New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-02
GENERAL WAKREN As 4 WITNESS.
TESTIFYING IN HIS OWN BEHALF.
DISPATCHES 70 PROVE THAT HE FIRST SUGGESTED
REINFORCING SHERIDAN AT DINWIDDIE WITH


TESTIEHING IN HIS OWN BEHALF.
DISPATCHES 70 PROVE THAT HE FIRST SUGGESTED
REINFORCING SHERIDAN At D1NWIDDIE VIII
INFANTRY
At the opening Of the Warren Court OF inquiry
Yesterday morning, Recorder Lan@ton read IL,
order from the War Department relieving General
Hancock from duty member OF the Court, and
the order was Incorporated with the record.
Colonel Alauson W. Ran ici who at the battle q
Five Forks was in command Of the ~ Ncw-I OK
Cavalry, in Penningon's brigade Of Gus "a :
division was then called 10 The stand HIS ie5ii-
monY was remarkable as bclAE thal OF lAc only
cavalry officer who has YET stated that he saw
Federal infantry coming south Gown the I"rd road
at the time the Confederate works were carried "a
the Forks and that he saw a Confederate force
attacked and routed by Federal infantry TO the
west of the Forks. On this latter poiht hs test
mouy agreed with that of former witnesses Colo
mel Raudol claimed positively that he took the two
Confederate guns az the Forks, and that General
Ayres also claimed them, This clam he disputed
Colonel Peter Stagg. who commanded the lst
Michigan Cavalry, and 1T The bat lie OF / We Forks
was i'll command OF the first brigade OF Deylms d.
vision was next examined, and then General
GouVcTneur X. Warren, at whose request President
Hayes ordered the Court TO convene, and whose
conduct March 81 and April |, 1850, IS tllc OBJ
JectlVe point Of the whole inquiry, was caiieI ny
his counsel. Mr.. Stickney. General Warrens testi-
mony yesterday did not proceed beyond the opera
tiOns Of March 81. lie began by saying that he was
placed IN command of the Second Corps III August.
1868, and remained corps commander until re-
heved Icy General sheridan at the conclusion OF the
Fifth Corps IN March or April 1864. After stating
briefly what had been the operations of the F1th
Corps on March 20 and 30 he testified as TO their
movements on the morning OF March 81, when
resulted the disposition at the time the reconnOl
sance was begun that brought on the battle Of
White Oak Ridge. j he events Of this engagement,
as testified 20 before the Court by numerous wit
ncsSes Federal and Confederate, have been fully
reported in TIE IRu CNE General Warren's ac-
count did not differ either materially or III detail,
from that already before the Court lie. however, put
in evidence dispatches t. and from General Meade
with reference the fight, and also his own orders
TO his division commanders. These dispatches IN
dictate that General Warren exercised an active
SUPERVISION over al the movements of the various
troops Of his command, and kept General Meade
fully auG promptly informed as to Their operations.
General Warren then came 10 the hour, when 1t
was first known that General sheridan had been
defeated at DnWiddlc, and identified many OF the
dispatches sent 10 and from General Meade, Whlch
were introduced 10 show that Warren first sus-
pected Shcridaus straits, that he first suggested
sending troops to ms assistance, ana thft NJ ma
every Intelligent effort pOsS Bile 10 carry ont the
split of General Mcadc's orders directing q quick
march down 10 DiuwddIe. At 900 p. n General
Warren sent word to General Meade az follows;
have Just officer and sergeant nom General
SheTdan's commit nd, who cut or I'm IN attack by
the enemy ana ESCAPED. From what tley ~ our cav
airy was attacked about noon by cavalry aud infantry,
and rapidly driven back. The firing seems 10 rccedc
toward Duw1die. have cent General Bar'cu ana my
in That direction Dut iink ny 'tAnot ne IN
time. hear caun nadus That think is from near
DlHwddie Court House.
Again at $40 p. a., he sent dispatch 70 General
Mcddo Is follows:
TIE line along The planC-road IS very strong One
division. with my artillery, think can ho.d ii. General
Humphreys and ny batteries, TANK, could bold TINS
securely aud let down and alta l. the enemy
At DnlTidde on one side ami sheridan on TIE other
Uules, sheridan been too badly nlnd cu think
nave a Chance 10Y open nsId nsht that should bc
made use Of.
II was after this that orders were received from
General Meade To send Grifiin's division down The
B0ydtol ulank-road 10 DiuwiddIe 10 Tepor, 70 Cen
cral Sheridan. General Warren explained that he
sent Ayrcs. because his command was the nearest
10 the road and cOuld move first.
The examination viii be continued to-day.