The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-02-13
SHERIDAN WAS SLOW.
warren's Not the Bfunder ut the Five
Forks Fight.

facts become known regarding the conduct
Of Gen. Warren, March 81 and April i, 1868,
that able and patriotic soldier will receive
the credit due him for the part he bore In
the important operations of those two days.
Was Warren slow. in executing orders to
reinforce Sheridan March 81? On the after
noon of that day, while Gen. Meade sup
posed that Sheridan had been successful and
was holding the White Oak road, Gen War
rem knew that Sheridan chad met with dis
aster. He informed Gen. Meade of the stu
alton, and, without waiting for orders,
pushed out part of the First Division to the
sound of the firing.
This force, Bartlett's Brigade, effectually
relieved Sheridan by threatening the enemy's
left flank and rear. This movement caused
the rebels to withdraw from Sheridan s front
during the night by daylight" they were
in their rifie-pits at Five Forks.
Before Warren received orders TO reinforce
Sheridan, he proposed following Bartlett
with his whole corps, believing that he
could take the force confronting Sheridan at
a disadvantage and destroy it. He was
not allowed to do this His position was
favorable for rear attack, but Meade could
not be made to understand the situation,
although it was pointed out in three separate
dispatches.
When Warren received orders to reinforce
Sheridan, he carried them out ut once. AT
9:17 p. IN. he received orders to draw back to
his position within the BoydtOn plank
road" and 10 send Griffin's Division down
that road to Sheridan. At $3.50 orders were
sent by him to the divisoa commanders,
directing the manner of performing this
movement. Certainly this was quick work.
So, Warren proceeded to bring his corps
back from point where it was nearer
Sheridan. to place within the Boyd
ton plank road" The night was intensely
dark, the country rough, the ground soaked
with recent rains, and it required energy
and promptness on the part of all concerned
to move troops at all. The result was
creditable to the enterprise of Warren.
The First Division could not be sent to
Sheridan without confusion and delay.
Sheridan had been badly whipped during
the day, and had sent in the most alarming
reports of his situation. Warren knew the
critical state of things at Dinwiddie, and, to
save time, sent Ayres with the Second Divl-
sion, and advised Meade OF the change.
Although delayed to draw rations, which
should have been there the morning before,
the head of this division crossed the bridge
over Gravelly Run ON the plank road at 1880
a. IN. and reached the vicinity of Dinwiddle
at 3:45 q. IN.
As to the other two divisions, Warren
carried out his orders. He had
them ready for business hours before they
were called for.
Sheridan did not expect any part of the
Fifth Corps to attack at daylight, except
Bartlett's Brigade. As-already noted, before
daylight the enemy had withdrawn to Five
Forks III
When Warren reached Sheridan, he was
under Sheridan's orders. He halted his
troops when and where. he was ordered.
There they remained from early in the
morning till p nj. at that hour Sheridan
issued the order for them to be brought up
to the place where obey formed for the
attack. For six hours Warren had his
command within three miles Of the battle
field, holding them where ordered, waiting
for orders to advance Sheridan was slow,
not Warren. At pi mdhe formation was
and the attack was made. 1t could
have been made six hours sooner if Sheridan
had not been too slow. dhlere is no informa-
ton as to how he spent the forenoon.
Sheridan did not know within 200 yards
the location Of the left 6bthe rebel rifle-pits
He expected the front os the corps, about 600
yards, to strike these works; Ayress Divis-
ion, on The left, proved to be about 300yards
further east than theleft Of their works.
The idea of the actual flank movement was
an afterthought, as it was carried out.
Sheridan was responsible for the blunder
He launched the Fifth Corps forward at ran
DOM Ayres, on the left, brought up with
his left flank against the return "a novel
way of charging rife-pits. He wheeled his
division to the left under fire, with very
little confusion, rushed over the rebel pits,
and captured 300 prisoners.
Crawford was on Ayres's left, and still
farther out of position, while Griffin was be-
hind Crawford. e.
AS soon as the fire on Ayres's left flank
showed the blunder Sheridan had made,
Warren ordered Griffin to support Ayres
with a brigade, and ordered Crawford 10
wheel TO the left. This he considered SO
important that be went to the right to see
that this change of direction was effected.
The result is well known. The enemy was
beaten and routed.
The fire which was poured on Ayres's
flank revealed TO Sheridan too, the blunder.
Probably he thought it fatal to success.
Warren was in ill-favor with Grant, and
would be convenient victim. Without
awaiting the outcome, he sent an order TO
Warren relieving him from command. The
bearer of that order wandered about through
the woods and brush until the battle was
almost ended, aud at last found Gen. War
rem west of the Ford road, where he was di-
recting an advance against few rebels who
were still resisting.
Sheridan's report of this affair was adding
insult 10 injury. To justify his injustice to
Warren he also works in slur on his men.
In his testimony before the Court of Inquiry,
he says: The poor fellows had been fight
ing behind breastwoTks for a long period,
and when they got out TO attack breast
works they seemed to have been little
timd." These were ungenerOus words from
a General of the United States Army about
men who had won battle for him. Ayers's
testimony contradicts him, and puts on rec
ord that these men were not timid, but be-
haved well that these men were mostly
veterans, to whom attacking breastwOrks
was not an untried experience; that none
of them had ever fought from behind breast
works more than once or twice in all their
history.
The plain fact is that Gen. Sheridan lost
his head at Five Forks, deeply wronged a
brave subordinate, and then drew on his
own imagination for jHstilsing facts.-R. l..
MCBRIDE, Co. G, 19Oth Pa, Manhattan,
Kan. yroo
"Too Thin in trs Drill"
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / will say
that L would like to see my name in THE