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Upon Davenport's report that Smith refused to obey my orders to renew the attack and purposed losing the advantages the presence of the Second Corps gave him as well as the prestige of success he had gained, with a night as bright and clear as a nearly full moon could make it, I sent Davenport back for the third time with directions to find Smith personally and say to him that I peremptorily ordered an immediate night attack to be made with all his force.
This order Davenport was unable to deliver until between four and five o'clock in the morning of the 16th, owing to the fact that General Smith could not be found.
His staff officers declared that he had gone to General Hancock's headquarters during the night of the 15th and had not returned to his headquarters camp.
As a matter of fact, Smith had hidden himself in a tent pitched among the bushes in the rear of his own camp, among his orderlies and servants, and was there found by Davenport about sunrise.1
I can hardly believe that the fact was, as I know it to have been, that from that time Smith made no movement whatever but concluded to wait, and not make any attack until the morning.
At that hour there was no other line of intrenchments before him to attack that could have interrupted for a moment his march to hold the bridge over the Appomattox.
Smith says that from his knowledge of the topography he held the key to Petersburg.
True, he did; but what is the use of holding the key when you have not the courage to turn it in the lock?
Smith's curse was that he had graduated as a topographical engineer,--that is, a picture drawer or map maker,--and he was continually making maps before he made his assaults.
I sent him word again to go in with Hancock and he had the mendacity to send me the following despatch:--
1 See Appendix No. 67.
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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