The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-15
DEFENDING FORT GREGG.
A Johnny Rebs Story of the Surrender on
April 2, 1865

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / notice
in The issue of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
of March %, 1902, two accounts of the
| fight and surrender of Fort Gregg, near
| Petersburg, Va, april 2, 1860, one by
James Ray, 18th w. Va, Park Miles,
Ohio, and the other by H. T. Lucas, Co
| Fl, Both ILL.,, lie Roy, Ill. l know
nothing as TO the merits Of others claim
but | was one of the johnny rebs." that
was captured at the surrender of the fort,
and | think perhaps it would be of inter
est to some of your many readers to learn
something about the surrender of the fort
from one who was on the opposite side.
The fort was situated on the BOydtOn
Plank Road, about one and a half miles
south of Petersburg, and was impregnable
against capture, so far as infantry was
concerned, except with the consent only
of the troops within the fort. 1t was con-
structcd of earthwOrk, forming a half cir
Gle, with inside breastworks of logs. one
paraPet sufficiently high for infantry to
| fire from, and one for cannon. 1t had a
wcll-ftted stOckade of logs, with portfolios
| II feet high for muslets. extending from
wing to wing, with Il stationary gate in
| the center, thus forming, as stated above,
an impregnaDle defense against infantry
| This fort was captured only after the
ammunition for mUskets was exhausted,
| fighting, as more or less lives would have
been lost without accomplishing any re-
suits. AT the same time no relief was
! forthcoming or in sight, consequently we
considered the best thing to do was to
surrender, and we did surrender, al
though several of our men were
shot after the surrender. One of my
own company fell at my side after getting
out and from the fort some 10 or 20 feet:
I oil 81 Lnf, e
the fort Altogether during the siege of
the fort we lost 80 killed and wounded,
II Ostly killed. The loss to the Union
troops must have been terrible, as they
were exposed to a CALLING fire for two and
half or three hours at very close range,
so close were the closest that when each
went to fire over the top of the fort they
could hit each others bayonets and force
their guns to one side or the other
We held. before agreeing to surrender
what might be termed council of war
In this council we concluded to open boxes
of cannon ammunition and use the shells
as hand-grenadeS by cutting the fuse four
or five seconds and throw them over the
fort. thinking this might cause the Union
troops to fall back and thus effect our eS-
cape, but to our sorrow all the shells had
been used as the Union forces advanced.
In conclusion Of my narrative l must
say that the Union forces are to be COM
mended for their endurance under the cir
cumstanceS, and it was their endurance
only that accomplished the surrender.
After the surrender We were marched
back until we came to the observatory
where we were halted and counted. We
numbered 10 men. From there we were
taken to City Point, put upon boat and
sent to Point Lookout, Md. The writer
returned home just three months from the
day of capture, July 2, 1860. I will also
add that we were treated kindly while in
prison.-GEO. w. KENNEDY. Rice's Bat
terry, McIntosh's Battalion, Third Corps,
Army of Northern Virginia, New Market,
Va.