Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-05
Account of Saturday and Sum.
days Fighting.

cult movement of marching by tile flank in
the presence of the enemy, Withdrawing
divisions in the rear of each other, and
marching them off successfully from right
to left; the left division (Crawford's), exc
cutting the same movement by brigade.
While this was taking place the I'd corps
moved toward White Oak road, by more
direct route, and established connection
with the right of the 9th corps. Meanwhile
| Sheridan, with four cavalry divisions, pass
ing around the left of the whole army, went
through Dinwiddie Court House and toward
the South Side railroad, with his usual rap
idty. The force which drove Crawford and
Ayres across Gravelly run, however, at
once turned their attention to him, moving
rapidly to the right, and, after desperate
conflict, he also was forced back within q
mile of Dinwiddie Court House, but being
joined by Warren's corps he again took the
offensive, and, in turn drove the enemy,
capturing a position known as Five
| Forks, together with about 1000 pris-
oners and several batteries OF artillery.
| He was then joined by Miles division, I'd
corps, and pushed westward for the South
| Side railroad. This he soon reached and
| took position upon it. The 5th corps, sup
porting cavalry, also took 10 guns and
| about 1000 prisoners, enabling Sheridan to
| drive back the force which, on Friday af-
| ternoon, checked his advance near Dinwid-
| die Court House. On receiving this news
| it was determined to give the enemy no
time to send troops to their right, and at
once simultaneous attack was ordered all
| along the lines, by the 9th, 9th, 24th and I'd
corps. An order was given about o'clock
| at night, and in less than an hour furious
assault began on the rebel entrenchments
| in front Of their several commands, result
in the enemy being driven in confusion
! from their first into their second lire of
works, with the loss of over 5000 prison.
| ers, several forts and about 20 pieces of ar
tillery. The I'd corps, engaged all day in
| their front, and in spite of the terrible fire
of musketry poured into their ranks be-
hind their works, succeeded in maintaining
their new line, several hundred yards in
advance of the line they occupied in the
morning. The 9th corps occupied the
centre of our line, its left connecting with
the I'd at Hatcher's run and its right going
to the left of the 9th corps.
Before daylight Sunday morning the
rebels made furious assault on the position
of this line, driving a portion of the Sd
brigade from their breastworks and capturss
ing about 100. Their success however, did
not last long. The 20th Pennsylvania. by a
gallant charge, driving them back beyond
their first battle line. A sharp fire was
kept up all day by both sides. Owing to
hot fire by our sharpshooters the enemy was
unable to work his guns, consequently very
few casualties occurred to our side from
shells. Our batteries, however, rained in
cessant fire into their intrenchments. There
was little fighting in front of the 9th corps
until night, when considerable shelling oc-
Cured. Quiet also reigned in front of the
9th corps. So matters stood until 10 o'clock,
xUb tn1 inf chor
attention by few shots on their front,
soon swelling into battling volleys. The
batteries joined in the clamor. Firing spread
rapidly to the front of the 24th corps and
on to the 9Th, there away to the right till it
reached the 9th about II o'clock, at which
time the fighting was at its height. Pres
emily cheers broke out on the front of the
ID as the fire slackened. By 2:30 the fire
had nearly ceased along the whole line, but
at in the morning it suddenly broke out
again, nearer than ever to the I'd corps,
while sharp artillery practice was heard far
to the right and again the crash of battle
sped from end to end of the line. At 6
o'clock the battle was raging fiercely but
our colors are advancing all along the line.
The Worlds correspondent rocounts the
attack on the Petersburg defences. 1t was
to take place Friday morning at o'clock,
but the failure on our left was doubtless the
cause of the postponement. The plan of
this last place of action was this: General
Grant, ON receiptof news of Sheridan's VIC
tory at Five Forks, Immediately dispatched
couriers in conjunction with the telegraph
leading to his headquarters to each of the
corps commanders, desiring them, without
loss of time, to open with both artillery and
infantry upon the works of Petersburg
Sheridan, it will be remembered, attained
his success by IL o'clock Saturday night.
At 8 o'clock Grant hearing it, and before 10
o'clock our colums had passed the picket
line and were on their way to the rebel en-
in the centre and Ord on the left, marched
almost at the same instant. The 9th corps
(Wright's) were arranged in double line of
battle, and, without ceremony, they threw
themselves en- masse into the ditch and up
the parapet. The contest was short,
though terrible. Hand to hand conflicts
occurred, the deadly bayontt lung the i'm
pulsive and titful crashes of musket and re-
volver, the crossing of swords, the volley
now and then, when our troops poured in
fl a1ing firO down the inside of the parapet,
the yells and groans, the galloping of cour-
iers to and fro from end to end of the lines.
In places the bitches were heaped with the
living and dying combatants, tumbled to-
then northern cheers told how the conflict
was going. On each side of the 9th corps
the scene was the same. Opposite Fort
He'll the rebels held fort called Fort Heav-
en-, at which place they fought like Satan's
legions.
No attack on the inner line has been made
as yet, as the position is a strong one and
will be defended to the last or evacuated.
During the night the 4th corps, holding the
line north of Hatcher's run and south of the
Duncan road, connecting with the 9Th corps
on the right, and the I'd on the left, ad-
vanced at daylight and took the works in
their front, with slight loss. Over 1000
prisoners were captured here by Fosters
and Turney's division, under Gibbons.
They were supported by the colored divis-
ions of the 25th corps, the latter did not
get into action. The ID corps who held the
line from the run, and over a mile west
of it, delayed advancing until Sheri-
dan, with the 9th corps got within
supporting distance on the extreme
left, when the entire line moved
forward, carrying the works almost with
out opposition. The enemy was found to
have fallen back from this part of the line,
owing to the 9Th corps cutting them of,
they having reached the South Side railroad
early in the forenoon, and were busy tear
ing it up. This, of course, cut the rebel
army in two and the I'd division thus get
ting between the 9th and I'd corps at once
started across the South Side road towards
the Appomattox, hoping to be able to ford
it and thus to capture them, but it
appears they ran against Sheridan and
putting on bold appearance made show
to fight. News to this effect reaching
headquarters, two divisions Of the I'd corps