American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-04-12
PETERSBURG!!
SUNDAYS BATTLE! 1!
GRAND SUCCESS OF OUR TROOPS
Guns Turned on the Retreating Enemy
Gallantry Of the Veteran 9th Corps.
The Occupation of Petersburg.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoToMAo, /

/ .
of works which we have been trying in
vain for months to overcome, has at last
yielded TO our victorious arms, and the
greater portion of this army is tonight
within mile and a half of the city, on the
southwest side. The struggle made by
the enemy to retain these works has been
of the most desperate character, and for
the success obtained to-day we are indebt-
cd, not only to the strategy exercised by
the commanders. but to the ovcrwhelm-
ing numbers and bravery of the troops
that dil the work.
The orders for an attack on the line east
and south of Petersburg by the sixth aud
ninth corps were carried out punctually
at daylight, the artillery having been
hammering away the greater part of the
night along the entire Inc held by the
above corps Such a furious caunonade
has very seldom been heard during the
war, not even surpassed by that which
was heard on the occasion of the mine cx-
posion in front of Petersburg.
The Ninth corps troops engaged in the
action were the I'd and Sd divisions, and
Col Samuel Hamman's brigade of the lst
division The charge was made in front
of the forts He'll and Rice, on the Jcrusa-
lem road, and was so successful that by 8
A. NJ. we we've in possession of three fort
ilications Fort Wahone being the ex-
tcntion of these works, contained fourteen
guns, some of which were at once opened
upon the enemy, by the men belonging
to our infantry regiments. just out side
and about one hundred yards from Fort
Wahone, was another work, to which the
rebels retreated, and from whence they
threw most destructive fire upon our
men, causing them to retire from the fort,
when the rebels made a dash thinking to
recover it entirely, but the guns in the
right wing, as well as in the centre, had
been manned and shotted, and the assail-
ants were driven back
From this time till late in the afternoon
the struggle continued, the enemy using
every effort to recover the fort, while our
men were as determined to retain possess
ion of it. About noon it seemed that we
should lose, but soon after the provisional
brigade under Gen. Colliss, and the en-
gineer brigade, under Geu. Benham, with
Gen. Hamlin's brigade ofthe ninth corps,
came on the ground, and by their timely
arrival saved the gallant men in the fort
from capture, and again caused the enemy
to retire. The fire which rained on the
ground around this fort was of the most
terrible and fearful character, and at dark
the position of the contestants was the
same as during the day.
Gen. Wilcox with part of his division
made an attack in front of Fort MEG ivoy,
near the Appomattox, and took part of
the line, but was soon afterwards compell-
ed to retreat to his former position. owing
to the lack of supports.
The loss of the Ninth corps will reach
from 800 to 1000 in killed, wounded and
prisoners, among whom are Gen. Potter,
commanding the "a division, who is bad
ly wounded in the groin, but not fatally
it is thought; Col. Getchell, Of the 3lst
Maine, seriously; Maj. Bolton, of the 3lst
Maine, severely; Col. Gregg aud Lieut.
Col. Winslow, l74th New York, wounded !;
Maj Morrow, 205th Pennsylvania lost a
leg; Lieut.. Alexander, of the same regt
killed This corps has taken fourteen
guns, about two hundred prisoners, AID
two battle flags. The latter were taken
by the 2l1th Pennsylvania.
The sixth corps struck the enemy's line
in front of Fort Welsh, near the celcbra-
ted Lead Works, and carried them with
very slight loss. They pushed forth to
the South Side Railroad, which they
reached about niue clock, and in short
time after their arrival several miles of
that railroad were torn up and destroyed
They then moved towards Petersburg,
driving the rebels before them across
Town Run, and into their inner line close
to the city. They took large force of
prisoners, about two thousand in number,
and some twenty guns.
Special Dispatch to the Pittsburgh Commercial.
WASHINGTON, April 4. J
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoToMAo, !
April 5, 5 A. NJ. J
Yesterday I sent you some account of
the operations of the first days Of the fin