The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-06-26

/ 10 miles west of Petersburg, where five roads
met seemed TO have been selected as the thea
ter of the great and famous battle of the Five
Forks. Great not so much in view of the
number of troops engaged, but great in its
completeness, decisiveness and influence upon
THE FINAL RESULT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
! Here away down in the woods, thickets flooded
streams and muddy ways, the mighty power
was brought into action with such generalship
aud skill that the keystone was knocked from
! the Confederate arch.
The great movements in progress had already
! attracted the attention of the civilized world.
Wherever the electric wire extended excite
ment was at its highest pitch. The most in
/ tense anxiety was felt by the people, especially
in the loyal States, in every city and town.
village aud hamlet. While the multitudos were
waiting and watching in the distance, some oil
| the great characters were near the focus oil
action. Grant the great genius of command,
was at the helm of the mighty army oil tho
| Union Lee. his great antagonist, welding
| the Confederate legions was near by, just over
the lines in Petersburg. few miles further
north of that city. at Grants late headquarters
az City Point, in little log cabin on the bank
OF the James River sat the great Emancipator.
the immortal Abraham Lincoln, President of
the United States An electric wire extended
from this point in circle away around the
siege works and Notifications, 80 miles away,
placing him in immediate communication with
Gen. Grant in the midst of the advancing and
/ fighting divisions of the army. Every move
ment OF interest was flashed over this wire to
! the great head of the Nation, and he flashing
/ them onward TO the anxious loyal people OF the
North. Less than 30 miles north of the Five
Forks, at Richmond, sat the chief conspirator,
Jefferson Davis, filled with anxious forebodings.
/ He did not learn of this great disaster to his
TebellIous C0nfederacy until next DAY, sun
day, while attending church. lie received the dls-
patch from Lee announcing the fact IL struck
him a clap of thunder in clear sky, and
before the sun descended below the horizon he
and his cabinet were going southwark on tho
Danvilc road with the speed OF steam, fleeing
from the wrath 10 come
We will now return to the divisions of the
/ Fifth Corps that were assembled in the Boisscau
/ fields and woods. where they were awaiting
orders 10 move 10 the front. Before speaking par
| ticnlarly of the advance / will notice an error
/ in the Cannoneer'S account, where ho mentions
1 the several regiments composing Baxtcr's Br-
I gade, of Crawlord's Division. he says, " The
! Second was Baxters-l6sh Me-, 39th Mass,
4 g7th n. Y, and what was left of the llth Pa.
veterans and the l07th Ia. consolidated" in
order to correct what i know TO be erroneous
with reference 20 my own regiment, would
say that the lOTth Pa. was a veteran regiment,
as the records OF the War Department will show,
having re-eniisted with great unanimity, and
during its more than three years at the front,
/ in the First and Fifth Corps. il never was con-
solidated with any other regiment
PROM CEDAR MOUNTAIN TO APPoMAToX
/ it sustained a high reputation for gallantry,
discipline and efficiency. At the close Of this
battle of the Five Forks on the field IL received
/ the thanks of Gen. Baxter for its good conduct.
/ The Ilth was Gen. Coutcr's regiment and led
/ by It's gallant Colonel was distinguished for its
/ fighting qualities. i think it was not consoli-
dated with any other regiment. The 97th n.
! y. was Col. WheclOck's old regiment. and did
4 lts State honor in many bloody battles. The
:59th Mass was a very fine and gallant TcRi-
/ ment and embraced a superior degree OF talent
+ and intelligence in It's ranks. lt Joined tho
I brigade soon after the battle OF Gettysburg and
i for some time previous had been on provost
( duty at Washington, and was IN high state Of
discipline. Ii suffered greatly IN the Wilder
ness and Subsequent battles, aud at Petersburg
I experienced the great loss OF lis commander,
/ Col. Davis. who was killed by the explosion of
a shell near where Fort Davis named in his
honor was afterwards built No regiment ia
the brigade stood higher in gallant aud efficient
service than the 10th sie and especially in
this battle Of the Five Forks did it display tho
greatest zsai aud enthusiasm under It's brave aud
noble hearted Col. iaftcrward BreYct BriEadIer-
General Iilden. IL was Col Tlidcn's fortune 10
have been captured. think, al tho battle Of
I Gettysburg and TO be confined in Libby. from
gautiet Of the famous tunnel, aud Tejoined
his command az the outpost camp near Gull
{ pcpcr IN good time fOf the grand movement in
May, 1861. He was again made prisoner aug
/ 10 1864, ia the battle Of the Weldon road and
/ while on the way from Petersburg 10 Richmond
again escaped from bis caPtors, with wonderful
good fortune passed boldly through the streets
Of Petersburg, aud the night Of the 2lst
skillfuiy ran through the picket-lines Of the
/ enemy, and rcj0iHed his command afteE an
absence OF two days.
After q separation Of 25 years, with lively
memories OF the years Of war VIII he par
doned for this digTessi0n aud kind mention Of
my gallant and deserving comrades Of Baxter's
Brigade; and this brigade was, ] believe, a fair
sample Of the brigsdes composing Crawford's
Division, division that did its fair share OF
the Fighting, even when competing with the
famous divisions Of Griffin aud Ayrcs. the Can
noneer's fayoTites. This may De noticed ia the
brief history wa are now about to give Of the
battle Of the Five Forks. Giving crawford's
Division fair show III this battle will not dc.
tract in the least from the other divisions Of
the Corps.
THE FORCE ENGAGED.
Before entering upon the advance movement
il is proper 10 mention the numbers engaged in
the battle. Warren gives the numbers Ia the
divisions OF his corps, when il commenced its
movement on March 2gth, As follows: Craw-
fOrd's Division, 5.2J0 strong: Gfifin'B Division,
G,IS0 strong: AyrGsis Divifion, $3.50 strong
making total OF l5.4l0. Also FIVE four-gun
batteries Of artillery, with personal escort OF
cavalry Of 40 men.
On account Of the woods and the deep T0ada
the artillery was left in the rear aud not used
in the battle. Gen. Warren, ia his estimate oi
the force engaged in the battle Of the Five
Forks says: The casualties Of the threr pre-
ceding days, together with those who had
! given out from weariness or were absent on
detached duty. bad probably reduced our effect.
/ i've force at least thousand men in each di.
| vision below that with which we set out on
the 29th, so That we had then present about
1000 men" Besides this force. two divisions
OF cavalry (DeVins and Custer's). fighting dis
mounted, were engaged in the battle.
THE EEEMY's FORCE
The opposing force, a. Sheridan gave Il, WA
Picketts Division. Wises independent Brigad,
Of infantry aud Fitz Hugh Lees, ROsscrs and
w. III. Lees cavalry commands This was tli,
force that attacked Sheridan at the Five Forili
T aud forced him back five miles 10 Dinwiddi.
the day before 1.-THE 3ist), and that night re
Iurned aud reooeupied the Five Forks, and for
hold IN order TO protect and defend the SOuti
Side RAilroad, nov seriously threatened by thi
! left Of our army.
o MARCHING TO THE PLACE or FORMATION.
{ From about Il. m. the divisions OF the corp
had been lying with arms stacked In the field
0 and on the roads at j. Boissean's. This place
on the map, is situated about three miles nearl,
d 1 eotfth oF the F{v. Forks ohnut ,,f Il.