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[602] Being apprehensive, however, that Lee might during the night withdraw this force and fall upon Sheridan in his isolated position, he ordered Miles' division of Humphreys' corps to his support, and commanded all the guns in the Petersburg lines to be opened in a general bombardment. This, beginning at nightfall of the 1st, was kept up till four A. M. of the 2d April. At earliest dawn of Sunday, the 2d, the assault was opened, from the Appomattox to Hatcher's Run, by the troops of Parke, Wright, and Ord. Parke on the right, with the Ninth Corps, carried the outer line of intrenchments; but the position of that corps confronted that portion of the Confederate defences longest held and most strongly fortified, and after the outer line had been penetrated, the Confederates were found holding an inner cordon of works, from which Parke could not force them. Wright, with the Sixth Corps, next on the left of the Ninth, assaulting at four A. M., carried every thing before him. Having attained the Boydton plankroad, he swept to the left down the Confederate intrenchments, capturing many guns and several thousand prisoners. He was closely followed by two divisions of Ord's command, and continued on until he met the other division of Ord's that had succeeded in forcing the lines near Hatcher's Run, when the united forces swung to the right and proceeded by the Boydton plankroad towards Petersburg. When these successes were reported, Humphreys, holding the Union left to the west of Hatcher's Run, advanced with two divisions of the Second Corps (the divisions of Hays and Mott) and stormed and carried a redoubt in his front. Seeing this lost, the Confederates abandoned this position, and Humphreys moved up the Boydton plankroad and connected with the left of the Sixth Corps. The other of Humphreys' divisions, under Miles, pursued whatever debris of the enemy remained west of Hatcher's Run. This force retreated northward to Sutherland Station, on the Southside Railroad, where it was overtaken by Miles, who in a spirited charge dislodged
1866.
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