Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-14
! fail to pause here when he knows what a

" fail to pause here when he knows what q
desperate deed of yalor was done therein.
! On the morning of Sunday, the I'd of May,
| IApril p the day after Five Forks, gener-
al attack was made along the front of all
these works enveloping Petersburg. The
Sixth Corps having succeeded in bursting
through everything in its front, the troops
on the left towards Hatcher's Run swung
round towards Petersburg, and moving up
the Boydton plank road, advanced on Pc
tersburg from the westward side. But at
Fort Gregg they were stopped. The de-
| fence of this work had been intrusted to a
body of mississippi troops, numbering In all
about $50 men. They were perfect marks
men and intrepid soldiers. The assault was
made by the division of Gibbon; and stand
ing on the parapets of Gregg, one sees the
valley through which they advanced TO the
attack Adequately manned, the fort would
be impregnable, for the guns perfectly
command all the avenues of approach
This was soon apparent to the assallants,
for not advancing they were met by so dead
ly fire that the line staggered and broke.
Attack after attack was made but IN vain,
till at length the defenders were reduced to
thirty men. Then in renewed rush the
Union troops carried the fort but it was
found that the loss was above five hundred,
down two assaiants. In connection with
the defence of Fort Gregg must also men
ton fact which / learn from Gen. Ma
hone in regard to the death of the distin-
guished Confederate corps commander, A.
2. Hill. Gen. Lees headquarters were but
short distance in rear of Gregg, in house
on the Boydton plank-road, between the
fort and the town. At the time Fort Gregg
was carried Gems. Hill and Malone were
in conversation with Lee at his headquar-
tiers. AS the firing grew nearer and nearer,
Lee, intently listening to the sounds, sud-
denly turned to Hill and said So How is
this, General ? Your troops are giving
way" Upon this, Hill, mounting his
horse, dashed to the front but while gal
Looping down the road he suddenly came
upon two men in blue uniforms. "Throw
down your arms !" shouted the General
But the men quickly sprang behind tree,
and, leveling their pieces, fired. Hill fell
from his horse dead.
''And now we are back again and look
ing down from the heights taking in the
character of these memorials of the war as
a whole, [ cannot help feeling that it was
wonderful siege and wonderful defence
honorable alike to the valor of both ar
miles, Students will come here to see ex-
amples of the most remarkable military en-
glneer1ng ever executed; ana SO long as
men heed the deeds of their fellows the
story of their actions here performed will
be read with wonder and awe. It is all
over now and gone into history but to
me, standing on this Cemetery height
standing here in the cleaning and looking
down on the debris of fort and frieze, it is
no longer past but present. Forlo out of
the earth rise troops of shadowy figures,
and nimbly pressing into trench and para
pet, grasp with ghostly hands muskets of
vapor. It is the embattled armies once
more, with the tattered ensigns, the up
piled terraces of struggle, and the yell and
cheer Of surging and swaying lines. But
no, it is dream back to your graves, you
shadowy forms in blue and gray, ana leave
us to oIlr work-day world"