The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-25
BATTLE OF DREWRY'S BLUFF.
How Buffers Right Flank Was BFOken
That Memorable Day.
THE "OLD FIRST" TO The FRONT.
Detail. ofthe Engagement Never Before Pub
Hshed- Past Commander hoeh' No-
dress Before Pickett camp C. "

ne but Of the battle when was 4ouSnt tnere
~, NJ ,e 1854 very little has been said;
,,.,.h fo.s than Of any battle Of its magnitude
.r.l ,-,rortanre which occurred throughout
.aou,r No regular report from the Con-
1.7.~... side. except tho brief reports #
p.....~o...~l Ransom or Hoke. has ever reach
.3bopsblic. and these contain no details Of
how Raters right wing was broken, the prin-
Gina. event .n That bloody battle
one reason for this silence on our side is
duo 20 tho fact that our forces were gathered
es they arrived and placed in temporary
0rrau laton under officers assigned a. taem
fortle occasion. another reason is that an
ewes were turned toward the fields OF Spotsyi-
vsrta where the armies of Grant ana Zee
made music which drowned the thunder OF
caln0ns and rattle OF musketry st Dre"Ey
But.
TIN TOrCFs ENGAGED.
The Federal army assigneito the capture Of
Petersburg and KchmOud, called tie Army
@. the james. commanded Dy ehelai puter.
composed ~ tie Tenth and eighteenth army
corps numbered according 90 It's own rep ri
Is ZOO men and So guns besides a fleet of gun
boafa and monitors. Tho Confederate forces
commanded bv General heauregard. consisted
Of Gruc.es. hempers. hoke and barton's
hr,~4le4 forming EansOm' IS DIVISION. COrse's
Cincmans. BGshroi John,ons and la
goods lrigades. forming Hokes division and
Co0utts and Hansoms bri-ades under Col
Quit
Alta he'd TO this force were three battaions
q artillery and three SINAI, regiments OF cav
aIfY. the whole OF gross numbers Zoe NJ gwen
is 1900 This was the force al Drcwry's Bluff
ami en- a-ed on the j Oh of Nay. North Of
Petersburg. nea- Swift creek. General W mt
irc was ia charge. having Nise's and Mar
tus brirales add DeAru. IS cavalry with ham.
fF.r H| FgE Irsfr f...F T.
&C. Their numbers are gwen as 1000 Taxing
fbe fgures representing the aggregate or gross
lmbers we have. tedeIals. $500, Conied-
crates. zl,t0J.
DETAILS or TIE FIGHT.
tis not my intention nor arm ] able TO give
true and correct account OF the whole bat
ro. Ionlv desire go submit some details
which / hope may throw some light on tie
question OF "h1w Buffers right flank was
broken that morning.
South %. Urowrys Bluff, across kingsland
creek Thence over the elevation where the
Willis house stands nuns tie old stage road
continuing in southern dire ton. 10 crosses
90 right angles "a sIual creek with q pond on
the west This creek is bordered with pines
and heavy underwood while ~ front there are
open fields I'm these woods and partly paral-
le and south o, the creek al point aOrt
distance east of the road was the enemy's
right sank. BIS position besides having the
advantage O. the forest as cover. was
further protected ly good log-works con-
stuctel by tie enemy when they took pos
session o.. that line.
The enemy right was held by Heckman's
brigade. consisting Of the twenty third. |
Iwelty-hitl and twenty seventh Massachu- |
sets regiments and the Ninth New Jersey. /
Their number tated in the history Of the /
IRen'y-thrd Massachusetts regiment page /
u.s. ODD May al7oi Was as follows 'Heckman's !
Star brigade. composed of the Twenty
Url. 1wenty-ffth and Twenty-seventh /
Massachusetts, and the Ninth New Jersey /
re-meuts. some .. ZOO strong, men largely /
seasoned in battle and pretty thorou bly, /
ated Of that element which, shutting the /
llt,le atar OF, keeps It's distaDcel went /
ont into the fire OF that battle mo nth which /
U4s destined to reduce 1t to- a mere handful /
O. war-wJrn men,
IHr MICRO TROOPS FOUGHT MODIFY.
Now n accordance with the above this /
irraie numbered some . ZOO men SAY IL bad /
but -.sDI 0r even 220O IN line at Drewry' S /
IIIt tlen 10 greatly outlum ere the attack /
ing force. here was besides a body of negro /
cavalry. said 20 lie the Second United States /
lo9red Cavalry, placed on the extreme night
o. iAs brigade of these gay riders we are
celta0.y informed that they made tracks TO
tle rear on The first fire. and greatly assisted IN
tle confusion which happened TO the unucky
Star br gade and no ubt strengthened
ttelr belief ln tie story of tie overwhelming
rebel column which attacked them IN flank
and rear
DISPOSITION OF THE FORoEs.
our force. constituting the attacking col
umn 90 our lett, CON listed of Gracies lri- !
rtie. supported by kemper's brigade and
al not exceed .OOl men. say l,i00 for
once's and 100 for hompers brigade
General W. IL. Terry. the commander of
heupers BRIGADE. says this estimate Is too
Ln the bird Virginia OF the latter bri-
grade having been lett at Washington. ~ &.
or cle br gade consisted OF the forty-frst.
lor.y-thrd ttty-ninth aud SiKteth Ala
iaua regiments aud kempers OF tho First
Seventh, tleventl and Iweuty-fourtA NIrgluia
regiments
The formation Of the enemy's line was as
follows. Nn tie extreme right the negro cav
airy east %. the stage Dad eight companies Of
te Nlntl New Jersey, two roIupauies Of the
same regiment ON tire west Of the road. west
thereof the Iwentv-,e venth. IwentY-third
and Twenty fifth Massachusetts regiments.
t.eu Wlstar's brigade and other troops of the
glteelth army corps. Still further near
ile petersburg railroad, the Tenth army
corps.
our force commencing on the left. were
coup sed of the aforesaid trigades of Oracle
and heuper west thereof Bart3ns brigade
supported 10y hOke all constituting kansOms
eF-l0n while to our extreme lett were some
csHa united cavalry skirmisheIs stretching
on. lu thin .lue 20 the river
io tie west of Ransom was Hokes dv-
son. with Hagoois Bushrod Johnson's
'ilEuau's and Cores brigndcs. Corse hav-
Dig Ae extreme right near the railroad
While Co.qutt. with his brigade aud Ran
t..l s va. held ia reserve.
1HH FIGHT Deems.
'i was O'Clock ia the morning Of the 10Th
a'i consequently very dark vet when we
yell into line and marched out from tho
woods Ia ront OF Drewry's Bluff which had
t-e.'erei as tor the might. Crossing Kings
l..d creek. We lormed iu line OF battle o. tie
rsnt ~ the road Perhaps two hour, were
81 nsomei n getting the line formed. loading
and getting ready for the FRAY. Meanwhile a
i'afF iog came up. euveiopug everything
around us p thick shroud and so heavy that
W. MD not see ten steps an al. About go
colo. everything was ready and General
F..'e okirmlsnero. forward. march Sc
coi4 tle battalion a direction. batrali ms
D." ID. guide right march Forward went
'.e "ne haVua the fWtg-frst on the left
ilfa ihe S.Htetl. fftynnth and Forty third
r.lt
Nhle we could not see thing we could
.'at mat me column In our front WAS ia mo- |
t'i- hardly ten minutes passed when len
cray Ferry, commanding kempers brigade
'inrfe4 ms men 10 follow Slowly and ia |
yer on line OF battle the br gade commenced
." Onward movement the Seventh having
gre ie.t of The hue. the First next ON IT'S
=. 'Nen the ELEVENTH and Iwcnty-iourlh