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in the
Fort, and soon afterward passed out of reach of its guns.
Then the
Fredericksburg broke the obstructions at
Dutch Gap, and passed through, but the other two iron-clads, and the
Drewry, in attempting to follow, grounded.
The
Drewry could not be floated, so she was abandoned, and at daybreak a shell from a National battery fired its magazine, and the vessel was blown
to a wreck.
A monitor hurled a 300-pound bolt upon the
Virginia, and killed five of her crew; and so stout was the opposition that the
Confederate squadron could not go farther down the
River.
A fire was kept up all day, and at night all of the assailants, excepting the ruined
Drewry, fled up the
River.
a little later, another movement was made on the extreme left of the besieging Army, the object being the seizure of the South side railroad and a development of the strength of
Lee's right, by throwing a strong flanking column far beyond the right of the
Confederate works along
Hatcher's Run, in a manner to take them in reverse, and then, if possible, turn north and seize the coveted railway.
To be prepared for whatever the movement might develop, the entire Army in front of
Petersburg received marching orders;
and on Sunday morning,
four days afterward, the flanking movement began.
It was led by
Warren, who marched with his own Corps, the Second, under
General Humphreys, and
Gregg's cavalry, from the left of the line.
The cavalry moved down the Jerusalem plank road at an Early hour, and reached Reams's Station before sunrise.
The Fifth Corps moved along the
Halifax road at a little later hour, with
Ayres's division in the advance,
Griffin's following, and
Crawford's in the rear.
The Second and Third divisions of the Second Corps (
Mott's and
Smyth's) were on the
Vaughan road, with instructions to fall upon the right of the
Confederate works on
Hatcher's Run, while the Fifth should move around the flank and strike the rear of the enemy.
The cavalry, meanwhile, had pushed on from Reams's Station toward Dinwiddie Court-House, and on
Rowanty Creek encountered a portion of
Wade Hampton's cavalry, dismounted and intrenched.
After a spirited skirmish, the bridge over the
Creek, and the works, were carried, and twenty-two of the garrison were made prisoners.
Some of the cavalry pressed on to the
Court-House and scouted in various directions; and that night the whole cavalry force bivouacked on
Rowanty Creek.
while
Gregg was making these movements, the Second and Fifth Corps were executing their part of the plan.
The Confederates were not in very heavy force, and the Third division of the Second Corps soon carried the works, and uncovered the ford of
Hatcher's Run to the safe passage of the troops.
In this achievement, the Ninety-Ninth Pennsylvania, of
De Trobriand's brigade, was most conspicuous.
That brigade pressed forward, drove the
Confederates rapidly to the woods, and took position and intrenched on a commanding
Hill.
The Second division, under
General Smyth, had turned
