Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[736] gorge that the fire of the rebel gunboats would be of no consequence, and at their distance the gunboats could not aid Lee in the attack upon us. By turning the line of intrenchments I felt sure that with my force I could hold that most important line of the outer fortifications of Richmond. Grant laughingly said: “Well, General, if you say so, and as this is your expedition, I do not think I ought to interfere. You can take the responsibilities of your own command. I am sorry I sent off those two guns.”

“ Well,” I said, “they would be of very little consequence here; they are siege guns and our light guns will be all that we need. But I am afraid the men that were sent off with the guns will never know how to get them across the pontoon bridge without tipping them over into the river and losing them,” --which, unfortunately, happened. Grant went home, after giving us his congratulations upon what had been done and saying it was worth all we should lose unless we were driven from the works with great loss. General Weitzel immediately commenced preparations for the reception of Lee if he sent over his men. The greatest diligence was used to put ourselves in posture of defence. The activity and enthusiasm of the negro troops in the later afternoon and night were wonderful.

The outside line of the fortification we made the inside line by occupying the ditch. This sheltered us more than if we had not turned the line, and was of the greatest service, especially as it was a dry ditch.

Birney, acting on the information that the enemy's line of redoubts in his front next the river had been abandoned in whole or in part, made a strenuous attack with his colored division upon the principal redoubt, known to us as Fort Gilmour. That was the salient point in the line, and its occupation would have caused the evacuation of the whole line.

The men rushed up to the breastworks in spite of a heavy fire. They found that the works were very high and the ditch very deep, from the bottom of the ditch to the parapet being about fifteen feet. The colored soldiers, not daunted, attempted to assault the parapet, and climbed upon each other's shoulders for the purpose of getting at the enemy. But after a prolonged struggle and the capture of some one hundred and forty of them who got over the parapet, they were obliged to retire to the line of intrenchments they had occupied.