The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-10
GEN. PICKETTS COMMAND
At FIVE FORKS AND DINwIDDIE.
Battles OF March 3fst and April 1st-Dss-
perate Fighting Against over
whelming Odds.


ITor Tx Tr,f-s by Colonel Joseph Mayo
Third Virginia lntantryI
PART I.
Tho hammering process bad nearly done It's
work To the rank and Clio of the Army OF
Northern Virginia il WAS ~ well-known as to
the commanding general that the final ca
isstrophe could not be much longer aveFted-
that
Hercules himself must yield 20 odds.
And man strokes though with niue aye
licw down AMI icll the huTdest-ilmpereu 1A'
Yet. mover did the llon-hearted Lee appear
70 his soldiers more supremely great-inore
whole as the marble and fOunued a. the
rock"-than when with uu3aunted majesty
he confronted the inevitable doom Of fate. II
before they had cluug 10 him with sdeDth OF
devotion which exceeded all speech, no"
that the supreme hour Of trial had come they
gave 10 hlm the full. overlooking homage OF
nll thor soul and ali their heart and al tAeh
duty.
GIANTS FRIEND WISE
Farlv on the morning Of the 10Th o. March.
49,. Genera Grant babe adiou 20 DIT Llh-
coin az CITY Point and nastened T. the IRON,
20 direct IN rs0n the movement Dy WhiCL no
hoped 70 end tho war AT that Time THO as
poslfi p 81 his vast he eaguering most was
numbering Igj coo veteran troops, pefIecty
armed ,lctua.ed and equipped "a follows
Weifzel's e. rus with portion OF tho Army
of the.ames on the north side OF the river IN
vesting .icl moud arke and Wright ~ front
OF Petersburg ord extending 10 tho IN
tersecton of Hatchers Run and
Vaughan road Humphrey stretching
bettnd Dabnevs Mills Warren on the
eytreme let occupying a strongly en-
tren, hoI Inc along the Boycton plank
road 70 oraveiY Pun and IL easy
su.,porting distance Of heridan. who with the
casairy. wa al Jiuwid lie Courthouse. A glance
at the map shows mat Humphreys position
made tine federal environ ient complete IN
fat overlapping the Confederate works.
Thus Marreu's corps WAS .e.t Tree 70 act IN
concert with heridan their combined forces
uuu.rriug about ~ 900. Tho Lassng OF tul5
fotfuid. Ole 90. uun on our right flank had
been accompl she'd with extraordinary Nigor
und secrecy hUt the movement did no' Is,
cape tne eyer-vlglaut eye wAlch oneua'eu
iufu,tively over, design of tho adversary
Trusting 10 bis intrepid leutenants' long
street ana Gordon. to hold the works on the
n rib or TIE james nd around petersburg.
90 rapiaiv conc entrared hs whole available
force % meet the impending blow
EE,nSI crscg.
Well do remember the first ntimation
hal Of these operations. Our brigade
fTerrv'-. aud COr-es were In DiyOuac on
Swl creek near Petersburg. HUutOn had
been LETT with "Dlj peie' across the james.
and -tuar. vas iu the trenches south OF 9
huoOmattos 1 had gone 10 General Iickrtts
Headquarters that morning % AK PERMISSION
20 run over 20 ,IchmOuI for "a few hours. lie
was 81 "a iu bed. under the ham, OF the doc
tor HcarI . me- announce my errand 10
CAPTAIN Baird he called out u Gu can't 90,
G lone here Is an orier 90 move. u means
bus ness too. aud 10 has caught me IN pretty
pickle Tor action He was indeed. a. ]
found suHeru acutely from sharp ~
tack o. dvsentery nevertheless he took the
esdlle and kept 1t through the terrible ordeal
winch Oi owed. soon SO were ON tie marcu,
and crus,ng the river "A few niles above
Petersburg boarded Tin cars on the 0Out side
railroad or sutherlaud's station. which point
we reached about /. NJ Here General
Stuart ioined us ana the three little brig
aces pressed forward through the dismal
night and cold, drenchlng ran. unti at early
dawn they. stru k the right 81 the Con ederate
line on the W tie ak road where they were
Immediately placed in battle array. A mer-
- sifni man D. mercilui 10 his beast. The trst
thing did was 20 send the horse ! was rid
ine-a loan from uartermaster Tom labb-
q the rear % be fed. and That was The last
ever saw Of IL. My next thought was to
enatch Il wink or two Of sleep. 80. making a
bed of some rails from the fence across the
road ia ii twnkling was enjoying the luxury
Ot a good sound nap. fOrgettul alike of tho
pe.tng storm and Of the coming feats OF
bro.l and battle. From this sweet ODl.v-
ion was Tudely awakened by tie
noise o. horses hOOf5 spla hing along
the muddy road. and soon u little
cava,cade swept by. at the headO. which rode
G cOmmUnderln-cheI. Turning through a
gap in the fence. they advanced short dis
tance into the field hey nd. halted and dis
u united. and then was held that memorable
council of WAY 20 which Colonel Walter iiar-
ris0n Las Civ IA the lTeyeront title of much
p0w-wOw ug.' Tie decision was made known
about o O'Clock, when orders came T. cali in
Bk rmlsuefs and move on UP the White Oak
road the post of honor that of advanced
guard, Icing given To the Third rgnia Iegi-
ment. As a Was trudglnI along through dub
and mire at the head OF tho COMPANY
Colonel Harris overlook u.s. Where
10, now. Waiter ~ / asked "Well.n said
that prince oil good fellows whOse some
what cynical tongue often beled his brave
generous and loyal heart, IL hoard Cen
era lee tell Pickett to 20 with bis three
and kansOms two brsades. and SIX guls
under Willie Pegram. TO five Forks, where he
would find liz lee cavalry take command
of the whole force find sheridan and crush
him NOTOUble 70 find HIM bat crushing
there's the rub. Bat what does that mean he
suddenly exclaimed. a. he galoped on up the
road CHANGING after him. saw General Pick
EFT and escort dash across d field on the left of
tleroad. charg ne and cheering in regular cav
airy fashion. IN little whilr he came back.
bringing "a prisoner VINO said he belonged 10
Merritt's Division. Tbs was our FIRST warn
ing OF Sheridan 5 proximity. Porn your reg
iment o. tho lett of the road. Colonel. throw
out strong line of skImshers and SEQ what
Is IN tr0at u 80 The order WAS exc .uted
with alac ity and on we swept without seri-
ous opposition until we came within q few
hundred yards OF tie Tive orks, where Fitz
lee seemed o. Oe having u lively brush WITH
the eremy. Here 4 halted and having col-
lected tho men was moving through q skirt
oi pines TO the mann road. when wa start cd
by u sudden coumotion IN the ranks and cries
OF look cut look ont while handful of
bullets whistlei harnllessly over our heads
Rum ng ,ack TO see what was 70 pay
learned that a small squad OF cavalry had
made a eint of charging our rear and then
gone scamper ~ of 10 the woods, IL was q
lucky incident. inasmuch as it revealed the
a,armln iact that every gun a IN q at them
had missed fire uickly vi, drawing across
the road SO rs 10 get the protection of q
fence the men were ordered t. PICK some drJ
pow Ter into the tubes OF their musAets and
t-y the % on the enemy, VINO had opened o
scattering hlo on Us.
A SLOW MARCH.