Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-13
FIVE FORKS.
The Closing scenes of That Event
full Engagement.

General Sheridan, in his highly romantic
! report Of his own prodlgious exploits
: tells how. with Merritts two divisions
/ Of cavalry, following rapidly on our heels.
/ he drove us pell-meM inside Of our works
at Five Forks, all of which IS pure nc-
/ ton. the driving a sample OF his pc
! culiar rodomontade. and the works a
/ Pigment Of his fertile Imagination. The
fact is, that while Mcrritts Cavalry press
ed Closely on our rear. the pursuit was
very fecbly made. ana il was fully l
o'clock in the day before any serious
/ demonstration was made against us. At
that time / was lying down a short dis
lance i'm rear of the brigade in company
with my friend. General Beale, and his
son and aide-dc-camp. Dick. Adjutant
John Stewart. and Captain Val. Harris.
of my staff. The General had taken adj
vantage Of the long interval OF compara-
tive quiet TO pay me q visit; the second
time. by the way, that we had seen each
other during the war. although near
neghbOrs at hOmc-aud we were compar-
ing notes on the events of yesterday and
wandering what the enemy would 10 to-
day, when. an OF sudden. the distant
and random guns sWollel into q general
fusillade. and there was commotion all
along the lines IL was over IN mo-
ment, with no damage 10 our side beyond
the capture of fifty or sixty Of my Skin
mishers. owing to the bundcr Of the Of
hcer in command I'm faiins 10 connect
with General Corse. I Immediately rode
20 the front with Captain Harris and
we soon rectifed matters. Presently, on
my return. Charley Pickett met me with
n request from the General. sodierly, If
not polite to explain how l came 20
allow such an awkward thing to happen.
20 which inquiry I returned prompt
and satisfactory answer. Accidents would
happen I'm the best regulated, armies.
After this there was another long lulL
lasting several hours. when again the
Light skirmishing frcshened into a regular
breeze. IL was especially severe in Gene
raj Stuarts front and mine. Immediately
thereafter the dread roar Of battle burst
like a thundcrclap upon our lett ana
rear The attack was begun in earnest,
ard. 20 me, l confess. from an entirely
unexnected quarter. IN five or ten min
utes General Stuart sent for me. lie was
on the right OF his line near the Forks.
and as 1 crossed the road 10 join him l
exchanged salutauons with Colonel VIII
lie Pegram. who, sitting on his horse
I'm the rear Of his guns, with one leg
thrown over the saddle, looked the incar-
Stuart gently chlded him for his rash
ness and begged him to dismount. He
replied with shake Of the head and a
pleasant smile. and kept his watch on the
road before him. Here few moments
afterwards / was told. he was MORALLY
wounded. Meantime, the firing continued
with undated fury. General Stuart in
formed me that he had received an un-
fortunate request from General Ransom
for achievements. and in view Of the
alarming exgency had concluded TO send
him two regimeats-all he could spare
and urged mo TO send arother-the sooner
the better. / at first demurred, saying
that l old not like to take the response
bility of weakening my line, not know
ing but that this might prove fcint; but,
seeing that the fire, far from abating, was
growing fcrcer and rapidly spreading in
our rear so that the enemy's balls were
meeting each other over our heads, there
was no more room for doubt or delay