Litchfield enquirer., 1866-02-22

a Ns s8azols 70 z5lls ig
 signed him neaf Hatcher's Run on the morn ling of the 29ihs On the 2sththe following in structions wsss gisensto GsasFhI sbssidaii: q sa Orr RolNs, Va MaFch 2ssh, 1865.
 " GEkEBAIa: fhes5th armY corps will move Iby the Vaughn road at A M to-morrow morn ling. The 2d moves at about g A N, having but about three miles to march to reach the point designated for t to take On the right of ! the 9th corps, alter the latter reaching Din widdie Court House. Move your cavalry, at an early hour as you can,v aud without being lcou6ned to any particular road or roads. You may go out by the nearest roads in rear of the 5th corps pass by its left, and passing near to or through Dinwiddie, reach the right and rear re of the enemy as soon as you can. It is not the intention to attack the enemy in his en- |trenched position, but to force him out, if pos Esibls. Should he come ont and attack us, or lget himself where he can be attacked, move in with your entire force in your own way, and with the full reliance that the army will en. gage or efollow,l as circumstances willdictate. l shall be on the field. and will probably com mnnicate with you. Should I not do so, and
 you find that the enemy keeps wiihinahis en- trenchments.ayou may cut loose and push for the 'DanvilIe road Ifyou find practicable, I would like to- have you cross the South. Side road, between Petersburg and Burkssville, and destroy it some extent. would not advise much detention, however, until you reach the Danville road, which would like you to strike as suear to the Appomattox as possible. Make your destruction on that road as complete as possible. Ton can then pass on to the South Side road, west of Gainesville, and destroy that in like manner. Y # z
 After having accomplished the destruction of the .wo roads, which are now the only two avenues of supply to Lees army, you may re- turn to this army, selecting your road further south, or you may go on into North Carolina
 and join General Sherman. Should you select the latter course, get the information to me, as early as possible, so that I may send orders to meet you at .Goldsboro'. a .i..st
 s U s GRANT Lieutenant- General.
 :. Major General P H SHERIDAN s ~ On the morning of the 29th, the movement commencsd. At night the cavalry was at Din widdie Court House, and the leftof our infant ry line extended to the Quaker road, near its intersection withthe Boydton plank road The position of the troops from left to right was as follows Sheridan, Warren, Humphreys, Ord, Wright, farks. F E K 3s7sss 2; 3 g l, Everything looked favorable to the defsatoI the enemy and the capture of Petersburg and Richmond. if the proper effort was made. therefore addressed the following communica- ton to General Sheridan. having previously in formed him verbally not to cut loose for the raid contemplated in his orders until he receiv- ed notice from me to do so:issg4fs2s afA z3as 2
 sa "GRAvELLY CREEK, March 29th.
 GENER AL: Our line is now unbroken from the Appomattox to Dinwiddie. We are all ready however, to give up all, from the Jerusa- lem plank road to Hatcher's Run, whenever the forces can be used advantageously. After getting into line south of Hatcher's we pushed forward to find the enemy's position. General Griffin was attacked near where the Quaker road intersects the Boydton plank road, but repulsed it easily, capturing about one hundred men. Humphreys reached Dabney mill, and was pushing on when last heard from. @
 Inow feel like ending the matter, if it is possible to do so, before going back. do not want you, therefore, to cut loose and go after the enemy's roads at present. In the morning push around the enemy, if you can, and get on ts his rightsrear. The movements of the ene- my's cavalry may, of course, modify your ac
 ton. We will all act together as one army here until it is seen what can besdone with the enemy. The signal officer at Cobb's Hi;l re- ported at l1.3O A. M., that cavalry column had passed that point from Richmond towards Petersburg, taking forty minutes to pass. ' a'
 U GRANT, Lieutenant General.
 "Major General Fl SHERIDAN. "lAesg s-j : From the night of the 29th, to the morning of the 3lst the rain fell in such torrents as to make it impossible to move a wheeled vehicle, except as corduroy roads were laid in front of them. During the 30th, Sheridan advanced from Dinwiddie Court House towards Five Forks, where he found the enemy in force.- General Warren advanced and extedded his line across the Boydton plank road to near the
 White Oak road, with . view of getting across the latter, but finding the enemy strong iD his front and extending beyond his left, was tlirec- ted to hold on where he was and fortify. Gen eral Humphreys drove fine enemy from his front into his main line on the Hatcher, near Bur |goass mills. Generals Ord, Wright and Parke made examinations in their fronts to determine the feasibility of an assault son the enemys lines. Thetwo latterreported favoably. The enemy confronting us, as he did. at every point from Richmond to our extreme left, conceiv- ea his lines must be weakly held. and could be penetrated ifmy estimate of his forces was cor rect. I determined, therefore, to extend my lines no further, but to re-enforce General Sheridan with corps Of infantry, and thus en-