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movement on Griffin.’
Still later, he said to Ord: ‘I want Mackenzie to go through.
It may be too late to-morrow morning.’
Every one seemed alive to the emergency, and anxious to meet it. Meade sent frequent messages urging Warren, and Warren himself proposed that the Boydton road should be held by Humphreys and the artillery of the Fifth corps. ‘Then,’ said he, ‘let me move down and attack the enemy at Dinwiddie court-house on one side, and Sheridan on the other.’
1 This dispatch was dated 8.40 P. M., before Warren knew of Sheridan's situation, and was not forwarded to Grant; but it shows that Warren had the same idea as his superiors.
From Grant down, every man in the army was looking for the moment when the rebels could be attacked outside of their fortifications.
Starting from a point on the White Oak road a mile and a half west of Warren's left on the 31st of March, the Crump road, on which Bartlett was moving, runs directly south about two miles, when it enters the main Five Forks road near the J. Boisseau house.
If Warren should move by the Crump road, his route would bring him directly in the rear of Pickett's force as it fronted Dinwiddie.
The Fifth corps could then either attack the enemy in rear, or
1 ‘The line along the plank road is very strong. One division, with my artillery, I think, can hold it, if we are not threatened south of Gravelly run. East of the plank road, General Humphreys and my batteries, I think, could hold this securely, and let me move down and attack the enemy at Dinwiddie court-house on one side, and Sheridan on the other. On account of Bartlett's position, they [the enemy] will have to make a considerable detour to reinforce their troops at that point from the north. Unless General Seridan has been too badly handled, I think we should have a chance for an open-field fight that should be made use of.’—Warren to Webb, March 31, 8.40 P. M.
New York Appleton 1885.
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