Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 3.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[807] reflecting. On the morning of the 28th the engineers of each Confederate division have hastily marked out the works designed to cover their front and shelter the artillery. The trees on the edge of the forest are cut, and lines of freshly-dug earth soon cover the crest of the hills. Lee himself directs these works. In the evening, when the Union generals assemble in the tent of their chief, they state that the positions of the Confederates on the left bank of Mine Run are reciprocally flanking each other, commanding the whole valley, and are already strongly fortified, and not to be carried.

However, a resolution must be made, for every hour spent in immobility diminishes the Federals' chances. They have but to turn Mine Run Valley while approaching its sources, and return on the plank road, so imprudently abandoned on the preceding day. Warren, who has proposed this plan, takes upon himself to direct the extreme left of the army. He will feel the enemy's right and shake it by his attacks, or will manoeuvre in order to turn it, though to obtain this result he is to extend his lines on the south as far as Fredericksburg. He is reinforced by Terry's division, temporarily withdrawn from Sedgwick; his men receive several days' rations and extra cartridges, for the trains will not be able to follow them; he will take with him only three batteries of artillery.

He starts on the morning of the 29th. The march is long and laborious, for his forces cannot follow the turnpike, encumbered by the troops and the wagons which are moving toward the west, and to reach New Hope Church they follow a short cut already broken up by Sykes' movement in a contrary direction. On the plank road Warren deploys Caldwell's two brigades, and moves forward while pushing before him the skirmishers of Hill's corps. He arrives at last before that corps, whose positions on Mine Run are less strong than Ewell's, and are as yet lacking artificial defences. However, he does not attack them vigorously, as the enemy is appearing behind him. On the Catharpin road¹ Rosser has so sharply attacked Gregg's cavalry that Terry has been compelled to detach Shaler's brigade to assist it. Warren endeavors to outflank the Confederate right, but as