New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-19
HOW THE BATTLE WAS WON.

General Ayres was recalled yesterday IN the
Warren Inquiry and questioned by General h"ucoc-
relative a conversation with Gneral Grimm just DC
fore the assault the enemys works nt FIVE tOrAS
The witness that General Griffin came rlalR W
through the woods from the right and said. AyrcS.
what's up 2" He was told that General Crawford had
taken his division away ard len Ayres exposed aver
saying told General warren to et your division ana
mine go together If he had, this thing wouldn't have
happened" General Griffin rode of into the woods to
bring I'D his division. This he accomplished just after
the works were taken To Major Gardner General Ayrcs
sad that he certainly had expected General Crawford
10 maintain communication with MIN and to MI SICK
ney he said that he md had personal knowledge OF
Crawfords subsequent movements, AID thatsuch knoW-
edge might have modified his Opuions
General Chamberlain resumed his testimony at the
pont where he paused Saturday when he had begun an
account OF his part the battle Of Five Forks He
smoke first OF the conference held by General Warren
before the formation for the advance with the dVson
and brigade commanders Of the Fifth Corps ut which lie
explained how eformatlon TO be made, aud the
probable position Of tile In the line or battle
Grifns division was placed at the right and rear OF
Crawford. General Griffin placed the witness on his
right with Instructions look out carefully to the
right as well to hold ready to swing to the left In
the Plan Of battle Mack,nzcs cavalry were placed on
the right to look for any enemy advancing
from the works at Petersburg. bat Griffin was
afraid this cavalry force had not taken the course
expected, and therefore made the disposition to Gnard
against the consequences of failure Shortly after tho
White Oak road crossed the skrmshers developed
light Gre, and The witness supposed that GeueFa
Crawford had worked the left or that lie had HIM
self got off right. The witness remembered dir
tnrtly his efforts keep his troops 10 the ief-ehrs
made necessary by tendency OF the TO 20 TO the
right to meet the skumish fire from that direatoD.
In about fifteen minutes sharp fire was heard
FROM the left ms fire increased so heavily, con-
timed General Chamberlain. " that on reaching an
I no N ne La
front halted my men and faced the lett. then
drew The command to the southwest and got into
ravine the direction al the fire. know that Ayits
was hcayI engaged, Al this time Crawford had ais
appeared ard supposed he had wheeled 10 the eit or
thar be had zone ahcad Of me. Pulling my command
out OF the avinc and passing to the souhrast of the
Cmuneys gaiued raviue to the left through Which
the command WIS., the edge OF The woods. The
fling wlich had hung IN one spOt had now died away
Here General CT in mp and approved my course
lie az eced front and advance On Tie enemy IN
the woods 10 the left OF ironte the Brigade pull
ing them ont OF the Tavne in line. General Bartlett
Joined ne with three regiments We encountered the
enemy who were sheltered behind work OF logs, etc
They made stand. but about half OF brigade crossed
their works, while the other half swept the 'front.' As
we advanced u the White Oak road 50 heavy fire
came from the woods on my right that my men came
back and took shelter behind the works just taken
Just at this time General AyFrS's right brigade came
out ~ the woods from the cast aud their commanding
uflcer sad that he did not know what to DO. a.
he was not under any specific orders l Assumed the
resi- onslpity OF directing his movements, and ordered
HIM 70 STRIFE TO my right and attack the force that had
Gryd on ne reformed my line, assisted hy Cen
eral Bartlett, perpendcuiary to the White Oak roai
Ayrcss right brigade went iu Handsomely, directed
Al this moment General Sncr,ian NJ, ana asking
me- who was, ordered to trke command 81 all the
infntIy cuuld find and push toward Five Forks.
My proper cOmmini fighting IN the woods, and
collected some 200 or 300 men whom found ~ an open
field With THESE men, Whu were rom all three divs-
ions OF the Flfth Corps advanced and went INTO the
enemys works, AT an angle west Of the sIdnor Lid"
Tue angle referred 10 mere not the one that Cen
crd Ayres carried but az distance 10 the
and 20 the west when General Chamberlain had exc
cutci just narrated no found hImee; I'm
advance and to the right Of General AyTes who nad
come DIR city euemy's works. II IL claimed by
General Warrons friends this opportunn arrival 81
General Chamberlain Caused the enemy 90 DrcVe tLat
IO0O throw down their guns without struggle.
tnt ~ TINS point III fl ,i General Shrrdai NJ
again ami sud- Yon firing mo cavalry agaH."
MOI wishing Ia cxHsp,tate General sheridan BY cnniF1
a!ctiln especially BE- was not siIc That ni7 men a1
not fred on The cavalry the witness rinllurd @nent;
but General Ayres SAID, &" t"!d you hsfo5r General
y, III tan. that th!s not cavalry lrc' lie witness
Thought ltvery key nat me cavalry Nrr IN ne No"n1
~ the White OAK rUad my W'r nrrd ~ N ~
Ayrc-'s men aHd nla own. From n: pHnt "h'rr i"ls
continuous hghIr< uL.h ti' t"' f''i Nhs
r,.chcd Tho wltl,.a a. urgt! Warren c"HuHs up
iimr alter General %aI,oa hd gone bI Eo beard the
Ormg ~ u very snarp crtastmrnt NJ tie n"rthw"'t
Soriira to prcvon- tcsiin1ny. ticrr1 warren I'd
,,r,n ~ ,.r.nu and IN. 1ur-r Was shot uu.rr Inll
Mir :riliton. Of G. fu's ~t.f 10 t,1 .oa
Ina. Wines hat O.ih. wa cpluriui %! fii CO.i-',
Ent ~ ,d not credit II ana rcertr To ti,i. m warm
In crussrxdiiiin ,t;un bJ Htipr Gtr r. 'isHrIal
CAAulhcI ain repealed and rmul.,>i1ed mdnN Il BIS
I4Irn,rts At variance W:ti the uplpiOns II a. h Wit
ncs4rs lac saIh he iG not thIIE battle won when
Genera Ayrc5 hal taken the first angle 0f III" cnrm}
tive To- The eject Oh the rrunr+ Of e aT OF epuSe
OF Arcs General Chambrian reply again "as at Va
Rance with TIE answers hitherto rcrelVea he -"d M
If AyitS had been rrphistG ana pursued, Gnih Hnh
Crawford wOnd have attacked tic euCuIy The rear
AMI prevented any dl~ Ntrr. BEFORE being dhul'"d
Grn,ra CGamhrrhin reported a character ,tc 'prr"4
ROAD atc the afternoon, Genera Bartlett rode NJ 10
him and reported tn capture OF rebel guns sheridan
reIien, roughly: d'i care ything about the Guns
or anything else. WhaI 1 Want IL the Southsdo khl-
rotd.h Then stalking his fist IN the drertIgn"t the sun.
before that sun sca we've got to make record That VIII
maze he'll treInDle."
Ayress AdJutant-Genernl Ia l563. with tue rank Of
delayed the evcnIn; Of March ST. before starting on
the 10 DDwidde. In order that ratIOna aud am
mimi ion might Uc ISSUED to the men, lie also SAID he
heard an officer Shrrldans sIan say General Ayres,
near DinWIddie, the BOydtUn road about daybreak
OF April l. that General Sheridan hnd not expected his
arrival 10 soon, and therefore had
officer to nm with the directions of on the
road aud proceed toward the enemy Us rear.
Colonel H. NJ BrlhtOn, whO in 1855, was captain In
the ID PennsyI Vana CaVarv and nidetechmp 10 Grn-
eral Grhln, ana VINO c1lnmahd.u lhe Phuiadflphla
militia ut Ptaburg ut the time VI the great labor rot
there In ST. questioned on many points that had
been spoken OF by other wtucsSes and replied IN sub
stance as they had done. His chief Importance wit
ness Tor Warren found in his direct contra
dictlOn Of General Sheridan AN important point
enCa Sheridan had stated TO the Court tna he did not
remove General Warren from his command to punish
him. but the emergency arising Uut OF the stu
alton after tho battle of Five Forks General War
rens conduct during the day had caused serious doubt
Of his possessing the quati requisite for eOmmaI-
der at that Colonel BrnOn testted that Just
after Ayres had dVanced thU enemYs works Cen
eral Sheridan General Gr1t1in IN the Sidnor Held
aud asked, Where's Marreu a. No one replied, and
nffp
I place you IN command OF the Fifth COrps."
The Court adjourned untll Friday morning.
NAVAL ORDERS.