Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-30
pushed forward and carried an outer line


OF rifle pits, before Brooks division,
which was to form on the left for q
flanking movement, could get into posi-
ton. Disposition was then made to car
ry the main line of works, and this, with
preliminary skirmishing consumed the
whole afternoon. At 7,30 the line was
formed, with Brooks on the center, Mar
tindale on the right, and the colored d.
vision on the left with sixteen guns in
1 position. The skirmish line was thrown
forward aud this pithont the aid Of the 9iae
of battle assaulted and entered the ,eoyks, ia
| king thirteen redoubts, sixteen guns,
several colors, and between three and
four hundred prisoners.
To the colored troops belongs the hon.
or of taking three Of the redoubts and
six of the guns and there is the utmost
disposition to give them full credit for
their steady behavior under fire. 1t is
| true the resistance was not strong, and
the works were most imperfectly man.
ned and these facts should be taken
into account that we may not overesti-
mate the value of this test of the fight
I ing qualities Of the blacks. But duly
considering ,all these, they did bravely
and welh<ahd their conduct has gone
far to modify the current opinion of our
officers adverse to their ability to stand
| in line of battle.
| THE OPERATIONS OF THpRsDAY-HANCocK
SMITH AND BUTLER.
On Thursday morning, the 10th, Han
| cocks corps took position, relieving the
divisions Of Kinks and Brooks. Brney
advanced one brigade of his division
and drove the enemy considerable dis
lance. In the afternoon the Ninth corps
came up and took position on the left
| of the Second and at 6 O'Clock in the
evening the divisions of Barlow and
Birney Of the Second, in conjunction
with the Ninth corps and a portion of
| Smiths assaulted the position to which
| the enemy had withdrawn after leaving
| the line of redoubts. The assault was
not attended with much success, and
! was continued during the night without
accomplishing any results of moment
! The rebels were able to offer stout re-
| sistance to our advance on Thursday,
because they had in the meantime been
| heavily reinforced but in the process
of doing this they were compelled to
| weaken their force at Bermuda Hun
dreds, in the course of which blunder
occurred that was promptly taken adj
vantage of by Gen. Butler. rs
1t appears that the orders were that
the troops should not be withdrawn un-
| til the head of Longstreet's column,
which had the advance of Lees army,
and was making forced march in the
direction of Petersburg, should arrive
Instead of waiting, however, Beaure-
gard withdrew early Thursday morning.
| On becoming aware of this, Gen. Butler
| advanced Gen. Terry's corps, (com-
| mands of Fisher, Ames and Turner,l to
| develop the whereabouts of the enemy.
| Advancing, they struck the Petersburg
and Richmond railroad which was en-
tirely uncovered by the rebel evacuation.
| Turner and Ames tore up portions of
the track for two or three miles in the
vicinity of Port Walthal Junction, while
Gems. Terry and Foster moved up on the
| turnpike towards Richmond. They had
| not advanced far, however, when they
discovered Longstreet's column, led by
the division of Pickett, marching by
the flank. Gen. Terry made a skillful
disposition of his small force of about
/ four thousand, and succeeded in delay
ing the advance of the rebels for an
hour or two, when he received orders to
retire to his old position.
4 S.. .,..,esg X. f@HH
OPERATIONS OF FRIDAY-BuRNsIDE AND
i ID. .eaJ15 HANCOCK. 81
Atdaylight of Friday, the Eth, Burn
side on the left of Hancock, and sup
| ported by Miles of the First division,
| Second corps, made an assault ON the
1 right OF the enemy's line which had not
| vet been carried. 1t captured three re-
| doubts five guns, three colors and four
hundred and fifty prisoners. After this the
\ different divisions of the Second corps
were thrown forward; but though their
losses were heavy, they achieved no
success. On the right, one division of
the Sixth corps, (Neills, and one of the
eighteenth, (Martindale's,) pushed out
simultaneously and drove the enemy in
! very handsomely for three quarters of
| mile At 4 o'clock in the afternoon
another advance was made by the Ninth
4 congratulations Of Wilcox and Ledlie.
4 Warren's corps connecting on the left
was also pushed forward to cover that
flank The results of Fridays opera
lions were of a mingled nature-success-
es and 'reverses. What is most to be
regretted is eur loss-Hancock on Thurs
day and Friday having lost not less
than $500; Warren 1000, and Burnside
1900 s'H aiiA s7sast 5ios
XII,
r4IE ACTION OF sATuRDAY-THB ATTEMPT
g. TO GARRY THE TOWN BY STORM.
/ During the night of Friday, the enc
my abandoned all that portion of the
second line which had not been carried
| during the two previous days, end re-
I tired to the third line, which they had
meanwhile been constructing. Here
upon, the commanding General, resolved
to make an assault along the Whole line
for the purpose of carrying The town
This action, therefore, separates itsen
from the assaults of the two, previous
days, which may be looked upon as O
the nature of preliminary operations
This was an action which WAS designed
to be decisive Of operations on the pres
emit position. Three different assaults
| xyoro made dI1ripty tho dor--af a in fh,