Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 2 (of 2)

In March, 1865, General Canby was moving an adequate force against Mobile and the army defending it, under General Dick Taylor; Thomas was pushing out two large and well appointed cavalry expeditions—one from Middle Tennessee under Brevet Major-General Wilson against the enemy’s vital points in Alabama, the other from East Tennessee under Major-General Stoneman towards Lynchburg—and assembling the remainder of his available forces, preparatory to offensive operations from East Tennessee; General Sheridan’s cavalry was at White House; the armies of the Potomac and James were confronting the enemy under Lee in his defences of Richmond and Petersburg; General Sherman with his armies reinforced by that of General Schofield, was at Goldsboro’; General Pope was making preparations for a spring campaign against the enemy under Kirby Smith and Price, west of the Mississippi; and General Hancock was concentrating a force in the vicinity of Winchester, Virginia, to guard against invasion or to operate offensively, as might prove necessary.

The progress and results of the various movements are elsewhere described. This narrative now concerns itself with the final blow—the battle and Union victory of Five Forks.

General Grant commenced his final operations on the 29th of March. Sheridan’s cavalry, from White House, had joined the army of the Potomac on the 27th. This force was immediately pushed up to Dinwiddie Court House, and the Union line, on the left, was extended to the Quaker road, near its intersection with the Boydton plank road. The position of the troops, from left to right, was as follows: Sheridan, Warren, Humphreys, Ord, Wright, Parke.

From the night of the 29th to the morning of the 31st the rain fell in such torrents as to make it impossible to move wheeled vehicles, except as corduroy roads were laid in front of them. During the 30th Sheridan advanced from Dinwiddie Court House towards Five Forks, where he found the enemy in force. General Warren advanced and extended his line across the Boydton plank road to near the White Oak road, with a view of getting across the latter; but finding the enemy strong in his front and extending beyond his left, was directed to hold on where he was and fortify. General Humphreys drove the enemy from his front into his main line on the Hatcher, near Burgess’s mills. Generals Ord, Wright, and Parke made examinations in their fronts to determine the feasibility of an assault on the enemy’s lines. The two latter reported favorably.

General Grant now determined to extend his line no further, but to reinforce General Sheridan’s cavalry with an infantry force, enable him to cut loose and turn the enemy’s right flank, and with the other corps assault the enemy’s lines. The proximity of the belligerent lines particularly favored this movement. The lines, indeed, were so close together at some points that it was but a moment’s run from one to the other. Preparations were at once made to relieve General Humphrey’s corps, to report to General Sheridan; but the condition of the roads prevented immediate movement. On the morning of the 31st General Warren reported favorably to getting possession of the White Oak road, and was directed to do so. To accomplish this he moved with one division, instead of his whole corps, which was attacked by the enemy in superior force and driven back on the second division before it had time to form, and it, in turn was forced back upon the third division, when the enemy was checked. A division of the Second corps was immediately sent to his support, the enemy driven back with heavy loss, and possession of the White Oak road gained. The Union losses were about one thousand. Sheridan, meantime, had advanced from Dinwiddie, and got possession of the Five Forks, but the enemy after the affair with the Fifth corps, reinforced the rebel cavalry, defending that point with infantry, and forced him back towards Dinwiddie Court House. Here General Sheridan displayed great generalship. Instead of retreating with his whole command on the main army, to tell the story of superior forces encountered, he deployed his cavalry on foot, leaving only mounted men enough to take charge of the horses. This compelled the enemy to deploy over a vast extent of woods and broken country, and made his progress slow. General Grant was immediately notified respecting the position of affairs, and he at once sent General McKenzie’s cavalry and one division of the Fifth corps to Sheridan’s assistance. Two other divisions of the Fifth corps were subsequently sent forward to swell that officer’s force. On the morning of the 1st of April, General Sheridan, thus reinforced, drove the enemy back on Five Forks, where, late in the evening, he assaulted and carried his strongly fortified position, capturing all his artillery and between five thousand and six thousand prisoners.

During the night of the 14th of April a steady bombardment of the enemy’s lines was kept up by General Sheridan, whose troops were further reinforced by General Miles’s division of Humphrey’s corps. At four o’clock on the morning of the 2nd of April, an assault was ordered on the rebel line. General Wright led the charge, and, with his whole corps, broke through the enemy’s defences, sweeping everything before him and to his left towards Hatcher’s Run, capturing many guns and several thousand prisoners. He was closely followed by two divisions of General Ord’s command, until he met the other division of General Ord’s that had succeeded in forcing the enemy’s lines near Hatcher’s Run. Generals Wright and Ord immediately swung to the right, and closed all of the enemy on that side of them in Petersburg, while General Humphreys pushed forward with two divisions and joined General Wright on the left. General Parke succeeded in carrying the enemy’s main line, capturing guns and prisoners, but was unable to carry his inner line. General Sheridan being advised of the condition of affairs, returned General Miles to his proper command. On reaching the enemy’s lines immediately surrounding Petersburg, a portion of General Gibbon’s corps, by a most gallant charge, captured two strong, enclosed works—the most salient and commanding south of Petersburg—thus materially shortening the line of investment necessary for taking in the city. The enemy south of Hatcher’s Run retreated westward to Sutherland’s Station, where they were overtaken by Miles’s division. A severe engagement ensued and lasted until both right and left rebel flanks were threatened by the approach of General Sheridan, who was moving from Ford’s Station towards Petersburg, and a division sent by General Meade from the front of Petersburg. Then the enemy broke, in the utmost confusion, leaving his guns and many prisoners in the hands of the Unionists, and retreated by the main road along the Appomattox river. Thus the rout of the rebels was complete, and nothing now remained to the National forces but to reap the fruits of their glorious victory.