Year: 1865

e knoWn as the"Flye Forks, a place wher
= ilVe roads meet, on the table land betwee
, the head waters of Hatchers Run an,
, Stony Creek. It was the most accessible
, gateway leading to the railroad. IF h,


could break at that point, he would turr
, Lees flank, deprive him of the swamps
use them for his own cover, and seize the
, railroad. To take Five Forks was to take


all for the long and terrible conflict haG


become so shorn Of its outside proportions


SO reduced to simple elements, that, il


Lee lost that position, all was lost-Pe.


tersburg, Richmond, his army, and the


Confederacy.


Surprise is expressed that the re-


beliion went down so suddenly, in a nigh,


at one blow, topping over like child's


house of cards, imposing to look upon


yet of very little substance; but the cal.


culations of Gen. Grant were to give q


finishing stroke.


If, by massing the main body of his


troops upon the extreme left of his line,


he succeeded in carrying the position of


the Five Forks, it would compel Lee to
evacuate Richmond Lees line of re-


treat must necessarily be towards Dan


vile; but Grant, at the Five Forks, would


be nearer Danville by several miles than


ice; and he would thus, instead of the


exterior line, have the interior, with the


power to push Lee at every step farther


from his direct line of retreat. That


Grant saw all this, and executed his plan


is evidence of great military ability. The
plan involved not merely the carrying of
the Five Forks, but great activity after
wards The capture of Lee was fore
thought, not an afterthought.


"Commissaries will prepare twelve days
rations," was his order, which meant a
long march, and the annihilation of Lees
army. An ordinary commander might
have been satisfied with merely breaking
down the door, and scizing the railroad,
knowing that it would be the beginning
of dissolution to the Rebel army; but
Grants part went farther, the routing of
the burglar from the house, and dispatch
ing him on the spot, Perhaps Lee saw
what the end would be, and he did the
best he could with his troops; but mas
much as he did not issue the order for
the transfer Of division from Richmond |
to the Southside till Saturday night, af |
ter the Five Forks were lost, it may be |
presumed that he did not fully compre-
hend the Importance Of holding that gate
way. IF he had seen that Richmond I
must be eventually evacuated, he might
have saved his army by sudden with
drawal from both Richmond and Peters
burg, on Friday night, pushing down the
Southside Road, and throwing his whole
force on Sheridan and the Fifth Corps,
which would enable him to reach Dan
vile. Not doing that, he lost all.


1t is not intended in this article to give
the details Of the attack at the Five Forks
and along the line, but mere to show how
the forces we're welded in the last mag
annihilating blow.


On the 25th of March the Twenty
Fourth Corps was transferred from the
north side of the James to Hatcher's
Run, taking the position of the Second
Corps.


The force designed for the attack upon
the Five Forks was composed of the Fifth
Corps and Shcrridan's cavalry, the whole
under the command of Sheridan. The
Second Corps was massed across Hatch
er's Run, and kept in position to frustrate
any attempt that might be made to cut
from the support of the main
army.


Sheridan found a large force in front
of him along Chamberlain's Creek, 3
miles west of Dinwiddie Court House.
He had hard fighting and was re-
pulsed. There was want of cooperation
On the part of Warren, commander of the
Fifth Corps, who was relieved of his COM
mand the next morning, Gen. Griffin sue
ceeding him. A heavy rain-storm came
on, wagons went hub-deep in the mud
The swamps were overfowed. The ar
my came to a stand still. The soldiers
were without tents. Thousands had
thrown away their blankets. There was
gloom and discouragement throughout
the camp. But all the axes and shovcls
were brought into requisition, and the
men went to work building corduroy
roads. 1t was much better for the NOR
ale of the army than to sit by bivouac-
fires waiting for sunny skies. The week
passed away. The Richmond papers
were confident and boastful of final sue
cess.


awe arc very hopeful of the campaign
which is opening, and trust we are TO reap
a large advantage from the operations ev-
identy near at hand. We
have only to resolve never to surrender,
and it will be impossible that we shall ev-
er be taken," said the Sentinel, in its is
sue Of Saturday, April LIST, the last pa
per ever issued from that Office. The ed
tor was not aware Of the fact, that on Fri
day evening, while he was penning this
Sheridan was bursting open
the door at FIVE Forks and had the rebel
lion by the throat. Lee attempted to re-
trieyo the disaster on Saturday by deple
ting his left and centre to reinforce the
right Then came the order from Grant,
"attack vigorously all along the line. =
4 7 l.. 4 II - tn1 haA