The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-07

ment of Confederate troops, and sought
| TO cut the railroad both north and south
OF Petersburg. The work on the south
side was assigned to his cavalry, 2.9Ot
strong, under Gen. +. V. Kautz, which
had moved from Suffolk, south of the
James. simultaneously with the en-
| barkation of the army.
kaUtZ had ridden fast and far He
met bat feeble resistance at the enemy $
| line on the Blackwater River, the troops
there having been ordered to Peters
burg. and on May he arrived at the
| railroad at Stony Creek, eighteen miles
| south of Petersburg, where he burned
the railroad bridge.
+ Three troop trains had passed, carry
, ing Beaureeard's men TO Petersburg. and
five more were due. The burning of
this bridge interrupted traffic on the road
for the day. On May S Kautz DESTROYED
also the NOttoway River railroad bridge.
wooden structure 30 feet long, thus
completing his part Of Gen. Buffers pro-
gram.
Fighting mt Port waIthaII.
On May Gen Butler had pushed our
small force TO strike the railroad
north OF Petersburg. Night fell before
anything was accomplished, and orders
were issued for heavier force to be
thrown against the road on May :, the
attack 10 be made at Port WaIthaIl juno
ton. three miles from the town.
Meanwhile the Confederates were bur
rylng troops to the threatened point. At
. a m. Gen. Bushrod Johnson's brigade
or l.lss infantry arrived at Drurys Bluff
from across the James. /; was at once
ordered to Port Walthall. Arriving there.
Gen. johnson found a portion of Gen.
Johnson HaSood's South Carolina bril-
Sade, Just arrived from North Carolina
In the course OF the day the rest of the
brigade arrived. and also Gen. Hill, who
took command of the troops thus gath
cred. which numbered @.GfS men
Early on May the FcdcraIs appeared.
Their force consisted of four brigades of
infantry. about 1000 men, under Gen w
ii. t. Brooks, comprised of the following
regiments: Eighth Connecticut, Tenth
and Thirteenth New HampshIre and
One Hundred and Eighteenth New York
under Gen. Hiram Burnham: Forty-sev-
enth. Forty-eighth. and One Hundred
and Fifteenth New York and Seventy
sixth PENNSYLVANIA, under Col w. r
barton. OF the Forty-cighth New York:
Thirteenth Indiana. Ninth Maine, One
Hundred and Twelfth and One Hundred
and Sixty-ninth New York. under Col, ],
{. Drake. of the Ninth Maine: Tenth
Connecticut. Eleventh Maine. Twenty
Fourth Massachusetts, and One Hun
dredth New York. under Col Harris NJ
Plaisted. of the Eleventh Maine.
The fighting. which began promptIy.
lasted all day. The country was much
broken with woods. swamps. and ravines.
This was in favor of the Confederates,
who made spirited defense.
While three brigades of Gen Brooks
command engaged the enemy, that of
Col. Plaisted was assigned to cut the
telegraph and railroad north Of the scene
OF action. This II did in the afternoon
destroying both wires and track for a
mile. while the One Hundredth New York
Under Col. @. b. Dandy held off a mart
of the enemy's force
At night the fighting ceased. and the
Federals, the work assigned them being
accomplished, fell back. The losses of
the day embraced % killed, 1i2 wounded.
and lS missing, a total of III. on the
Confederate side. and 20 killed. 80 wound
ed. and 10 missing, a total of 2Sg on the
Federal
The damage done the railroad, both
north and south of Petersburg, was
quickly repaired, and by the time Gen.
Buffers forces Were intrenched at Ber-
muda Hundred and ready to advance
Gen. Beauregard had assembled not less
than 1900 infantry and zoe cavalry for
the defense of Petersburg and the route
to Richmond.
Tomorrow, Grant Moves 10 spstt-
sylvanin Courthouse.
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