Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-05
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Operations Around Petersburg.

Operations Around Petersburg.
| NEW YORK, April 3.-The Herald's Army
of the Potomac special says: When the
present forward movement commenced, the
| 9TH corps moved southwardly, across Hatch
er's run, and then northwesterly to Quaker
road and Boydtown plankroad, between
Hatcher's and Gravelly runs. The I'd corps
| crossed Hatchers run simultaneously, and
moved up the south side of the creek to-
ward Boydtown road. The 9th corps was
| put into the place occupied by the I'd, and
| assisted it in forming the main line, some-
| what in the position of reserve. Sheridan,
in the meantime, moved his entire cavalry
| command around to Dinwiddie Court House,
thus threatening the South Side railroad,
and the enemy's right flank. AT dark, on
the evening of the Both, the left of the I'd
corps rested on the Boydtown plank road,
near Burgess tavern, about one mile south
of the bridge across Hatcher's run. The
9th corps had pushed on nearly due west
and lay fronting northward, with the pick
cts of Ayres' division within 500 yards of
| White Oak road. On the morning of the
| 3lst, the rebel troops, composed of Wise's
| Bushrod Johnson's and part of Picketts'
command, brought from the Chickahominy
| within the last torty-eight hours and per-
haps detachments of other organizations,
fell upon tAe left Of the 9TH corps, creating
great confusion. Ayres, division are re-
ported to have fought well, Dut co have been
overpowered by Crawford's division anu
thrown into ineXtricable confusion, and
driven back pell-mell for at least a mile and
| half but were finally reformed beyond
the Boydtown road, in front of the house,
| to attack before noon, and by 4:30 p. M. had
not only regained the lost ground, but es-
tablished two brigades on the White Oak
road in front of Ayres' position of the
morning. Tho fight was purely an infantry
one, and the troops that behaved so un-
accountably in the forenoon fought like
veterans before night. d
| At sundown last evening, our left flank
reached to William Dabney's, on the White
Oak road, three and one-fourth miles from
Five Forks, to the westward, and three
miles from the intersection of the White
Oak road with the Boydton road. From
Dabneys we held the road one mile east
ward from thatpoint and our line ran across
in an irregular semi-circular form to the I'd
corps, near Burgess farm.
There is no longer much doubt that Lee
has determined on concentrating and at
tempting to save the rebel capitol by whip
ping Grant and Sherman in detail. Hoke's
division is reported to be at the Two Forks
| to-day, in Sheridan's front. 1t also stated
that Johnson's whole army is en- route to
Richmond, and all non-combatants, includ-
| ing the families of the rebel leaders, are be-
Ing Sont away, from the city. Should this
prove true, Johnson's army will be sent over
the Petersburg and Weldon railroad to
Stony creek station, and marched thence
across to the South Side railroad, to some
point between Sutherland station near our
left, and the junction of this and the Dan
vile road. At Burkesville Sheridan found
himself so strongly confronted with infan-
try, Yesterday, that he was unable to make
any substantial advance. Late in the even
ing he had stubborn fight, resulting in a
drawn battle. During the night part of the
9TH corps was moved to hisSupport with
the expectation of striking the rebel infan-
trv on the flank and rear and cutting them
off from Petersburg entirely.
The losses of the 9TH corps yesterday are
not far from 1000 killed, wounded and miss
| ing.
The Herald's special correspondent, with
| Sheridan, gives the following account of
cavalry operations. His letter is dated at
| DinWildie Court House, 9 A. M, Saturday /:
WThe cavalry entered Dinwiddie Court
House at sunset on the Doth. Near Dinwid-
die they skirmished with battalion of the
10th North Carolina cavalry, and drove
them. with slight loss. Early on the MORN
| inc of the Roth they opened communication
/
The enemy were known to be watching to
make a dash, but did not have an opportll-
nitv. Sheridan's right extended to the
Roydtown road. which is the road running
| To five Forks. On this road General Mer-
| riff advanced n portion of his force. Cen
eral Devins led the advance. They had not
got far out before they came upon the enc
my's cavalry. This he charged and drove
back in confusion, taking a number of pris-
oners. He continued to follow until within
sight of Five Forks, where the enemy's In
fantry was found posted behind breast
works. He was now within three and one
half miles of the South Side railroad.
After careful reconnaissance we adj
| vanced again, moving the left wing around
| the infantry line that opposed. Soon after,
we learned that General Pickett had COM
mand of this rebel infantry line, and his
right rested on White Oak swamp, and his
| left by the rebel fortifications near Hatch
er's run. Pickett's division was reportedto
bo about 10000 strong. This line we could
have broken, had it not been that to the right
of us lay White Oak road, parallel to which
road the enemy had established their line.
1t became necessary for us to move to the
next available road to the west or lett. This
we did for short distance, when 1t was
found our columnwould have to move by
the front rebel line, and not far from it; so
we retired the force that had been sent In
the direction OF Five Forks, and waited
| special movementon the part OF the infant
ryto strike the enemy on White OAK road,
and gain possession oi II, In order 70 enable
Sheridan TO go on. Between and O'Clock
on the morning OF the Slst, an ADVANCE was
| madel0n the right OF tne cavalry line, down