Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-27

Hines are broken IN three places" and
warned biz government that evacuation
must follow speedily. Tho gap which had
lccn Lees salvation for months, aud
which be had kept open by tho most dies.
peratc lighting. was about 10 be closed In
Consequence Of those three breaks In bis
lines, caused by the vigorous assaults Of
three Of Grants corps under Gems. Parko.
Wright aud Ord.
These assaults began at daylight April
2 with tho determination on tho Union
side of finishing the fight then and there.
The Conicderatcs, driven from their outer
works after stubborn efforts 10 hold on.
icll hack sullenly toward the gap, space
but little over a mile In width along tho
AppomattoN river, west Of the city. Any
Object that would afford shelter from the
linton missiles was made 20 serve as
temporary breastwofk for Lees retiring
infantry, and every tree and stump aud
log aud ditch cost heavy toll In dead
boya In blue hcforu II could be passed. Tho
Confederate army had boon cut In two. one
body being thrown on from Petersburg,
the other left hanging TO the Notifications
there. aud Il was this hanging thread that
was curling itself up reluctantly. bat u
Imperative necessity, and closing the gap
that, once barred, would shut Ice In while
keeping Grant out. But II Grant could DO
kept out until rc-cniorcemcnts could reach
lie from across tho james the latter could
hold on TN nightfnll and escape by tho
river In the darkness.
After tho breaks Ia Lees lines before
mentioned the North Carolina brigade ~
Geo. j. ~ Lane was making H. way by
thc curling up process from the broken
front line toward the main Confederate
line NJ tho gap, disputing every inch Of
ground. About or . O'Clock In thu mora.
ing the general and his ndlutnut. Capt
Halo, reached an empty battery known NJ
Font Grugay OF battery Gregg, which was
an outlying work that an extension o. tho
Confederate line months before had rrn.
dcrd useless Il was "A quarter Of milo
or mora In advance Of the main Confcd.
crate trenches, toward which tho combat
ants were racing, the Contcderatos being
Of course on the inside. Lane had orders
10 hold on ~ long ~ possible aud gain tine
for the beaten troops 10 rally on tho main
line. and for the expected reinforcement,
to cross The river and occupy thtm.
A. bic men had been strung ont nj wide
Intervals when attacked and dispersed b.
the union columns at daylight, only irag'
ncnis could 10 called together ut any
given spot. and he placed Ia Fort Gregg
portions Of the Thirty.thlrd and Thirty
seventh North Carolina infantry, under
four lieutsnnnts--f. II. Snow, A. ~ How
ard md y. u. Crnigo. Of the Thirty third.
aud ~. N. Higltr, Of tho Thifty-seyenth.
lie also got up two 0poundor guns with
somc AuillcrIsts Of Chuwa Maryland bat.
terry aud OF the famous Washington artil
lcfy battalion. Lieut. McElroy. Of tho
Wnshinponians. handled tho cannonecrs,
about Is In number. About the same time
- men OF Thomas Confederate brigade
and - of Harris Mlsslssippians Joined tho
garrison, swelling u. according 10 the bcsi
accounts. TO GA. Lieut.. Snow commanded
Lanes men aud j. II. Duncan led the de.
tachment from Harris brigade, Gen. lIar
ris, with tho bulk Of hla brigade. occupied
Fort Whitworih, q companion 20 Gregg
Before leaving Fort Gregg 10 It's fht'
Gen Lane sent In twenty-five rounds Of
artillery ammunition aud ordered Snow e
hold II To the last. Al that time the Unlor
guns were firing upon the little citadel
which was n slight cartlwork with low
parapot, over tho top OF which its own can
non were discharged. Al 10 O'Clock, by 3
mistaken orler probably, tho cannon oI
Fort Whtworth were sent 10 tho rear. and
a. this act was witnessed by the Union
troops 10 front, the charge was sounded L
attack tho isolated batteries. Whitwortt
aud Gregg. The s,sRilantA numbered 500
and were led By Cen. John Gibbon. Gregl
stood first In tho way aud felt the brupt o.
The onslaught
The eannoneers In Gregg stood to thel
guns CALAMITY. Three men were sho
dead, one after another. In the attempt u
discharge single piece, When the assail
ants reached within forty yards the infan
try garrison gave them a singing yolley