The National tribune., 1886-04-15
WELDON RAILROAD.
lis Cauture by tt,c Fifth Corps.


To TIE EDITOR: The Weldon Railroad was
very important TO the Confodoratc5, and wasdo-
Tended with great obstjnacv. by it nearly all
the supplies for their army at Richmond and
Petersburg were transported. two or more ut
tc:IptS had been made to capture it, bat with
out success. On the night of Aug. H. 1851, we
received marching orders Eati0nS were Issued,
cartridge-b0XCS rcplcmishCd and at 2:}0 On the
morning Of the 18th we fell in and we're soon
on the move, marching to the left and rear of
the Tcst of the army. making quite detnnr to
escape the observation Of the enemy. At the
same time feint was made by the Second
Corps to attract their attention elsewhere. At
eh0ut2 o'clock our SIX irmiShgrS CmCnunterc the
enemy near The railroad iii the vicinity ot GLOW
Tavern, abOUt eight miles from Richmond. We
there nassc,! in an open field. and were opened
upon by rebel battery with but little dam
age, as most of their shells went over. In short
time we were marched across the railroad about
half mile ana halted. Our brigade Second,
of the Third Division, Col Hoffman, was tenn
porauly attached to the Second Division,
(Ayers'sl. 1t hal commenced raining. The
skiTm!shng in our front was getting pretty
lively. when Col. DALEY, of division staff. rode
mp and asked for volunteers TO go oat as vidcts.
About 80 men stepped out and were put in COM
mand Of Capt. Pierce, Of the 18th n. Y. We
were deplOyed and marched in advance of the
pickets firing as We went until we were in
close proximity to the rebels, who blazcd away
al us TO the best Oftheir ability Our orders after
being halted, were 10 keep up a continuous fire,
in order that our main body could establish line
a short distance back Capt Pierce and others
were wounded here. When we came back to
the main body after being relieved we found
that the boys had thrown up breastworks. 1t
Was raining steadily, and that night we lay IN
the muddy pits, partially filled with water, I'M
der orders not to take Oft or aCcoutermcnts,
and DO ready for an attack st any moment. In
the morning we discovered that our artillery
had been posted in rear OF US about 8 quarter of
mile. In capturing the road there had been an
interval left between the right of our corps and
the left of the rest of the army, occupied by
pcket-line. The rebels discovered this and,
forcing their way through, captured about
1000 prisoners and swung around threatening
our right; but at this moment tho troops of
Wilcox and White, of the Ninth Corps, made
their appearance, and the rebels retreated.
While this was going on we were repelling
charge i'll our front. Our artillery opened on
the enemy, but owing to faulty ammunition
the shells burst in rear of US, and at every dis
charge was dealing death in our own ranks in
stead OF harmlng the enemy. Sergt McGraw,
of my regiment, was killed, and number of
others wounded, and other regiments Of our
brigade suffered also. That night we moved
back q short distance and threw up works,
chance to fight behind them, but the next
morning soon after daylight our pickets were
driven in and the rebels made their appearance
in two lines of battle Night after night during
that terrible Summer we had built works
only to leave them in the morning, and we had
despaired of ever fighting behind them; but
here our hopes were 10 be realized As cast
my eyes down our line / thought it was the
most glorious sight had ever witnesscd-our
flags floating to the breeze and our boys stand
ing in the pits ready to meet the enemy. They
advanced in splendid order and we soon opened
On them, apparently without effect, though our
artillery moved them down like grass. They
advanced TO within a rod or so of the works
before they turned. Many of US followed them
aud quite a number of prisoners were captured.
To the left OF us there was a space between two
brigades which was not occupied, aud through
here they swarmed, and rebel officer grasped
the colors Of a regiment here, but was shot be-
fore he could get away with them. After
short hand to-hand conflict they retreated. The
charge was repeated in short time, but we
We're too many for them and they met with
grief, leaving many of their dead on the field.
GROVE II. DUTToN, Sergeant, Co. ID, 147th
n. Y, Fulton, n. Y.