Telegram-herald., 1890-03-17

CsA. Gsraon's Asosu11 sAs~t1x xhs brss-
ery of Dospsrsss hsn-


cry sf DsspsrsEs asH-
Iss esaA1sDos II EAs bs~sexins array
a. Petersburg IN 1876 ~~s net d0e g
l@cs ~ vigilance 1ar - aRsaldierly spa
tsy. fas lnlo1 troops 0ocapasd naors
ttAn three Qa4rtars cf . circis around reSers
Darg, tbs iasrsaohasasS bslag Stsaul saxssss
n.llss n lesgte. eaa psl.lag Les - sPreso eis
nasn over Shs groand II = very ~ssk hns-
II . true thai ths gap s<LA hsld 81 t1s Con-
fs1eFassS gave tasn sssn0ss ~ oo.nmanio4-
tioa VIII Ihelr cSPs4l Al kloklaosa soa ~lrs
thelr depols IL supplies Al DEuvLls, Lsnch-
barg saa polBss "a Nara C&roAas, Oat ss
tbs ssssoB far tks sprlRg c@EaP~aga ~as al
sAnd i wAs kuowB SAaf Cal0a ARMIES Ia sas
re4r Ana o. Eas 1-aks u Lss ~eald SOFA
c.oss tasss avenasz, ana thea the eAief forces
q tLs CoaisasFaey would ~ sQrroanasd
There a<d soE besa sortAs during ths siees
u Petersburg. Tas UElas llass bsa closed
II upon SAs s0enys ~orAs VIII steady prog
ress and ILs l4ss alteE" sesinsd - aAss asea
re=oRsd and tAs oAffisi CoafsderaGs army
seltls1 IN Il 10 de lng gioTlo4sly.
Although II s&s believed ct nloa head
quarters tGal Les would make az sfiosF 10
iola Tia forces with Gaa- Joseph K Joanr
sIOah at some point south Of Petsrsourg, TIE
tAo~AAts9 - NS-As - - c~>e&44e sAAA .
bold on the Petersburg lines seems not u have
been taken into account Sheridan who wss
marching from the Shenandoah Valley - Pc
tersburg was close 70 the App0nattOx oa ths
cath II March. and Gea. GRAFT ISSUED an order
for movement by TIE left nAnk around Lees
right. with view 10 placing barrier be-
tween aim and Johnston TIE campaign was
TO begin Oh the 18th SherliAn's cavalry col
: a
Sixth corps, already on the left. would fol
low. On the night Of the 2ith Gen. Meade,
commanding the Army Of the Potomac under
Grant. was ~ the headquarters of tie latter
al CRY Point. where siso President Lincoln
was staying on a visit with tie purpose Of re-
viewing the army Al headquarters, every
where. preparations were gong on Tor the
movement OF tie 29th. aud tbs troops, except
Ing the pickets and trench guards. we're rest
ing quietly IN their camps a couple % hours
bsfore daylight Gen. Parke was aroused BY
the noise OF battle on his front. and after
learning from couriers that the enemy hsd
broken through be telegraphed 70 Gen Meade.
al the headquarters Of the Army cf the P0to
mac. the facts. he received the reply that
Meade was at City Point, and that be Parkei.
being senior, was IA command OF the army
On attempting 20 telegraph 10 City Point DO
found that the lines nAi been cut by the enemy
and communication was broken Gordon's
blow had been delivered with surprising
swiftness and success in the midst Of heavy
morning fog that aided his nen in the initial
stroke.
''Of course" says Gen. Gordon, ''it was q
most desperate and almost hopeless under
taking. and could be jusl.rea only by our
desperate aud hopeless condition II We re-
manned idle. We al recognized IL as the
forlornest OF foriorn hopes. Let ine particular
ize little more. Tue obstTuctions in front
OF my own lines had 70 Do removed. and re.
moved silently, 30 as not 70 attract the atten-
ton OF the Federal picxers Grants OBJ
structions had 10 be removed from the front
OF Fort Stedman. These lcneveaIx de frissl
were of sharpened rail. elevated 70 about
breast high, the other end buried deeply IN
the ground ths rails resting ca q horizontal
pole and wrapped With teles Eph wire. They
could not be mounted nor pushed aside. but
had to be cut away with axes This had 70
be done Immediately in front Of the guns OF
Fort Stedman. These guns at night were
doubly charged with canister, as learned
from Federal prisoners. The rush across the
intervening space betweeu the lines had 10 be
made SO silently and so swiftly a. TO take the
forts before the gurners could fire. The
reserves had TO be beaten or passed, and the
rear line Of forts taken before daylight. All
this had to be accomplished before my main
forces could be moved across and placed IN
position to move on Grants flank, or rather
left wing. George L. Kilmer.