Year: 1865

The following are some of the details


New York, April A special in the Times
says of the cavalry fight on Friday at I o'clock
P. NJ: Gibbs brigade for a long time held its
position and made successful charges in one of
which several hundred rebels threw down their
arms and attempted to rush into our lines. Up-
fortunately the movment was not generally OBJ
served in season to prevent volley being opened
on them, which caused hesitation long enough
to enable their officers to cover them with fire
from the rear. At P. NJ, Gibbs had fallen
back to within mile of Dinwiddie Court House.
and was here relieved by one other brigade
which was soon strengthened by the arrival of
Col. Pennington with part of his brigade. The
enemy did not advance to hold the ground, when
Custar came to the front, and scene ofthe wild
ert excitement prevailed.


Sheridan and Custar rode along the line with
their respective colors displayed. This demon
stration elected renewed enthusiasm along the
entire line. The enemy charged several times
and were repulsed with heavy slaughter and
driven back and did not attempt to force our
lines again.


We swung our left forward three miles north
of the BOydstOn road leaving between it and the
South Side Railroad but a single line of earth
works thrown up since Monday night. We cap
tured 900 prisoners Our loss was not over
1000 in the aggregate, and the enemy have suf-
fered much more heavily, and they are now be-
coming demoralized very rapidly. In the even
ing they could not be induced to make another
charge against the 9TH corps, although they had
fought desperately.


The Herald's special of the lst says: At dark,
on the evening of March 3Oth, the left of the I'd
corps halted at the Boydston plank road, a mile
north of the bridge across Hathers Run. The
9TH corps had passed nearly due west and lay
fronting northward. Onsthe morning of the 81 st
the rebel troops fell the left of the 9th corps
and caused great confusion. AyreS' division is
reported to have been driven back Crawford
division was thrown into great confusion and
driven back pell NELL for at least a mile and a
half. 1t was finally reformed beyond the Boyds-
ton road, and by half past four in the afternoon
had not only regained the lost ground, but had
established two breastwOrks on the White Oaks
in Front of Ayres position. The troops that be-
haved so unmanly at first, behaved like veterans
at last. Last evening our left flank reached
some distance on the White Oak road. From
that point our line ran on a regular semi-circle
to the oath corps.


New York, April 4.-The Worlds S account of
Sheridan's generalship says it will take rank
with any on record. 1t seems that Grant was
not satisfied with Fridays work and placed Sher-
idan in supreme command of the Army Corps
and all the cavalry. Sheridan charged with his
cavalry, dismOuntng portion of the rebels, and
gradually pursued them to their works amid the
most terrible and desperate fighting of the war.
While this was being done, Sheridan was also
forming the infantry, showing the same general
ship in infantry tactics that he had shown in
cavalry. 1t noble sight to see so hand
some force of cavalry press back and hold in
check 10000 infantry, still they did it in such a
manner as to completely dispense with the use
of our infantry5 The sig
nal was then gwen and the infantry closed on
their works like huge barn door, The rebels
saw their position, but did not appear to appre-
ciate how desperate was their situation. They
fell back to the left only to see the close advance
of our infantry drive them across the field to the
right Our hOrsemen cornered them in their
vain attempt to fight it out on the rear, and the
cavalry began to assemble. Their own artillery
was turned on them at last; the cavalry charged
down on them, soaring and trampling them into
confusion. Soon cross fire rolled along, cut
ting down their officers and strewing the field
with bleeding men. They had no commanding
officers to lead them outo6 6the trouble into which
they had fallen. command to die or surren-
der was given, and 5000 men were Sheridan
prisoners. Those who escaped were pursued by
the cavalry far into the desolate forest.


Headquarters Army ofthe Potomac, April @
The outer line ufw0rks, which we have been
trying in vain for months to overcome, have at
last yielded to our Valorous army. The struggle
by the enemy to retain possession of these works
has been of the most desperate character. Or
ders of an attack on the line east and south of
Petersburg by the 9th and 9th corps were car
ried out precisely at daylight, the artillery hav-
ing been pounding away for the greater part of
of the night along the entire line held by the ad
vance of the 10th corps. The troops engaged in
the action were the I'd and Sd division, and
brigade of the lst division. A charge was made
in front of Worth's Hill and on the Jerusalem
road, and by O'Clock A.. NJ, we were in possess
sion of the Notifications of Fort Malone, being
fhar dahl axyfa Tbo
mounted some fourteen guns, some of which
were turned upon the enemy. Just inside, about
one hundred yards from Fort Malone was an
other work, to which the rebels retreated from
whence they threw destructive FIRE on ourmen
causing them to retreat from the northern end
when the rebels made dash, thinking to recov-
er it entirely. The guns on the right wing as well
as those in the center, had been mainly spiked
The assaulters were driven back from these un-
til late in the afternoon, the enemy using every
effort to retake the fort. About noon the chan
ces seemed that we should lose it; but soon af-
ter the provisional brigade under Gen. Callish,
and the engineer brigades and brigade of the
8th corps corps came on the ground and saved
the gallant men from defeat, and again caused
the enemy to retreat. The fighting here was of
the most terrible and fearful character. Gen.
Wilcox, with part of his troops, made an at
tack in front of Gen. McGillvry near the Appo-
mattox, and broke part of the line, but he was
soon after forced to retreat to his former posi-
tion, owing to a lack of support. We lost ofthe
9th corps'from 800 to 1000 killed. wounded and
prisoners, among whom was Gen. Porter, COM
manding the I'd division, who was badly woun-
ded in the groin.


The 9Th corps struck the enemy in front of
Fort Welch, near the celebrated works, and car
ried them with very slight loss, and at once
dashed forward to the South Side Railroad
which they reached at 9 o'clock. In a very
short time several miles of it was torn up and
destroyed. They then moved down towards
Petersburg, driving the rebels before them
Very close to the city we took 1000 prisoners
and 20 guns. The 23d corps holding the line
north of Hatcher's Rum connecting with the 9Th
corps on the right, and the I'd corps on the left,
advanced at daylight and took the works in their
front with slight loss. Over 700 prisoners
were captured here. The several corps who held
the line from the Rum a mile and half west of