram and Col. Hoffman, as killed. 



During the night the works were strength- 

 ened, and early in the morning of the 7th the 

 enemy made a demonstration on the skirmish 

 lines of the cavalry and infantry on the right, 

 and left of the Vaughan road, but were repulsed. 

 At noon the division of Gen. Crawford was 

 sent out to make a reconnoissance, supported 

 on the left by the division of Gen. "Wheatoh. 

 The pickets of the enemy were encountered 

 after an advance of about half a mile, and driven 

 back to their works higher up the run between 

 Armstrong's and Burgess's mills, and about two 

 miles beyond the latter. A sharp fire of mus- 

 ketry ensued ; but as Gen. Crawford was not 

 prepared to force the lines, he drew his men 

 back again to Hatcher's Run. The fighting by 

 this column was kept up until night. During 

 the day, the cannonading between the lines had 

 been constant. The next day, the 8th, was de- 

 voted to throwing up intrenchments, and strong 

 defensive works soon indicated the points at 

 which the permanent lines were to be located. 

 The enemy made no attempts to force the new 

 positions, but appeared satisfied to give up the 

 lower part of the run if no attempt was made 

 by the Union forces on the Boydton plank road. 

 The result of the entire movement had been to 

 gain an advanced position on the enemy's right, 

 which was held firmly, by completing the lines 

 to Hatcher's Run, and extending the City Point 

 railroad thither. Affairs now continued quiet 

 for some time. Artillery duels were frequent 

 along the lines before Petersburg, but no im- 

 portant movement was made. Large numbers 

 of deserters from the enemy were constantly 

 coming into the lines of Gen. Grant, often ex- 

 ceeding seventy a day for many days succes- 

 sively, and increasing to two hundred. 



In the Shenandoah valley, small expeditions 

 by one or the other party served to prevent 

 a quiet state of affairs. Further west, the 

 e*emy captured Beverly on Jan. llth. This 

 was done by Gen. Rosser, who crossed the 

 mountains, and early on the morning of Jan. 

 llth entered the place, making prisoners of four 

 hundred of the garrison, consisting of seven 

 hundred men, and dispersing the rest. They 

 were asleep in their' winter quarters, with no 

 pickets out further than three hundred yards 

 from their camp. A large amount of commis- 

 sary and quartermasters' stores, with a great 

 number of horses, were also taken. Again, on 



