The Washington herald., 1914-10-27
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
October a. 1S6-The Feda Under Cen Grant Were Baked At
the South Side Railroad West of Peurg-Hafehers
Run, the Last Effort Turn Gen. Lees Line Before the Beginning of
Winter


ceived orders from Gen. Meade to halt un-
! I'll some connection could be made with
! him. Accordingly he had thrown his men
across Boydton Plank road facing Pc
| tersbuTg, and had prepared to advance
] upon the city il opportunity afforded.
gregg with the cavalry. who had taken
a wide circuit. Joined him there
Now. about l o'clock the Confederates
opened a hot artillery fire upon Han
COCKS men Eight guns PLAYED upcn
lhem from the Burgess Mill Bridge over
Hatchers Run, and five others Joined in
! the bombardment from the White Oak
road. on to the northeast The Federal
batteries were replying when Gems. Grant
ana Meade rode up to Hancock's position
TO reconnoiter the ground. Grant, as
usual was not content to remain far in
the rear of the firing line.
The group OF officers made a conspicu-
Gus target for the Confederate gunners
and soon rain of shell fell around then,
| One OF the oTdeTiies was killed and two
wounded. One shell burst close to Gen
Meade. but he escaped unhurt A spot
OF blood appeared on Hancock's cheek.
Grant called one of his aids. Col O. z.
Babcock' and leaving the others behind.
rode rapidly forward 10 get a close view
OF the enemy's position When only 4
snort distance from the bridge a shell
ourstr under his horses neck and the
animal reared and stopped Those watch
ing thought for the moment that both
horse and rider must have been killed.
but neither was hurt
Bullets were singing around Grant. for
the Confederate sharpshooters had got
into action, and shells exploded here and
there along the path. Suddenly Grants
horse became entanEled in fallen wires.
His hoof was tightly bound by a coil
from which he was unable to extricate
II. The situation was critical but Col
Babcock dismounted, unlOosed the wire.
and mounting again. made his way to
the rear with his chief
Mhhonc's Sudden Assault.
The movement of FsderaIs to the Con-
federate flank had not prompted Lee 10
make any radical change in his posi-
tions. Gen. a. p. HIS corps, number
ing about l3.GO men. held the right Of
the Confederate line. OF its three divl-
siOns. that under Gen. c. NJ Wilcox was
left in the new works on the north bank
OF Hatchers Run TO face the FederaIs
under Gen. Parke, while those OF Gems.
Henry Heth and William Malone were
withdrawn 10 face the danger from Han
cocks attack along the BoydtOn road.
Gen. Heth took position across the road
near Burgess MIL Bridge while Malone
crossed to the south side OF the run.
into the gap between CrawfOrd's division.
struggling in the woods and HancOck's
right. HamptOn's cavalry went over 10
the White Oak road and fought with the
Federals under Gen. Gregg.
About 4 o'clock. when Gen. Crawford
was reforming in the woods. after his
arduOus march up the bank of Hatch
ers Run. and when Gen. Hancock was on
the point Of advancing upon Gen. Heth
at Burgess Mil. and forcing H. way
toward Petersburg. Gen. MahOncs divi-
sion debOuched from the woods and
launched itself upon Hancock's right.
The Federal ranks crumbled under this
unexpected attack from that quarter
where il had been supposed that Gen.
Crawford was strongly posted. Before
the Onrush of the CUnfederates could be
halted the Federals were pushed hack to
the BOydtOn road. Hancock quickly turn
ed upon his sssailants for Gen. EEan.
with the instinct Of the true soldier"
as Hancock wrote. had turned about
from his position at Burgess Mill at the
irSt sound OF firing in his rear
In short order the Confederatcs under
Malone were repuIsed. and driven back
into the woods in great disorder. So
broken was their organization and so
Oewildered were the men in the un-
familiar woods, that some 2OO Of them
wandered unwittingly into Gen. Craw-
ford's lines and were captured.
The danger had passed. Gregg was
holding his own against Gen. Wade
Hampton on the White Oak road, and
all was quiet along the Boydton road.
But the object of the expedition had not
b5en attained. The Confederate posi-
tons had not been turned: neither had
the Federals gained the South Side Rail-
road.
Grant ordered the army to return to
its old position that night. and by the
afternoon OF the 18th things at Peters
burg were as they had been before the
flank movement
Federal losses were reported to be Han
cock, ninety-nine killed, 50 wounded, 40
missing. total Loss; Warren, 2l4 kills and
wounded, siXty-ive missing. total @79;
Parke, eight killed. 12S wounded. fourteen
missing, total Loss: Warren. 2l4 killed and
thirty-four killed. III wounded, sixty-hve
missing. total 21: grand total. 1,75S
The Confederate reports of the days
Their losses were probably about equal
to those Of the Federals.
While this movement was under way
Gen. B. F. Butler. commanding the army
OF the James, In accordance with orders
from Grant, made a diversion against
the Confederates north OF the James
River. In an attack upon their works
on the Williamsburg road, near Rich
mond, which was repulsed, the Federal
losses were SIC killed and wounded, and
So missing, a total OF 1,i03.
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