Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-04-13

ntCllOn WIN the 81 WhOse Hne eAlenu-
ed from his right nearly eastward past
Dabney's Mills TO the vicinity Of Hatch
er's Run. The new line had been form
ed, and with the exception Of a little
skirmishing along portions of the front,
and the fight of the 9th corps, all had
been quiet during the day. Alright the
headquarters OF Gems, Grant and Meade
were near Gravelly Run, on the Vaughn
road.
THURSDAYS OPERATIONS.
On Wednesday night heavy rain
storm set in continuing until Thursday
night, and making the treacherous soil |
one vast slough all along and in the |
rear of our works. Through the woods |
leading to the front, caissons, guns,
wagons and ambulances might be seen |
at short intervals mired in mud and it |
at once became evident that no advance !
would be made from the fact that no
artillery could be thrown forward
through the woods until the roads We're
corduroyed Large details We're called
out and by nightfall the rear was
thoroughly corduroyed for the passage
of trains and artillery.
Along Gen. OTds front, notwithstand-
ing the disadvantage of mud, an ad
vance of several hundred yards was
| made by Turner's West Virginians and
Fosters division, supported by Birneys
colored command of the 25th corps.
| Sheridan also pushed forward on Thurs
day, and night found him in the vicini-
| ty of Sutherland Station, on the South
side Railroad.
FRIDAYS WORK.
Not relishing Sheridan's alarming
| proximity to the SOuthside Railroad, the
| enemy having been REINFORCED by Pick
| ett's division made an lmpetuous at
tack upon him in front and on the flank,
and at night had pushed back our troops
after heavy fighting, compelling us to
leave behind in the enemy's hands many
of our dead and wounded. As before
stated the 9Th corps had, on the night
previous, assumed a line stretching
nearly westward from the Boydtown
Plank, where its right connected with
the left of the I'd.
BY the repulse of Sheridan, and his
retirement through Dinwiddie Court
House on Friday afternoon, it was at
once seen that change of front of at
least the 9TH corps would be necessary,
in order to meet any attack by a large
force of the enemy on its left and rear.
Accordingly, at midnight on Friday the
5th, leaving an interval to be supplied
by Miles division of the I'd, left its po-
sition, and, moving down the Boyd
town Plank toward Dinwiddie, massed
at the Butler House for the purpose OF
Selling the White Oak Road, which,
several miles above the junction of the
Quaker and BOydtown, runs west from
the latter until it strikes the Claiborne
Road leading to Sutherland Station.
Early in the morning the 9Th moved
forward, while the I'd commenced dem.
onstrating it's front for the purpose o.
masking our real intention, viz: the
possession of the White Oak Road. The
charge of the 9th was temporarily sue
cessful, the enemy being pushed back tc
| point near the coveted road, when he
rallied, and in turn assaulted the 9th
| which retired somewhat hastily to thu
vicinity of the Boy1town Road, where
it took shelter behind a .ilipe of tempo
rary works At this iuncture the divis
~ | ivu VT Mills sdirooto5 % otrilro th
E victorious enemy on the flank, and mass
: ing his brigades in echelon, he began
moving to the left and west from hi
position on the Boydtown Plonk. TIL,
remainder of the I'd was meanwhile en-
gagged in heavy skirmishing across the
Boydtown Plank. Gen. Humphrey.
moved his headquarters to the Raj
= ME House, at the junction of the Boyd
: town and Quaker Roads, and it wa
near this point that his A. A. g., Majol
Mills, was killed by a round shot from
one of the enemy's batteries.
At about 10 IL o'clock in the fore
noon, the column of Miles stuck tn,
rebel left in front Of Warren, surprised
it and moving rapidly forward. droy'
! the enemy like frightened sheep down
Warren's front, capturing prisoners
guns and colors, and then wheeling t
the right, still pursuing the flying enc
my, established himself on the White
Oak Road, across which afterwards
Warren formed his command, facing
northeast, and connecting with Miles's
division of the second. Thus, after q
severe engagement of several hours, we
had, at the cost of several hundred lives
comprised our original intentions Dur.
ing the day, Sheridan confronted by su.
perior numbers, was again forced to re-
tire, and it became necessary to confront
the masses of the enemy who had gath
cred on our left, to protect the South.
side railroad, with larger numbers
With the exception of an irregular artil-
Terry fire on the oath and 9th corps front
all had been quiet along the line during
the day. Foster, of the Oath corps had
again advanced his pickets so near to
the guns of the enemy, that the gun.
ners were finally unable to work them
and thus the night OF Friday closed up
on the two armies. .... ...
| SATURDAY. .#
r Saturday was All FOOLS Day, and
Sheridan having as yet met with no i'm
portant success, determined to honor
the day by victimizing the elated John
MES in his front. Again Warren moved
rearward to the White Oak Road to re-
port to Sheridan, and Miles likewise fell
back and extended his division along
the Boydtown plank road facing north
westward. Sheridan, who in the morn
ing was east Of q point known as the
Five Forks, commenced moving west
and northwest in several columns later
i'm tho d9v and meeting the enemy thnrp