[
351]
It was at about this time that the lodgment at
Deep Bottom was made.
Lee sent troops to expel
Foster, but their attempts to do so were unsuccessful.
Finally, when the mine was ready,
Grant ordered
Hancock to join
Foster, and with his Second Corps and two divisions of
Sheridan's cavalry, to flank the
Confederates at
Deep Bottom, and push on toward Chapin's Bluff, a little below opposite
Fort Darling, on
Drewry's Bluff, by which
Lee's line of communication across the river would be seriously menaced.
These troops crossed the
James on the night of the 26th,
and on the following morning, while
Foster amused the
Confederates on their front,
Miles's brigade of
Barlow's division flanked them, and captured four of their guns.
They fell back to a strong position behind
Baylis's creek, where they blocked the way to the heavy works on Chapin's Bluff, which
Sheridan attempted to flank.
He gained an advantageous position on high ground, and was preparing to make an attempt to get in the rear of the Confederate stronghold, when night compelled him to suspend his movement.
These menacing operations had the desired effect.
To meet the seemingly impending danger to
Richmond,
Lee withdrew five of his eight remaining divisions from the south side of the
James, between the 27th and 29th,
and the opportunity for the assault which
Grant had been waiting for was now offered.
The lines before him were weakened, and
Early was yet in the Shenandoah Valley; so he arranged for an explosion of the mine on the morning of the 30th, and a co-operating assault upon the
Confederate works in front of
Burnside's corps, where, within one hundred and fifty yards of his lies, a strong six gun fort projected beyond the average of the front of his adversary.
This was the doomed fortification.
About four hundred yards behind it was
Cemetery Hill, crowned by a battery, which commanded
Petersburg and the most important of the
Confederate works.
It was believed that if that crest could be seized and held by the Nationals, the city must quickly fall, with heavy loss to its defenders.
This crest was, therefore, the chief objective in the impending assault.
Every thing was in readiness on the night of the 29th of July.
The explosion was to be followed by an immediate opening of the great guns all along the front, and by an assault at the breach to be made by the active mine.
This was to be done by a division of
Burnside's corps, one of which was composed of negro troops.
The
Lieutenant-General refused to have the
