AEMY OPERATIONS. 



55 



dam is across the James, the guard lock was 

 destroyed and the James Kiver let into the 

 canal, carrying away its banks and washing out 

 its bottom. The dam was also partially de- 

 stroyed. Among the captures were twelve 

 canal boats laden with supplies, ammunition, ra- 

 tions, medical stores, &c. Gen. Ouster was next 

 sent to Ashland, and Gen. Devin to destroy 

 the bridges over the South Anna. At noon on 

 March 10th, the advance of Gen. Sheridan ar- 

 rived on the .banks of the Pamunkey, a few miles 

 from "WTiitehouse, and soon crossed the river. 

 On the 26th he reached City Point, and took a 

 position in Gen. Gregg's old cavalry camp on 

 the left and rear of the army. 



The line occupied by Gen. Grant's army at 

 this tune extended a distance of about thirty 

 miles. The extreme right was at Fort Harri- 

 son at Ohafin's farm, north of the James River, 

 where were also the outposts of the cavalry 

 under Gen. Kautz. Thence it crossed the 

 James in front of Bermuda Hundred and the 

 Appomattox, and extended around Petersburg 

 as far southwest as the bank of Hatcher's Run. 

 This line was strongly intrenched everywhere, 

 although the greater part of the army were on 

 the left. The Army of the James, under Gen. 

 Ord, was north of the James, forming the right 

 wing, and the Army of the Potomac was south 

 of the Appomattox, and formed really the left 

 wing. From the Appomattox to Hatcher's Run 

 there was a strong series of connected intrench- 

 rnents. The first regular work on the line was 

 Fort McGilvery ; the next Fort Steadman ; the 

 next three-eighths of a mile further on, was Fort 

 Haskell ; the next Fort Morton, &c. Between 

 the forts were mortar batteries, as follows : No. 

 8 near Fort McGilvery, No. 9 between that and 

 Fort Steadman, No. 10 on the right of the lat- 

 ter fort and near it, and Nos. 11 and 12 on its 

 left. Fort Steadman and the adjoining batteries 

 were on an eminence known as Hare's Hill. 



For some days previous to the arrival of Gen. 

 Sheridan with his command, there had been 

 indications of a change on the part of the ene- 

 my, such as might result in a dash on some part 

 Gen. Grant's lines. About daylight, on March 

 25th, Gen. Gordon's old division and Bushrod 

 Johnson's division of Lee's army were massed 

 for a charge upon Fort Steadman, which covered 

 about an acre of ground and had nine guns. 

 At the same time the rest of Gen. Lee's army was 

 arranged for an attack further down toward the 

 left. At dawn Gordon's troops rushed forward 

 to the attack. The space between the lines was 

 about one hundred and fifty yards wide. They 

 at once cleared their own abatis, charged across 

 the interval, and up the ascent to Fort Stead- 

 man, and working through the abatis, carried 

 the fort almost in an instant. The surprise was 

 complete. In the fort was the 14th New York 

 heavy artillery, and the line was guarded by 

 Gen. McLaughlin's brigade of the 1st division 

 of the 9th corps. The enemy immediately turned 

 the guns of the fort against the rest of the line, 

 and caused the abandonment of batteries 10 and 



1 1 on the left, and battery 9 on the right. Upon, 

 these they dashed at once, and opered fire upon 

 the troops as they escaped. Fort Haskell, 

 however, soon gave them a check. The 3d di- 

 vision of the corps under Gen. Hartranft was 

 quickly on the ground, and the batteries from all 

 sides were speedily massed upon Fort Steadman. 

 A terrible fire burst from the artillery, to which 

 the enemy replied with the captured guns. 

 Under this fire the division of Gen. Hartranft 

 pressed up to retake the captured fort. The 

 enemy at first resisted obstinately, and checked 

 his progress with a loss of nearly two hundred 

 killed and wounded. But the constant fire of 

 the artillery and the pressure of Hartranft soon 

 caused the enemy to fall back into the fort and 

 then beyond it, down the hill, leaving all the 

 captured guns in the endeavor to regain their 

 own lines. A portion, however, were unable 

 to escape, and about 1,758 were made prisoners, 

 causing a total loss to the enemy of more than 

 2,000 men. The Union loss was nearly 1,000, 

 in killed, wounded, and missing. No more 

 firing took place at this point during the day. 

 It was resumed at night when an attempt was 

 made to repair the abatis. The affair was over 

 before other Union troops arrived to give assist- 

 ance. Later in the day a general forward dem- 

 onstration was made along the line on the 

 left, and a part of the enemy's skirmish lines 

 captured with about 2,000 prisoners. Of this 

 movement Gen. Grant reported thus: 



" Our captures by the 2d corps were 365 ; by 

 *the 6th corps, 469, and by the 9th corps 1,049. 

 The 2d and 6th corps pushed forward and cap- 

 tured the enemy's strong intrenchments, and 

 turned them against him and still hold them. 

 In trying to retake these the battle was con- 

 tinued until eight o'clock at night, the enemy 

 losing very heavily. Humphreys estimates the 

 loss of the enemy in his front at three times his 

 own, and Gen. Wright, in his front, as double 

 that of ours." 



The following is Gen. Meade's congratulatory 

 order to the army : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, March 26, 1365. 

 General Orders No. 13. 



The Major-General Commanding announces to the 

 Army the success of the operations of yesterday. 



The enemy, with a temerity for which he has paid 

 dearly, massed his forces, and succeeded, through 

 the reprehensible want of vigilance of the 3d brigade 

 1st division, 9th corps, in breaking through our lines, 

 capturing Fort Steadman, and batteries 9, 10, and 11. 



The prompt measures taken by Maj. -General Parke, 

 the firm bearing of the troops of the 9th corps in 

 adjacent portions of the line held by the enemy, and 

 the conspicuous gallantry of the 3d division of 

 this corps, for the first time under fire, together with 

 the energy and skill displayed by Brigadier-General 

 Hartranft, its leader, quickly repaired this disaster; 

 and the enemy were driven from Fort Steadman and 

 our lines, with heavy losses in killed and wounded, 

 leaving in our hands eight battle-flags and over 1,900 

 prisoners. 



The enemy being driven from the front of the 9th 

 corps, the offensive was assumed by the 6th and 2d 

 corps ; the enemy by night was driven from his in- 

 trenched picket line, and all his efforts to recover the 

 the same, which were particularly determined and 



