Seize Petersburg by a coup-de-main,
and it had certainly succeeded but for an incredible negligence on his own part.
Smith's command reached
Bermuda Hundred, where
Grant was in person,
1 on the evening of the 14th, and being reinforced by
Kautz's Division of Cavalry and
Hink's Division of Negro Infantry, was at once directed to cross the
Appomattox at
Point of Rocks, where pontons had been laid, and move rapidly on
Petersburg.
The passage of the river was effected during the same night, and early on the 15th,
Smith advanced in three columns,
Kautz with his horsemen covering his left.
Now
Hancock's entire corps had been ferried to the south side on the night of
Smith's arrival at
Bermuda Hundred, and might easily have been pushed forward to take part in the assault, but, left in ignorance of the projected
coup-de-main, its commander, in obedience to orders, was awaiting rations where he had crossed.
Incredible as it may seem,
General Meade, the immediate commander of the Army of the Potomac, was left in like ignorance,
2 and
General Grant, hurrying back to the north side to push forward reinforcements from the corps of
Wright and
Burnside, found that the army ponton-train had been sent to piece out the wagon-train pontons, which had proved insufficient for the passage of the
Chickahominy at
Coles' ferry.
Thus nearly a day was gained to the handful of brave men defending the lines of
Petersburg, and lost to the Army of the Potomac--a curious instance of the uncertain contingencies of war, reminding the military student, with a difference, of the happy chance which saved Zaragoza in the first siege, when Lefebre Desnouettes, “missing the road to the bridge, missed that to victory.”
Smith, pushing forward his columns towards
Petersburg early on the morning of the 15th, had scarcely advanced a distance of two
[
267]
miles, when he encountered a hasty line of rifle trenches, held by
Graham's light battery and a meagre force of dismounted cavalry — the whole under
Dearing, a young brigadier of high and daring spirit and of much experience in war. This position, resolutely held for two hours, was finally carried by the infantry, yet
Dearing, retiring slowly with unabashed front, hotly disputing every foot of the advance, so delayed the hostile columns that it was 11 o'clock A. M. before they came upon the heavy line of entrenchments covering the eastern approaches to the town.