The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-09

opg lines a,out PEER and R,chnond 10 the pu
pose o. uniting with Johnston, before he Was w,
from 1i IN by battle, or was prepared TO make an "a.
tuil pursuit On the oath OF March Gcncra Sher y,
laeved from White House, crossed the James river
Jo les landing, and formed junction with the army
the Potomac front Of Petersburg the 9th During
this Aoye General Ord sent forces to the crossings
OF thc<Chickahominy
0sDR A GENERAL ADVANCE.
On the ttth Of March the following instr ctons for
general eme0t Of the armies operating against Rich
mond were aIied:-
err PoISr. Va. March y. 1888
r. ne s 1ai s spsanI
y "rainx S the s e1sso
saS @ sssas
efforts to reach and destroy che southsde and Da.vii RAJ
a. @ isr t.o "5 ts he
A
cavalry under 81 ed y s %
crossing ,ns Es..Swsy and xssi
sheridan under G:nsr r.
rom he A%S Nj Of
at s
ali hs ARMY lett FOR holding the lines about
Point q SrS Sn from the eSD, %
hold present line e long re
Of
position BY 1s capture
e as Ninth q WIN be 1ss
may % ne oss, Two s,. and
eoored. them hs and hold II.
and na Ss for ns % I'd o
orders given the white divisions WIN a., foow the ef.
The s s al ss
| behind from the Army Of the James. :.
ss s sss
leave behind the minimum number Of cavalry necessary for
spsdosy from orSs
for s The II e have 70 Be @
i prise nd there from
They sSm e as all s
The
DO FL ss
bridge Weldon being fitted for the passage Of carriages
p % hs Be- @ have
AL the @ %GTe wn ouT hauling
q ;Ss $s,ose
win dso his 1S Ss "a e road S
iii up in passing Sixty rounds Of ammunition per
taken as kn s a n.sss a.
other supplies The densely country in which the
p prs % s AIKEN with win
70 six or eight guns to each division at the option oil the army
preparations for s'yns these
the Ninth corps should be massed as much q: possible
sns%ys T line By VI hs% they should
them the wases as
this win have ,.ISns s;sa e
s s1s
e o. g he % w Se
prompness attack will not be feasible unless i s found
ssssrdsd relying asr
ly be sr all he ao
Of the James except enclosed TO be abandoned
these instructions Arre rags O The armies operating
sns an om shns s lines S
Su1 Of Il. s os ssm an \ turtle
u cannot be impressed too strongly upon commanders o.
taxing advantage OF IT, The very fact or enemy coming
4 does might Se regarded re las almost cs
have particularly enjoinsd upon cors commandc.s that
orders from the oiaosT q The
promptly sna notify the comnandsr Of their action
would cnjein the action the part q division
In like would urge the Importance Following up
u. s. GRANT, Lieutenant General
| Major Generals MEADE, ORD and SHERIDAN
TIM Loss AND REcAPTURE FORT srEADsAs.
Early on the morning Of 26th the enemy assaulted
lines in front Of the Ninth corps (which held from
Seadman and part OF the line TO the right and left OF
H. established themselves and turned the guns OF the
fort against but our troops on either Hank held their
ground until the brought up, when the
enemy back with heavy loss In kilIcd and
wounded and 1900 prisoners Our loss was IS killed,
1897 wounded and 500 missing General Meade at once
ordered the other corps to advance and feel the enemy
in their respective fronts. Pushing forward they cap
line in front OF the Second and sixth CORPS and S34
prisoners The enemy made desperate attempts to retake
success.
was SO killed, se4 wounded, and 207 missing The
enemy Is loss in killed and wounded was lar greater
General sherman having got MS troops ai q1e.ay IN
ing supplies to them perfected visited me at City Point
the eth Of March, and stated that he would be ready
to move he had previously written me- by the 10th
of April fully equipped and rationed for twenty days,
it should become necessary TO bring his command to
against Lees army in cooperation with our forces
in front Of Richmond and Petersburg. General sherman
proposed In this movement to threaten Raleigh, and
| then by turning suddenly to the right, reach the
l
" the Richmond and Danvie Railroad striking
il in the vicinity of Burkesvie, JOIN the armies
operating against Richmond, might be deemed best.
This plan he directed to carry into execution, Il no
received no further directions in the meantime ex
planned TO him the movement had ordered 10 commence
the 29th OF March That il II should not prove as
entirely successful hoped, would cut the cavalry
loose to destroy the Danve and Southside railroads.
and thus deprive the enemy OF further supplies and also
prevent the rapid concentration of Lees and Johnstons
| armies
had spent days of anxiety lest each morning should
bring the that the enemy had rctrcaicd the night
before I firmly convinced that Shermans crossing
the Roanoke would be the signal for Lee leave With
Johnston and him combined long, tedious and expen
sve campaign, consuming most o. tne summer, might
army In better condition for pursuit. and would at least
by the destruction of the Danvile road reard the con-
centsation Of the armies of Lee and Johnston and
| the enemy 10 abandon much material that he
might otherwise save. therefore determined not to
delay the movement ordered. t4f aH
On the night Of the 27th Major Gonenl Ord, with two
divisions Of the Twenty corps Major General Glib
| bon commanding and division OF the Twenty fifth
| corps, BrgadIef General Brney commanding, and
McKenxss cavalry took mp his line OF march In pursu
ancs Of the foregoing Instructions and reached the posi-
ton assigned him Hatchers the morning Of
the 10Th On the 2sth the following instructions were
4 given 70 Genersl Sheridan:--s iU .A1Asf pd By
7 rau afe Cry Pcsxr Va March - 1875
GrunAi-The Fifth corps viii By the Vaughn
rosd thrss morrow morning The scond moves
about nina A. M having but about thres miles 70 march
y reach the point dessnsted for V take on the right q
the rfh corps after the latter reaching pfnwtdde Court
Honse NOW your cavalry NJ early hour you can,
and without being conAned 70 any particular road q roads
cops pas els ard psssiae near % Or throush Din.
II h not the intention 70 attack The enemy In bib en-
ended position bst 20 force him ont poss1is Sloud
~ attack et hisclg where be cAn -
sliAcksd with your f6rca IN your way,
and with tho full relsnoe that the Will engage Or fob
low q wiz diciate shAn b On e asld
fnbt % ~ and you dnd that the emmy keepa within bis
main sAtssscAed live 20. ny cw tcss and push for sne