Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-04-08
General Gorllon's story continue.

4
General Lee sent me In addition To mn
own corps. a portion OF I.onRstreef.s
corps uickett's division) a portion OF
A. Re HIS and body OF cavalry Dur
Ing the whole night OF the cath Of March
| was on horseback making preparations
1 Tor disposing OF troops. About O'Clock
| IN the morning L called close around me-
k afty aNmen and four companies loo each
OF brave men who were selected 10 do.
/ this hazardous work. I spoke 10 them OF
the character of the Undertaking and OF
/ the last hope OF the cause which was
| about TO be confded 70 them Around thu.
shoulders Of each man was bound white
strip OF muslin. which Mrs. Gordon who
! sat In room not far distant listening Tor.
| the signal gun. had prepared as a means
| OF recognition OF each other The hour
mad come and when everything was
ready STOOD on the breastwOrks OF Col
| quits salient and ordered two men To-
my side with rifles. who were to fire the
| signal for attack. The noise Of moving
our own distractions was going on and
| attracted the notice OF n Federal picket
; In the darkness his voice rang out.
Hello. there. Johnny Reb, What are
you making all that fuss about over
there2
The men were just leaning forward for
the start. The sudden call disconcertea
me somewhat. but the rineman on y
right came 20 my assistance By calling
out I'm cheerful voice:
oh never mind us. Yank. Lie down
and go 10 sleep. We are just gathering n
little corn. You know. ratiOns are mighty
short over here"
There was patch OF corn between our
lines. some OF Il stul hanging on the
stalks. After few moments thers came
J back the kindly reply OF the Yankee
picket. which quite treasured me. He
said.
All right Johnny Go ahead and get
your corn. L won't shoot az you"
Bang Bang" Two shots broke the
stillness and commanded. Forward
The chosen loo sprang forward eagerly.
followed by the axmen and for the last
time the stars and bars were carried 10
aggressive assault In a moment the
axmen were upon the abatis OF the en-
envy and hcWing IL down. / shall never
know how they Nhisked this lire OF wire
fastened ohstruC -'cn out OF the way. The
100 overpowered tAV sickots sent them
TO the rear rushed a wgh the sap made
by the aNmen up t. slope OF Fort Sted-
man. and IL was ours without the firing
OF single gun and with the loss OF but
one man. He YVES killed with the bay
onc;
The three companies who were to at
tempt 10 pass the reserves and go into
the rear forts followed and passed on
through Fort Stedman Then came tho
other troops pouring into the fort. We
captured. ! think. 9 pieces OF artillery IL
mortars and about COO or 700 prisoners
among whom was General Mclaughlin.
who WAS commanding on that portion OF
the Federal line Many were taken in
their beds
now anxiously awaited 60 learn the
fate 81 the 800 who had been sent in
companies OF 100 each 10 attempt the can
ture OF the three rear forts Soon "a mes
senEor reached me from two officers com
handing two OF these chosen bodies who
informed me that they had succeeded fu
passing right through the line OF Federal
reserves by presenting themselves az
Fcderals and had certainly gone far
enough Go the rear for the forts. bat that
fNnfr a~nnF.I H.. a
lost ana that they did not know I'm what
direction 10 move. IL was afterward dis
covered when daylight came that these
men had gone farther out than the forts
and could easily have entered and captur-
ed them II the guides had not been LOST
or had done their duty. or course after
dawn they We're nearly an captured he
Ing entirely behind the Federal reserves.
In the meantime the few Federal SOL
diers who had escaped from the fort and
intrenchments we had captured had
spread tn alarm and aroused the Federal
army. Se hills IN the rear OF Grants
lines were soon black with troops Rv
the time IL was fairly daybroak the two
forts ON the main line thanking Fort
Stedman (Fort Haskell and Fort McGu-
very. the three forts In the rear and the
reserves all opened up upon my forces
We held Fort Stcdman and tho Federal
intrenchments 20 the tAppomattoNl river
or nearly SO but the guides had been lost
and In consequence the rear forts had not
forts. the cavalry could not pass out. the,
pontoons could not be destroyed and the
telegraph wires were not cut
In addition 20 these mIshaps tho trains
had been delayed. and Picketts division
and other troops sent me by General Lee
had not arrived. The success had hcer,
brilliant SO far ms Il had gone and has
been achieved without loss OF any con-
sequence 20 our army. bat IL had failed iu
the essentials 20 a complete success or 10
n great victory. Every hour was bringing
heavy rc-enforccmcnts 20 the Feder-fs
and rendering my position less and less
tenable After brief correspondence.
with General Lee IL was decided 10 with
draw nv loss. whatever Il was. occ,irre,3
In Withdrawing under concentrated IRE
from forts and infantry.
Among the Confederate officers lost
was Major Grady Of Gordon's STAFF ia
Their OF the late Henry ". Grady. the
noted Georgia JOURNALISM Major Gra-
dy was shot dead In saddle about fifty
yards from the parapets OF Fort Has
kell while leading a charge % silence
the guns O. that work as a cover 10
Gordon's retreat. This charge was
made in fun daylight and Major Ora
dy in person came under my own eve
one feature Of the battle General
Gordon molly passed over in silence. II
was not for him TO tell il, although
there Is hint OF it I'm the words which
he quotes from Lee about the lack Of
rations in the Confederate army. His
soldiers We're actually famished. and
when they found themselves within
our camp, surrounded by an abundance
or bread and meat they fell 10 and ate.
a square meal The time thus lost was
fatal Our cannoneers stood to the
guns, our Infantry lined the par1pets.
on the tanks and in front OF the as
sallants' and the golden hour for Cor
uon and Lee was added to the eternity
OF bygOnes.
GEORGE L. KILNER.