Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-12-22
BENJAMIN +. BUTLER.
Major General.

MAJOR Osneral.
"IIon. +. NJ. STANTON, Secretary of War"
On the evening of the 18th and morning of
the 18th he carried portion of the enemy's
first line of defences at Drury's Bluff, or Fort
Darling, with small loss. The time thus con-
sumcd from the 9th lost to us the benefit of the
surprise and capture of Richmond and Peters
burg enabling, as it did, Beauregard to collect his
loose forces in North and South Carolina ard
bring them TO the defence of those places. On
the 10Th the enemy attacked Gen. Butler in his
position in front Of Drury's Bluff. lie was
forced back, into his intrenchments between
the forks OF the James and AppomatoX rivers,
the enemy ntrenchlng strongly in his front,
thus covering his railroads. the city, and all that
was valuable to him. His army, therefore,
though in a position of great security, was as
completely shut off from further operations di-
rectly against Richmond as if it had been in
bottle strongly corked. 1t required but COM
paralively small force of the enemy to hold it
there.
Butler and his army being thus corked up at
Bermuda Hundred, the enemy was enabled to
send nearly all of the re-ntorcements brought
by Beauregard from the South against the Ar
my of the Potomac. A large part of the troops
forming Gen. Buffers force was Withdrawn by
Gen. Grant and ordered to join Gen. Meade.
I The report then refers to the operations in the
Shenandoah Valley in the spring and summer
of 1864, the defeat Of Sigel, his removal from
command, and Hunters abortve expedition
against Lynchburg. The Lieutenant General
is of opinion that had Gen. Hunter moved by
way of Charlottesville, instead of Lexington, as
his instructions contemplated, he would have
been in a position to have covered the Shenan-
doah valley against the enemy, should the force
| he met have seemed to endanger it. II it did
not he would have been within easy distance of
the James river canal, on the main line Of com
municaton between Lynchburg and the force
sent for its defence Gen. Grant, however, has
never taken exception to the operations of Gen
eral Hunter, and is not now disposed to find
fault with him, having no doubt he acted within
what he conceived to be the spirit of his in
struclions and the interests of the service.
Returning to the operations OF the Army o.
the Potomac, Gen. Grant has occasion to cen
sure severely the unaccountabe remissness O
Gen. VIM. +. Smith in failing to take possess
ion of Petersburg. TO quote from the Report
"Afer the crossing of the James had com
meneed proceeded by steamer to Bermuda
Hundreds to give the necessary orders for The
immediate capture of Petersburg.
The instructions TO General Butler were yer
bal and were for him to send Gen. Smith i'm
medately, that night, with all the troops h
could give him without sacrificing the position
he then held. Gen. Smith got off as directed
and confronted the enemys pickels near Pc
/ tersburg, before daylight next morning hut 10
some reason, that | have never been able t
satisfactorily understand, did not get ready t
assault his main lines until near sundowr
I Them with part of his command only, h
made the assault, and carried the lines north
! east OF Petersburg from the Appomatox Rive
! for distance of over two and a half miles, car
turing fifteen pieces of artillery and three hume
e red prisoners. This was about p. NJ. b,
tween the line thus captured and Petersbur
G there was no other works, and there was n
n evidence that the enemy had reinforced Peter
D burg with single brigade from any sourc
. The night was clear-the moon shining brigh