The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-09-03

warned his government that evacuation
must follow speedily, The gap which had
been Lees salvation for months, and
which he had kept open by the most des-
per;ite fighting, was about to be closed in
consequence of those three breaks in his
lines, caused by the vigorous assaults OF
three of Grants corps under Gems. Parke.
Wright and Ord.
These assaults began at daylight April
2, with the determination on the Union
side of finishing the fight then and there
The Copfederates, driven from their outer
works after stubborn efforts to hold on,
fell back sullenly toward the gap, space
but little over mile in width along the
ApponUattox river, west OF the city. Any
object that would afford shelter from the
Union missiles WAS made to serve as a
temporary breastwork for Lees retiring
infantry, and every tree and stump and
log and ditch cost heavy toll in dead
boys in blue before it could be passed. The
Confederate army had been cut in two, one
body being thrown off from Petersburg,
Tie other left hanging to the Notifications
there, and it was this hanging thread that
WIS curling itself up reluctantly, but of
imperative necessity, and closing the gap
that, once barred, would shut Lee in while
keeping Grant out But if Grant could be
kept out until re-enforcements could reach
Lee from across the James the latter could
hold on till nightfall and escape by the
river in the darkness.
After tie breaks in Lees lines before
mentioned the North Carolina brigade of
Gen j. ii. Lane was making it's way by
the curling up process from the broken
! front line toward the main Confederate
line at the gap, disputing every inch OF
ground About 8 or 8 o'clock in the morn
ing the general and his adjutant, Capt.
Hale, reached an empty battery known as
! Fort Gregg, Or Battery Gregg, which was
| an outlying work that An extension OF the
! Confederate line months before had rem
! dered useless. 1t was a quarter of mile
or more in advance of the main Confed-
crate trenches, toward which the combat
! ants were racing the Confederates being
of course on the inside. Lane had orders
to hold Oh us long as possible and gain time
| for the beaten troops to rally on the main
| line, and for the expected re-enforcements
to cross the river and occupy them.
As his men had been strung out at wide
! intervals when attacked and dispersed by
! the Union columns ut daylight, only frag-
| mnuts could be called together at any
| given spot, and he placed in Fort Gregg
| portions of the Thirty third and Thirty
seventh North Carolina infantry, under
four !ieutenants-F. IL. Snow, A B. How
ard and f. i. Craige, of the Thirty third
and ID. NJ Rigler, Of the Thirty seventh
| He also got up two 6pounder guns with
some artiiierists of Chew's Maryland bat
! terry and of the famous Washington artil
lcry battalion Lieut.. McEIroy, of the
Neutrality-suspicious., handled the cannoneers
about - in number About the same time
| 20 men of Thomas Confederate brigade
and % Of Harris Miasissippians joined the
garrison, swelling it, according to the best
accounts. to PA. Lieut.. Snow commanded
Lanes men and j. IL. Duncan led the de
tachment from Harris brigade. Gen. Har
! ris, with the bulk of his brigade, occupied
| Fort Wliitworth, companion to Gregg
Before leaving Fort Gregg to its fat,
Gen Lane sent in twenty-five rounds O
artillery ammunition and ordered Snow t.
hold it to the last. At that time the Uniol
gums were firing upon the little citadel
which was a slight earthwork with Low
parapet, over the top of which it's own can
non were discharged. At 10 o'clock, by
mistaken order probably, the cannon o
Fort Whitworth were sent to the rear, ant
Us this act WAS witnessed by the UnioI
troops in front, the charge was sounded t.
: attack the isolated batteries, Whitwortl
and Gregg The asSailants numbered 100
and were led by Gen. John Gibbon. Greg!
stood first in the way and felt the brunt 0
J the onslaught.
The cannoueers in Gregg stood to thei
, guns calamity. Three men were sho
, dead, one after another. in the attempt t.
discharge IL single piece When the assail
ants reached within forty yards the infar
J try garrison gave them singing volley