THE BATTLES OF HATCHER’S RUN.
October 27, 1864-February 5–7, 1865.
Operations against the rebel position at Hatcher’s Run were among the most important incidents of the siege of Petersburg. Their object was to extend the National lines on the left, and, of course, to sever railway communication with the beleaguered city. An attack on the enemy’s works at this point was made on the 27th of October, 1864, the Second and Fifth corps participating. But the battle was comparatively trivial in extent and in attendant losses. The rebel pickets and cavalry were driven inside of the main work, and the National forces captured seven loaded teams, and between seventy-five and one hundred prisoners. Each party lost about two hundred men. The result of this engagement was to extend the Union line from Armstrong’s Mill, along the south bank of Hatcher’s Creek, to a point where Hatcher’s Creek intersects the Boydton plank road.
To beat the rebels back from this position, and to destroy the Southside railroad, was an object with General Grant throughout this campaign. That railroad was, as it were, the main artery of Lee’s army. Many attempts were made to destroy it, some of which, as has been heretofore shown, resulted in doing it temporary injury.
A further attempt to carry the rebel works at Hatcher’s Run was made on Sunday, the 5th of February, 1865. The Fifth and Second corps, as before, were engaged, the entire movement being led by General Warren. Early on the morning of the 5th, being Sunday, the march began. General Gregg’s cavalry led the way, followed by the troops of the Fifth corps, along the Halifax road, in the direction of Reams’s Station. At the same time a covering movement was commenced, to blind the enemy as to the advance of the Fifth corps. This consisted in an advance of the Second corps, preceded by the Third Pennsylvania cavalry, Major Hess, along the Vaughn road towards Hatcher’s Run. It was an uncommonly bright and beautiful day, and the spirits of the soldiers seemed correspondingly cheerful.
The first object of the march of the Second corps by the Vaughn road was to cover the movement of the Fifth corps. About midday the head of the Second corps column reached Hatcher’s Run. Finding the enemy intrenched, the Third Pennsylvania cavalry essayed to carry the ford, but found the enemy too strong, and was driven back. The First brigade, Third division, was next ordered up and deployed, facing the ford. The Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, Colonel Biles commanding, immediately advanced across the Run, scattering the enemy and driving him back under cover of the wood. The cavalry now gave pursuit, followed by the infantry, and the line of the Third division was advanced about a mile, occupying the summit of a hill, upon which they commenced the erection of fieldworks. During the progress of these demonstrative operations on the part of the Third division, the Second division struck off through an untravelled road to the right, towards Armstrong’s ford. The head of the column, composed of the Nineteenth Massachusetts, encountered the enemy near the run, and, with the assistance of the Tenth New York, compelled them to withdraw across the stream. This success effected a junction of the two divisions, and the whole line of the Second corps was arrayed in order of battle to meet any offensive movement on the part of the enemy.
Late in the afternoon the rebels opened a brisk fire of artillery, without, however, eliciting a reply. Emboldened by this silence, their infantry, preceded by a heavy skirmish line, advanced in line of battle.
The National troops permitted them to come within easy range, when they opened a severe fire of musketry, which caused the line to fall back in considerable disorder. The enemy, not disheartened, repeated his attempt to dislodge the Federals, and met with a similar repulse. The flank movement was then attempted, with no better success. Colonel Matthew Murphy, of the Sixty-ninth New York, commanding the Second brigade, held the right of the line, his own right flank resting on a swamp. As the enemy approached he greeted him with an effective shower of bullets, which caused him to break and retreat out of range. Soon after dark, having been thwarted in every effort to break the continuity of the lines, the enemy withdrew to his fortifications. The Second brigade of the Second division and the Third brigade of the Third division bore the brunt of the day’s fighting. The officers and men throughout bore themselves nobly. General Humphreys in person superintended the operations of the corps. Among the wounded was Colonel Murphy, commanding the Second brigade, Third division. The sum of the day’s losses, in the Second corps, was about ninety.
While the Second corps was thus engaging the attention of the rebels, on the Vaughn road, the Fifth corps pressed on toward Reams’s Station. After a march of six miles the advance reached Rowanty creek. Videttes and flying parties could be seen hovering mysteriously on the front, taking observations, and then suddenly disappearing. The troops, however, had, thus far encountered no opposition. The Rowanty creek is about twenty feet wide, and not conveniently fordable. The old bridge was no longer in existence. The column was accordingly delayed for a short time, while the pioneers constructed a temporary bridge. The men worked with difficulty, and, though covered by a detachment of light infantry, the sharpshooters of the enemy harassed them from the cover of the wooded banks. Their impromptu bridge having been completed, in order to secure a lodgment beyond the stream and protect the construction of bridges for the passage of the whole force, the Third brigade, Second division, Brevet Brigadier-General Gwynn commanding, advanced in column, on a trot, across the bridge. The opposite bank was steep and difficult of ascent, and, a short distance beyond, rifle pits obscured a line of riflemen. Undaunted by these uncertainties, Gwynn urged his men forward. A scattering fire ensued, and, in a few minutes after, the patriots occupied the rifle pits of the enemy, and quiet was restored. General Gwynn lost but one man. The enemy lost several, besides twenty-two prisoners.
In the mean time, the cavalry of General Gregg, piloted by a negro, had ridden onward, and entered Dinwiddie, capturing a rebel train and mail. From Dinwiddie the cavalry returned and took position in the rear of Warren’s forces, two miles from Hatcher’s Run.
The losses, on the first day, were about two hundred. Both corps had secured a position beyond Hatcher’s Run.
Thus affairs stood, on the 6th inst., when the conflict was renewed. The positions were: Second corps on the right, Fifth corps on the left, cavalry parties in front. The lines were covered by hasty breastworks, timber, and the roads filled with mud. The morning was spent in strengthening the defences and corduroying roads. Generals De Trobriand and McAllister, of the Second corps, made a reconnoissance and developed the fact that there was no force between the new lines and the old works below Petersburg. The Fifth corps passed the morning in taking positions of attack. General Meade was on the field. Early in the afternoon the enemy disclosed a column moving towards the right.
At noon the Third division, Fifth corps, moved to the right from the Duncan road toward the Boydton plank road. The skirmishers were soon engaged, and a running fight ensued, the main body following up closely as the enemy retired. In the vicinity of Dabney’s mill the enemy took position under cover of temporary works. From these he was soon dislodged. The two lines now engaged in an irregular interchange of bullets through the timber in front. On the part of the enemy the fire gradually grew more continuous and heavy. It now became evident that he was strengthening his lines for a determined stand, and an offensive strike at the proper moment. It was five o’clock, P. M. To prepare for emergencies, Ayres’ division was ordered up to the support of Crawford, and while moving in column was suddenly assailed, in large force, and driven back. At the same time a brigade of Griffin’s division moved to the support of Gregg’s cavalry. Subsequent movements of the enemy developed an intention to cut off Crawford. A column of the enemy was swung around to envelop him. Crawford, simultaneously, was heavily engaged on his front.
At six P. M. comparative order prevailed, and preparations were made to receive the enemy, who, it was evident, felt no disposition to abandon a slight advantage he had secured. Gregg, during this time, was fighting his cavalry on foot, and held his own on the Vaughn road against Mahone’s division.
The enemy had already engaged Pegram’s, Gordon’s and Heth’s divisions. Mahone, unable to gain any advantage over Gregg, suddenly withdrew in a northwesterly direction, and fell upon the left of the Fifth corps. The flank resisted for a moment, but to no avail. It was crumbled on the centre. The ammunition of part of Crawford’s division at this critical moment became exhausted. This portion of the line broke off, and in a few minutes the entire line became a wreck. The Third division (Wheaton’s) of the Sixth corps, which left its camp that morning, crossed Hatcher’s run during the height of Crawford’s confusion, and also lost its self-possession. The fighting now became desultory but desperate, and both forces entered into the work in earnest—as a matter of life or death. The country between Hatcher’s run and the mill is covered with a heavy wood, the ground softened by numerous swamps and cut up by ravines. The road upon which the columns and trains were obliged to move was narrow, filled with stumps, and, above all, knee-deep with mud. A slight crust of frozen surface only multiplied the difficulties. The column moved forward with the most exhausting exertions, and, instead of being fresh for battle, was used up by its conflict with the mud. The men lost their shoes, their clothing was dampened, and their arms in many instances were rendered unfit for immediate use. The artillery and trains suffered more than the men. Animals tossed about in their useless exertions to extricate themselves and their burdens. This being the case, the operations of the troops off the road were infinitely worse. The ground was fresh. The timber was thick and netted with a web of undergrowth. As the men advanced through this maze many were laid low by the deliberate fire of an unseen musketeer or rifleman. When they retired the roads and the woods were alive with disorder. The lines were much broken in the advance; it would be impossible to convey the formations on the retreat. The men fought single-handed through the timber from tree to tree. Their alarm was greatly increased by fear of being intercepted on their rear. No efforts on the part of officers could stay the men. They were unmanageable. They were determined to abandon the wood, and only upon reaching the open country on the Vaughn road and finding the bridges all entire and the guards perfectly calm, did they recover their presence of mind. The lines were hastily reformed, and, under protection of the temporary works thrown up by the Third division of the Second corps the day before, the men awaited the onslaught of the enemy. A few minutes of suspense and their anticipations were realized. The skirmishers fell back hastily. The woods in front were soon bristling with bayonets, and the enemy dashed undaunted upon the cleared space in front. From their works the Fifth corps met him with a terrible fire. The opposition was trifling. The enemy made no persistent effort to carry the works. He soon withdrew, and was lost in the obscurity of the wood.
During the action of the Fifth corps the left of the Second corps sustained and repelled an attack near the Armstrong House, on the Duncan road.
The Union losses, on the second day, were upwards of eleven hundred men, killed, wounded, and missing. The enemy’s loss was equally heavy. One hundred and eighty rebel prisoners were taken.
On the 7th, a reconnoissance of Crawford’s division encountered the rebels, about half a mile from the Union bivouac. The division now deployed in line, the right on Hatcher’s run and the left supported by Wheaton’s division of the Sixth corps. The whole line felt its way carefully. The enemy soon discovered himself in force. The conflict which ensued was spirited, but brief. The enemy gave way, though contesting his ground with vigor, and finally took up his position in the works at Dabney’s mill. The two forces indulged in a spirited exchange of musketry. The enemy evinced no desire to repeat the assault of the day before, and at night Crawford rejoined the main body on the Vaughn road.
During the next few days the National lines were greatly strengthened throughout the territory of Hatcher’s Run, which had thus been gained and occupied. The dense woods were converted into hostile defences, and the Union line was extended, in safety and strength, over a distance of five miles.