ARMY OPERATIONS. 



Ill 



on Loth sides in killed and wounded, and^some 

 prisoners were taken. After thus gaining a 

 portion of their first line of intrenchinents, the 

 enemy massed their forces on the 10th corps to 

 drive" it back. Repeated charges were made, 

 which were desperately resisted and driven 

 back at all points. Finally, ceasing their ef- 

 forts to force the position of the 10th corps, 

 and leaving their dead and wounded on the 

 field before its line, the enemy again massed 

 on Gen. Smith's front and attacked his left. 

 Gen. Gillmore immediately ordered Gen. Tur- 

 ner to attack the enemy on their flank, and also 

 ordered Gen. Terry to support him. Gen. Tur- 

 ner's attack had hardly commenced, before 

 Gen. Gillmore was ordered by Gen. Butler to 

 retire and strengthen Gen. Smith's corps by 

 forming in his rear. The troops fell back 

 slowly and in order, repulsing every attempt 

 of the enemy to quicken their movements, 

 until they ceased to follow up and fell back to 

 their first line of intrenchments. At half-past 

 t\vo o'clock the fighting, which had been going 

 on with more or less violence along the whole 

 line, ceased, and preparations were made by 

 Gen. Butler to draw off his forces from the 

 field and return to his intrenchments. The 

 artillery was sent to the rear, except a section 

 to cover the rear guard. The ambulances, 

 loaded with wounded, and the supply trains, 

 were despatched to the rear, and finally the 

 entire army fell back. The enemy did not pur- 

 sue. During the action of the morning, a bri- 

 gade of the enemy attacked the force guarding 

 the extreme left on the roads from Petersburg 

 r.nder Col. Dobbs, and after a sharp struggle 

 drove him back toward Gen. Butler's intrench- 

 inents, but finally gave up the pursuit. The 

 loss of Gen. Butler was estimated at twenty- 

 five hundred. That of the enemy was severe, 

 but the amount unknown. 



The despatch relative to the above operations 

 was as follows : 



WAK DEPARTME>T, WASnixaxox, May IT, 9 P. sr. 

 Jfa/or- General Die. : 



Despatches from Gen. Butler, just received, report 

 the success of his expedition under Gen. Kautz, to 

 cut the Danville road and destroy the iron bridge 

 across the Appomattox. 



On Monday morning the enemy in force, under 

 cover of a thick fog, made an attack upon Smith's 

 line, and forced it back in some confusion and with 

 considerable loss. But as soon as the fog lifted, Gen. 

 Smith reestablished his lines, and the enemy was 

 driven back to his original lines. 



At the same time the enemy made an attack from 

 Petersburg on Gen. Butler's forces guarding the rear, 

 but were handsomely repulsed. 



The troops having been on incessant duty for five 

 days, three of which were in a rain storm, Gen. But- 

 ler retired leisurely within his own lines. \V"e hold 

 the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond. 



Persons state that Brags: and Davis were present 

 on the field. EDWIX M. STANTON; 



Secretary of War. 



The cavalry expedition under Gen. Kautz 

 returned on the 17th. On the night of the 

 day on which he started, Gen. Kautz reached 

 Midlothian coal-pits, where he remained an 



hour. Xo injury was done to public property 

 here, but a considerable amount of private 

 property was destroyed. Thence he proceeded 

 to Coalfield station, where he arrived between 

 10 and 11 o'clock. The depot building and 

 water-tank here were destroyed, the telegraph 

 wire torn down, and some hundred feet of the 

 railroad track ripped up. Thence he advanced 

 at daylight upon Powhatan station, which 

 was reached at 8 A. M. The railroad was torn 

 up, and the depot and water-tank destroyed. 

 An advance was next made to destroy the 

 iron bridge at Mattaox station. This was found 

 to be too strongly guarded by the enemy, and 

 the column turned to _the right and reached 

 Goode's bridge about 4'p. ?r. This bridge had 

 been partly destroyed, but was repaired by 

 Gen. Kautz, who pushed on and reached Chula 

 station at 10 P. M. The enemy sent a loco- 

 motive from Mattaox to reconnoitre, which 

 was captured and destroyed. On the morning 

 of the 14th the column faced about and recross- 

 ed Goode's bridge, approaching Mattaox. Here 

 a fight took place with the enemy, who "were 

 in a strong position, and after a loss of about 

 thirty Gen. Kautz retired. The column now 

 moved to the south, and crossed the Appomat- 

 tox at Devil's bridge, which they were com- 

 pelled to rebuild, reaching Finney Mill at 12 M. 

 Here the 5th Pennsylvania, under command 

 of Maj. Kleinz, was sent to the left near to 

 Mansboro', on the road to Petersburg, to con- 

 vey the impression that Gen. Kautz was about 

 to move on that point. The march was then 

 resumed, and, arriving within six miles of the 

 Petersburg and Lynchburg road, Gen. Spear 

 was sent with his brigade to destroy the road 

 at Wilson's station, while the main column 

 moved on to Wellville, where they arrived at 

 about 4 P. M. After waiting patiently until 5 

 p. M. for a train that was due at that hour from 

 Petersburg, but which did not come, Gen. Spear 

 destroyed the railroad property at 'Wilson's, and, 

 moving up the road, rejoined Gen. Kautz at 

 Wellville, just as the latter had finished tearing 

 up the track and burning the depot. 



The column arrived at Black's and White's at 

 10 P. M., and found large supplies of forage and 

 rations. These were dealt out with a liberal 

 hand to the exhausted men and horses ; and the 

 track and other railroad and government prop- 

 erty having been destroyed, the force moved a 

 few miles further on, and bivouacked at 2 A. M. 



On the loth, at 7 A. M., the column set out 

 for Lawrenceville, and after a long march, pass- 

 ing through Jonesborough and Edmonds, ar- 

 rived at that place at dusk. A large amount 

 of property was destroyed here, and large 

 quantities of corn and bacon distributed to the 

 men. At daylight the march was resumed with 

 the intention of striking the Petersburg road 

 at Hickford. Finding a strong force of the 

 enemy at Stony Point ready to receive him, 

 Gen. Kautz turned directly north. After march- 

 ing eight or ten miles, the advance came to a 

 stand in the centre of an immense pine forest 



