Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2

On the morning of the 29th, the operations began. The Fifth corps started according to orders at three A. M., and the Second at six. At nine o'clock Grant left City Point by the military railroad. The President accompanied him to the train, and wished him and his officers God-speed. ‘Goodbye, gentlemen,’ he said; ‘God bless you all; and remember, your success is my success.’ Captain Robert Lincoln, the son of the President, was of the party, serving on Grant's staff. In less than an hour, they arrived at the front, took horses, and joined the moving column.

Parke and Wright now held the works in front of Petersburg, and Ord's line reached to the crossing of the Vaughan road and Hatcher's run; Humphreys was on the left of Ord, extending northwesterly from Dabney's mill; while Warren had the left of the moving column, and by night had marched to the intersection of the Boydton and Quaker roads, a little south of Burgess's mill. Thus on the night of the 29th, the national line was uninterrupted from the Appomattox to the Boydton road, and the army was formed in the following order: Parke, Wright, Ord, Humphreys, Warren. The Fifth corps had met with a slight resistance on the Quaker road, but had driven the rebels back behind their works, and captured a hundred prisoners. This was the only fighting during the day. Lee, not having attacked in the morning, when the national flank was presented to him, had lost his chance. The Headquarters of Grant this night were on Gravelly run, south of the crossing of the Vaughan road.