ARMY OPERATIONS. 



59 



the right of the 2d, and were thrown forward 

 so as to cooperate with the general advance. 

 The enemy had thus foiled the plans of the 

 day; but owing to the strong force and the 

 skilful handling of the numerous batteries in 

 the field works he had been checked in torn, 

 and forced to retire. At night the Federal 

 right had advanced a few hundred yards from 

 its position in the morning, and the left reached 

 to the White Oak road, four or five miles 

 from Five' Forks, which was to the westward, 

 and three miles from the intersection of the 

 White Oak road with the Boydton road. The 

 White Oak road from the extreme -spot occu- 

 pied, was held about one mile eastward. From 

 that point the line ran in an irregular and 

 semi-circular form to the 2d corps. The Union 

 los of the day was between 2,500 and 3,000 ; 

 that of the enemy was less. Many prisoners 

 were taken on both sides. 



On the next day, Saturday, April 1st, tfye 

 contest for the possession of Richmond was 

 virtually decided. During the night Gen. 

 Grant had placed the 5th corps, Gen. Warren, 

 under the command of Gen. Sheridan. All 

 night the troops had been busy throwing up 

 works, corduroying roads, and bringing up 

 trains. At 4 A. M. the enemy made an attack 

 on Foster's division of the 24th corps. It had 

 been expected, but they came so suddenly that 

 the troops broke to the rear, and left them to 

 raise their flag on the parapet. The troops 

 were soon aroused and drove back the enemy. 

 About fifty prisoners were captured on each 

 side. This was followed by the roar of mus- 

 ketry and a cannonade all ak>ng the centre 

 and right of the line. This soon quieted down. 

 The command of Gen. Sheridan was now 

 about 0,000 men, consisting of nearly four 

 divisions of cavalry and three of infantry, and 

 double the force which the enemy were able to 

 concentrate against him. At the same time the 

 army threatened the whole length of the ex- 

 tended line from Dinwiddie to Petersburg. 

 The plan of operations by Gen. Sheridan ap- 

 pears to have been to break through the ene- 

 my's line in such a manner as to enclose Five 

 . Forks and its garrison, and to capture them. 

 At daybreak the cavalry advanced under Gens. 

 Custar and Devin, slowly driving the enemy 

 toward the left of his works on the White 

 Oak road. These divisions were dismounted, 

 and fought with carbines, while the brigades 

 of Gens. Gregg and Mackenzie remained in the 

 saddle, so as to flank the enemy quickly. Thus 

 the troops worked steadily up on all sides to 

 the intrenchments of the enemy, who fell 

 slowly back to their main position, delivering 

 a most destructive fire. Thus Gen. Sheridan 

 got a force well on the enemy's flank and rear, 

 while the rest of the troops pressed slowly 

 upon the front of his works. An attack was 

 now to be made by the whole force, and about 

 3 P. M. the 5th corps was ordered forward to 

 support the cavalry. It marched from its posi- 

 tion, and was halted obliquely to the White 



Oak road. It was then swung round on its 

 left wing as a pivot by advancing the centre 

 and right. This brought it on one flank of the 

 enemy, while the cavalry pressed the other. 

 The enemy were pressed back slowly, and be- 

 coming aware of their dangerous position, a 

 most deadly contest ensued for two hours. 

 Being strongly intrenched, and having a bat- 

 tery in position, they raked the troops of Sheri- 

 dan with a terrific fire. Several times his men, 

 appalled by the slaughter, staggered back from 

 the intrenchments ; but by turns he urged, 

 cheered, and drove them until the enemy were 

 nearly surrounded on all sides and exhausted. 

 With his ranks reduced and wearied, and see- 

 ing it to be useless to try longer to check the 

 desperate onsets, the enemy rushed to the rear 

 through the only outlet left for him. Sheridan, 

 with overwhelming forces, pressed upon him, 

 and a further bloody contest ensued. At TJ 

 p. M. the battle was over. The cavalry divi- 

 sions of Gens. Custar and Mackenzie pursued 

 and picked up many stragglers and fugitives. 

 About four thousand prisoners were captured, 

 several cannon, an ambulance and baggage 

 train, several thousand muskets, and many 

 flags. Sheridan's loss was estimated at not far 

 from three thousand, while that of the enemy 

 was as large, besides the prisoners. During 

 the day the 2d corps had been making a gen- 

 eral advance, engaged constantly with the 

 enemy, and extending so as to connect with the 

 5th, and be ready to support them near the 

 White Oak road. The 6th and 9th corps had 

 not been engaged ; but in . order to cooperate 

 in a manner with Sheridan, a general cannon- 

 ade was opened along the front at 10 p. M. 

 Enlivened by the news of Sheridan's success, 

 the troops made it one of the hottest during 

 the siege of Petersburg. During the day Gen. 

 Warren was removed from the command of 

 the 5th corps, and Gen. Griffin took his place. 



At 4 A. M. on the next day, Sunday, April 

 2d, an assault all along the line by the 2d, 6th, 

 9th, 24th, and 25th corps commenced*. The 

 divisions of Gens. Turner and Foster, of the 

 24th corps, were brought up on both sides of 

 Hatcher's Run in support of the 6th corps, and 

 charged with it. The enemy opened a destruc- 

 tive fire while the troops were massing, and 

 continued with such severity as often to check 

 the advance. The 6th corps carried the two 

 forts in its front, and the 3d division, under 

 Gen. Seymour, after a severe fight, broke 

 through to the Southside Railroad, and com- 

 menced to tear it up. The 24th corps, between 

 the 6th and 2d, had been equally successful. 

 The right division of the 2d corps and the two 

 divisions of the 24th, captured one thousand 

 prisoners and many guns, and carried the 

 works up to the railroad. The 9th corps ad- 

 vanced simultaneously with the 6th, and after 

 the severest fighting on the field, captured 

 Fort Mahone, which covered the Jerusalem 

 plank road. But the position was too import- 

 ant to be lost, and the enemy charged in turn 



