THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
367 
expressed to me by federal cavalry officers, both before and after, that “ their 
cavalry was a self-supporting institution,” and was, besides being good 
cavalry, as efficient on foot as most infantry; and the latter correct a very 
generally received report (founded, indeed, on the very arrogating published 
dispatches of Sheridan) that the dash of Sheridan coupled with the irresistible 
nature of his cavalry suddenly turned Lee's right, and, not to mention tearing 
up the S. S. railroad, rolled him up in such confusion on his centre into 
Petersburg that he was glad to get out of it the back way during the night. 
In truth, eventually the centre, never the right, was broken, and that in a 
more old-fashioned way. 
During the same day the left of the line met considerable resistance in its 
efforts to advance up the Boydton Plank-road, and was at one time fiercely 
repulsed, but bringing up its numbers succeeded in establishing itself in 
front of the works above mentioned, with the loss on either side of nearly 
1000 men hors de combat . The dense woods had made the fighting 
obstinate, and had given an opportunity to those so disposed to get to the 
rear; a cordon of mounted men under the Provost Marshal was drawn along 
the rear of the line of battle, and intercepted and brought up at the close of 
the day a very respectable force of stragglers; these men did not appear to 
be ashamed of themselves, but were a little sulky. At night it was determined 
to deliver an assault along the whole line before the next dawn. 
The 9th and the 6th corps, in front of Petersburg proper, were to attack 
first, General Orde's and the 2nd corps following suit consequent on the 
other's success. General "Wright, an officer of the regular engineers, who 
commanded the 6th corps, and who was fond of dealing with earthworks, 
telegraphed, in announcing his readiness, that he would “put his corps in 
solid,* that he would bet that in fifteen minutes after the word go they would 
be in the enemy's works, and that then he would make the fur fly.'' The 
tone of this message was looked upon as an earnest of success; and the 
execution of his promise was the feat of the campaign, and decided the fate 
of the confederate army. 
I may here remark that much of the strength of the regular lines on both 
sides, which I had noticed in the previous November, was done away with 
by the destruction of the t€ slashed'' wood along nearly all their front. This 
had been used for fuel during the winter, in spite of the efforts of the 
Generals to the contrary, and though there was plenty of wood available a 
little farther off; the abatis also were somewhat disorganized; moreover 
the line opposite the 6th corps was not yet completed from some recent 
alterations, the ditches being in parts very shallow, and the parapets only 
half-height, and an inundation which had covered much of the front had run 
out. The works in front of the 9th corps were complete, with the exception 
of the “ slashing,'' and were also nearer to the inner line of supporting 
works. 
About two hours before daylight these two corps rushed to the assault, 
sweeping in the enemy's picquets with them. The 9th corps on the right 
had a little trouble with some chevaux-de-frise which in some places had 
* General Grant had been averse to the solid formation for this attack, but General Meade had 
prevailed on him to permit it. 
[VOL. IV.] 
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