The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-04-13


had tho wound dressed on the field,
and continued in charge Of his brigade.
There were other heroes. Getty'S and
Wheaton's, and Seymour's divisions
were heroes, every man. So were
Turner's and Fosters. Jolly Foster,
true type Of the Hoosier, man of the
Logan stamp, enjoyed the work of the
morning far moro than anything
earth could furnish.
Ten o'clock came, and leaving our
left, pausing in front Of the third line
Of the rebel works, we must sweep
around to the right where the 9th
corps is still battling. Here the rebels
made what seemed q determined effort
to retake what they had lost, but
which was in reality an attempt to
cover their withdrawal from Peters
burg. Gordon made the effort, but
Lee was in town personally superin-
tening everything. The rebels made
u charge, and seemed for time like
ly to drive the 9th corps from the line
it had won so easily. The fire was
particularly heavy on the second d.
vision and on the third. General Pot
ter commanding the second division,
was shot through the groin. and borne
dying from the field, and his men fell
in scores around. Still the division
stood firm to the works. and repulsed
the enemy at last. Harlauit was
overtasked. His little division of two
brigades, had been quito a severcr test
than ever new troops had been called
on to undergo. Covered with the
glory of Steadman, they had been in
the trenches night and day since, and
their physical strength was so weak
that for a moment they retired. But
only for q moment. One last effort, a
straining as of the muscles of an over
strung horse, and with the effort the
enemy was beaten back. But we lost
one fort at last, and the line was to
that extent broken.
More troops were needed on this part
of our lines. Where should they come
from? Every man Of the Army ofthe
Potomac was already in use. The 9Th
and End corps were already. en- route
to cut off the anticipated retreat of the
enemy; and not o man of the 9th, oath,
or of Birney7s division of the 25th
torps could be spared from the line
west of Petersburg, for although not
yet meeting with any opposition they
could not come, the ground we had
gained there must be held against any
possible attack. But Forts Steadman
and Hill, and all the others on that
front must have more men, and they
were found. There were five splendid
regiments and hundreds ef Sheridan S
dismounted men at City Point, and
City Point was stripped of them. All
we're hurried instantly to the front, and
all the garrisons and wharves of the
Point were left with only one hundred
and forty men. The critical hour is
past now and the fact can be told
For the first time every man in the
armies operating against Richmond
was employed in active operations
against the enemy.
These troops arrived at Meade Sta
ton at noon, and were hurried to the
front; but the yeoman service they
did was some two hours later in the
day, and the order of events requires
that wo again hurry to the left, where,
at eleven o'clock, the splendid war pro-
gramme was still visible, with all its
shifting, glorious charges. Glorious
they were, because each spoke in
thunder tones of the Generalization,
the ruin of Lees army.
Meade and Wright and Giddon were
still at work. The 9th corps was
shifting to the right, and how was it
being done? In plain view and easy
range of the their interior line of Lee,
we were moving in column as if on a
gala day parade, and so in truth it
was; the army of the Union in joyful
attendance on the funeral OF the rebel
lion.
At this hour not q sound came from
the field not gun was speaking
anywhere; not shout heard on all
the line. The rebel lines were as
hushed as our own; their guns looked
down trowningly upon us from the
huge forts in which they were incascd,
but not one ofthem spoke; not horse
neighed not drum or bugle sound
ed not ono of the ammunition wag-
ons moving hither over the sandy soil
of the undulating landscape, gave
forth a sound. The whole field was
stilled as if in death.
Suddenly one of the guns upon the
fort on the rebol left belched forth q
dull report; a wreath of rising smoke
the bursting of a shell, and all was
still again. The next moment anoth-
er, then another, then threeguns open
ed in continuous roar. They were
attempting to retard the march ofthree
of our brigades gaining the shelter ofa
small skirt of timber upon their left,
from which to assault them. Vain
hope! The columns move on, paying
them not even the compliment of a
moments pause, or of a gun in reply.
Poor Lee! struggling like a child in
the hand of a giant determined to de-
stroy him. Thus tho hour passed,
and by twelve o'clock it was discover
ed that Lee was in retreat over the
Appomattox. From our signal tow
ers his columns could be seen begin
ming to move over the river oh three
seperato pontoons, just above the city,
and huge fires were already seen rag
ing in tho town itself, showing that