110 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



position. The llth was a day of quiet and rest 

 to the army save that portion engaged in 

 strengthening the intrenchments. 



On Thursday, the 12th, a heavy force from 

 both corps was sent out, under Gens. Gillmore 

 and Smith, and at the same time an expedition 

 of cavalry, under Gen. Kautz, for the purpose 

 of cutting the railroad communication between 

 Richmond and Danville. Leaving a sufficient 

 force under Gen. Ames to watch the enemy at 

 Petersburg, Gen. Gillmore advanced on the left 

 up the railroad toward Chester station and 

 Richmond. Gen. Smith, with the 18th corps 

 and a division of the 10th, advanced in the 

 same direction on the right, up the turnpike 

 between the railroad and the James River. A 

 little above "Werbottom church the skirmishers 

 in advance met the enemy and drove them back 

 a mile or more. They then made a determined 

 stand in a strong position, and a sharp engage- 

 ment ensued. Finally the enemy retired slowly 

 to a new position, where they again made a 

 stand, and were again driven from it. The 

 skirmishing continued until dark, when the 

 command of Gen. Smith had advanced to 

 Proctor's Creek, within about three miles of 

 Fort Darling, and within sight of that work. 

 The weather during the day was hot and sul- 

 try, and a number of cases of sunstroke oc- 

 curred. 



Meanwhile Gen. Gillmore moved from his po- 

 sition to Chester Junction, and thence up the 

 railroad toward Richmond, reaching Chester- 

 field Court House, on the enemy's right, with- 

 out any real opposition. Continuing his ad- 

 vance, and diverging still further to the right, 

 he reached a formidable earthwork, stretching 

 from west of the railroad across to the James 

 River, which was strongly constructed, and 

 well supplied with embrasures for artillery. 

 This proved to be the outer line of defence 

 about Fort Darling. The movement of Gen. 

 Smith had caused the enemy to concentrate in 

 his front, so that no heavy force appeared be- 

 fore Gen. Gillmore. Throwing forward the 

 24th Massachusetts and 10th Connecticut as 

 skirmishers, with some sharpshooters and a 

 battery or two in position to annoy the enemy 

 and occupy his attention, Gen. Gillmore sent 

 the brigade of Col. Hawley through the woods 

 on the right, which surprised the enemy and 

 entered the right flank of the work in the rear. 

 The enemy made a sharp resistance, but were 

 driven to the rear by the brigade of Col. White 

 advancing and occupying the line. Finding 

 their position turned by this movement, the 

 enemy on the next morning Saturday, the 

 14th under cover of a vigorous demonstration, 

 abandoned the whole line, and withdrew to the 

 second, a stronger line of works, about three- 

 fourths of a mile distant. 



A despatch of Gen. Butler on the morning 

 of the 14th says : 



"We are still before the base of the enemy's works 

 at Drury's Bluff, Fort Darling. The enemy are here 

 in force. 



Gen. Gillmore, by a flan^ movement with a portion 

 of his corps and a brigade of the 18th corps, assaulted 

 and took the enemy's works on their right. It wag 

 gallantly done. The troops behaved finely. We 

 held our lines during the night, and shall move this 

 morning. 



Two hours later he added : 



Gen. Smith carried the enemy's first line on the 

 right this morning at 8 A. M. Loss small. The enemy 

 have retired into three square redoubts, upon which 

 we are now bringing our artillery to bear with effect. 



The redoubts into which the enemy had re- 

 tired commanded the outer line of .their de- 

 fences, and it was necessary that Gen. But- 

 ler should obtain possession of these to enable 

 him to secure his position. His artillery was 

 therefore brought to bear upon them, and with 

 the aid of the sharpshooters the enemy's guns 

 were silenced. About 9 p. M. the enemy at- 

 tempted to advance on Gen. Butler's line near 

 the Petersburg turnpike, but after a short en- 

 gagement they withdrew within their work. 

 On the next day, at noon, they again ad- 

 vanced, and attacked Gen. Heckman's brigade ; 

 a contest with musketry ensued, which con- 

 tinued for four hours, when they withdrew 

 within their works. On the next morning, 

 Monday, May 16th, under cover of a thick 

 fog, the enemy made an attack on the line of 

 Gen. Butler. The attack was made on the 

 right, with cavalry, artillery, and infantry. 

 The extreme right next the James River wag 

 held by Gen. Heckman's brigade. Next the 

 river were two squadrons of colored cavalry, 

 then came the 9th New Jersey infantry, then 

 the 23d Massachusetts, then the 25th and 27th. 

 Massachusetts, all of Heckman's brigade, of 

 TTeitzel's division, of Gen. Smith's corps. Gen. 

 Gillmore's corps held the left and left centre. 

 The line of battle was the fortifications, except 

 on the extreme right, where they did not ex- 

 tend down to the river. Prominent among the 

 batteries on the right was battery E of the 3d 

 New York artillery, of twenty-pounder Par- 

 rotts, and the 1st Rhode Island battery. On 

 the right, in reserve, Col. Drake's brigade of the 

 10th corps was temporarily posted. A narrow 

 belt of timber screened the reserves from the 

 view of the enemy on the right. The advance 

 of the enemy reached the rear of the 9th New 

 Jersey before the attack was made. Gen. 

 Heckrnan finding he could not hold his posi- 

 tion, began to fall back. The enemy, however, 

 charged upon him in overwhelming numbers, 

 and his force was broken and driven from the 

 field, and he was made a prisoner. At the 

 same time a force of the enemy moved down 

 the turnpike, and attempted to surprise Ash- 

 by's battery of twenty-pounder Parrott's. Most 

 of the guns were saved, but the loss was heavy 

 in men. The Rhode Island battery also lost 

 one gun. Having forced back the right, a 

 heavy attack was made on the entire line of the 

 18th corps, with feints along the line of the 

 10th corps; and the entire right was forced 

 back some distance after several hours of severe 

 and sanguinary conflict. The loss was severe 



