New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-13
1HE BArILE or FIVE FORKS.

TESTIMONY OF GENERAL HORACE PORTER.
his EXAMINATION BEFORE TIE WARREN COURT OF
INQUIEY-WHY GENERAL wAEEEN WAS RE
uryFD-wIMT LIEUTENANr BEAN SAW.
General Horace Potter. who acted as ade-de-
camp 10 General Grant on the day of the battle OF
Five Forks. was examined before the Warren Court
Of Inquiry Yesterday. His testimony was considered
important by General Shcudan's counsel, and was
in substance rs follows:
on tie day before the battle o. Five Forks was with
General G. ant at the house Of Widow Bl.!cr. on the
Boydton plank roaI. ngi Iaf from NtpgrI N'irrl ;
hard n-huug near Five Forks. and General Grant al
rrcicd to learn from General Sacrdin row
ine. wnen went down the Boydton plank
rad 10 execute the order found the bridge
about q mile above Dnwiddie Court House. Tie said he
engaged with heavy force OF the enemy ina Try
III front him. but that he had contested the ground
ANA could nod MS position near DinWiddi' Court h9He
through tie night. He would also be able ne silI 10
keen ms line Of communication open. But he time mad
coinc-tO winch he had looked orWard-ior bringing The
decisive blow. Tne Of the n most import
aucc ~ The i iaiun might be changed within twenty
foir haur. / burned hack to General Grant, head
guartcrs which had been removed 10 DaDney'S Nil.
and related what General sheridan said Genc'al
Grant took an ur,giug view Of the situation: A
o'r ock Colonel sheridan we'd from General Medc'
hradqulr er- aud explained The situation. giving re
port later by two hours tban NINE General
SMth Cops to cooperate win nsi,i9i NT T,
It would imp aclicabl. and that the FIRM Corps
should be II mad Dccn raining for w" dty' Ahd
tho streams were all swollen. forded Gravc'y Run
ABOUT two rifles above the bridge the W tier was
deep 1t could be and yet admit of horse wadms
through It, OF Infantry could have t0rded [.
but with difficulty. General Grant leI the details
OF sending troops TO General sheridan IN the nands oi
General Meade. bridge necessary for the thSpor-
atiOn troops and the even NJ Of MItCh 81 re-
garded 1t ot great importance l. an ih'ah'p coIuDh
had been ordered TO report to General sheridan az md
night should have crossed the stream IN the quickest
way possible. think 5000 men might have io'ded 1t
at night.
On the morning of April l General Grant expressed
great ANXIETY about Sheridan's movement took
Twelve orderlles and went in Iuest General Sheridan.
whom | found at General Merntts headqu,rtors
House to Fivc Forks | told lin that General Grant
was anxious ana SAID ~ would ho,d MIN responsible
for the movements to De maze General Sheridan re-
Piled that fully alive 10 the inheritance OF the
situation At the same time, he expressed dIsdppoih'
the infantry not having arrived lie sAid he lad
expected Do infantry during the night or Ia me early
morning The enemys forces were IaliIng oL3k ana Ne
eral Warre0I hnk not thea reported passed soue
OF the infantry OF AyreSS command which was gong IN
the direction OF Five Forks aud aftcrwrd saw the Tor
nation of the Fifth Corps later IN The DAY General
sheridan EXPLAINED the plan OF me battle dnrlng ne
Afternoon He became exceedingly mpat"nt at the de-
lay and xpresscd the fear, more than once, that me
would go down before they would he able to IN Ike
the attack. AT The General Sheridan rode ne the
movement A line OF skirmshers moved down
over "a piece of open ground The fire
from enemy checked their advance aud some Of them
seemed impatient at TINS, and taking battiel z en-
couraged the officers and men to charge. The second
charge was maze in "a gallant and the enemy's
works we're carried. General Sheridan requested me to
tell oirnera Warren If saw hm report him. |
went In northern direction through Inc woods and fell
IN with CraWfOrd's division, which meeting with ~
heavy dre IRON the enemy. On my return
he had Seleyed General warren and had placed Cen
eral Grinn command OF The Fifth Corps Wnen met
CrawIord's division II was my impression thai u was
moving toward the north from tie return OF the
enemy's Dunng the day heard General sherl-
dan express apprehrns at troops beng sent by Gen
cTal Lee 10 General P,cketGs support
On being cross-examined by Mr. Stlckney, the
witness SAID that II was not dark when lac crossed
p,H
up the stream about 200 yards from where the
bridge had been TO get "A better approach 10 the
banK. When Colonel sheridan reported 10 General
Grant he SAID that General sheridan could hold his
position. ne witpeSS SAID that he did not know OF
any message having been sent 10y General Grant TO
General sheridan during the night of March 81.
When no found General Warren an1 General Shcrl-
dan together several division commanders were
present. General Warren had some field notes IN
his hands OF the plan OF the battle. On the redirect
cX Elimination General Porter SAID that General >hrr-
idau's impatIeuce was OccasIoned by ia delay IN
the foImaUon of the Infantry. He had not learned
General Grants pun pose issuing the order nc Dad
relative 10 General Warren.
me ucxc wltncs, was LieuIenant-C Colonel
Theodore W. Bean, OF NOrristOwn, Penu. lIls
rank Of the battle OF Five Forks that Oh captain
the l1h ienhsy wanna Cavalry, acting ~ provost
marshal OF the First Cavalry Division. und,r COM
maud of General Merritt. The witness described
the auyanCr Oh the cavalry on the morning of April
l. nom lis position near DuNdhc Court House.
here WAS slllTm~nIng all the way, and two lines u
baruCad' s were taken as the duNanr" was mauc.
rhc cuemy's ire was so persistent bctw ca IL aud
II O'clock ttat tnc cavalry Nas comp rI 80 dis
mount. AOOut 800 men, mostly OF The l7th Penn
~ wanna Cavalry. were IN thc front hne, with
cara uIucs. a. 10 O'cock charge was made on "a
Temporary defence Ol the enemy. Ihe position then
al tuiucd Wa, nrii until the Futn Corps came M on
the g.i,. The witness sad tnat ne had mcans oil
know WHAT the situation was iIou tie fact that
be rode from end the 10 thr other every
hulf nour. General McrTtt's instructions were 10
keep ilc uuc NJ wcil AT all hazards. Ammunition
Drodgnl up on horses IN order that an ucvsotnt
hie nugut he kept up. The firing on Dotn slucs
was heavy and continuous. he cOndI ion of
the cavalry was con ,dcTcd cruCll, a5
It's posi- could not be naiutaiuci without the rs
si,tancc of Tho infantry. Ihr infancy moved
against the angle 0i tdc works IN magnificent torn.
" ncn the witness saw Genc{al Sheridan riding at
he mead oil the lniantry there was not mucu firing
Inc Court adjourned until IL ~ III. to-day.