Year: 1865

lmirabls accounts furnished to the New
York Herald by it's correspondent
Thomas M. COok.irI , dioI woT (
| OPERATIONS OF THE 9rH CORPS.


! n At midnight ON Saturday Gen. VII
cox reserved orders to make demon
stration on hissextrsme right, in orsiel
to draw as many Of the robels as pos
sible in that direction, and thus assisi
tho attacks that had been planned fol
the following morning. The demon
stration was made with great earnest.
ness at the same time that Admiral
Porter was hammering away with his
lgupboats up the James river. AL the
artillery on that part of the line was
ordered into play, and the slKirmish
line in front Of Ely's brigade was ad-
yanced. The moon was yet shining
and the night was perfectly clear; SC
that the attack was distinctly witness
cd from the bluffs in the rear. The
men moved forward steadily, and soon
the sharp volleys of musketry indica-
ted their approach to the rebel lines
the artillery on the heights behind
them fred moro briskly, tho shells
shrisking through the air overhead.
Tbsn the rebel batteries opened, and
most Internal din was awakened to
disturb the placid stiffness of the mid
might. Amid the noise and smoke the
skirmishers kept steadily on, meeting
with so little opposition that they were
enabled to cross the rebel lines enter
their works, capture prisoners in num-
Der greater than their own, and final
| iy advanced into the outskirts of tho
town, where they met strong body
Of rebels coming out to reinforce the
portion Of tho line that had Just been
captured. A brisk engagement was
fought here, within the limits Of the
city; but our numbers were SO small
that we were compelled to Withdraw,
and reluctantly fell back to our own
lines. Had the troops been at hand
to reinforce the movement, instead Of
being simply demonstration it could
easily have been turned into an actual
attack, and would have given us then
tho whole left of the rebel line of
works and cut thon off from Peters
burg entirely. Gen. Wilcox was very
anxious to change tho character of the
affair; but at the critical momcnt he
received orders TO attack at the earliest
dawn of the morning on his left, 50
that he could do nothing moro at this
time, The success Of the domonstra-
ton gave rise to the report, which was
sent away yesterday morning, that we
had possession of Petersburg. In the
movement wo lost few men only,
among them Lieut.. Col. Nichols, Of
the First Michigan sharpshooters, ,seri-
ously wounded. One effect of the
movement was most excellent. Lee
had mobilized SO large portion of
the army against Sheridan that there
was merely picket line left here
The demonstration compelled him TO
recall some of the troops that had
been sent elsewhere, in order that he
should not be Aanked hero.


40 oE AN EARNEST ATTACK. -7ff


So soon as this affair was over Viii
cox began massing his few available
men for the appointed attack on tho
left. This was to be a combined and
determined attack. The object was
two-fold First, by moro earnest
demonstration to recall a greater por-
ton Of the rebels who were massed
on their extreme right; and second,
.if possible, to force their lines. m


FORT MALONE.


The part of the attack assigned to
General Wilcox was to carry Fort
Malone, one of tho most formidable
works on tho rebel lines, situated at
tho point where their line crosses the
Jerusalem plank road and directly in
front of Fort Emory, where the left
of Wilcox's division rested. For this
purpose the FIRST brigade, Colonel
Samuel Hartman, of the Thirty
seventh Wisconsin, was brought
around from the right Of the line and
put into position, supported by brig
ade Of Potter's division of tho same
CORPS. While this was being done
similar dispositions wero making fur
ther to the left, and system of cam
non signals had been agreed upon to
fix the moment Of starting, that all
hands might assault simultaneously.


DARKNESS.


At precisely four o'clock tho signal
gun was heard. 1t was scarcely gray
dawn and considerable mist hung
over the fields, so that objects were
quite indistinct at very short dis
tance and not visible at all few hum
dred yards away. From this cause
the preparations made had beon Who'll
ly secreted from the enemy. The sig
nal gun, breaking tho stiffness of the
early morning, may possibly have been
an alarm Of danger to them; but, rs
they knew not whence to look, they
doubtless simply remained very quiet.
la ra THE ASSAULT.


Colonel Hartman advanced at
onos. A small detachment Of his
brigade was thrown out in advance
as skirmishers, while the rest followed
close after in line Of battlo with fixed
bayonets. Tho men moved very qui-
city and in perfect order, though man
ifesting an eagcrness of spirit that
was an assurance of success. That
they went to stay was indicated by
their being accompanied by detach-
ment of one hundred men of the First
Connecticut heavy artillery, prepared
to turn and work upon the rebels the
guns that should be captured. Thoy
passed out into the darkness and all
was still. A painful season of sus-
penso followed. Presently a musket
Is heard, then another, and soon q