The National tribune., 1890-03-13
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What0gr Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
AT THE WELDON ROAD.
An Important Piece Of History Of ile Petersburg
Store

az a Cannoncer" is very interesting, and gen
orally very correct in its history, giving facts
and "reminiscences THAI seemed IN large meas
nrc 10 have hCca overlooked 10y other writers.
Having served ia the First and Fifth Corps,
read these articles with much pleasure. The par
ticulars that lac gives 81 the siege works in front
Of Petersburg, with the advance and charge on
JuHc Is, are very correct, SO fan Is my recol-
lection serves mC.
j cannot bc expected that he can be entirely
correct IN giving an account Of the iIith Corps
movements ANA battles - the Weldon Road In
front ot i'cjggs..ggg, when be Wa. on detached
service vi.h jhc sixth Corps ln rs operations
ia defending Washington Aty against the Hd-
vance 0f the Couf,GerJtcS under Early, and IN
their pursuit auJ victories over th's same Con-
icdcrate General ia The Valley of the Shenan-
doah. under the inviuCibie Sheridan. My
ohoc; in writing these few lines is 10 ell
attention TO the following paragraph OF the
Camaoncer IN TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE Of
the ..Nlh of January:
-Un the night at Aug j. the Fifth Corps
was drawn Ont % its lines being relieved by
an extension OF the Ninth Corps 10 the left.
and the Fifth Corps moved Ey back roads way
round near Ices Mil AND thence across The
country TO The Weldon Railroad. which they
struck az and below The Globe Tavern early in
tho m0mjugof Aug. J. IaiS WAS The beginning
oi the second epoch % iEc siege. it resulted
in dcsVcTate battles about the Globe Tavern on
the 18TH. 2Oth and DIST and at Rrams station
on The 10Th. Ia which tag Filth and Second
CUrps bore the brunt, and the success OF the
movement extended cur lett 10 the Weldon
Railroad. aud permanently cat that rebel line
Of supply
Itislo be regretted that The writer Of the above
did not accompany his distinguished battery IN
this movement OF ;he Filth Corps, inasmuch
rs then we would have had a better nc
count Of this very important part Of the
,Tf l-.4 f4F NJ
fortified line from Fort Davis. at the .lcTusa-
lem plank read, 10 Fort Nadsw0lth, and be-
youd, On tie Weldon Railroad, distance of
over four miles. t.uthiul and good account 81
which ! believe has never appeared ~ print.
Here were four bloody aud important battles
fought by these two corps, within radius OF
two OF three miles. and within almost rs many
days, ali OF which were substantial victories,
ECt wIth great Joss on our side well rs on
that OI the enemy. and We have no intelligent
historical accounts o. them other than brief
mention IN an Incidents! way, rs j! they were
o. small recount. whereas they were OF vital
importance ia tine progress Of the operations
which led TO the capture o! Petersburg aud TO
final victory.
Having been on the ground in command OF
my regiment, IN JsawioId's Division, FIlth
Corps, 90 this movement on the Weldon Rail
road, and some things 50 liked IB my mind that
] cannot be mistaken. ! wish % make several
corrections in The interesting account given by
the C8HuomCcr
The Filth Corps, having retired from the
siege works on the 18th q August, as stated
advanced upon the Weldon Road on the morn
ing Of Aug. II. moi the 18th. as the Caun8Decr
has II. The corps reached the road At the
Globe Taycrn-or the Yellow House, as known
10 as AZ that time-at about 10 o'clock, and took
possession without any trouble except that OF
brushing away q picket OF the enemy The
fnr N ..lg he al md in
tie afternoon advanced jn force with q view OF
driving as Oh. aud the battle began lively and
continued uutIi dark, All IN tie thick woods,
about half mile from tho Yellow House, in
tie direction Of Petersburg and Oh both
slaCs 81 the railroad. Oar Joss was consider
able ~ killed. wounded and prisoners, but
Kept cur mold Of the railroad. i was evident
that Gen. Warren came 10 stay and in 50 doing
exhibited ~ little Of his mastery gencTai5hip.
lhe next battle was on hv following day, the
laiE, and not on the 10Th, as given by the
1aHDoHcCr. aud this battle was In larger force
o. fat Uf the enemy, aud also with very con
siderable success on LIs part, as be broke our
Zines ~ q Tc-k point on the night ia The dense
woad-eeG. Malone, commanding the COufed-
eEates-aud cabJied up and carried OF prison
CTS about 300 81 our brave boys. Tie battle
lasted again UGtil night and was fought in a
heavy rain. The results Of this DAYS lighting
sTcre te most GsasTOUs0 81 this series Of battles
ga sccollA % me serious loss o. almost
tire brigade o. veterans armed with scYe,i-
shooters, 81 Ehich great expectations had been
entertained Sad 10 think that At least Two
illies 81 these brave boys persisted ia the Sails
bury Prison pen ~ the ucz. six months About
100 u these were from nv own regiment
There Was controversy, inquiry aud no littlc
swearing amongst superior officers ~ reference
- tnis disaster. But, Notwithstanding the loss
and the grief aud tho swearing and the fault
finding. We held our position. The Weldon
llaIifOad Was still iH Gen. WarFcii's grip. with
10 idea o. yielding TO Lees repeated efforts.
The next day was Saturday, Aug 20 and
vas bright and clcar, aud was a busy day. but
no fighting Gen. Warren seemed to have
know edge Of Lees intention Of making an
other, greater and final effort to dispo-sess
a. u our Lold upon the Weldon Railroad. 50
lmroraH; 10 Tie enemy IN obtaining supplies
from iae south, and was all day engaged In
establishing lines and batteries aud d,.strgviug
and .eVciluE oil ones that would not be needed
~ Tie next battle. Scarcely a shot was heard
upon the Zines in front that DAY, aud the
shades d night settled quietly down. bat the
calm atmosphere seemed ~ he full Of iIupeud.
ing hattie.
TIE next day was the Sabbath, Aug. q. and
oawIed uT0u as peacefully bright and brauff.
ful, and tL!Hgs looked IN the carly hours al II
Tic sacred ness Of the day was going 10 De- mon
cry observed. Before O'Clock this pleasant
AtA+a Ftf@l AAA-A4 I+ittAB ana al that
hUur lbe very earth was shaking aud heavens
iaii Of the missiles VI death. Our lines during
t4ss tremendous canHCnaae were silent aud
Haiting- VIC were lu tie open, with several
hundred wards u clear ground IN front Of our
lines, aac ahlch were ia the form . Z, triangle
a8d extending, iu all, perhaps three quarters If
q mile, tEaWioTd's Division occuHvlug the
right and front, ai.d AyTcs's aud GiilIiuis Di
visions Oh The left and extending down tbc
Sank below Tic Globe Tavern. or YeIlov
House which Was The headquarters Of Cen
warren % whose geBealsllip his corgs had
every c9nEscaCc. This frigItful canaousdo
DID not continue au hour, but sufficiently loBs
] suppose 10 satisfy the Confederate cam
lnaIdeI That or lines Of battle were we'll de-
E49Ia.lzso. aud that q charge upon them vyauld
lie -uccee-iuL The charge WIS made with lat
IL AHes ~ iElDuy. Having 10 pass ibrgugl
WDycr u concealed them Until within good
range 81 our we'll manned and wcll.warig.J
batteries. 4 cannot eater into details Int can
assulecly say that the gcEcis met with a rua-t
complete and terrible rcpuisc, with a lafgt. loss
Do Killed aud wounded and prisoners Lee
WilLdleW iiis forces that were LEFT within his
Petersburg lines, aud never made another
eAon - fecapture the Weldon Railroad from
The ililh Corps. The LaIauce u that eaeF,,1
day was used IN the kind and benevolent ,yorly
q gathering up the rebel wounded. carrvt,t,,
them 3n lliieTs into our hospitals and givir.9
iAeIn the same treatment and surgical care Thar
HfTc given o. our 0wH brave bows.
4Ac banhOhccr conveys the idea that fbc