New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-10
Union Victory Which Greatly Enhanced Little PHIL
Sherdan's Fame and Was Followed Quickly by the
Evacuation and Surrender of Petersburg.

/ tc him only through a series Of slips which
must have been as irritating to Grant, to
put II mildly, as a punctured taXicab tire
would he 10 California traveller bound
for Europe on the way to the pier with only
i've minutes to spare after mad rush
across the continent. Another hour dc
tween the dark and the daylight" and the
history of the close OF the Civil War might
have been different. Petersburg, at the
moment Grants army started across the
James, was occupied by 10 more than 900
militia. under the command Of General
Beauregard. On the morning Of June H.
General W. L. Smith, with an army OF
some 1900 men. started to seize this i'm
portant outwork of Richmond General
Buffers verbal orders were TO attack
Petersburg as soon as possible" 1t Will
, be easy TO get into tho city, Smith was
told You can ride over the Notifications
On horseback and sharpshootcrs on the
heights Of the AppomatoX can clear out the
garrison
| This description did not fit the situation,
! i'm his opinion, when at noon he presented
himself on the east side Of the hills, beyond
which could lie seen the church spires of
| the town. Beauresard ratified his sabre
in such d noisy fashion that Smith gained
the impression that his guns were fully
supported by infantry. As q matter of
/ fact his men were 80 few that they were
strung out on the lines 49,: feet apart.
stretch on the south and west sides of the
city more than four miles long was abso-
lUtely unguardcd. 1t was most success
ful bluff Smith was unwilling 10 risk
an assault in column in the face Of such a
heavy artillery fire. Artillerists were about
al the Confederates had. lie decided 10
J open with his own guns, with the object OF
I carrying the works later by a strong Skin
nlish line. What was his disgust at this
juncturc 10 discover that his chief Of ar
tillery without consulting any one in au-
! thority, had taken the horses 10 the rear
/ for water. An hour was lost in getting
/ them back q space Of time which made all
/ the difference between success and failure
! Evening came Oh apacc. The sun was just
setting, the hour being o'clock, when the
attack was finally made. The skirmishers
sprang forward. In a few minutes the in
/ tIcuchmcnts had been captured. \ mile
and half Of Confederate works aud six
teen guns fell into their hands before
! o'clock. Petersburg was al Smiths mercy.
! but it was now dark. Oh, for another hour
Of precious daylight! General Smith felt
I that the risk of a night march over un-
known obstacles against an enemy whose
: numbers were also unknown was too great.
I Lee. lac had been told, was crossing the
James at Drcwry's Blur. and might be
upon him at any moment. So he sat down
/ 90 wait FOR Hancock and daylight.
| Hancocks corps reached him before day
break ~ would have arrived at its dcs-
I tination long before if Il had not been de-
( laycd several hours waiting for rations
! which. after al, did not come Another force
marched into Petersburg that night also
| II was Hokc's division from Lees army
which had been forwarded IN response
] to Beauregard'8 importunatc calls tor
| help. When the sun rose behind the Union
/ troops, and lighted up the spires Of Peters
burg rising beyond the rounded hills. it's
| rays shone into the eyes of 1900 Confcd-
crates who had silently taken their places
! IN a new line Of trenches The golden hour
! Rad passed and nearly ten months would
clapsc before tho Union army would tread
I the pavemeuts OF tho streets Of Petersburg
/ General Meade a9saUltc1 the works on June
/ IT, IL and IS. but while portions wcrc capt
! urcd and the ConfedersteG were forced to