The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-03-12
THE LAST FIGHT.
Some Official Statements Respecting the Battle
that Ended the War.

that Ended the War.
To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Jan. % is
an article entitled The Last Fight Of the
Army of the Potomac" and signed F. c. Jones'
Captain Gath n Y, Kansas City. Mo. In this
article l find the following statement:
I" / will just make the assertion at the outset
that this regiment 9th y. Y fought the last
fight of the Army of the Potomac before Lee
surrendered. / wish TO be understood that we
were the last infantry who were engaged in
battle, Il and Gen Nelson Miles will
bear me out in the assertion. y We
kept up our battling until nightfall, charging
and recharging, when by force of numbers
against u.s. we withdrew short distance to a
small ravine Our losses We're seven
men killed aud % wounded So
much for the last fight of the war. l wonder
how many of the boys of that day engagement
are left to tell the story. So much for the old
9th n. Y"
1t is not probable that Gen. Miles will bear
out the above assertions. This last battle"
was fought during the afternoon of April Z,
1865, by the First and Third Divisions of in
fantry and a part of the artillery of the Second
Corps. The First Division was commanded by
Gen. Nelson a. Miles and the Third Division
was commanded by Gen. Regis De Trobriand in
the absence of Gen. Mott, who was wounded at
Flat Creek. The corps commander, Gen. a. A.
Humphreys, was on the field from first to last,
and all important movements were made I'M
der his personal direction. The 1st n. II. and
Clark's New Jersey batteries responded to the
rebel batteries with great vigor until the latter
became silent.
In his account of this battle Gen. Humphreys
says: Gen. Humphreys, with Miles and De
IrOhriand, arrived near the Lynchburg stage
road about 1 O'clock when he Suddenly came
in contact with the enemy, who opened on him
with Poagues 16 guns. Dispositions were at
ITO, IL ,,,I h.aaxr 81; ,,-l,
line was pressed close up against the enemy to
develop his position. 1t was soon found, from
the prisoners taken, that Lees whole army
present III Il strong position, covering the stage
and plank roads to Lynchburg, which had been
intrenched sufficiently for cover, and had artil
lery in place. 1t was on the crest of long slope
ofopen ground. Fitz Lees cavalry was covering
their rear toward Farmvie, supported by Heth's
infantry. heavy skirmish-line was pressed
against the enemy and an attack Threatened
with the two divisions, both OF which were now
up and an unsuccessful attempt was made to
take them in flank. Barlow was now sent for
and Gen. Meade informed that Lees whole re-
manning force. probably about $4,000 infantry,
had been come up with, and suggesting that
corps should attack Lee from the direction of
Farmville at the same time that the Second
Corps attacked from the opposite direction.
Upon this Gen. Meade sent directions for Gen.
Gibbon, with the Twenty-fourth Corps, and
Gen. Wright. with the Sixth Corps, both of
which were then at or near Farmvile to cross
the river there and attack Jointly with the
Second Corps. But neither Gen. Meade nor
Gen. Humphreys was aware that the river at
Farmville was impossible, and that there was
no pOntOon bridge available and that it would
be night before the Sixth Corps, which had ar
rived at Farmville by = o'clock, could get
across.
while Gen. Humphreys, fully expecting
fhata an att 10 az
would be made, was waiting the arrival OF Bar
low, the enemy was observed, at hals-past 4, to
shorten his right flank. and some firing being
heard iii the direction of Farmvlle, which was
supposed to be the Sixth Corps advancing, Gen.
Humphreys contracted his left and extended
his right to enveiop the enemy's left flank.
While this was being done Gen. Miles thought
he saw an opportunity for attack and at once
made it with part of his First Brigade,
which was, however, repulsed with considerable
loss.
THE ground was rough and the position and
the ntrenchmentS strong The attack fell on
Mahone's Division, which was on the Conted-
crate left, supported by AnderSOn's Brigade of
Feds's Division. Poague's artillery was on
Mahone's right then Gordons Corps, with
Longstreets troops on its right. The firing in
the direction of Farmville, which was light
and ceased very soon, came from an encounter
with Crooks Cavalry Division. which had
crossed the river with great difficulty, by wad
ing, at Farmville. . II Gen Barlow re-
Joined his corps about sunset, but it was dark
before he could be put in position The loss of
the Second Corps to-day was 81 officers and
men killed, wounded and missing. Nothing |
could have been finer than the spirit and
promptness of the officers and men. . i
1t was anticipated that Lee would move off in
the night, which he did. Il BY the deten-
ton until night at this place, Gen Lee lost in
valuable time, which he could not regain by
night marching; lost the supplies awaiting
him at Appomattox Station, and gave time to !
Sheridan with his cavalry and Ord with the
Fifth and Twenty Fourth Corps to post them
selves across his path at Appomattox Court
house"
1t will be observed that there is quite
margin between the statements of Gen. Hum
phreys and that of Capt. Jones. The Captain
says our loss was seven killed and % wounded
total %. Gen. Humphreys says the loss of the
Second Corps to-day was 51l Assuming the
loss of the Second Division to have been zoo |
we have still loss of 81 for this last fight" |
Deduct % for the Gath n. Y, and we still have |
a loss Of 3i2 to be accounted for. Does the gal
liant Captain wish us to infer that while his |
regiment was charging and fighting, and fight |
ing and charging, the rest of the two divisions
crowded into the brush and grass like young
snipcs, and allowed the enemy to kill, wound
and capture 342 of our number?
been finer than the spirit and promptness of
our officers and men,"
After the Confederate artillery had given up
the ghost, Gen. Humphreys conducted Clark's |
New Jersey battery to the right and put it in
position i'll an open space between Prices house |
and negro quarters, facing to the right The |
battery had no infantry support, and could not |
have been expected to hold the position against !
attack of infantry or cavalry; and owing |
to the short distance from the battery to the |
woods in front of it, it could have given but |
brief notice of an attack it before being /
driven off or captured. An attack at this point |
would have been in rear Of our right flank, !
and very dangerous to our troops Gen Hum |
phreys was alive to this danger. He sat on |
his horse and scanned the woods closely through |
his field glass He then directed a staff officer |
to take a small escort of mounted Orderlies, |
and 20 through the woods and ascertain if the |
enemy were in approaching it. Both di- |
visions were up, and had they not been other
wise engaged he would certainly have thrown /
out skirmish-line and supported the battery |
at this point and not have trusted to luck |
The Confederate Gen. McGOwan, in regard to |
this battle, says: The enemy seemed ubiqui- |
tous. We were instructed to be prepared to |
fight on either flank. On our right flank firing |
was pretty steadily kept up; i'll front q !
regular battle was going on. Mahone's Di- |
vision was engaged and portion of Felds's. |
3 IS The firing increased in rapidity and |