Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-04-06
The battles around Petersburg.

nected summary of the leading facts, as
far as they are known, win however, be
of interest and assist in better unders-
landing of the general plan of operations
as we'll as of the more minute details as
received.
In connection with the movement Of
the troops about Petersburg to the west,
took place the transfer OF the bulk Of
the army OF the James, under Ord, to
the south. One corps only, the Goth,
under Gen. Weitzel was left on the north
side Of the James River. This corps is
composed entirely, we believe Of negro
troops, and was the first, as our readers
know, to enter Richmond On Sunday
night, then, Gen. Ord's forces formed
the right, the Sixth army corps the cen
ter; and the Fifth and Second corps with
Sheridan's cavalry the left ofour line then
extending from the Appomattox river
below Petersburg, around south and up
across the Southside Railroad to the
river again above that city. This swing
ing round Of the entire army to the left
distance of about twenty-five miles,
involving the seizure of the only railroad
remaining to the rebels that entered
Petersburg and determining as it did
the fate of both that city and Richmond
was of course not effected without the
most desperate possible opposition on
the part of the rebel army. Hence the
fierce battles of Friday Saturday and
Sunday. We avail ourselves of the fol-
lowing summary Of events connected
with this movement which we find in the
New York Times
The movement was commenced by
Gen. Ord on Tuesday morning. On
that day he began to cross his army
over the James River at Deep Bottom
and Jones Neck. He had then to march
over the Bermuda Hundred Peninsula !;
to cross the AppOmattOX on pOntOOn
bridges at Point Of Rocks, and thence
he had march Of five miles to the
nearest works in front of Petersburg.
Laborious as this movement must have
been, we isee how admirably timed it
proved to be, and how thoroughly it
dOvetailed with the advance of our left
on Wednesday morning. The first days
work, with the exception of the skirm-
ish at Quaker road, seems to have in
vOlved nothing beyond the unoppOsed
march Of the main body of our infant
ry towards the BOydtown plank road,
the Fifth corps leading, and Sheridan,
with his cavalry, making his way with
out opposition by the Halifax road tow
ards Dinwiddie Courthouse. Thursday
also found the rebels unprepared to offer
any effective resistance. But the en-
gagements which ensued on Friday,
first between Sheridan's force and the
rebel cavalry under W. II. F. Lee and
Fitzhugh Lee, near POwanty Greek, and
next, between the Fifth and portion of
the Second corps and two divisions of
LOAgstreet's corps, west of the Boyd
town plank-roqd, show that Lee had be-
gun to comprehend in part the scope Of
Grants operations, and that whatever
resistance he could offer, would thence
forth be employed.
1t is needless to hide from ourselves
that in both the cavalry and infantry
engagements Of Friday, our forces lost
ground, and lost very considerably in
killed, wounded and prisoners. These
reverses, however, were fully compen-
stated for in the subsequent engagements
The Presidents last dispatch, of Satur
days date, makes it clear that in the
early part of that day the forces of Sher-
idan and Warren combined had not on
ly recovered their lost ground, but had
pressed the rebels back to the White
Oak road within short distance Of the
Southside railroad. The subsequent OPP
erations of the day seem to have been
crowned with unqualified p~~ccesS'
SHERIDAN" says Gen Grants Adjutant-
General, commanding cavalry and in
fantry has carried everything before
him. He captured three brigades OF in
fantry, a wagon train, and several bat
teries of artillery" The rebel prieon-
ers taken in the engagements Of Satur-
day will number it is said several
thousand.
The Presidents kilograms of Sunday
give still more decisive and cheering
news. At an early hour the whole OF
our line, from right to left, was engaged
with the rebels, and long before noon
the battle was raging furiOusly, with ev-
erything looking well for our arms. Still
later Parke, Wright and Ords lines were
extending from the AppomattoX to
Hatcher's Run; the enemy's lines hav
ing been pierced, and several forts taken
with their contents Of guns and pris
oners. Sheridan, too, was closing in
from the west on the extreme left Of
our lines, while Wright was tearing up
the Southside Railroad. But even this
was but an earnest Of the coming tri-
umph which the day was to witness.
Before noon Gen. Grant was able to re-
| port that everything in front of our
lines had been carried" with forts,
guns and prisoners beyond his power of
| numbering.
Still later-and to wind up the splen-
did record--the President announces the
capture of 1900 prisoners and fifty
pieces of artillery. Petersburg at the
same time being invested from the river
| below to the river above,
The operations thus far, it will be
seen, did not include either the capture
! ~ ID - Il