The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-05


49, r.r rpooys WE'RE roRMEp BEFORE THE
sArTI. OF FIVE FoRKs--THE GENERALS
sunpayss AT BRING RELIEVED OF his COM
uAvp ny saERiDAN's ORDER.
Herald. saturday,
large Quantity OF manuscripts, war
documents. diagrams, and field mans GOV.
ercd the tables OF General AugutS court
Yesterday morning, and the PROCEEDINGS
oneped-with the direct examination OF the
former commander OF the Fifth corps. Cen
oral Warren resumed the staud, ana saio !
GA scout In Confederate uniform came
in and rode up 10 General Sheridan, ano
,h,y whispered together few moments
cou,d moi hear taem; General sheridan then
,oo,,rted his horse aud rode away toward
4 Five Forks without saying anything 10 me
or without leaving any orders; II was about
n s,c,act IN the forenoon when We hrst
,'ot. ~ O'Clock be sent an order to move
mn he troops: repeated the ordor verbal.
~ ny an Experienced officer TO General
Grawford and the other commanders; the
ofirer galloped away as rapidly as man
81 went up toward Five Forks and met
sheridan: we rode of together; he said
The enemy were in position along the mite
Oak road. His orders were for me TO
move my forces so that they wouid march
m from Grsyely.Run church TO the n'!e
Oak road, then turn off TO the let' so as 10
throw my heaviest force on the angie ol .ue
Confederate works. where II was tnougpt
the heaviest fighting would De. MY pan
was TO have General Crawford on liie rIgne
,rd Avres on The left. The first two were
The heaviest divisions, and ] expected to
have Crawiord's force fall on the angle ofthe
Ratification. Sheridan came up some tine
after the forming OF the troops had begun,
and no SAW the formation as II was
going on. He was anxious to have
ibe froops hurry up, IS he was airaId
the cavalry would get out OF ammunition.
told sheridan that u would take iiii
o'clock for all the troops to arrive ana get
into line: / sent officers back to hurry them
M. and think they made oil the haste they
could. | did not 60 back; 1t was my place
10 remain at the place Of formation. The
eneny might make demonstration TO see
what we were doing, and ii they did l
thought II my duty 10 he on band and ready
for any such emergency. Iknow OF nothing
that could baye done 10 hasten the forma-
ton. / cannot imagine what grounds Gen
eral Sheridan could have bad for saying
,hot seemed to want the sun TO go down
before the troops formed.
81 understood from Sheridan that the
troops were being formed according to his
wishes, otherwise he should have changed
II: was entirely ignorant OF the character
of the country before me; the only chart ]
had was q one-incb map; the advance was
made. the enemy opened fire, and As soon as
/ saw that Ayres would strike the angle and
was getting the heaviest fusllade l
ordered the other divisions 10 change
their line and wheel more to the left; j
sent messengers away until l bad no OFF,
GERS left: Sheridan came and seemed much
pleased: be said we were flauking them
g.oriously. but when the troops which l
mad summoned did not appear, he was dis
appointed, and wondered why they did not
come into action; ] told bin thought
they would come back soon, for they were
100 good soldiers 10 90 far away from the
front II they were receiving no fire; L said
I had dispatched all the officers | had. and
Sheridan replied that be bad sent several
messengers; then l started out 10 look
for them myself, and got under a heavy
Ere.
"AfteTward the witness found Crawford
and gave orders for al immediate change OF
direction TO the left; mean time Ayres had
taken the angle Of the works, anu prisoners
began 10 come in. General Warren went
on 10 uetcTiDt HIS otuti y" '.i~
fields aud woods north Of the Confederate
works until be reached the Ford road; then
he went on 10 the Gillian field, where he
found the Coniederaies in force and the
Union troops at stand.
.sWitness seized his coiors and led the way,
followed BY all the force, across the Gillian
field; Custer sent word that he would sup
mort bin. and on the west side OF the field
they found the Confederaes in regular
iine OF battle behind breastwOrks, which
were taken with several hundred prisoners.
1.-THE Gre was heavy" said General War
rem, 4" and many men were killed."
/" After this Colonel Forsyth brought or
ders from Sheridan that j was relieved OF
command of the Fifth army corps. l was
very much astonished. and rode back to
ask Sheridan for an explanation, but was
told that the order was TO be obeyed."
Here Major Gardner began bis cross'ex
animation in regard 10 the beginning OF tho
battle OF White-Odk Ridge, which va:
fought on the day before the engagement o.
Five Forks. 1t will be concluded to-day