The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-14
RIcHM oND.
THE BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS,
Graphic Account Of the En-
gagement that Won
Richmond.
The Turning Point Of the Giant
COnfliCt--NOble Phil. Sheridan
Deals the Fatal Blow.
Correspondence of the New York World.

Correspondence of the New York World.
FIVE FORKS BATTLE FIELD,l
Saturday, April Ill Pm.
On Friday night Gen. Grant, dissatisfied, like
most observers, with the days business.
placed Gen. Sheridan in the supreme command
Of the whole of Warren's corps and all the
cavalry. Gen. Warren reported to him at
nightfall and the little army was thus COM
posed:
Three divisions of infantry, under Generals
Griffin, Ayres, and Crawford.
Two divisions of cavalry, formerly constitut-
manded by Gen. Merritt, under Gems. Devin
and Custer.
One division of cavalry of the Army of the
Potomac, under Gen. Crook.
One brigade or more of cavalry of the Army
of the James, under Gen. Mackenzie.
In this composition the infantry was to the
cavalry in the proportion of about two to one,
and the entire force, which 1 am forbidden to
enumerate, would be considerable army, far
up with the teens. Sheridan was absolute, and
his odly-shaped body began to bob up and
down straightway; he visited every part of
the line, though it stretched from Dinwiddie
Court House to the Quaker road, along the
Boydton Plank and It's adjuncts. At daybreak
on Saturday he fired four signal guns to ad-
monish Warren he was cut off; and his cav
airy, by diverging roads, struck their camps.
just south of Culpepper is certain Stony
Greek, the tributaries to which wind northward
and control the roads. Over Stony Creek went
Crook, making the longest detour. Custer
took bottom called Chamberlain's bed and
Devin advanced from Little Five Forks the
whole driving the rebels towards the left of
their works on'White Oak Road.
sHERIDAN's CAVALRY DIsMouNrsp.
We must start with the supposition that our
own men far outnumbered the rebels The
latter were widely separated from their com.
rades before Petersburg and the adjustment of
our infantry, as well as the great movable
force at Sheridan's disposal renders 1t doubtful
that they could have returned. At any rate
they did not do 30, whether from choice or
necessity, and it was part of our scheme to
push them back into their entertainments
This work was delegated to the cavalry entirely,
but as have said before, mounted carbneers
are no match for stubborn bayoneted infantry.
So when the horsemen were close up to the
rebels they were dismounted, and acted as in
fantry to AL intents. A portion of them, under
Gregg and Mackenzie, still adhered to the sad
die, that they might be put in rapid motion for
fanking and charging purposes but fully five
thousand indurated men, who had seen service
in line of battle on foot, and by charge and de-
plov essayed the difficult work of pressing bach
the rebel column. This they were to do sc
evenly and ingeniously that the rebels should
90 no farther than their works, either to escape
eastward or to discover the Whereabouts O
| Warren's forces which were already forming
Had they espied the latter they might have
become 80 discouraged as to break and take tc
the woods; and Sheridans object was to cap
ture them as well IS to rout them. 50 al