The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-07
AT FORT
ON MARCH %, 1863
Lat Offensive Movement MADE W
General Lee in His Ehor' "
Break Grants Line.
nv II. \. LONDON.

Last Monday was tnt
niversary Of the battle u callad
nv The C~onfederateS. ms Wa II
1ost offensive movement made by &C.
eral Lee and was his explrlns ~
to break trough the cons - 49,
encircling army. The siege OF fe'eio
h,rp had been steadily pressed ever
since the middle OF Juhe' -
the ConfederateS had been KEEP. On
the defensive nearly all mat llihe'
ahout nine months, defending their
long line which continually grew
longer and thinner as the feueiai
army extended its line until II reach
ed Burgesss Mill on Hatchers Kun.
General Lee realized that ms une
could not be extended longer ana De
held. and so he determined the latter
part of March, 1865, to make o oes-
perate effort to assault ana Dream
Grants line. cutting his army IN TWO.
and then defeating each part IN ue-
tail.
With this object in view he decided
ia make the assault on the morning
of the 25th Of March, 1865, at FOrt
Stedman cor Hare's Hill as We called
it,, about two miles east OF PETERS
burg and where there was only aDout
$50 yards between the breastWorhS o!
the opposing armies. He selected
Gen. John 3. Gordon to have the I'M
mediate command Of the assaultln8
forces. and two days before the as
sault was to be made General Gordon
and Gen. Bryan Grimes made a per
SOnal inspection of our lines nearest
Fort Stedman and of the enemy
Qualifications. This writer accom-
panied them. but did not know at
the time their object. In front or
the enemy's line was q chevauX dc
frise Of rails and stakes sharpened
stuck deep in the ground and point
ing Outwards, and bound together by
a strong wire. SO as to obstruct the
approach Of any aSsaultlng column.
The pickets were stationed in rifle
pits in front Of these instructions SO
that il seemed impossible to take the
enemy by surprise and capture the
fort, and yet the attempt was de-
termined on and was successful in
the capture of the fort, but IL could
not be held because of the forts in the
rear.
The troops selected for this des-
perate undertaking were composed
largely of North Carolinians COT
coursc), among them Ransom's brig
ade, Grimes old brigade Chen com
manded by Col. D. G.. Cowand), John
ston's brigade and Lewis's brigade.
OF course to make it a success the
enemy must be taken by surprise and
therefore the assault must be made
just before daydawn. The sharp
shooters (about 500 in number) adj
vanced first, shortly after A o'clock,
with unlOaded muSketS $50 that no
firing should arouse the enemy be-
fore the fort was reached) and with
a piece of white ribbon tied On the
arm of each soldier, SO hat the Con
federates might know their comrades
in the darkness from the enemy. With
the advance were a number Of men
with axes whose duty it was to cut
away the Instructions. The assault
was made in three columns, one col
umn moving to the left of Battery No
10, another column moved to a point
between Fort Stedman and Battery
No. IL and the third column moved
direct toward Fort Stedman. AT {
given signal the men sprang forwarc
as silently and rapidly as possible
surprised and captured the picketS il
front Of the breaStworks, cut away
and removed the instructions an(
rushed into the works before the gar
riSOn were aroused, and capturet
over 500 men and Gen. n. B. Nc
Laughter. all of whom were safel,
sent IN our lines and on to Peters
burg.
AS soon as the storming party ha,
captured Battery No. 10 and For
Stedman the main body of our troop
rushed forward and advanced som
500 yards up the enemy's breastwork
Inc attempted to capture Fort Has
kell. a strong Federal fort south @
Fort Stedman. By this time tn
Federal troops all along the line ha
aroused and were giving our men
very warm reception and the assau,
on Fort Haskell was unsuccessful
Inc guns Of that fort and othe
FEDERAL batteries commanded Fol
Stedman and poured a most terrif
hre upon our troops. Indeed tn
enemy massed his artillery so heayi1
In the n~eighbOring forts and was or
abled to pour such a terrible enflat
ing fire upon our men that it ":
deemed best to withdraw. and tn,
this brilliant assault proved a failur
but not through any fault of the me
engaged in it. The troops who we,
to be our supper and who were
aid US in holding the captured wor]
did not arrive in time, and there w