The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-04-07

passed through Prince Edward Court
house: at $50 a m, April Z. Grant wired
Meade that Sheridan had reached Pros
pect Station. This meant that Farmville,
like Petersburg just before its fall, had
been isolated from Confederate aid on the
east, south, and west. Grant also stated
in this wire that the Federal corps was
in Farmville. but this was prema-
ture announcement. Meanwhile, at 9:15,
Humphreys reported to General Alex S.
Webb chief of staff of the Army of the
Potomac. that his corps was crossing the
Appomattox at the High Bridge, of which
three spans had been lost by fire although
the common road bridge was saved. He
reported that the Confederates were aban-
doning their positions. Meade ordered
Humphreys to push the enemy as much
as possible General H G. Wright. adj
vancing on Farmville by road, was at
Sandy River about noon. He reported to
General Webb that Far1nvllle had not yet
been captured. The van of General Grit
fins command, which was headed for
Prince Edward Courthouse, arrived at
Wright's position about this time. Farm
vile was captured by Federals about 20
pm. April T. At the same time. Humph-
reys caught up with Mahone's Division
about four miles from Farmville Miles
and DeTrobiand were with him. He stated
that he would attack Malone and sug-
geSted that Griffin or someone else attack
Farmville. This was north of the Apo
mattox, in Cumberland, for at noon, it
had been reported that Miles and De-
Trobiand with their artillery had moved
to the old stage road to Lynchburg which
was in north of the river General Fran
els c. Barlow. on Humphreys orders, had
been driving up the railroad to Farm
vile on the trail of Gordon and had had
some skirmiShing near the town: he was
successful in destroying many of Gordon
wagons. The burning of the bridge by the
Confederates had slowed the Federal pur-
suit. Neither infantry nor artillery could
get across the river The cavalry could
ford with difficulty, for as one dispatch
Meade to Humphreys put it, THE caval-
ry forded belly deep. You will have to
take care of yourself" Federal troops
damned the town; units which had been
ordered forward could not get through:
the mass must be untangled, before pur-
suit of the Confederages could be con-
tinued Wright wired Webb at 220 pm.
that so many troops and trains were in
FarmVille, he could not advance; he had
reached the town twenty minutes before
BY 3 pm. Grant mad reached Farmville.
Webb, from the headquarters of the Army
of the Potomac at High Bridge. ordered
Wright TO hurry up his trains at Farm
vile if Humphreys did not need him: it
seems that the Twenty-fomth corps was
blocking the advance; let the command
er know that only his being in the
road retards A little later. Webb notified
Wright that Humphreys was confronted by
Lees whole army and was moving to out
flank him: he ordered Wright either to
take his corps to Humphreys aid, or if
that were impossible TO order the Twenty
fourth Corps up IN Meade's name Meade
was commander Of the Army Of the Po-
tomac. Grant was commander-in-chief
Wright replied $40 PM Immediately
upon receipt of Webs latest order that
as soon as the pontoon train of the Tween
tyFourth Corps could throw up bridge
over the Appomattox he would go to the
aid of Humphreys Second Corps little
later. he informed Webb that he had
crossed and set up headquarters near a
small house near the burned bridge not
far off the road. the artillery and trains