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[542]
Merritt to make a strong demonstration, as if about to turn the right of the adversary.
At the same time McKenzie was sent with a small body of cavalry to a position on the White Oak road, to cover the National right flank from any force moving from that direction.
There he drove a body of Confederates toward Petersburg, and, returning, was in the neighborhood of the five Forks before Warren was prepared to charge.
pursuant to Sheridan's orders, Warren formed his whole Corps in battle order before resuming his March.
This consumed time, and he informed Sheridan that he could not be ready for an assault before four o'clock. He placed Ayres's division on the left, Crawford's on the right, and Griffin's behind, in reserve.
At the hour named he was ready for the attack, and advanced in perfect order.
Crawford's division, in crossing an open field, received a severe fire on its left, causing it to oblique a little, so as to gain the shelter of woods and a ridge.
This produced a gap between it and Ayres's right, upon which the same fire was directed.
Some of the troops of that flank wavered and recoiled in disorder, but the misfortune was soon remedied by Griffin, whose division was thrown into the gap, while Ayres's, in an impetuous charge upon the Confederate right, carried a portion of the line, and captured more than a thousand men and several battle-flags.
Merritt, meanwhile, charged the front, and Griffin fell upon the left with such force that he carried the intrenchments, and seized fifteen hundred men. Crawford, meanwhile, had pressed rapidly forward to the Ford road, northward of the post, cut off their retreat in the direction of Lee's main force, and turning southward on that highway, struck them in the rear, and captured four guns.
In this perilous position, with Warren upon their flank and rear, and the cavalry assailing them front and right, the Confederates fought on with the most determined gallantry and fortitude.
At length the cavalry charged over the works simultaneously with the turning of their flanks by Ayres and Griffin, and, bearing down upon the Confederates with wild fury, caused a large portion to throw down their arms, while the remainder sought safety in a most disorderly flight westward, pursued many miles, long after dark, by the cavalry of Merritt and McKenzie.1 so ended the battle of five Forks, in complete victory for the Nationals, whose loss was about one thousand men.2 the loss to the Confederates was a large number of men killed and wounded, and over five thousand made prisoners.
The trophies for the victors were several guns and colors.
1 Mr. Swinton, in his Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, page 600, says of Warren, who was in the van of the charging column, “his horse was fatally shot within a few feet of the breastworks, and he, himself, was in imminent peril, when a gallant officer (Colonel Richardson of the Seventh Wisconsin) sprang between him and the enemy, receiving a severe wound, but shielding from hurt the person of his loved commander.”
during this grandly fought battle, General Sheridan, who was watching and directing the movements, became impatient at the seeming tardiness of Warren, and when he saw Crawford's division oblique, and Ayres's give way, he conceived the idea that the troops were not managed with proper skill and decision. He at once issued an order depriving Warren of his command, and giving it to Griffin. It did not reach Warren until after the action. In his report, made more than a month afterward,May 16, 1865. |
2 of these, the infantry lost 684 killed and wounded. Among the former was General Winthrop, cousin of Major Winthrop (see page 501, volume I.), killed at Big Bethel, at the beginning of the War.
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