, 1865-04-08
SHERIDAN.
RATTLE OF THE FIVE
FORKS,

FORKS.
Graphic Description Of. the Fight
which Decided the Fate Of
the Rebellion,
/ [Eorrespoadence Of the New York World
| FIVE gonKs FAT71x F1ELD,l
| ,--..... April l-i1 p. m. {
/ sHER1DAN's CAVALRY D1sMoUNTED.
We must start with the supposltion that
our own men tar outnumhcrcd the rebels
The latter were widely separated from theit
comrades before Petersburg and the adjust
mint OF our infantry as well as the great
movable force at Bheridan's disposal. rem.
ders 1t doubtful that they could have return
ed. At any rate they did not do 81, whether
i.om Ghelce or necessity, and It was part Of
trenchmcnts., This work was delegated to
| Inc cavalry entirely. but. as have safd b.
| lore, mounted carbineers are no match for
| s Unborn, bayoneted infantry. 30, o,when the
hsrkemen were close up to the rebels, they
we're dismonnted, and acted as infantry to al
In ents.. A portion Of them, under Gregg
and mackenzie, still. adhered to the saddle,
that they might be put In rapid motion for
1ant ing and charging purposes; but fully
| five thousand indufated men, who had seen
service In the. Shenandoah and elsewhere,
we're formed in lina Of battle on foot, aud BY
cha'ge and deploy 'essayed tie difficult work
Of pressing back the entire rebel column.
Ibis they were to do SO evenly and Ingenious
y that the rebels should 20 no farther than
tne1r work., either to escape eastward or to dis
cover the Wheieabouts Of Warren'st forces
pied the latter they might hare become 80
discouraged as to break and take. TO the
woods; and shelidan's object was capture
them as we'll Is ruut them. So ali the after
noon tht cavalry pushed them hard, and the
sar1ie went on unlntesruptedly and tcrriiicRl-
y. have no space IN This hurried dispatch
" advert either to individual losses or to the
many thrilling episodes # the fight. 1t was
fought at 80 close quarters that Ouc carbincs
wrlc ntvcr ont Of range for lad this been
ofhel wise, the long rifles Of the enemy would
have given them every advantage. With
their llorses within cali, the cavalrymen, in
line OF battle, stood together like walls Of
stCne, swelling onward ike those gradually
e,es ating ridges Of which Lyell speaks. NuW
and then detachment of rebels would charge
down upon US, swayiug tue lines and threat
cnlng to annihilate us for at no part OF the
exhibit either doubt or dismay, but fought
up to t1e standard Of the most valiant trea-
SUI the world has ever had, aud here and
there showing Some Of those wonderful feats
Of individual courage which are tho miracles
Of the time.
:, 4 Colonel With shattered regiment came
down upon us in u charge. The bayouets
were fixed; the men came on with q yelI !;
their gray uniforms seemed black amidst tho
smoke their preserved colors torn BY Crane
and ball, waved yet dc6antly; twice they
halted aid poured In yolleys, but came on
tn again like the surge from the fog, depict
Cd, but determined; yet, In the hot iaces of
| the carbineets, tpey read purpose as rcso-
}ute, but more calm, and, while they passed
along, swept MI the Whilc By scatnns vol
1eys, group OF llorsc'uen so9k them In tl4nk.
It was an awful instant. The horses re-
coilcd The charging column trcmbled like 4
single thing, hut at onto the rebels, with rare
organization, fell into hollow square, and
with sol1d sheets OF steel deied our ceutaurs.
The hnTsemen rode around them in vain no
charge could break the shining squares, until
our dismounted ca1hineeis poured in their
ranks, aud ahen in thtir Tayering time the
casal'y thunde1cd down. The rebels could
stend no more; they reeled mud swaycd, and
teu back broken and beaten. And on the
ground their Colonel lay, sealing his devotion
with his life.
Through wood and brake and swamp,
across field and trench, NC pushed the light
ing defenders steadily. For q part Of the
tame, Sheridan himself was there, short and
broad, and active, waving his hat, giving
orders, seldom out of fire, but never station
aly, and close by fell the long yellow locks Of
CustaI, taber extended, fightlngli like Eiking,
though he was worn and haggard with much
wolE. At 4 o'clock The rebels were behind
their wooden walls at Five Forks, and still
the cavalry pressed them hard. In feint rather
than solemn effort, while a battalion dis
mounted, charEsd sq1arely upon the face Of
their breaatworks. which lay IN the man on
the nor b side of the White Oak road. Then
while the cavalry worked round towa-d the
rear. tho infantry Of Warren, though COM
manded by Sheridan, prepared to take pa1t
in the battle.
PITCH OF THE BATTLE.
We were already on The rebel right In force,
and 1hinly In their rear. Our carbineers we
making TENT to charge in direct front, and
our infantry, four deep, hemmed in their
slant note SO thorough was their confusion,
but seeing 1t directly they, 80 far from giving
up, concentrated all energy and fought like
ferds- They had 4 battery in position which
belched necessarily, and over the breast.orks
| their musketry made one rnbroken roll,
| while against Sheridan's p.owlers on their
| lett, by skumish and sortie, they stuck to
| their sinking fortunes SO as to win unwilling
applause from mouths OF wieess een.ure.
1t was just at the coming mp Of the infau-
try that shcsidan's little band was pushed
the bardcst- Al one time, indeed, they seem-
I'd about to undergo extermirat on not that
they wayered, but that they were SO vastly
| overpoWered. Il WIN remain to the lsteat
tine matter Of marvel that so pa1try q cav
alry force could prtss back sixteen thousand
infantry !; but when the infantry blcwIlke q
g1.at barn door-the simile best applicable
upon the tncny's left, the victory th4t was
| TO come bad passed the region Of strategy and
resolved 10 an affair OF pers.nal courage. We
bad net the enemy; were they to be ours ?
10 expedite this Contamination every officer
| t1r,x f,.tjr ho11n
ed IN his black pony, the eame which he rode
at Winchester, Sheridan galloped everywhere,
his finished 1ace al the Iedder, and his pie
thosic, but nervous figure all the more ubiqui-
tons. He gallnptd once straight down the
rebel front, With bur handful Of his staff.
one graztd his arm, at which a faithful ordsr-
j. lode; the black pony leaped high. in
fright, and Sheridan was untouched, but the
ordvrly lay dead on the nEld, and the
saddle dashed asar empty. General
Warren rode NTH Crawford most
wise, and mating two Or three narrow es.
capes. he was dark, dashfDR, and Individual
] Is ever, but for some reason or other Was re-
liesed Of his command after the battle, aud
Griffin mas lnstat.d in his place. General
Sheridan ordeled Warren to report to Gen.
Grants headquarters, sending tho order BY
an aid. We shall probably have m explains
tion Of this tall from E{act very soon. War.
run, on his own hook, did not meet on FIJI.
day with his general success, aud on 3atur-
day Sheridan WIS the master spirit; but
Warren is gentleman rs wen as General,
and is only oyershadowed by greater genius
not obltefated. Ayrcs, accounted thz best
soldier in the 5th corps, but too quietly mod
est Tor his own favcr, fought like lion In
this pitch Of battle, making all the taint-
hearted around him ashamed to do i'll with
such an example contiguous. Gen. Bartlett,
keen.faced and active like fiery cmttcr,
lesdipg bis division rs If he were an fnmor-
tai! He vas closest at hand In the most gal.
liant episodes, and l:ld at uightfall q bundie
Of captured battle.aags. But Gritia, tall and
slight, was the master genius Of the 5th corps,
ed. He led the charge on the 11ank, and
WAS The fist to mount the paralet with his
horse. riding over the gunns1s as May did
at CtrTo G6rGo, and Gu ting them down.
Burtlett's brigade, b. hind him, finished the
business, and the last cannon was fred for
the day against the conqncrins FedcEals.
General Crawford fulfilled his full share 0!
duties Throughout the day, amply sustained
by such splendid commanders as Baxtee,
Coulter. and Kellogg, wh!le Gwin and Bow
erymaD were at Eanu in the division If GEN
eral AyTes; not to omit the fallen Win!llrop,
who dted 10 save filed and wln ueW
laurel. What shall Eay for Chamberlaine,
whs', beyond all question, is the first Of our
brigade commanders, having been the hero
Of both Quaker Road and G.ayei1y Run, and
In this action Of Fire Forks making the air
ring with the applaudmg huzzas of bis sol
die.s, who lore Inn His Is one of the names
that Will survive the common wreck OF
shoplder-straps after the war.
BIT am indiy,dpaliz,ng The fight, as ne
CLOSED upon the rebels, was singu!ariy free
| fit m rreat 1o.seg nu Dur side. though des.