Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-04-13
large portions of those corps, We're at
the Five Forks.

tut FlNt FOIhSs
Friday morning came, and the pros
poets of success were far from being
pleasant. 1t was impossible to move.
The soldiers erected breastworks, but IL
was q cheeress day till the sun made
its appearance. The pioneers aud de
tails from the regiment went TO work
building miles of corduroy road, Fri
day night and Saturday forenoon passed
away, 1t was tair weather once more,
and the roads began to be passabe,
Once more Sheridan formed his lines
this time having active co operation
from the Misunderstanding his attack
upon the Five Forks. There was spir-
tied attack and spirited resistance, but
the gate was opened just before sun
down, and 400 prisoners and Is guns
We're taken.
The troops carried the works by storm.
Hundreds of rebels threw down their
guns, making no effort to escape, The
way was open To the SoUthsde railroad.
The army of Petersburg was in Grants
hands. He determined to tnrn it to
quick account. ATTACK along the
whole line" was his message TO the
corps commanders.
At 10 oc,ock Saturday evening the
cannonade began. All the batteries
Joined, all the forts, the gunboats in the
AppomattOX, the batteries west of Ber-
muda Hundred and the monitors by the
Howlet house. There was a constant
succession of flashes and an unbrOken
roll of thunder. The rebels had no peace
during the night" Send up the provost
brigade, was the dispatch sent to City
Point. The 6lst Massachusetts, Hath
! New York and other regiments and
Sheridan's dismOunted cavalry were out
at daybreak and on the march.
From ten till one O'Clock the cannon
ade was kept up. Then there was ST.
lence, hut the 9th corps was in secret
preparation for a decisive movement.
WilcoXs division was on the right
reaching from the Appomattox down
past Fort Steadman to the Avery House
/ Opposite the Avery House as at Fort
| Sedgewick the other divisions hold the
| lines. Gen. Parke placed Gen. Hart
| ranft with the Sd division on the right,
and the I'd division Gen. Patten, on the
left. 1t was precisely four o'clock when
| the divisions leaped from their intrench-
ments, and with beyonets fixed without
firing a gun, but with wild, tumultu-
GUS cheer leaped upon the enemy's
works, sweeping over the rebel picket
| line as a great wave of the sea sweeps
in the sticks and stems strewed upon it's
| shore. Hating not, but tearing away
the abattls in front of the forts they
| rushed on dashed past them, gained the
| rear, swarmed over the establishments,
leaped into the emOrasures and passed
over the parapet, 1t was the work of
| five minutes only but the forts four in
number, mounting between twenty and
thirty guns, were theirs. Seven hund-
red prisoners were taken, and the guns
in an instant were turned upon the sec,
ond line of rebel works in the rear.
But now came the grape and canister
and shells, which made sad havoc in
| their ranks. Gen. Potter fell badly
wounded; but they held on to what
they had gained "You must hold it till
noon," was Gen. Parke's word to them
| They Obeyed him, maintaining their po-
| sition until relieved by the provost brig
| ot'C dItlNlbS liOnI OlbS IOluJ. uG iGp-
els were angry. They tried twice dur
| ing the forenoon to regain what they
had lost, making charges, but were re-
| pulsed. Meanwhile all the forts along
| our line were pouring hot fire of shells
and solid shot on the rebel batteries tC
| keep them silent, and succeeded in part
The lst division captured one battery
near the Appomattox and took fifty
prisoners, but, having no support, coulC
| not hold it, and retired.
1t was seven o'clock in the morning
before the left wing was ready to move
| Beyond Hatcher's Run, on the right O
the End corps, was Hayes division i'm
mediately in front of the rebel fort
| The men were ready to move, to have {
share in the glorious work of the day
Sheridan, during the night, had marched
with his cavalry through the gateway
and was in possession of Southsidt
railroad and was moving in rear of thu
rebel works beyond the Run. They
conld not be held. 1t was as if having
gained the rear of house, he was en-
tering by the back door. The 5th corps
moved up the Boydtown plank road
| lIOi UhCeLSb uoW. lldyCo Wv 10
ion, supported by the others, moved up
| on the fort and carried it. The 24ti
corps at the same moment sprang upol
the work on the north bank and planteo
the stars and stripes. Then the 6tl
corps, taking up the line of march
broke straight through the rebel line
gathering in a large number of prison
ers. Before ten o'clock ten forts wer
carried by the valor Of the troops, whicl
might have been ably defended had no
the gate " been forced. But wit
Sheridan in their rear, the sound of hi
guns echoing along the Appomattoz
what hope was there for them? None
The position was lost. Petersburg wa
no longer tenable.
Gg Some one has started story whic
is too good to be true, that the day befor