134 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



corps was re-formed, after a fatal delaj-, nnci 

 with Gen. Potter's division on the right, Led- 

 lie's in the centre, and Wilcox on the left, 

 under cover of the fire of two guns, began the 

 charge. At every step, the fire of the enemy 

 in front and on each flank, concentrated with 

 greater fury upon them and ploughed their 

 ranks with slaughter. The charge was checked* 

 on the side of the crest, there was a halt, and 

 finally the whole line, wavering under terrible 

 odds, recoiled to the fort. The colored di- 

 vision of the corps remained. As a forlorn 

 hope, it was despatched to do what the other 

 three had failed in attempting. It rushed for- 

 ward over the four hundred yards which sepa- 

 rated it from the enemy only to meet the fate 

 of its comrades. "When once broken, it plunged 

 headlong into the fort, upon which the enemy 

 now concentrated their fire. It was evident 

 the day was lost, and the question now was, 

 how best to save the troops. Eiforts were 

 made by a division of the 18th and another of 

 the 10th corps to distract the attention of the 

 enemy, but they proved to be useless. His fire 

 was directed straight upon the dismantled fort, 

 now become a slaughter-pen, in which were 

 huddled the fragments of the 9th corps, hoping 

 for relief from their comrades who lay in their 

 intrenchinents, two hundred yards distant. 

 Then squads of men began the work of re- 

 treating. But the enemy kept up a destruc- 

 tive cross-fire over every rod of the space be- 

 tween the fort and the Federal lines. The 

 retreating movement, however, was kept up. 

 Meanwhile, the enemy made several charges 

 upon the ruins of the fort, which were bravely 

 resisted by Borne of the officers and the rem- 

 nants of the corps. About noon, however, a 

 general retreat was ordered, a considerable 

 part of the survivors of the assault having al- 

 ready crossed to the rear. Those who re- 

 mained in the fort having exhausted their am- 

 munition and being left unsupported by the 

 rest of the army, were captured about 2 p. M. 

 by a final charge of the enemy. 



The Federal loss was estimated at five thou- 

 sand ; that of the enemy, one thousand, of 

 whom two hundred were made prisoners. The 

 dead lay on the field for thirty-six hours, when 

 they were removed under a flag of truce. 



On Friday, Aug. 5th, a mine was exploded 

 by the enemy. No assault followed. On the 

 Vth there was a sharp skirmish and an artillery 

 duel in front of the 9th corps. In the after- 

 noon of the 9th another duel with heavy mor- 

 tars occurred on the right and right centre. 

 On the same day an ordnance boat was re- 

 ceiving fixed ammunition at City Point, when, 

 by dropping one of the cases, the whole cargo 

 was exploded. On several succeeding days, 

 before Petersburg, only picket and artillery 

 firing took place. 



On August 10th, preparations were made for 

 digging a canal at Dutch Gap. A great bend 

 in tLe James River forms a peninsula called 

 Farrar's Island, which a neck of land, less 



than half a mile wide, connects with the north 

 shore. This isthmus it was proposed to cut by 

 a canal. Such canal would save a circuit of 

 six miles in a bend crowded with obstructions 

 and torpedoes and guarded by gunboats of the 

 enemy. If occupied, it would also flank tho 

 strong position of the enemy at Hewlett's, 

 where his heavy batteries swept the river. It 

 would compel him to construct a new and more 

 extended line of defence, requiring a larger 

 force of men to defend it, and also bring Gen. 

 Grant's forces dangerously near to Fort Dar- 

 ling. The prosecution of the work was con- 

 tinued through the remainder of the year, al- 

 though often seriously and dangerously an- 

 noyed by the enemy. One of the last acts of 

 Gen. Butler, while in command on the James, 

 was an unsuccessful attempt to remove, by an 

 explosion of powder, the earth at the entrance 

 of the canal. 



The state of operations at this time, as view- 

 ed by Gen. Grant, is expressed in the following 

 letter : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, > 

 CITY POINT, VA., August 16th, 1SW. s 

 To Hon. E. B. WasJiburne ; 



DEAR SIR I state to all citizens who visit me that 

 all we want now to insure an early restoration of the 

 Union is a determined unity of sentiment North. 

 The rebels have now in their ranks their last man. 

 The little boys and old men are guarding prisoners, 

 guarding railroad bridges, and forming a good part 

 of their garrisons for entrenched positions. A man 

 lost by them cannot be replaced. They hare robbed 

 the cradle and tl|e grave equally to get their present 

 force. Besides what they lose in frequent skir- 

 mishes and battles, they are now losing from de- 

 sertions and other causes at least one regiment per 

 day. 



With this drain upon them the end is not far dis- 

 tant, if we will only be true to ourselves. Their 

 only hope now is in a divided North. This might 

 give them reinforcements from Tennessee, Ken- 

 tucky, Maryland, and Missouri, while it would weaken 

 us. With the draft quickly enforced the enemy 

 would become despondent, and would make but 

 little resistance. I have no doubt but the enemy 

 are exceedingly anxious to hold out until after the 

 Presidential election. They have many hopes from 

 its effects. 



They hope a counter revolution ; they hope the 

 election of the Peace candidate. In fact, like "Mi- 

 cawber," they hope for something to "turn up." 

 Our Peace friends, if they expect peace from separa- 

 tion, are much- mistaken. It would but be the be- 

 ginning of war with thousands of Northern men 

 joining the South because of our disgrace in allow- 

 ing separation. To have "peace on any terms" the 

 South would demand the restoration of their slaves 

 already freed; they would demand indemnity for 

 losses sustained, and they would demand a treaty 

 which would make the North slave-hunters for the 

 South. They would demand pay for the restoration 

 of every slave escaping to the North. 



Yours, truly, U. S. GRANT. 



On August 18th the 5th corps marched to 

 Reams' station, on the "Weldon Railroad, and 

 surprised a body of the enemy guarding it, and 

 took possession of the road. On the next day 

 an impetuous attack was made upon their right 

 by three brigades of the enemy under Gen. 

 Mahone. The pickets and an advanced regi- 

 ment were quickly driven back to the breast. 



