The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-30
BEAUREGARD, SOLDIER.
EAG0oDS ST0RI or DREHHi =
BLUFF ND PETEssB URG.
How Richmond was saved for yea
1aro-gh Bsauregsrd's ComprehensNe
and Aggressive strstssy.

,'agcnents or rather series OF enyay
s1ents in the defence Of Eichm 'lp' 49, sH
1,aronnians had leading place III %
,cuirc az tncir brigade cOmWeh"'' "@'"
General Beuregard attest a.. .o,,,,o,s.
The winter OF lS6s-bA, with us 'oii,po'%1
tive quiet had closed ana me reu -. ~
nd Confcds.ratcs were concentrating duu
:,,arshalling their forces for q more Nih,
orous and decisive campaign tnah h"u ~ ~
marked the history OF the wa; ~
,ina and Tennessee were reNpeCuNe,g ~
IN, East ana West tbs theatres won
,chich the opposing banners were nniuIl-
ed and u was evident that aTouhn tnSSe
two centres would DC colo.'ey IL w Ta,t,
FRAY an the strength mat either party
GlImo.e. with the bulk Of his army
had carly i'm April been transferred nom
south Carolina 10 Virginia. BcaWcgaio
had been assigned TO the department OF
North Carolina and Southern NirSlnla-a
territorial command which was made TO
Extend from Wilmington 10 Richfnohd' "
inc Infantry under his command AT
charleston W;se's ana Walker Origades
followed him: soon after hagoods Drlg-
goods brigade was concentrated at II.
nlagtOn by the ith OF May. WheNtc IL
Was directed TO report ~ letter 10 zen
.ral Beauregards headquarters' az "ti-
don. On the 9TH o. May IL received OF
dcfs TO proceed b. rail 10 PetersbuiS'
THE MISE IN SCENE
some reference 20 the general strategy
OF the Virginia campaign - mere necesso-
~. Grant. made commando ~ chlel ol
all the armies OF the United states q rev
months before had made his heddquar-
ters with the Army OF the Potomac, num-
bcrE2 10000 men; ana iying behind the
'.adlau. sixty miles north OF the Con
fcGerate capital. T. was confronted DY
IN. Army OF Northern Virginia, under
Lee. numbering about 12oS) men OF All
ARIES.
The city of Richmond was Grants OBJ
5ectiye ard he proposed 10 move upon y
b. the direct overland route. while But
Ter. moving from Fortress Monroe mp the
james, was 10 secure a point AT us june
ton with the AppomattON from winch
10 operate on the southern cOmmunlca-
lions Of Richmond. There was also 10
he made from the Valley of Virginia a
cooperative move against the western
communications Of Richmond while in
Tennessee and elsewhere In the west, n
heavy and continuous aggressive was 10
he taken. in order To Keep rcinforccments
from Lee. The movement from Fortress
Monroe was. however, the most important
and Immediately threatening diversion IN
the programme of the Virginia campaign,
and with something over thirty thousand
men and large naval armament. was
entrusted TO General b. L. Butler.
ON the 4th Of May Grant crossed the
iSapidan and commenced mis- overland
march. ON the same day Butler com
menced ascending the James. ON the
niSht Of the 5th he debarked at Bermuda
hundred. the peninsula made by the
confluence OF The James and the Apo
nattox. Richmond and Petersburg are
some twenty miles apart. and the point OF
Isutler's debarkation was within three
miles Of the railroad and of the turnpike
parallel 90 81. which were the direct COM
rnunications between the two cities.
Gene raj Beauregard'S troops In the Car
lnas. Georgia ana Florida. were much
scattered over mis- extensive department
pending the development of the cnemys
designs. The largest portion were under
General Hoke, who had been dispatched
upon certain offensive operations In East
ern North Carolina. devised ny the au-
tnorities at Richmond prior 10 General
Beauregard's assignment to command.
Very Few troops other than local mill
tia of an inferior military character were
under General Pickett. commanding at
Petersburg A division of some 1--WE
thousand troops under General Robert
Ransom was at tLchmond. beyond the
James, but not under General Bedurc-
CARDS orders. 1t was to meet and delay
Buffers assumed advance upon Peters
burg. that Beauregard, still at Weldon,
in North Carolina; pushed forward Ia
goods brigade which from us localty'
had railroad transportation, while he got
the remainder OF his force I'm hand, ana
drew reinforcements from points furthtr
South. The immediate danger TO Rich
mond, apart from that to which Peters
burg was subjected, aroused the appie-
tensions OF the war Department to such
an extent that HagOod's brigade was or
sered by IL to push straight through 10
fichmond and not to stop on the way
General Beauregard by telegraph insist
81 upon, and succeeded in having TINS
erder revoked. Results showed that he
Sad correctly assumed the purpose OF
E1neral Butler.
HOW HAGooD SAVED PETERSBURG.
The leading detachment of Hagood's
brigade, under Colonel Graham, consist
ing or his own regiment Cfwenty-first
south Carolna), and a part Of the TWen-
iy-nfth South Carolina, under Major Clio
yer. in all some six hundred men. ar
iiving at Petersburg, was sent forward
towards General Butler by General Pick
EFT, ana al Wai,hall Junction, on the even
ing OF the 9TH of May, encountered and
repealed the brigade OF hickman, support
Ell by artillery, which had been sent by
Butler against the railroad at that point.
Grdhams loss t'Vis two killed ana thirty
one wounded; yhe Federal loss, nine killed
and sixty-Onc wounded.
During the nignt General HdGood reach
ed Graham with the Twenty-ninth regi-
ment and the remainder Of the Twenty
first regiment; at daylight Colonel Gaillard
with the Twenty-seVenth rcgim mt OF lie
brigade. arrived, raising his command TO
500 men. General Bushrod Johnson, at
DreWry's Blum, few miles beyond, hear
ing Graham's firing; had marched TO his
aid also, and arrived during the night,
with his brigade of ll& Tennesseeans.
on the morning of the 9TH General But
Ter sent forward against the Confederate
advance at Walthali a division under Gen
eral Brooks, OF i've brigades with the
usual proportion OF artillery. and support
"a by cavalry. The action that ensued
was Vpen-teld fighting ana severely con-
tested. Hagood's command of h5u0 men
lost: - killed, l32 wounded and IL .ssing;
BushrOd JohnsOn's loss was slight men
wounded from shell ire. Before dark
the enemy Withdrew 70 their now forti-
lied base at Bermuda Hundred, and the
CGntedeTates sept upon the field. OF the
affair at Wal hall General Beauregard
subsequently MAS pleased to say: Sue
Cecding in having the order for General
haSoOd 10 be pushed on to Richmond
without an instants delay rescindcd he
was thus enabled 10 battle General But
ler's forces on May 9Th and 9TH In their
assault upon the Richmond railroad above
Petersburg. General BushrOd johnson,
who had hurried from Drewry's Blum TO
take part In this action, was OF material
assistance. although. from the point he
occupied with his troops, his services were
less consptcuous.
Peters burg would inevitably have fall
en- into the hands Of the enemy had not
General Hagood been halted there at that
most OppOrtunc hour. lie and his
command were justly looked upon as the
sayiols OF Petersburg upon that occa-
sion
But the crisis had not yet passed. 1t
was for three da,s yet In the power Of
General Butler. by "a determined advance,
10 brush the handful OF Confederates from
his path ana march into Petersburg. His
strength and position We're now. however,
fully developed by the Confederates, and
before day on the morning OF the Sth
General Pickett, at Petersburg, ordered
the force al Walthall Junction 10 with
draw into the Northern lines. on the south
side OF swift Creek, nearer to the city.
An advance party OF HagoOd'S brigade
held the field at Walthall Till the morn
ing OF the 9Th. when Butler again ad-