The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-03-30


line Of infantry and batteries connect
ing these works ana Il second intre l
ed line Il hundred yards in the rear <.
mile in rear of this position Grant had
d military railroad and telegraph ex-
tending the whole length of his in
trenchcd camps. GorGon'S success
would depend upon his cutting the tele-
graph and railroad to delay the bring
ing Of Federal rc-enforccments on the
scene.
General Gordon's story continues:
Gero,aI Lee seat me. in addition to nv
own corps, portion of Longsreet's
corps UicHetts divisioD a portion of
A. P. Hits and a body of cavalry. Dur
ing the whole night of the oath of March
l was on horseback making preparations
for disposing of troops. About o'clock
in the morning | called close around me
fifty aXmen and four companies. 100 each.
of brave men who were selected TO do
this hazardous work. / spoke to them of
the character of the undertaking and of
the last hope of the cause which was
about to be cuntided to them Around the
shoulders of each man was bound a white
strip Of muslin, which Mrs. Gordon. who
sat in a room not far distant listening for
the signal gun. had prepared as means
Of recognition of each other. The hour
had come, and when everything was
ready ] stood on the breastworks of Col
quits salient and ordered two men to
my side with rifles who We're to fire the
signal for attack. The noise of moving
our own instructions was going on and
attracted the notice of a Federal picket
In the darkness his voice rang out:
"IfellO. there. Johnny Reb, What are
you making all that fuss about over
there
The men were just leaning forward for
the start. The sudden call disconnected
me somewhat. but the rineman on my
right came to my assistance by calling
out in a cheerful voice:
"Oh. never mind us. Yank Lie down
and go to sleep. We are just gathering a
little corn. You know, rations are mighty
short over here"
There was a patch of corn between our
| lines some of it still hanging on the
stalks. After a few moments there came
back the kindly reply of the Yankee
picket, which quite treasured me He
said:
IAN right. Johnny. Go ahead and get
your corn. I won't shoot at you"
Bang, Bang" Two shots broke the
stiffness, and | commanded, Forward
The chosen 100 sprang forward eagerly.
! followed by the aXmen. and for the last
| time the stars and bars were carried to
! aggressive assault. In a moment the
envy and hewing it down. l shall never
/ know how they whisked this line of wire
/ fastened obstruction out of the way. The
| 100 overpOwered the pickets, sent them
! to the rear, rushed through the gap made
| by the aXmen up the slope of Fort Sted-
/ man, and ii was ours without the firing
of a single gun and with the loss of but
one man. He was killed with the bay
onet.
The three companies who We're to at
I tempt to pass the reserves and go into
/ the rear forts followed and passed
/ through Fort Stedman. Then came i
| other troops pouring into the fort. We
captured l think. 9 pieces of artillery. Ii
mortars and about 500 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 to learn the
fate Of the 300 who had been sent in
! companies of 100 each to attempt the cap
/ ture of the three rear forts Soon mes
sengcr reached me from two officers COM
manding two of these chosen bodies. who
| informed me that they had succeeded in
! passing right through the line of Federal
/ reserves by presenting themselves as
! FederalS and had certainly gone far
enough to the rear for the forts but that
/ their guides had abandoned them or been
/ lost and that they did not know in what
/ direction To move. 1t was atterWard dis
/ covered when daylight came that these
men had gone farther out than the forts
and could easily have entered and captur-
/ ed them if the guides had not been lost
or had done their duty OF course after
| dawn they were nearly all captured. be-
] ing entirely behind the Federal reserves.
dters who had asranrd from the fort and
intrenchments we had captured had
spread the alarm and aroused the Federal
In. o,.,, @ ''e r,ith +,mns IN ~,
the time it was fairly daybreak the two
forts on the main line fanking Fort
oleui'iaI. ~ liasheil @,lu ror' het III
reserves All onened nm mon nv forces
We held Fort Stedman and the Federal
lntrenchments to the tAppomattoX) river
and in ronseomence me rear for forts had not
been captured Failing to secure these
forts, the cavalry could not pass out the
p Iiauo!i2 Coul't iot oe {" anu VIC
In addition to these mishaps. the trains
had been delayed and Picket..'s division
ana other troops sent me py General Lee
hriIIiant 60 far os if had gone and had
been achieved without loss of any con-
sequence to our army but 1t had failed In
INC - IN 3''. vi y,