Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1905-12-15
The Fall of Petersburg
FoRTIETH ANNIVERSARY
April 2. 1865

Gregg had garrison of 200 men and
mounted two guns; Fort Whtworth
had brigade and three guns.
When Ord and Wright formed their
new lines the Federal division Of Gen
eral Foster of Gibbons Twenty-fourth
corps was in front of Gregg and Whit
worth and, advancing under Il severe
fire, found wide ditch obstructng the
way and batteries cannonading the
whole field \ division Of supports
came up, and two brigadeS assaulted
Fort Gregg and one Fort Whitworth.
After a stubborn fight Fort Gregg
yielded and Whitworth was then
abandoned
The COnfederateS were now complete
ly separated, one column being on the
dan and Humphreys, who had swept
westward along the track from Peters
burg and the other being in the con
tracted lines at Petersburg and along
! the James river toward Richmond.
Lee was at Petersburg 1t was past
noon on Sunday, April >. The fall of
Forts Whtworth and Gregg and the
failure to dislodge General Parke's
Ninth corps east of the city decided
the fate of that place, and Lee ordered
preparations to be made for abandon
ment that night.
Sheridan was pressing on to get his
force of cavalry and infantry. the Fifth
corps being still under his command,
between Lee and Danvlle. the natural
course for him to retreat. At Peters
burg the Federal commanders remain
ed alert for every opportunity to strike
q telling blow. The pickets kept press
ing up to the opposing lines, but at no
point in the Cd works could a weak
place be found.
In some places the Federal and Con
federate works were within sixty rods
Of each other, Tut Lees barriers were
massive AID could not be battered
down By artillery
The Confcde.dteS gave il good ac-
count of themselves in defending their
last ditch The Federal in reurh-
ments extended from the AppomattoX
river below the town to the river above,
and General Grant ordered IL heavy
on the morning Of the Sd. This Wa to
be followed by Il grand assault ut 6
o'clock. But preparations were gong
on quietly in Lees lines for evacuation,
and this was to be accomplished be
fore the hour fixed for assault.
In the death of General A. T. Hill, II
corps commander, the south lost one
of its most fiery leaders. 1t was he of
/ whom Stonewall Jackson spoke in his
| deliriouS moments on his deathbad,
when he said, "A. =. HILL prepare for
action!
Hill was the last of the prominent
/ leaders of the southern army to fall,
/ and his death was tragic. He had oeen
/ in Petersburg during the LIST of April,
while Sheridan was fighting Pickett at
! Five Forks, and on the morning of the
/ I'd had gone, in obedience to orders
/ from Lee, to prepare his troops to re
enforce Pickett. Hills troops. consi t.
ing of the divisions of General Henry
Heth. General c. NJ. Wilcox and Gen
eral William Malone. were occupying
intrenchmentS on Lees right in front
Of the positions held by the Federal
corps under Wright and Humphreys.
When these commanders made their
attack on the morning of the I'd they
broke through the Confederate lines
completely. and those Confederates
who were on their left, or the Peters
uurg side of the break. We're compelled
to fee back toward the Appom lttoX
and make detour to join their fellows
on the right of the break. Wright and
Humphreys pushed on so rapidly that
the Federal and Confederate troops
were ut times on the same line in al
ternate spaces.
After fighting desperately to prevent
the Federal army from breaking
through the works Hill saw that fur
Their resistance would be useless and
decided to concentrate his brigades and
divisions into shorter line. With Lee
he stood upon lofty ridge south OF
the city and. pointing to the field il