The Black Republican., 1865-04-15
BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS,
OUR GLORIOUS vICToRy

OUR GLORIOUS VICTORY
Gen. Grants magnificent campaign has
eliminated in the grandest victory of this
war, and the rebellion received the most
crushing blow that has yet been dealt it.
And if we consider the success of the Con-
federates in defending Richmond for four
years against immense armies, their contin-
ually growing and finally assured confidence
in the security of their capital, the resources,
political organization, military prestige and
hopes of the COnfederacy which centered
there, and which made Richmond the Con-
federacy, we cannot doubt that the heart of
the Confederacy is broken by this last VIC
tory of our brave officers and men. The de
tails of the operations which have been at
tended by these results are full of interest
and, stripped of all yerbiage, are substan-
TALLY as follows:
The movement OF our army commenced on
Tuesday, the 2Sth, when Gen. Sheridan
moved out with his cavalry along the rear of
our lines toward and beyond Rearn's Sta
ton.
On Wednesday morning, the second and
fifth corps followed, encountering but little
opposition, until the first division of the
fifth corps reached the point of junction OF
the Boydtown with the Quaker road when
a fight ensued in which we lost $50, and the
enemy $50 in killed and wounded, and 100
in prisoners. The enemy was finally driven
from his works, and retired to another line
+Io
of the first division followed up and took a
position with the left, about two miles
north of the road. The entire losses of the
first division for the day were a little over
45O. At the close of this engagement, the
second and fifth corps formed a junction
and advanced slowly, driving back the rebel
skirmishers, until darkness compelled a
suspension of operations. This was all the
important fighting during Wednesday,
During the night, however, the enemy kept
up furious cannonade along the lines in
front of the ninth corps, apparently with the
design of discovering, if possible, weak
spot, but they were baff1ed in their aim.
On Thursday our army in front of Peters
burg held continuous line, extending from
the banks of the James ON the right to
point on the Boydtown Plank Road, about six
miles cast of the Southside Railroad. Gen.
Sheridan had passed through Dinwiddie
Court house, and had slight skirmish, in
which the progress Of Gen. Crooks com
mand was somewhat retarded. These
skirmishes on the part of the cavalry and
extreme left of the infantry line, consti-
tuted all the fighting on Thursday. At the
close Of this day, the second corps was the
furthest advanced of the infantry column;
the fifth was posted in reserve; the twenty
fourth rested on the right of the second;
the sixth on the right of this; and the ninth
closed up with the Army of the James. In
Sheridan's movement this day, he discov-
cred that Lee had massed his troops ON his
right, and held strong position on the
Southside Railroad.
2 On Friday, the enemy having apparently
penetrated the design of our movement,
early assumed the offensive, commencing
operations by desperate assault on our
left, which they forced back to the posi-
ton previously held on the BoydtowT1 road.
Here our men promptly rallied and formed,
and after severe fighting for four hours,
drove the enemy back over the same
ground, and about two miles further, being
on the left of their own line, within about
two miles of the Southside Railroad, and
within short distance of the enemy's main
line of works south of the railroad. In this
temporary repulse of the fifth corps it lost
one hundred prisoners, and suffered sew
enty in killed and wounded. Subsequently,
on entering the ground, it captured about
four hundred of the enemy, and two of
their battle flags. An attack, about the
same time, on the right flank of the corps,
was handsomely repulsed, with heavy loss
to the enemy who, during the day lost in
casualties and prisoners, over 220O men.
Neither the second nor ninth corps was at
all engaged during the day.
Meanwhile Gen. Sheridan who, by a |
movement apparently aimed at the South |
side Railroad as far west as Burkesville.
had enticed away a considerable BODY of |
the enemy Nr the defense of that distant
point, suddeily turned eastward again, and |
on Friday WIS attacked by the enemy about |
three miles rom the railroad, with infan- |
try and cavalry. At first, our troops were |
driven, but on being reinforced, repulsed |
the enemy, and more than recovered their
lost ground. Our loss in killed and wound |
ed is estimated at about two hundred and /
fifty. That of the enemy was much larger
because of the reckless manner = which
they exposed themselves.
On Saturday the fighting became more
general, and appears to have been Of the
most desperate Character, resulting, how
ever, to our advantage. An important posi-
Jon called the Five Forks was recaptured