Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-17
sHealoaN,s ."EAME.n


fWr1tten for the Dispasch.l
20 that mine adversary had written beokl ~
Job
The facils fabricators Of that pic
turesque. patched. and piebaid literary
performance nick-named Abraham Lin:
coin. 9 History" among other marvels OF
fiction gives an account OF the. hight q
Five Forks, in which denerai cneriosns
tame eliminated.
"Tbe battle. I" they say. "wss fought al
most A. II was planned. The only diner
ence between conception and execution
arose from the fact that IL had not been
practicable to ascertain the precise posi-
fion of the enemy's left flank, lest the at
tempt might put them on their guard.
"Ayers's division was on the left, Craw,
ford on the right, and Grimm behind
Crawford, and in this way, they moved to
the attack about I o'clock. Warren. nm;
Outstanding that the enemy's line reached
farther down the road than was the case,
sent Ayers's. his smallest division, in d.
-ection which brought it against the angle.
and Crawford and Griffin were moving
across the road and altogether past the
enemy into the woods, when the heavy
firing In front OF Ayers warned Warren
of bis error, and he immediately be-
stirred himself to rectify it, sending his
aids in every direction and finally riding
off into the woods to bring Crawford and
Griffin to the point where they were 30
greatly, needed. All this occupied con-
siderable time. and in the mean time the
brunt of the battle fell upon Ayers's divi-
sion. They were hardly strong enough
for the work thus accidentally assigned
them. and there might have been serious
check at this moment but for the
proyidentral presence of Sheridan him
self, who, with o fury and vehe.
mence founded on the soundest
judgment, personally led the troops
Those who saw him that day will tell the
story to their latest breath; how, holding
the colors in his hand. with q face. dark
ened with smoke and anger, and with
sharp exhortations (obJurgations is tho bet
ter world that rang like pistol-shots. he
gathered up the faltering battalions of
Ayers and swept like spring gust over
Pickett's breastworks."
Very fine writing; calls to mind Napo--
leon at Lodi, or rather that Boanerges OF
battle,
Lord Dalhousie. grea. god Of war,
Lleutenant-Coonel 70 the Earl OF Mar!
THE FACTS.
But what are the facts-those divine
things" over which these doughty pala-
dins of the pen have galloped as furiously
sistible Sheridan, that embodied hurri-
cane, didn't charge over Picketts breast
works2
By means of his superior and superb
cavalry arm, Sheridan had it in his power
to make the closest reconnaissance of our
position and to unmask our entire line OF
battle. This he essayed to do, and think
ing he had thoroughly accomplished his
purpose and gained an accurate kno Wedge
| g al and IF tho eraot incQftnn Of
the salient point of attack, he personally
undertook to form and direct the infantry
column, OH which the heavy work OF the
day was devolyed.
At / o'clock Warren. obedient to orders,
mt his commands in motion for Gravelly
Run church, and riding ahead. reported to
Sheridan near that place, who gave him
minute and detailed instructions how and
In what manner to conduct the assault
upon the angle Of our works. General
Warren himself was wholly ignorant OF
the topography of the country, and made
Sheridan explain TO him fully the situation
in front. The troops were slow in coming
up greatly to Sheridans annoyance, tor
fear the cavalry would exhaust their am
munitlon), and it was o'clock before the
proper dispositions were made, and War
rem moved forward in the direction so
clearly and repeatedly indicated to him:
aiming, as he says. from our supposed
position, to bring Crawford's centre right
on the apex Of the angle. And General
Sheridan came along to see the work well
done.
SOMEBODY BLUSDEBRD.
But here occurred grieyous mistake,
somebody had biundered, and it certainly
was not General G.. X. Warren. Instead
of thanking us the enemy had brought his
own flank directly in front of our works.
Crawford passed by the angle. considers
bly, to the left, with Griffin following IN
his wake. To their sorrow the extreme
left of Ayres's division buttec accidentally
against il, seeing which its gallant COM
rade tried hard to swing round his right
and bring his reserve brigade into play
but tho fire was so hot his men broke and
scattered and refused to obey orders. The
scene is wildly depicted by the PROV,
dentialn Sheridan in his mixed and
muddled testimony before .he Warren
Court of Inquiry:
"A LITTLE TIM1D."
I'm the first place, the troop, were con-
fused by the fire of the enemy's pickets.
There was great confusion and tlmidity on
the part of the men. In fact began 10
have some doubts as to whether l was GO
ing TO be successful or not. Our sklrmish-
line lay down while the fire of the enemy
was very slight. The line became confused
and commenced firing straight in the air:
The poor fellows had been fighting behind
breastworks for long period. and when
they got out TO attack breastvorks they
seemed to be little timid. / began TO get
alarmed. / had accompanied General War
rem up to that period; then rode out in
front of the line of battle and helped to
remedy the confusion"
That is ell he did-charging Ike fury at
those covering, shivering skukers, and
storming and swearing at the top OF his
bsnt-a yeritable thunder-gust OF profanity
and rage.
wABREN's CONDUCT.
And what was the cool, diguiHed, and
level-headed Warren doing in the mean
timer Realizing the critical emergency Mt
a glance, while Ayers and his officers. with
Sheridan's inspiring aid. were exerting
themselves TO auell that alarming panic,
he set to work with energy and dispatch TO
bring Griffin's supporting division to the
rescue, aud that done, went in search OF
Crawford. whom he hurried on pivot d.
rectly against our rear. Though not as
noisy and explosive his gallantry was no
less conspicuous than that of Sheridan.
For seeing his men reel and stagger and
give way before the fierce onset and dead
" FIRE of the First and Seventh Virginia,
he rallied their broken ranks. and, grasp
ing the corps colors, led them in the final
charge, which decided the fate of the day.
From his knightly arm the gallant Pickett
received his coup de grace at Five Forks:
That blow was the De-all and the end-all
of the matter; then We made all haste to
escape from the tolls that were thickening
around us, and then, and not till then.
Ayers's men. recovering from Their tenn
porary paralysis. along with the troopers
OF Devins, came pell-mell. scrsmbling and
tumbling. rearing and cavorting over our
deserted little breastworks- Doubtless
the spring-gust Sheridan was in the lead;
for there and then Colonel Risque Hutter,