The National tribune., 1904-08-11
Observation-Disclosures,
6uVouON Washington. ID. @.
Svccessfytty proeecQtes Claims.
vrs IN civil war. Is adiudicatne claims atty since

ing Warren TO succor Sheridan. there y.
one very important fact which was n
known at headquarters, but which was o.
nature to prevent any possibility of a
force reaching Sheridan that night This
was the fact that the bridge over Grav-
ely Run, by the Boydton plankroad, was
destroyed. 1t was, by consequence. neces-
sary for Gen. Ayres to halt at the run
until an infantry bridge was built. This
consumed till near 2 A. NJ. of April 1,
when Ayres crossed his division and has
tened towards Dinwiddie.
When the condition of the crossing Of
Gravelly Run became known to Gen,
Meade, that commander, believing thai
Sheridan "could not maintain himself at
Dinwiddie without re-enforcements." sug.
gested Tin dispatch received by Gen.
Warren at / A. NJ other methods by
which the desired end might be accom<
plished. They did not, however, meet the
real state of facts. He suggested that
Warren should send troops both by the
Boydton plankroad and by the Quaker
road, further to the east, even if he should
give up the meditated rear attack But
the distance to Dinwiddie by the Quaker
road was above 10 miles, and, at the ad.
vanced hour of the night at which the dis.
patch was received, it would have been
impossible for the troops by that road to
have reached Dinwiddie before s A. NJ,
by which time they could be Of no use in
holding that place. In this case the most
direct route for the rear attack would be
down the plankroad. by which Ayres's Di.
vision was marching. Solicitous as Gen.
Warren was, therefore, Of arriving for
Sheridan'S succor at the earliest possible
moment. he justly judged that the desired
end could be best attained by abiding the
movements already begun, holding, mean
time, the two divisions of Griffin and
arJ ,haro hov hn CHI
hear that Ayres's Division had reached
Dinwiddie.
ENEMY WITHDREW FROM BEFORE sHER'
IDAN.
In the midst OF this general anxiety for
Sheridan, that officer himself had ceased
TO feel any solicitude touching his situas
ton; for before midnight he knew that th(
enemy had withdrawn all but a mask OF
force from his front. Lee. in fact, could
not afford to retain so considerable body
at Dinwiddie, both because IL was very
much out of position for the defense of tho
Confederate line on the White Oak mad,
and because the force thus isolated wai
directly menaced by Warren. 1t was
therefore, retired by Lee as soon as ht
could communicate with il, whiCn wat
about 10 P. NJ. of the 31st, and it fell
back and took position at Five Forks,
leaving only cavalry picket which also
withdrew as soon as assailed at dawn. Ii
was, in fact, seen hastily decimping by
Ayres, when, at daylight of April !, he
Joined the cavalry. Sheridan followed up
vigorously. putting his whole force in mo-
ton northwards towards Five Forks.
Meantime, Warren withdrew his two other
divisions, which, marching directly across
the country, joined the cavalry midway
between Dinwiddie Courthouse and Five
Forks at Z A. NJ, April I.
Full of d0zlhtS and fears rs tlp night
had been. morning dispelled these noxious
vapors. The event proved happy illus
traton of "All's we'll that ends we'll" for,
thanks to the good judgment of Warren
in keeping Lss corps together, it was now
in nosition where it could best be applied
conformity with the cavalry in renewed
effort against the Confederate position at
Five Forks Towards that position Sher-
dan was resolved to move, and in the op-
erations that followed, Warren, with the
Fifth Corps, came under his orders.
(To be continued)