Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-03
The Battle Around Petersburg.

Tho entire natlon nAs eentereQ us gaze on
tho operations now going on around Peters
burg. While Sherman and Schoheld are
resting at Goldsboro, while Stanley is lost to
view IN the mountains of Tennessee and
Virginia, and while Candy is preparing for
his attack on Mobile, the struggle has been
transferred By the Lieutenant General to
the very heart of the Confederscy. For
five days the gallant Army Of the Potomac
hes been engaged in oneof themost sanguin-
srvand stubburn contests Of the war. At the
present writing, neither party can be said
to have gained decisive and final advan-
tags, though, thus far, every movement of
our forces has apparently been successful
in its object, and the whole position of af-
fairs s most favorable for final success.
It is difficult, smid the maze of kilograms
of different dates from different sources,
and sometimes giving contradictory intel
ligence for the casual reader to get
any connected ides of the movements
made during the last five days.
We propose, therefore, to give q
brief resume of the progress Of events from
the first demonstration by Grants left to
the south of Petersburg, up to yesterday at
eleven o'clock, the date of President Lin
coins last telegram.
On Wednesday, March 29th, at four A.
NJ, the Second and fifth Corps, occupying
the left of Grants line, moved out of their
intrenchments to the south and west, with
the evident intention Of outasnking the
enemy on their right. The Sixth snd
Ninth Corps retained their position in
front Of Petersburg, and the line held by
the Second and Fifth Corps was manned
by General Ord's troops, from the Army
Of the james. General Sheridan's troops
moved, on the same day, upon Dinwiddie
Court House eighteen miles southwest Of
Petersburg. No opposition was made to
the movement except in front of the
Fifth Corps, where desperate resistance
was made by the enemy. The particulars
of the fight are given in another column.
On Thursday, March 3OIh, in spite of
heavy rains, which added greatly to the
difficulty Of the advance, the troops pushed
on two miles further, and tho Fifth Corps
-eached the Boydtown plank road. The
enemy made but slight resistance on this
day, and our loss was light. Sheridan oc-
cupied Dinwiddie Court House.
On Friday, March 81st, our forces adj
vanced. After hard fighting they were
driven back to the Boydtown plank road,
but, rallying, recovered their ground and
advanced still further. Oar loss was
heavy.
On Saturday, April I'd, Sheridan's cav
airy, together with the Fifth Corps, after
more bloody work, drove the enemy still
further west and north, capturing three
brigsdes,s wagon train, and several bat
teries of artillery. This seems to have
been the turning point of the struggle
and resulted in our gaining favorable po-
sition in the rear of Petersburg, about six
or eight miles from the town.
On Sunday, April 2nd, the hanking
movement having been successfully exc
cuted, and the enemy having in ell prob
ability Withdrawn most Of its men from
the defenses in front of Petersburg TO re-
pei it, General Grant ordered a general
attack 10 be made on the whole line of
works surrounding Petersburg, and up to
the latest dates, the battle was raging fu-
riously along the whole line, from City
Point away around south of Petersburg to
the South Side Railroad on the west. The
details of the contest are clearly given in
our dispatches, and all appears TO be pro
gressing well. Parke and Wright have
taken the enemy's works in front
Of the doomed city, while Sheridan's cav
airy and the Fifth and Second Corps are
sweeping down upon is rear. Petersburg
is surrounded with wall of fire, and its
capture would seem certain.
If the object of ths movement was the
capture of Burks Station, it has been
changed by events. More probably, how.
ever, the original intention is that which
is now being carried out-the capture of
Petersburg.