The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30
HOW BUFFERS RIGHT
FLANK WAS BROKEN
Important Story Of the Battle of Grewry's Bluff
UnCn Forces Superior in Numbers.
Mishaps of Fog and Fight.
BY CHAs. T. LoEHR,
hergeont Company ID, First VI

Hpril VI, 1910
Drewry's Bluff Is n name familiar to
all Of us. but OF tho battle which was
fought there. on May ie, 1864. very III.
tie has been said. much less than OF
any battle OF It's magnitude and i'm.
rortahce. which occurred throughout
tho war. No regular report from the
Confederate side except the brief
statements OF Beaurcgard. Ransom or
lioke. has ever reached the public. and
these contain details of how Buffers
right wing was broken. the principal
event In that bloody battle. One rca-
son Tor this silence on our side Is duo
10 the fact tina, our forces were gath.
cred az they arrived. and placed In
temporary organizations under officers
assigned to them for the occasion. An.
other reatoD is, tina. all eyes we're
turned towards the fields OF Spotsyl-
Nania. where the armios OF Grant end
Lee MADE music which drowned the
thunder OF cannon. and the rattle OF
mnsketry. at Drewry's Bluff
1t is not my intention. no, am /
able. 10 give j true and correct ac-
count OF the whole battle l only de-
tire 10 submit some dstails which.
hore, may throw some light on the
question OF how Buffers right hank
was broken" and the par, acted by
the old First on that historic morn.
ins
The place where the battle started
Is south OF Drewry's Blur. across
klngs!and Creek Thence. over the
elevation where the Wits house
stands ran the Old Stage Road tnow
apandoned). Continuing in southern
direction 1t crosses at riGh; angles
small creek with pond on the west
us creek IL bordered with pines and
heavy underwood, while In front arr
opcn fields. In these heidH and partly
parallel, ana south 81 the creek. at a
point n short distance east Of the road.
"an tho cnemy's right flank. This
position hesldcs having tho ADVANTAGE
Of IN" fores, as cover. Was further
protected b. good log works con
stTuctcd by the enemy when they took
possession of that line Tho location
Is about ten miles south Of this city
II may easily he reached BY tho cleo
trif line. leaving the same where IT
lNrns wcstNTd from tho turnpike
south OF Bellwood.
The Federal army, assigned 10 tho
capture Of Petersburg and Richmond,
called tao Army OF the James" com
fnsnded by General Butler, comnoscd
OF the Tenth and Eighteenth Army
Iorps, numbered, according to Its own
report. 3s,5oo men. and eichty-eirh,
suns, besides fleet 81 gunbos.s and
mentors Tn. Confederate forces.
commanded by General BeaureCard
consisted Of Grecies. Komper's. Hokc's
and Barton's brissdes. forming Ran
SONS division. Of CorScs. Clingman's.
bnshrod Johnsons. and lfagood's. brig
Edes, forming lioke's division: and OF
toiGuitts and Ransnms bri1ades nm
der Coquit,, Attached to this force
were three batialons OF artillery. and
three small regiments OF cavalry, the
wnole or gross number being given as
800. This was tho fore. at Drew
rvs Bluff. engaged on the 10th OF Max.
North or Petersburg, near Swift Creek,
tieneral waiting was in charge. hav-
Ing Wise's and Martins brigades, and
bearings cavalry, with him This
force, however. took no part IN the
LATHE Their number is given as A.
300 Taxing the figures representing
the aggregate. or gross numbers. we
have Federals. $500; Confederate
1900. This Is far In excess OF tAe
numbers engaged at the first battle of
Manassas, which shook this country
from stem to stern; while Drewry's
Blufr made so little impression that IT
has been almost numbered With tho
thousands OF other engagements OF M
Importance. that occurred during tn,
struggle for Southern Independence.
Tho enemy's right was held by Heck
mans brigade. consisting of the Tween
y-third. 1wenty-nfth and Twenty
seventh Massachusetts regiments, and
tho Ninth New jersey. Their number.
stated in the history of the Twenty
third Massachusetts regiment, page
"a, on May s. 1861, Ia stated as fol-
lows:
"Heckman's Star Brigade. composed
of tho Twenty third. Twenty nth and
Twenty seventh Massachusetts,, and the
Ninth New jersey. regiments. some g.
zoo strong. men largely seasoned in
battle. and pretty thoroughly sifted OF
that element which, smiling the battle
afar off, keeps It's distance. went out
into tho fire OF that battle mouth,
which was destined to reduce It to
mere handful of war-worn men"
Now. in accordance with the above.
this brigade numbered some 2,700 men;
say. It had but 2,6oo. or 2,20o. men in
line at Drewry's Blum; then, It greatly
outnumbered the attacking force.
There was, besides. a body Of negro
cavalry placed on the extreme right
of this brigade. OF these gay riders.
we are creditably informed that they
made tracks TO the rear on the first
fire. and greatly assisted in the con-
fusion which happened to the unlucky
'Star Brigade" and no doubt
strengthened their belief in tho story
of the overwhelming Rebel column
which attacked them In flank and rear.
Our force, constituting the attacking
column on the left. consisted OF
Grscies brigade, supported by Kem-
i,ers brigade General w. r. Terry,
tho commander OF Kemper's brigade,
SAYS this estimate is too high. The
Third Virginia OF the latter brigade,
having been left at Washington, N.
C., Gracie's brigade consisted of the
Forty-hr Forty-third. Fifty ninth
and Sixtieth Alabama. and Kemper's
of the First Seventh, Eleventh and
Twenty fourth Virginia regiments.
The formation OF the enemy's line
was as follows: On tho extreme right.