Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-04-09
of
the
South
Yield
By c. LUTHER LANcDoN.

"HE night sortie by the Confed.
crates under General John b.
Gordon on the lines of the Ninth
corps at Petersburg March %,
1S65-fifty years ago-was the last
aggressive blow by the army OF Rob-
ert n. Lee. No inkling was given in
the Federal camps until the sleeping
trench guards on nearly a mile of the
lines were aroused by the sounds Of
attack and the cold steel of a daring
enemy was held to their very breasts.
The point selected for the bold enter
prise was on the east of the city. Fort
Stedman, a Fashioned earthwork. with
outside batteries, stood IN q salient
elevation known as Hare's hill.
The Prince Georges Court House
road ran directly from Petersburg past
Hare's hill, crossing both the Confed-
crate and the Federal lines. 1t seemed
feasible for the C~onfederates to throw
a column into this space and add
strength to it as 1t should move down
the Federal works toward Grants left.
Gordon's Daring Plan.
But first it would be necessary to
make a breach In these works. This
Gordon provided for as follows:
To take Fort Stedman by direct as
sault at night, then send a separate
body Of men to each of the rear forts;
next to press to the real of Grants
main line and force him out of his
trenches, destroy his pontoons, cut his
telegraph wires and rush his flank.
The distance from Fort Stedman,
where the first blow was to be struck.
to the Confederate salient (%Colqnitt's).
where Gordon was to start his storm
ing parties, was sixty rods.
Promptly at 4 a. IN. these sto. ming
parties, of about 100 each. moved III.
of the Confederate works and. paasine
inside of the enemy's picket lis. SEP
arated for the work of the hossr-th
capture Of the batteries bearing on
Stedman-namely, Fort Haskell on th,
LEFT, battery 8 ON the right and Il
fortified battery in the rear Of Sted
man; also a long line of skirmlshers
deployed to the rear and set out Tor
the interior lines. Some of these
reached the United States military rail
road running from City Point along
the line Of Federal camps. Here they
cut the telegraph wires.
Meanwhile Confederates swarmed
In Fort Stedman. The storming party
sent against battery 0 was repulsed
and returned to Stedman for re-en-
forcements, and a column set out along
the Federal trenches between these
points. A strong defense by Fort Has
kell against attack gave Gordon's
movement a check on the other flank
and limited the success counted upon.
1t was now growing light. Gordon
had not silenced the guns which swept
the space between the lines where he
intended to move out his main force.
The attempt on Fort Haskell was
repeated twice with no success, and
as similar movements on battery 8
had failed Gordon's men found them
selves hemmed in under a CALLING fire
from batteries much nearer to them
now than when they occupied their
own lines. 1t was daylight, and the
-
artillery on both sides opened a ter
rife cannonade, the Federal guns
Smelling Gordon's men and the Con
federate guns firing back upon the bat
teries and upon the Federal troops
drawn up around the breach. Re-en-
forcements which had been promised
did not arrive, and Gordon ordered his
men to retire. This they attempted
under a storm of bullets, shell and
grape.
Lees Trenches Assailed.
AS soon as the result of Gordon's
sortie became known on the Federal
left General Humphreys, Commanding
the Second corps. advanced his men
beyond the Confederate picket line,
but found the main works too strong
to carry by assault. General Wright
also advanced his corps. the Sixth, in
the same way.
After March % there was constant
firing across the lines. both with artil-
lery and muskets. Sheridan Joined the
besieging army on the 9th of March,
and the movement to the left around
Lees right flank began Oh the Both.
The left wing Of the Army of the Po-
tomac had also been REINFORCED by
Ord's Army OF the James, from the
north side Of the ~Appomattox. The
Army Of the Potomac numbered $4,000
for duty; Sheridan added 1900 and
Ord about 1900, making a total of
about 10000. The Army of the James
had a reserve Of about 10000, making
a grand total under Grant at this
point of 125, 900. Lee had a total on
his twenty miles of defensive lines Of
$1,000.
The several movements on the Fed
eral left had crowded the Confederates
back to one road running In a general
direction southwest and lying between
the Federal positions and Hatcher's
u n Hatchcr's run is a swampy
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