THE FINAL ASSAULT AT PETERSBURG.
The enemy's works from the Appomattox to a point in front of Fort
Sedgwick were part of the old interior line of defences. At this point
the old line turned to the enemy's right, forming an angle, but the
works were continued parallel with our front by a kind of spur, which
diverged from an old line and swept down toward Hatcher's Run. The
Ninth Corps fronted the whole of this old line to the angle and about
two miles of the spur. When the main army moved to the left, on the
29th of March, the corps was disposed so as to hold our front line
to Fort Davis, and a line of works running back from that point and
covering our left and rear. In other words our left was curved backward
into a fish-hook shape, and our position became isolated.
On the night of the 29th a considerable detail of the regiment was
sent out to level a disused parapet, some two or three hundred yards
in front of the fort. While at work the men were startled at about ten
o'clock by the sound of rapid cannonading on the right. Looking toward
the Appomattox they saw the air filled with shells, the burning fuses
appearing like gigantic fireflies. It was an attractive spectacle,
and for a few moments the men leaned on their spades and gazed; but
as the firing ran rapidly down the line, and mortar-batteries and
pickets began to open in their immediate front, there was a sudden and
unanimous decision that a view from the _inside_ of the fort was not
only preferable, but of the most pressing importance. The regiment
turned out and took position in the fort ready for action, but nothing
occurred beyond the noise and a few casualties.
General Parke received orders on Thursday afternoon, the 30th, to
assault the enemy's works at some point in his front, at four o'clock,
the following morning. The point of attack was left to his discretion.
He had already selected the position in front of Fort "Hell"
(Sedgwick), on the Jerusalem Plank road, and at nightfall Hartranft's
division and Potter's division, except the Thirty-sixth and the other
regiments garrisoning the forts, were massed in rear of Fort Sedgwick.
Before midnight, however, orders were received suspending the assault,
the troops were returned to their camps, and, although everything was
constantly on the _qui vive_, there was no movement for the ensuing two
days.
Shortly before five o'clock on Saturday, the 1st of April, General
Parke received orders to assault at four o'clock the next morning, and
the same dispositions were made as before. At ten minutes before ten
in the evening came a telegram from General Meade, directing Parke to
open all his artillery at once, push forward skirmishers, and follow
them up with columns of assault. Before the necessary arrangements were
completed these orders were modified by instructions that the assault
in force should be contingent on developments of weakness on the part
of the enemy. The artillery opened, and the skirmishers demonstrated
all along the line. The enemy was found to be in force and everywhere
prepared except opposite the line between Forts Hays and Howard, where
Griffin's brigade of our division surprised and captured two hundred
and fifty pickets. The original plan was accordingly adhered to, and
preparations for assaulting at four o'clock the next morning were made.
At three o'clock General Parke entered Fort Rice, and established
his head-quarters for the coming battle. Potter's and Hartranft's
divisions, and Harriman's brigade of Willcox's,--all of which had been
lying massed behind Fort Sedgwick for two hours,--moved forward at
the same hour and formed a column between our main line and picket
line. The enemy's pickets were in close proximity to ours, but the
movement was executed so quietly as to give no warning to them. The
formation was in column of regiments. On the right of the Jerusalem
Plank road, its left resting on the road, was Hartranft's division of
Pennsylvanians, six regiments, the Two hundred and seventh leading;
the Two hundredth and Two hundred and ninth were held in reserve. On
the right of Hartranft was a second column, consisting of Harriman's
brigade, of Willcox's division, five regiments, with the Thirty-eighth
Wisconsin leading, and the Twenty-seventh Michigan and Thirty-seventh
Wisconsin in reserve. On the left of the Jerusalem Plank road,
right resting on the road, was a third column, our own division,
minus the Thirty-sixth and five other regiments which were in the
forts. Griffin's brigade, six regiments, led by the One hundred and
seventy-ninth New York, had the advance, supported by our own brigade,
Curtin's, with the Thirty-ninth New Jersey in front, followed in order
by the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania, the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania, and
Fifty-eighth Massachusetts. At the head of each of these three columns
was a storming party, flanked by pioneers with axes to cut away abatis,
etc.; and a detail of one hundred men from the First Connecticut Heavy
Artillery accompanied them to serve captured guns. Ely's brigade, of
Willcox's division, occupied our line from the Appomattox to near Fort
Morton, opposite the Crater, and the Fifty-first Pennsylvania, of
Harriman's brigade, was stretched along the part of the line at the
Crater vacated by its brigade on the moving to the left to join in the
main assault. To mislead the enemy as to the real point of attack,
these troops on the right were ordered to make a strong demonstration
at four o'clock, which was to be followed by the advance of the three
columns along the Jerusalem Plank road.
Such was the situation in the trenches at Petersburg just before dawn
on that eventful April day. Only a few hundred yards in our front,
veiled partly by darkness and partly by the morning mist, stood the
grim fortifications which had so long defied us that they had begun
to seem impregnable. Behind them lay the left wing of that army whose
right had been driven the day before, reeling and bleeding, from
the field of Five Forks. Upon the valor of this unscathed remnant
depended the salvation of Lee, and, knowing the quality of that valor,
there were few in Fort Rice whose hearts did not beat anxiously
for the columns in blue out there in front of Fort Hell, silently
awaiting the signal to advance. Along the opposing line our chief
of artillery counted ninety-one guns, ranging from six-pounders to
eight-inch columbiads (one of which we remember as making some very
poor practice at our signal station in the rear of Fort Rice), and
thirty-five mortars, from Coehorns to ten-inch. Against them we had
four four and one-half inch Parrotts, eleven thirty-pounder Parrotts,
forty-two light twelve-pounders, thirty-four three-inch Rodmans, four
ten-inch, fourteen eight-inch, and twenty-two Coehorn mortars,--in all
ninety-one guns and forty mortars. Just what troops were in our front
it is impossible to tell. The prisoners brought into Fort Rice during
the day were Alabamians; and a rebel colonel, who was interviewed at
Farmville by a member of the Thirty-sixth, said he commanded an Alabama
brigade occupying the line opposite Fort Rice. The salient opposite
us (Miller's or Reeves') appears to have been manned by a battery
from Mobile. Our old friends of the Thirty-fourth Virginia (Bushrod
Johnson's division) were relieved several days before the assault, and
were at Five Forks. The difficulty is that the rebels made no official
reports of the closing engagements of the war, and such unofficial
accounts as are accessible are meagre in details.
At four o'clock the artillery opened and fired vigorously for several
minutes. Then Willcox made his demonstrations on the right. The
Fifty-first Pennsylvania captured some of the pickets at the Crater,
and Ely's brigade carried about two hundred yards of the enemy's main
line; but were finally compelled to fall back. At half-past four the
main attack began. The columns moved at quick time and very little
cheering. The picket line was broken instantly. As we stood at the
parapet in Fort Rice, peering into the mist, we could see little or
nothing of the assault; but we could hear the blows of the pioneers'
axes on the _chevaux de frise_, and the shouts of command. The musketry
fire of the enemy increased, and following the flash of their cannon
we could distinguish the "whish" of the double charges of canister.
Presently new sounds came over the field. Exultant Yankee cheers told
us our boys were inside the works. Then we heard short, sharp summons
to surrender, coupled with epithets and rifle-shots, as the "Johnnies"
took the chances of flight. The first gray-back we saw was a short,
jaunty chap, who trudged across the field, toward the fort, alone and
quite unconcerned, passed through a little gap in the abatis, climbed
the parapet, and, coolly bidding us good-morning, asked if we had some
hard bread and coffee. As he sat in the bomb-proof and regaled himself
he told us he belonged to a Mobile battery in position opposite us,
and that when he heard the Yanks coming he prudently retired to the
magazine, only to emerge after his battery had been cleaned out, and
the Yanks were in full possession. Afterward a considerable party of
prisoners were brought in,--Alabamians, a sullen, indomitable-looking
crowd, boasting of how they would have whipped us if they had had
nearer our numbers. The captures in this charge were twelve guns and
eight hundred prisoners. Describing the assault, General Parke says in
his official report:--
"The stormers and pioneers rushed on, and under a most galling fire cut
away and made openings in the enemy's abatis and _chevaux de frise_.
They, now closely followed by the assaulting columns, which, undeterred
by an exceedingly severe fire of cannon, mortar, and musketry from the
now aroused main line, pressed gallantly on, capturing the enemy's
works in their front. Colonel Harriman's column, reinforced by the
two reserve regiments, swept up to the right until the whole of what
was called by the enemy 'Miller's salient' was in our possession.
Potter's column swept down to the left. This part of the enemy's line
was heavily traversed, affording him a strong foothold, and he fought
from traverse to traverse with great tenacity. We drove him slowly back
for about a quarter of a mile, when, being reinforced and aided by
strong positions in the rear, he checked our further progress in that
direction. A most gallant, but unsuccessful, attempt was made to carry
his rear line. The captured guns were at once turned upon the enemy,
served at first by Infantry volunteers, and then by details from the
First Connecticut Heavy Artillery volunteers from the batteries in the
rear.
"Just after we broke through the enemy's lines, and at a most critical
time, I was deprived of the valuable services of Brevet Major-General
Potter, who was severely and dangerously wounded. I directed
Brigadier-General S. G. Griffin to assume command of his division, and
by him the division was ably and gallantly commanded during the rest
of the day. It being by this time fully daylight, no further attempt
was made to advance; but attention was turned to securing what we had
gained, and restoring the organization of the troops, unavoidably much
shattered by the heavy fighting and the advance over broken ground in
the darkness.
"This was rendered the more difficult by the great loss we had
sustained in officers, especially field officers, and by the very
exposed position occupied by our troops. The captured line was promptly
recovered, and made tenable as possible, the difficulty being increased
by the forts and batteries on that line being open in the rear.
"By reason of these untoward circumstances much time elapsed before I
considered the troops in sufficiently good shape for another forward
movement, and in the meantime I received, at 7.30 A.M., the following
despatch:--
"'HEAD-QUARTERS ARMY POTOMAC,
7.26 A.M., April 2d, 1865.
"'_Maj. Gen. Parke_,--General Meade sends for information the
following from the Lieut. Gen.
"'As I understand it, Parke is attacking the main line of works
around Petersburg, whilst the others are only attacking an outer
line which the enemy might give up without giving up Petersburg.
Parke should either advance rapidly, or cover his men and hold all
he gets.
'ALEX. S. WEBB,
_Bvt. Maj. Gen. and Chief of Staff_.'
"At 7.45 I received the following despatch:--
"'HEAD-QUARTERS ARMY POTOMAC,
April 2d, 1865, 7.40.
"'_Maj. Gen. Parke_,--The General Commanding directs that you hold
on to all you have got, and not to advance unless you see your way
clear.
'ALEX. S. WEBB,
_Bvt. Maj. Gen. and Chief of Staff_.'
"About this time the enemy made an attempt to get up a charge on us,
but our fire was so hot that they did not get many men outside their
lines.
"We then held a distance of about four hundred yards on each side of
the Jerusalem Plank road, including several forts and redans. The enemy
made no further movements, with the exception of being very busy,
planting more guns, and keeping up an incessant and murderous fire of
sharp-shooters, until just before eleven o'clock, when he made a heavy
and determined assault on the captured line; but we repulsed him at
all points, with much loss. It being evident to me that the enemy was
resolved to regain, at all hazards, the portion of their lines held
by us, and nearly all my reserve being in, and learning from General
Wright that he was moving toward Hatcher's Run, leaving a wide gap
between us, I deemed it advisable to report the state of affairs to
army head-quarters, and request reinforcements.
"The request was promptly complied with, and Benham's and Collis'
brigade from City Point, and Hamlin's brigade of the Sixth Corps, were
ordered to my support. The enemy continued to make heavy and desperate
attempts to recapture his lost works, but without success. But, though
my men stood up nobly to their work, this long and wearisome struggle
was beginning to tell upon them."
At about three P.M. the enemy succeeded in regaining a few of the
traverses on the left, which gave them a flank fire upon a small
detached work on the left of Plank road, held by one of the regiments
of Curtin's brigade, and occasioned its temporary abandonment; but,
General Collis reporting to me with his brigade about this time, I at
once put him in under direction of General Griffin, and the enemy was
again driven from the portion of the line he had just retaken.
Between four and five o'clock P.M. General Hamlin arrived, with his
brigade from the Sixth Corps, and I directed him to report to General
Hartranft, by whom he was placed in support of the left of his line.
These reinforcements having rendered my line secure I was disposed to
make another effort to drive the enemy from his position in the rear,
but the exhausted condition of my troops forced me to reluctantly
abandon the idea.
"We accordingly strengthened ourselves as much as possible, whenever
practicable transferring the enemy's _chevaux de frise_ to the front
of the reversed line and on the right, connecting by a cross-line the
extreme point we held with our main line."
General Hartranft speaks in his report of three rebel charges to retake
the works,--one at quarter past eleven A.M., one at five minutes past
one P.M., and one at three P.M. These charges were delivered from
the line of works in the rear of and commanding the captured line.
The assault at three o'clock was in plain view from Fort Rice, and
seemed to us the most formidable. Collis' brigade, consisting of
the Sixty-eighth and One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania, the
Twentieth New York State Militia, and the Sixty-first Massachusetts,
was just going up to the line, when the rebels emerged from their works
and came on with such steadiness and determination that a portion
of our line wavered, as we could plainly see, and many men broke
precipitately to the rear. Collis' line appeared to waver too, as if
undetermined whether to go forward to the line or fall back. It was
a critical moment. General Parke and his staff watched, with evident
anxiety. All day long the boys had laid along that line under a galling
fire from front and flank. A heavy mortar, planted at our right,
between the enemy's first and second line, in a pit fifteen or twenty
feet deep, as we afterward discovered, had kept up a fatal practice
upon them in spite of all our gunners' efforts to silence it. Traverse
by traverse they had driven the "Johnnies" down the line, paying for
every foot of ground with their blood; and now it looked as if all
might be lost. But no! Where one man quailed, a dozen stood undaunted,
answering the rebel yell with Yankee cheers and bullet. We saw some of
our color-bearers leap upon the works and wave the flags. It was like
an inspiration. The line became firm. Collis' brigade wavered but for
a moment, and then swept forward magnificently and opened fire. The
gallant Connecticut Heavies, who were serving the guns in the captured
works, stuck to business unflinchingly, only piling in the canister a
little faster when the infantry line showed signs of weakening. There
was a mighty cheer as we saw the column of gray break and surge back
whence it came. We could hardly have been more exultant, indeed, had
we known then that the last armed rebel we were destined to behold had
disappeared forever from our view.
Although the Thirty-sixth took no active part in this engagement, as a
regiment, many of the men performed laborious and dangerous service in
carrying ammunition up to the captured line. Major Raymond, of General
Potter's staff, Major Hodgkins, of General Hartranft's, and Captain
Ames, of General Curtin's, were of course actively engaged. As a matter
of general interest, a tabular statement of the losses in the corps are
appended:--
-----------------+---------+----------+---------+----------+----------
| Killed. | Wounded. | Missing.| Total. |Aggregate.
Command. +---------+----------+---------+----------+
|C.O.|E.M.|C.O.| E.M.|C.O.|E.M.|C.O.| E.M.|
-----------------+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+-----+----------
First Division | 1 | 28 | 22 | 206| 1 | 22 | 24 | 256| 280
| | | | | | | | |
Second Division | 10 |110 | 37 | 564| 3 | 94 | 50 | 731| 781
| | | | | | | | |
Third Division | 7 | 91 | 25 | 430| 1 | 40 | 35 | 561| 594
| | | | | | | | |
Artillery Brigade| | 6 | 1 | 20| | | 1 | 26| 27
-----------------+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+-----+----------
Total | 18 |235 | 85 |1,210| 5 |156 |110 |1,574| 1,682
-----------------+---------+----------+---------+----------+----------