The Washington herald., 1914-09-29
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
September g. 1894 Detachment Of Gen Buffers Army Attacked the
COnfederaes Their Works North of the James River Near Chan
Farm and Gained LOdgmen Within Seven Mile, of Richmond

Fifty years ago today a detachment
Of Gen. b. F. Buffers Army of tht
James, operating under Gen. Grants or
ders, attacked the Confedcrates in theil
works north of the James River, neal
Chaffin's Farm, and gained a lodgmeni
within seven miles OF Richmond which
was TO be held until the end OF the
operations in that quarter.
The attack was intended to prevent
Gen. Lee from sending re-enforcements
from Petersburg TO the Shenandoah
where Gen. Jubal 4. Early had received
rough handling from an army under
: meridian. Grant feared that the Con-
federates might reinforce Gen. Early.
Lincoln, too. had considered the prob
ability of such a move on the part OF
Lee. and early in the morning Of Sep
tember . wrote a dispatch to Grant with
an implied suggestion that something be
done TO prevent it. This dispatch was
received by Grant while the operations
north of the James River were in prog
ress.
Gen. Butler. whose army constituted
the right of the Federal forces in front
of Petersburg. and whose headquarters
were at Bermuda Hundred. on the south
bank OF the James, above City Point,
had been given verbal instructions re
garding the movement by Gen. Grant.
Gen. Butler. in his autobiography, de-
CIared that he first proposed the move
ment to Gen. Grant: but the latter makes
no mention of ii, while the records show
that it was part OF Grants general plan
OF campaign.
Grant ordered Gen. Butler to issue
written instructions to the commanders
of the troops to be employed. Accord
ingly Gen. Butler had drawn up a long
order embracing many minor details
and leaving little to the Judgment OF the
corps commanders.
Grant Under Fire.
The order was transmitted to Gen. f.
o. c. Ord. of the Eighteenth Corps; Gen.
David B. Birney. of the Tenth Corps, and
Gen. A. V. kautZ. commander OF cav
airy detachment that was to accompany
the infantry.
Ord's forces consisted Of the divisions
OF Gen. G. J. Stannard and Gen. Charles
a. Hickman. together 1000 strong. Bir-
ney's command consisted of the divi-
sions OF Gen. AdeIbert Ames and Gen
\. II. Terry, a brigade OF colored troops
under Gen. William Birney and a divi-
sion OF colored troops of Ords corps
under Gen. Charles ]. Paine. in all 1900
strong. KantZ's cavalry numbered about
l, 200.
The success of the movement depend
ed upon its secrecy, for in the Union
camps were many spies. Consequently
no orders were issued until the evening
of September %. when the selected
troops moved slowly down to the James.
Ord's command halted opposite Varina,
or Aikens Landing, while Birney's and
Kautz's rested near the pontoon bridge
at Deep Bottom. about three miles far
ther down stream.
At midnight a pontoon was thrown
across the James to Aikens Landing.
and at dawn Ord's men crossed as si-
lently as they had moved into position.
The column without halting took the
Varina road northwest toward the Con-
federate lines. while Birney's men, who
crossed simultaneously at Deep Bot
tom, swung out on the Newmarket road.
further north. The cavalry was out
on the right flank. on the Darbytown
road, intent upon turning the Confeder-
ate flank.
BY 7:SO Gen. Ord's command had reach
ed the vicinity of Fort Harrison, one
of the strongest works in the first Con-
federate line north of the James. 1t
was on Chaffin's Farm, about a mile and
a half distant from the river. Gen
Ord ordered his command to attack.