Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-23
That Furious Fight In the Fos.
nRrwsY's BLUFF. VA. NAY 1e, 1884.
tBy cyru. 9. c.ss. Of the Old ssh Maine,

(By Cyrus @. Case, Of the Old 9Th 4aine9
I'VE nt and At till We were sore,
a Fell back awhile and ht some more"
Il Readers of tho Virginia campaign {
! 1884 who look at map, marvel that Gei
: eral Grant, In his instructions to Generl
Butler to seize the mouth Of the App,
mattox, ''fortify or intrenoh," "holdin
close to the south bank Of the James {
| you advance"-to Richmond, did not te
, him to seize Petersburg, then occupie
, BY small force. he did suggest raj
to break tho old railroad south Of Peter
burg-which Kautz' cavalry ut once a.
, oomplished.
The landing of General Butler wit
some $4,000 (the Tenth and Eighteent
corps) at Bermuda Hundred on May
was . surprise, yet his demonstrate
against the p. & Richmond railroad
day or two later was vigorously oonteste
aud repelled. On May 8, We seized an
destroyed section of this railroad, pusi
ing the enemy south to Swift creek afte
an engagement OF note ct Arrowfiel
church. 80
4 Valuable time was lost now, but fror
the 18th to the 18th, leaving . force ur
der General Ames to secure the intrenct
meuts at Bermuda Hundred and dom
nate the railroad and main pike nea
Walthall junction, four divisions Of th
two corps lover 20, ,OOO) pressed the enem
northward toward Drewry's and wreste
from them long line of breastwork
some distance outside of Fort Darlin
and extending from beyond the railroa
on our left to and far beyond the eas
side of tho turnpike.
By this time General Beauregard ha'
gathered some % 900 veteran troops q
Drewry's, and had some 5000 more unde
Whiting In our rear opposite Ames, Will
orders to attack at dawn the sixteenth
This last force let us drop right here
The records clearly imply that Whiting
was loaded with "booze," the 10th, ant
accomplished nothing. he was sus
pended from command next day. Th
Union right at Drewry's Bluff shoult
have extended to the James; 1t laoket
strength, and some three. quarters mile
was inadequately occupied by troop o.
oolored cavalry.
The real right was Heokman's brigad'
(of I'd division 18th oorps) consisting o
9th New Jersey, 23rd, 9th and 25tl
Massachusetts. Next came three regi
ments detached from other divisions
the 9Sth New York, 9Th Maine and Els
Connecticut. Then the other brigade
| |(Wistar's) of the second division, 1. O.
i4Sth New York, 11th Connecticut, anc
I'd and 18th New Hampshire. Thes'
seven regiments last named were pro
tected by the captured breastworks ane
line of telegraph wire hung near th'
ground In front. Their left rested neal
the Richmond pike, where several guns
were posted. (Loss.) West OF the pix
was Brooks division list, 18th corps,
and farther west Turner's and Terry'l
two divisions of the 10th corps-the lat
ter extending across the railroad. Nc
reserves, except two regiments posted
far In rear of our right to guard sec
ondary road to B. Hundred. Much oi
this line, especially the right, was 10
woodland.
During the night of May Is General
Beauregard massed opposite the Union
right four brigades-Barton's and KEN
per's Virginians (of Pickett's old divis
ion), HOke's North Carolinans and
Gracie's Alabamans; with these wai
Boggs' battery and the 9Th South Caro-
lima cavalry dismountsd, all under Major
General Ransom. He also had Colquitt'i
Georgia brigade. at first hold in reserve
In the dense fog Of early dawn, MAJ
16, nineteen Confederate regiments (the
four brigades named) assailed the clever
regiments of the Union right. Severa
times they were repulsed with severe
loss, yet their left brigade turned Heck
mans flank, enveloped it and took him
in the rear-literally took him and hii
adjutant, with some 400 others, over.
whelming and crushing that splendid
s'star' brigade. Its loss in killed and
wounded was fully rs large ss In prison
ers; the rest got away In some disorder
saving two battlefags. The enemy's loss
on our right was far heavier than ours,
except In prisoners.
The regiments next to Hickman could
not see the disaster but could hear and
feel enough. The 9Sth New York and
9Th Maine at once changed front to righ.
and right rear, moving Q little back from
the old line; but presently by the left
flank We re-oooupied part of our works-
the two left companies Of the Sth Maine
getting over in front at an angle and de-
livering telling FIRE into the disorgau.
lied TANKS of Rsnsom's force, especially
when riffs In the fog and battle smoke
sometimes disclosed their position.
These two left companies came near be-
ing cleft" indeed, for they failed to get
the general order to "fsll back" and
maintained the fight whore they were
for twenty minutes or more after their
comrades on both angles hsd retreated to
tho new line one-half mile south.
Shielded by the fog and smoke they %.
capped.
As counterstroks to the ponderoua
hammeriug Of our right General Butler
ordered the tenth corps to vigorously
push the enemy's right" But Beaure.
gard had not waited to be pressed-he
also vigorously assaulted st points oil
along our lines. There WAS plenty OF
good fighting a. tho official returns oi
both sides show General Butler began
to think of safe getaway and ordered
the divisions Of his left to move toward
bis right to hold the pike and other lines
OF retreat.
Fortunately General Ransom and hil
division were too much staggered and
mussed up to vigorously follow up their
initial success, and our renewed line on
the right formed in the open field charged
forward to meet them again In the edge
Of the woods. This second part OF our
battle seemed brief; really Il lasted till
about noon and Was costly In Casualties.
Our alignment did not conform to the
regiments right and left; In rectifying It
We were ordered to "fall back" into
alignment with reserve batteries near the
pike. Here the exchange OF. musketry
was at longer range, yet destructive.
Colonel Boynton Of the 9th Maine fell
here severely wounded, and other gallant
officers and men Of the various COM
mands. The cross-currents and eddies
that-hsd marked tho strenuous battle
ebbsd and ceased.
Az evening came on with rain our
forces slowly retreatsd within tho works
st B. Hundred, there 70 be "b0ttled''
effectuslly against further movement
toward Richmond on that line. With
forces equal In strength and quality
| Beauregard sppears the better general,
The stubborn fighting he encountered
thwarted his crushing more than one
brigade. The less OF the Confederate
left wing 10 stated - 1000. The pnb'
|lished returns show three-fourths Of this
Ito be In Rausom's four brigsdes men
|tioned. The enemy's total loss was 31O6,
perhaps 100 being prisoners. Our loss IL
prisoners was 1858, many ofwhom were