The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-09-17

warned his government that evacuation
must follow speedily. The gap which had
been Less salvation for months, and
which he had kept open by the most De-
perate fighting. was about 10 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 nght then and there.
The Confederates, driven from their outer
works after stubborn efforts 70 hold on,
fell back sullenly toward the gap, space
but little over . mile In width along the
AppOmAttoK river, west Of the city. Any
object that would afford shelter from the
Union missiles was made TO serve a. Q
temporary breastwOrk for Lees retiring
infantry, and every tree and stump and
log and ditch cost q heavy toll In dead
boys In blue before it could be passed. The
Confederate army had been cut In two, one
body being thrown OF from Petersburg,
the other left hanging 10 the fortlhcations
there, and It WIS this hanging thread that
was curling itself up reluctantly, but OF
imperative necessity, and closing the gap
that, once barred, would shut Lee In while
keeping Grant out. But II 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 the breaks In Lees lines before
mentioned the North Carolina brigade Of
Gen. j. II. Lane was making its 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 or O'Clock In the morn.
ing the general and his adjutant, Capt
Hale, reached an empty battery known ~
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 quarter Of . mile
or more In advance Of the main Confod.
crate trenches, toward which the combat
ants were racing, the Confederates being
Of oourSe on the inside. Lane had orders
70 hold on aS long As possible and gain time
for the beaten troops TO rally on the main
line, and for the expected re-enfoFcements
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 at daylight, only frag.
ments could be called together at any
given spot, and he placed In Fort GregR
portions Of the Thirty-third and Thirty.
seventh North Carolina Infantry, under
four lieutenants-F. H. Snow, A. B. How.
ard and =. B. Craigs, Of the Thirty third,
and d. N. RiRler, Of the Thirty-seventh.
He also got up two 6pounder guns with
some artilleFists Of Chew's Maryland bat
terry and Of the famous Washington artil.
lery battalion. Lieut. MoElroy, Of the
Washinytonians, handled the cAnnonesFs,
about % in number. About the same time
% men Of Thomas Confederate brigade
and Is Of Harris Mississippians Joined the
garrison, swelling Il, according 70 the best
accounts, TO 2l4. Lieut. Snow commanded
Lanes men and J. H. Duncan led the de
tachment from Harris brigade. Gen. HAr
ris, with the bulk Of his brigade, occupied
Fort Whitworth, q companion 10 Gregg
Before leaving Fort Gregg 70 its tate
Gen. Lane sent In twenty-five rounds Of
artillery ammunition and ordered Snow TO
bold 1t 70 the last. At that time the Union
guns were firing upon the little citadel.
which was . slight earthwork with low
parapet. over the top Of which It's own can
non were discharged. At 10 O'Clock, BY q
mistaken order probably, the cannon Of
Fort Whitworth were Reut 70 the rear, and
as this act was witnessed BY the Union
troops In front, the charge was sounded TO
attack the isolated batteries, Whitworth
andNGreRg. The aHsallants numbered 5000
and were led by Gen. John Gibbon. Gregg
stood llrst In the way and felt the brunt Of
the onslaught
The cannoneers in Gregg stood 70 their
guns calamity. Three men were shot
dead, one after another, In the attempt 70
discharge single piece. When the aasail
ants reached within forty yards the infan
try garrison gave them . singing vOllsy,