The New York herald., 1865-04-03


PREPARATIONS MOVE
The succeeding day March 2s) was devoted 70 setting
the whole cavalry command In readiness for anolhss
movemeuA This being accomplished by DARK awaited
further orders These arrived during the night and In
accordance with said orders moved u x O'Clock the
following morning, March 20.
ms LINE MARCH.
Our line Of march was from the Jerusalem plank roa0
70 Rsams' station, tho line OF the weldon Railroad
General Crook led the advance General Custer brought
up the and guarded the train. Not the least inter-
esnG sight to look the camps being aban-
donsd by the ofhces and .msn Of the Potomac army,
who had occupied them 50 long and nusd thsm up 70
nicely. Many Of the camps were handsomely iaid out
and very picturesque in general appearance.
At REA,B' STATION Ann nowAHTT CnnK.
Arriving ct Rcams' station, thence continued our
march Rowanty creek at Aalones bridge This bridge
found totally destroyed and had 70 construct new
one. On the line Of this creek expected 70 have
nght but agrseably disappointed The delay
stoned by having the bridge Of serious
consequence the general plan Of
msnt and tended 70 materially retard IT, General sher
and his officers did all that lay in their power
hurry up, but II not until four hours had
fitted away that wsrs able cross with horses We
made several attempts find fording place. but failed
do The creek Ia not very deep, nor ID very wide
but 1t difficult Of approach from the fwampy nature
Of the country, and found 70 be full Of snags and
mud when we got into It,
While the work Of building the bridge going
officers Of very high and very low rank walked forward
and all chanced to get seated in row iogthe sight
reminding Of the order Of the great and ke peas
all found in pod At end Of the log was major
general in the regular army next . major general d
volunteers, brigader general, breves in abundance.
and last Of all Lieutenant "open 70 fame for.
tune and promotion"
ACROSS CRKKK.
As soon ~ ono division Of the cavalry had got
the creek we pushed rapidly for Dinwiddie Court
House. leaving Of the command " follow after.
On way again retarded by the very bad con-
dition Of portion Of the road Indeed so bod did
this portion the road become that when our trains
came up they could not get over It. In attempting to
do 20 they got mircd stuck in the mud' was no name
for it. SWALLOWED up'' decidedly more applicable
and nearer the truth
APpROAcIISa DIywDpiE COURT HOUSE
On arriving within q short distance of Dnwdde We en-
countcred and skirmshed with the Sixteenth North Car
olina Independent battalion, now only about cgfty
strong-a small body Of troops who have been ranging
about the country seeking forage for their horses and
food for themselves. They u awless band, whom
tho citizens feared than they respected This
small party attempted to check advance by skirmh
ing freely and telling the road Ending
would do TO let them 90 in this way, General
Irwin Gregg ordered Colonel O. B. Knowles commanding
Twenty-hrst Pennsylvania TO charge with portion Of
his regiment and drive the rebels on The charge was
accordingly made, and successful.
OCCUPATION DrswIDDM
We took officer and few prvates prisoners Aftsr
this there skirmshns, and entered Din
widdie without opposition Al entered the the
setting It had rained during the day. and
the roads rather muddy. What few people had
mained In the place out 70 Us, and when
they asccraincd that General Sheridan was N command
they manifested strong desire TO see him, and the
general inquiry was "where hcs where 10 hcf That
night the troops encamped Ia and around tho town, and
that night too the privstes Jared better than tho
rails for while the had their ratons and horse
feed with them the Inter had not and tho several
headquarters wagons did not got up, tho generals and
their stats had nothing eat and both went to bed
hungry On this occasion hard tack at premium
around hcadquarcrs The town could not afford any
thing eat consequently did not get oppotu
! nifty to live on 1t.
For the night General Sheridan made his hea dquartes
at the hotel andGcncral Crook hung his banner the
outer wall Of the House opposite The other gene
up their quarters In the fields around the town.
Some Of the officers slept In the Post once, and be-
fore going to bed amused themselves with reading the
contents of the mails They found many spicy love let
ters letters ng Confederate notes. rings Sc and
private and public letters Of much more Interesting
than important Almost all Of the letters
tanned references to the suffering condition OF tho South
ern people and OF them contained paragraphs on
the question Of lamenting the necessity for,
! scripting, pressing and arning the negroes
TuE
At the hotel we found ladies who had just arrived
from Petersburg. They exceedingly well dressed
for Southern people One OF the youngest, girl u
sixteen rich velvet cloak with an ignnt
fringe attached We inquired how Il was those pc pie
could well In times ike these, andt tho answer
was "They have worn ogt a Of their old clothes, and
now they wear the best they had. When you see
this suit you all they p,scss In the way OF wearing
apparel The truth Of the matter isthat the war Is
not ladies' of Petersburg will have 10 take
| to 1g leaves for something to wear 80 ~
| ooxsUNcAuos INFANTRY.
During the night OF tho 2sth opened comrnunica-
tion with the infantry right On the aoth
Il rained hard and the roads rendered almost
impossible. DO all could, Il foand impossible TO
get our up BY OF this small portion Of
tho command had 10 be left long back pro-
tec the train from capture by enenys cavalry THIS
TO BE- ty, patiently watching Cor op
portuny TO make dash II Is almost needless 70 say
II did get Early in the morning Of this day. after
having protected rear, opened communication
with the infantry on the Boydon plank road. Here We
| rested our right
GENERAL mERRrr's ApvAyn
West OF the Boydton plank road In road running "a
Five Forks in this latter General Merritt advanced
portion OF HIS corps General Dcvens led tho advance.
They had not got far out before he came upon the
cncmy's cavalry. This he charged and drove back In
confusion, taking quito number Of prisoners Xe con-
tinucd follow mp his until he arrived wiihn
sight the Five Forks where the enemys infantry was
found be posted behind brcasworks rae pits He
was now within three miles and half Of the scaussids
Railroad After careful rcconnossancc Of the enemy's
line We advanced again, moving leftward-but no mat
| ter where wc struck OUTS
rBr ENEMY ~ PONCE.
We found an infantry line opposed 10 M After