The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-30

Federal cavalrys Inassed under General
Sheridan, numbering about $4,000 sa-
bres. splendidly equipped. and conver-
ted by their able commander into a
body of military horsemen upon whom
an Austrian or French sGbreur might
have looked without disdain, moved
southwards down the Valley of Virgin
la between the LIST and 10th of last
March, and encountered a scratch Con-
federate army of about 5000 men un-
der General Early, at Waynesboro'
General Early, distrustful of his men,
who were equally distrustful of him
placed them with their backs to deep
river, in order to make retreat impossi-
bic. The result is easily foreseen. Gen.
Sheridan bagged two thirds of his en-
emy's force, and most of his enemy's
artillery. Sweeping rapidly onwards
towards the James river between Rich
mond and Lynchburg, Sheridan found
himself confronted by swollen and
impossible stream. He fell back, roun-
ded the left wing of Lees army, eros
sed, the, Pamunkey. river at the
White House (where- he recruited his
strength by picking 1,200 fresh horses
which awaited him there and upon
the 25th of March joined Gen. Grant
in the lines before Petersburg. To
Sheridan's untiring and sagaeious ac-
tivity in the subsequent operations,
more than to the agency of any other
man, is due the completeness of the
Federal triumph the seemingly mex
plcable collapse of the Confederacy.
It was not long before Gen. Grants
accession of strength was felt by Gen.
Lee 4,irs
Upon the evening of Saturday, April
LIST, General Lonstreet, who had long
defended Richmond by commanding
the Confederate forces to the North Of
James river, received information from
Lee that Grant had detached Sheri-
dams cavalry and two corps of infantry
(about $4,000 men in all) to actagainst
the South-Side railroad. Before com
municating with Longstreet, Lee had
dispatched Pickett's and Bushrod
Johnson's divisions, Huger's battalion
of artillery, and Fitzhugh Lees divis-
ion of cavalry (inall about Il, 900 mem
to rect the attack with which the
South-Side railroad was menaced. But
in sending away these $4,000 men
Lee had so weakened his lines before
!, Petersburg, that there was but one
Confederate left to every fifty yards
! Under these circumstances, Lee cal
ed upon Longstreet for men. But a
dawn upon the End of April befory
Long street had time to obey Lee
orders, Grant deserted from his woodel
tower of observation the weakness o
the Confederate lines. Immediatel,
he threw very heavy column, consist
ing, I believe chiefly of Gibbons corps
) upon the weakest spot. The Federal
carried. with very slight loss, the QUITE
line, thinly held by Heth's division o
) Confederates. and bulged inward unit
they struck two of the detached forts
4 whereof string or, system ran behint
t the whole length Of the Confederat
J, outer works. Thesatwo detached forts
S which were of course designed to cove
!, each other, were named Forts Greg
8 and Alexander.
o IA The officer in command of Fort A
q exander, which was farthest away frol
S the on-coming Federals, deemed /
Y more important to save his guns tha
to try and help Fort Gregg. Recei'
e ing no assistance from its twin brothe
Z Fort Gregg, manned by Harris's Mi
i sissippi brigade, numbering $50 ur
e daunted men, breasted intrepidly tt
s tide Of its mnltitudaaous assailant
a Three times Gibbons corps surged y
d and around the work three time
d with dreadful carnage, they were dri'
4 en- back. I am told that it was subs
n quently admitted by General Gibbol
3 that he lost from five to six hundrt
! men; or, in other words, that each Mi
IS sissippian inside the works struck dow
# at least two essailants When at la
) the work was carried, there RENAME
/ out of two hundred and fifty defender
n but thirty survivors. In those M
d memorable April days there was ]
J episode more glorious to the. Confed
= rte arms than heroicsef-immolatie
8 OF the Mississippians in Fort Gregg
. gain time for their comrades. -
q Fort Gregg fell about 2 clock
# the morning of the I'd. After del
: of two or three hours, the FEEDERS
e swept onwards in the direction OF 7