Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

[538] in kind, and the assailants were held at bay. Other Confederate columns, pressing through the gap at Fort Steadman, were subjected to a murderous fire of artillery; and to this was soon added the presence of General Hartranft's division of the Ninth Corps, which came upon them in a counter assault. The Confederates were too few to withstand the attack, while the ground between them and their own lines was so swept by an enfilading fire of the National artillery, that it would be almost sure death to those who should attempt to make the passage. The consequence was, that about nineteen hundred men surrendered rather than to attempt it.¹ others, who tried to reach their lines, were cut down in great numbers. Fort Steadman and the other works were recovered, and more, for General Meade, satisfied that Lee must have weakened his whole line, for this movement, ordered an advance along the front of the Second and Sixth Corps, to the left of Fort Steadman. The result was, that the strongly intrenched picket line of the Confederates was seized and permanently held by the Nationals.² the failure at Fort Steadman, and the losses, greatly disheartened Lee and his troops. It was evident that there was hardly the shadow of a hope for escape.³

Grant's instructions for a General advance on the 29th, prescribed a movement of nearly the whole Army, by its left, for the purpose of turning Lee's right with overwhelming force, and compelling him to evacuate Petersburg; also, to insure the success of the cavalry of Sheridan in efforts to reach and destroy the South side and Danville railroads, now Lee's only avenues of supply. The right of Lee's intrenched line, which ran southwest-ward from Petersburg, crossed Hatcher's Run at the Boydton plank road,⁴ and thence extended westward parallel with the Run, and along the White Oak road. This line covered Lee's communications by the South side rail-way, directly. About four miles west of the termination of this line, was a detached one, also stretching along the White Oak road, and covering a strategic Point at the junction of several highways from the North and South with the White Oak road, which formed what was called the five Forks. It was against these intrenchments, and the men who held them, that the grand turning column was to March, and did March, on the morning of the 29th.

March, 1865.

three divisions of the Army of the James, under Ord, had already

March 27.

been withdrawn from the northern side of the River, and transferred to the left of the lines before Petersburg, leaving the remainder of Ord's command in charge of General Weitzel. The troops thus transferred, consisted of two divisions of the Twenty-fourth Corps, under General Gibbon; one division of the Twenty-Fifth, led by General Birney, and a small division of cavalry, under General McKenzie. They took position on the left of the National intrenched line, lately occupied by the Second and Fifth Corps. The Ninth Corps, under General Parke, and the force under General Weitzel, were left to hold the