The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-08-25
ICopyright, 1904, by G. [. Kilmer.l

AOllltueTaIGS. btlEG Only twenty
p miles distant from Richmond. promised
adequate defense for their threatened
capital on the soVth and west sides of
James river. On the east and north,
however, the safety of Richmond
against Grants attacks depended upon
mud and muscle, on the ear;hworks
extending from Drewry's bluff, seven
miles below the city, across TO the
swamps and the Chickahominy bottom
lands, and the men in gray behind
them. In the hope that the latter
might prove to be few in number at
that stage of the game and that the
works could be carried by storm and
the river crossings seized before help
could be rushed to the danger point
from Lees Petersburg defensos,
movement to capture them was begun
the night of Sept. -.
Two large Confederate batteries or
forts commanded the james river roads
leading from Grants position down
the James to Richmond. The most
powerful, Fort Harrison, crowned
hill and mounted sixteen guns. Off
to the Federal right of Fort Harrison,
as it would %e approached by assailing
forces, stood Fort Gilmcr, connected
with the former by infantry parapets
and intrenched field artillery, and on
the left a similar system of defenSes
extended from Fort Harrison to the
river bank and commanded the bridges.
Fort Harrison formed the key to the
Confederate line. For the desperate
work of stOrming it the divisions of
General George ]. Stannard and
Charles y. Hickman of the Eighteenth
corps were selected by Grant Stan
nard was to lead in person and had been
named for the post of honor and danger
by the general in chief. With his
brigade of Vermont militia lie had
given the country a new hero by turn
ing the tide at Gettysburg on July >.
1863.
When Stannard learned that Grant
had selected his division to head the
storming column he said to the gen
eral: Il am told that | must lead this
attack and have come to protest in be-
half of my poor division, which has
led every assault of the Eighteenth
corps from Cold Harbor until now and
is fought down to the skeleton of a
division. | will go freely wherever
you send me- but it is inhuman to
give my men more than their share of
these forlorn hopes" Grant replied
hrmly, General Stannard. we must
carry Fort Harrison, and l know you
will Tdo it." 1t called for higher cour-
d., age to voice that protest than to charge
the guns. After hearing Grants reason
for the choice the gallant soldier set to
work to win success.
The brigade of General Hiram Burn
ham, the hero of the capture of Marye's
heights in 1868 led off in the column.
preceded by skirmishers especially
armed for the purpose with the new
Spencer repeating rifles. When the
column dashed from the shelter of 4
pine woods into the open space in front
OF the fort the Confederate guns OPEN
ed at 1,400 yards range In front of
the assailants lay a stretch Of low
bush land beyond wide bare slope
defended near the crest by abatis and
deep ditch. Growing all were Fort
Harrison's frowning parapets. Ada
cent to the fort the Confederates had
planted batteries to sweep the ap-
proaches, and their gunboats in the
James also had range ON the ground.
Preceded by the skirmishers. whose
Spencers kept up steady fire, Stan
nard's line moved slowly forward, ex-
posed to a plunging fire of musketry
ana shell, until it reached the base of
the hill. A brief halt for alignment,
and then dash at double quick ND the
steep slope where the stars and stripes
We're planted on one of the traverses
,.of the work. General Bnrnham leaped
the parapet at the head of his men and
was killed by bullet. The commander
OF the Spencer rifemen, Colonel Dona-
hue, stepped into Burnham's place as
leader of the line and was instantly
shot down. Stannard rode boldly at
the head of brigade and seemed to
bear charmed life, but three of his
aids went down by his side Another
brigade leader, Colonel Stevens, was
shot down at the close of the charge.
The only officer in the division above
the rank of lieutenant colonel was the
heroic Stannard. Over 80 commissions
ed officers and 500 men had gone down.
And, after all, the fort was barely
tenable for the brave captors, for it
was open on the reverse side and eX-
posed to recapture from the enemy's
reserve line. TO guard against, coun-
ter assault the skirmishers formed Il
Gordon around it and stood off the enc
my while the elated victors built
new parapet across the open space.
General Heckman's division followed
STANDARDS a short distance, then turn
ed aside to assault Fort Gilmer While
the storming column was leaping the
parapets Of Fort Harrison a body of
men was seen entering Fort Gilmer
from the north, and General Ord, the
commander Of the expedition, supposed
this to be Heckman's men, whereas the
newcomers were Confederates rushing
to the defense Ord detached nortions