, 1865-06-17
tyA link attack. Do not fes ny lsaTtng here.
u The enemy lcmssas. l sha1i dYht at dsyltRht
2 Il auYkfnAX. MafQt.{sfnetaI.

+ tya d1nk attack. Do not te,s ny is,rtps here.
! z. Il. SHERIDAN, M,}ot-GtnerM.
As they fell back the enemy, were rapidly
! followed tV Gen. tletritt's tF0 divisions,
Gen. Davin on the right aud G.n. Custa. on
the left Gen. Crook in the rear. Du:ins tae
| remainder Of the day Gen. Crooks division
| bc1d the extreme left and rear, ana Was not
| Ith<n determined that I would drive the
cnamy, With the cavalry, to the Five Forks,
| press ,kcru inside Of their works, aud make
! teirt to turn their rig ght fauk, and mean
willie quietly move up the 5:h corps wikh
| view to attacking their LETT 1ank, crush tae
whole force, If possible, and driye west.nnd
those Who might escape. thus isol1tns them
| from their army at Petersburg. happily.
! TITS c>pcepttcu was successfully et.c1.ed.
| About this time Gen. 3{cKenzie's division Of
cavalry, 1om the army Of the james, re-
ported to me, ard consisted Of about 1,oo
effective men. directed Gen. Warren to
hold iast at j. Bolsseau's house, refresh his
n1en. AID be ready to move to the front when
required aud G. n. Mckenzie was ordered to
rest in front Of D1nwiddle Courthouse until
| further orders.
Meantime Gen. Mesritt's command cont:n-
| utd to press the enemy, and By impetuous
po1nry works Gen. Custar guiding his ad-
vance on tie widow Gi1.am's house, aud Gen.
Dtriu On the main Five Forks road. The
courage displayed by the cavalry officers and
men was superb, and about two O'Clock the
enemy vas behind bis works on tho White
| Oak road, ard his akirmtslt line drawu In. /
then ordered up the 5th corps, on the main
road, and sent brevet- -h1sjor Gillespie, Of the
engineers. to turn the head Of the column OFT
| on the Grayc1ly Church road. uud put the
corps IN position on this road obliquely to
| ard at point but q short distance from the
nf11 Ia
Five Forks. Two diyisions Of the corps were
| to form tue front line, and one division was
| 10 be held in reserve in column Of regiments
| opposite the center.
| I thin dItec:cd Gen. Merritt to demonstrate
90 though Re Was attempting to turn the ene-
| 5th corps would strike the encmY's 1ett tlank,
and ordered that the cavalry should assault
| the eDemy'B works as coon as the 5th corps
became engaged, and that would be deter
mind BY tie Yclleys Of musketiy. ] then
! rode oYer to where the 5th corps was going
in.o p,sition, md found them com ng up very
| slowly. ] Was exceedingly anxious to attack
at once. for the sun ,Sas getting low, and We
hsd to fight Or go back 1t wss no place to
intrt nci1, ard I: would have ,een shameful to
have gone back with no results to conpcn-
safe for the loas Of the hrnye men who had
| will say TINT Gen. Warren did not exert him
| esf to get up hts ecrps as rapidly as he might
| have done, and hfa manner gave me the IN
preston that he wished the Sun 10 20 down
| before dispositions for the attack could be
completed. As soon as the CORPS vas tn po-
| s!tion, I ordered an advance in Tho foil owing
formation: Ayles' division on the LEFT In
| double lines, CraWford's dtyision on the right
in double lines, and Grif1lh's division in re-
serve. behind Crawford; md the White Oak
read was reached without opposition.
While Gen. Warm was getting into POSI-
ticn, I learned that the left OF the End corps
OF Tie Army Of the Potomac. on my right,
had hecu swuug around ffcm the direction oi
it's line Of battle uni It. frrutet on the Boyd
ton read, and Parallel to it, which offered
the White Oak road and attack me In right
md rear. Gen. Mckenzie vas therefore sent
np tho Camp road, with objections to gaia
the White OAK road ifpossttle, but to attack
at all hazards any enemy found, mud If sue
cesstn1, then march down the road md tost
ase and skill, attacking Il ftrce Of the enemy
cn the White Oak road, and driving 1t toward
Petersburg. He then c9untcrm .chcd, and
joined me on tho White Oak road, just as the
5th corps advanced to the attack, and 1 df
rectt d hin to swing round With the right o.
road at the crossing o! Hatcher's Run. The
5'A cofps, on reaching the White OlI
road, made left wheel, md burst on thu
eneny's left tlsnk and rear like q tor
made, and pushing rapidly on, osdcr'
bay!rg been given that If the euemT wa.
routed there should be no halt to rciorn
broken lines. ABttated before. the t1riug o
the 5th corps Was the sigual to Gen. Merritt
to assault, which was promptly responded to
npd tic works OF the enemy we're sooncarttct
by our brave casalr5ncu. The enemy wes!
criven from Their. strong, line Of works anG
completely routed, the 5th corps. doubling u!
theif LETT flank in confusion; and the cavalrl
ofGen Merritt, daehfng on to the White 0al
road, capturing their artillery and tuning i
upon them, ard riding 10 their broken ranks
50 dtmesalszed them, that the5 made no 81
rsous stand after their line WAS carried. bu
took to fiight In disorder. Between 00O and
GOO prisoners tel1 into our hands. and the fn
: Eitiyes were driven westward, and were pur
sued until long after daER by Merfitt's aui
Mckenzie's cavalry, for distance OF SIX miles
During this attaek again became dlssat
isi1ed with Gen. Warren. During the en-
not exposed TO q heaTy fire, and simply fol
want Of confidence on the part Of ths
troops, which Gen. Warrep did not eyer
himself to inspire. therefore relieved min
+ from the..command Of the 5ih corps. auth IT
it, for this action having been sent o ne
pursuit was given up, I ordered G.n. GriGia
) who had BEEN ordered to assume command
Of the fith corps, TO collect bis troops al
once, march TWO diyjsions back to GtavellJ
Church. and put them into possession al
right ANGLES to the Wt,te Oak road, facing
toward Peters5urGh, while Bartlctts diYls
ion, G1itfll>s old. cogetcd thu Ford road tt
H1tches's Run. Gen. Merritt's cavalry wenl
into camp on the wtd5w G,llan's plantation
ind Gen. McAenzie took position On tht
Ford rtad ut tho crossing OF uatchcr's Run
Icauuot speak too highly Of the conduct Q
OF tbtIr Commanding officers, who app-a-et
to realize that the Lncccss OF the campalg1
and fate Of Lees army depended upon 1t
They merit the thauss OF the country AMI
s, Fexs.d Of the 0',se,nment. To General.
fo,d, Of the 5lh corps, and to Gen
era1s Merritt, Cus'ar, Deyin and Mckenzie
Of tie ctyalry, greaL credit is due; ant
10 their subordinate commanders they vii
undoubtedly award the ptaise which Is due Il
I them for the hearty Cooperation. bravery
md ahility which wtte every wheFe displayed
| at daylight on the morning Of april :, Gen
Miles, division OF the I'd corps reported Il
me-, coming oyer from the Boyd.oWn plarl
road. oIdeIed it to move up the White Oal
rohd toward Petersburg, and attack the en-
emy at the Intersection ct that road with tn
Claiborne road, whele he vas IN position ii
heavy force, and followed Gen. Miles imme
diatrly, with TWO divisions OF the 5th corps
Miles tosced the enemy from this position ant
purfned With great zeal, folc;ng him acros
Hateler's Run, and following l!m up on th
rnad to Suther1and's Depot. Ga the nortl
side Of the run overlook Miles, who wn
anxious to attack, and had very 1ine m:
spirittd diyfsion. l gave him permission, ba
about this time Gen. Humphreys came up
AID receiving notice frem Gen. 5Iea1e tina
Gen. Humphreys would take command .
Miles division, I rclin4uished 1t at once, aux
faced the 5th corps BY the rear: I after
believe the enemy could ut that time hav'
been crushed at Sulhel1and's Depot. re
turned to Five Forks, and marched ont tn
Ford road toward Fla chcr's Rup.
The cavalry had In the meantime been zen
westward to Cross Hatche,'s Run and breal
up the enemy Is cavalry, which had collected
in considerable force north of TINT stream
but They would not stand to fight, aud on
caynlry rnrsned them In a direction due nort1
to the Namozne road. Crossing Hatcher
Rpn with the 5lh co1pF, ne soashsid
: Ing no opposition, and ltAe 5th corps ma -cl
,, ed rapidly towa,d Suthelland'e Depot. Il
flank ana rear Of the enemy opposing Miles
as be app1cachtd d that point the force Of tn
fnfmy ted before the 5th corps could react
. .h.m, retreating along the main road by th'
Appomatto1 River, the cavalry and Craw
them slightly about du=k. On the mornirl
Of the Sd our cagalry took up the pursuit
routing the enemy's cayalEy. aud cap.ur1n!
many prisoners. The cnemy's infantry va
, encountered nt Deep Creek, where q sere.t
ashta teok place. The 5th corps folspwe,
mp the cayalty rapidly, picking up many pris
ard number of wagons. The 9Th corps
with Crooks division of cavalry, encampe'
.. that night tine 4th> at Deep Creek, on th
Nsmozsne road, neither Of those command
having besn engaged during the day. On tn
morning Ct the 4lh, Gen Crook Was ordesc.
10 strike the Dany1llc Rai1road, between Jet
r. te.syiile and Bnrke's Sta ton, and ttcn NOV
| up toward Jettersyillc. fhe 5th corp
MOVED rapidly to that point, AZ had learae'
from my scouts that the enemy Was at Ameu
Cour. ntusc, and cvea aytbihg indicated tha
| they were collecting at that point. Oa al
: r1r,1g at Jette1sEllle, about i've o'clock, F
! m learned 5Eithout doubt thai Lee and hl