Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 3

[524] retired. Humphreys was accordingly ordered to send another division to the support of Miles. He went himself with Hays's division, while Mott took position on the left of the line encircling Petersburg.

Sheridan meantime had sent Merritt westward to cross Hatcher's run, and break up the rebel cavalry, which had assembled in considerable force north of the stream; but the rebels would not stand to fight, and the national troopers pursued them in a northerly direction to the borders of the Appomattox river. Sheridan himself with the Fifth corps crossed Hatcher's run, and struck the Southside railroad, north of Five Forks; then, meeting with no opposition, he marched rapidly towards Sutherland, and came up in flank and rear of the enemy opposing Miles, just as Humphreys was returning on the right from Petersburg.

Miles, in the interval, had devised a plan not unlike the strategy of Sheridan at Five Forks, though on a smaller scale. He made a feint against the rebel right, pushing a strong skirmish line around that flank until he overlapped it and reached to the railroad; and, while the enemy's attention was thus diverted, at 2.45 P. M. he assaulted the opposite flank, sweeping rapidly down inside the breastworks, capturing nearly a thousand prisoners and two pieces of artillery, and putting the remainder of the force to precipitate flight.

Sheridan overtook the rebels in their rout on the main road along the Appomattox river, and the cavalry and Crawford's division attacked them at nightfall; but the friendly darkness interposed, and the remnants of the force that had resisted Miles so stoutly threw away their arms and hid themselves