Extension of the Federal left.
On Tuesday, the 21st, the Second and Sixth corps were put in motion to extend the
Federal left — the Second, to take position west of the
Jerusalem Plank Road, its right connecting with
Warren's left, which rested at that point; the Sixth, to extend to the left of the Second, and, if possible, effect a lodgment on the Weldon railroad.
On the same day
Wilson, with about 6,000 sabres,
1 consisting
[
273]
of his own and
Kautz's divisions, was dispatched to destroy the
Weldon road farther to the south, and thence, by a wide sweep to the west, to cut the
Southside and Danville roads. The Second corps, now commanded by
Birney — for
Hancock's wound, received at
Gettysburg, had broken out afresh — succeeded, after some sharp skirmishing with the Confederate cavalry, in taking position to the left of
Warren, and the Sixth corps, moving up the same evening, established itself on a line in rear and parallel to the Second, its left slightly overlapping that corps.
But the next morning, the
Confederate horse showed such a bold front, though 'twas but a scratch force with cattle like “walking trestles,” that
General Grant determined to suspend the movements to the railroad, and
Birney was ordered “to swing forward the left of the Second corps so as to envelop the right flank of the
Confederates.”
2 
