CHAPTER XI. THE INVESTMENT OF PETERSBURG-BATTLES OF THE WELDON RAILROAD, PEEBLES' FARM, AND HATCHER'S RUN-RAID TO MEHERRIN RIVER. How calmly and serenely rolled the majestic James River as the army stood in the midst of growing fields of grain, or lounged upon the greensward of its banks, or gathered beneath the foliage of great trees and watched the rippling of the waters. No frowning battlements there to storm; no marshalled hosts in battle array stood ready to dispute its passage; no roar of guns to tell of deadly fray; no gleam of bayonets glinting in the sunlight on the fatal charge. All was peace and harmony. Animals luxuriated in the ver dant pastures. Men swam, bathed, or dabbled in the flowing waters. A day of rest had come, and tents were pitched as if the day of fighting was over. But it was not for long. Many weary days of marching, intrenching, and fighting were yet before the Army of the Potomac. All thoughts of this were thrown aside for the moment, and each enjoyed in his own way this halcyon time. One sad thought, however, crept into the minds of many, and that was the remembrance of the brave comrades they had left lying on the bloody fields all the way from the Rapidan to the James. The Eighteenth Corps, under General Smith, having arrived at Bermuda Hundred, via the James River, on the 14th of June, 1864, General Grant proceeded by steamer to that point, and there gave verbal orders to General Butler to send Smith that night, with all the available troops he could furnish him, without sacrificing his position, to capture Petersburg. It has been stated that Wise's brigade, some 2400 militia, and Dearing's cavalry, 2000, were the only Confederate troops holding the intrenchments at the time. General Smith moved as expected, and confronted the Confederate pickets near Petersburg before daylight of the 15th; but for some reason, never satisfactorily explained to the Lieutenant-General, did not assault until late in the evening of that day-then only with part of his command. He carried the lines northeast of Petersburg, from the Appomattox River for a distance of 24 miles, capturing 15 pieces of artillery and 300 prisoners. This was about 7 P.M., of a long summer day. Between the line thus captured and the city of Petersburg there were no other works, and there was no evidence that the line had been reinforced by a single brigade from any source. The night was clear, the moon shining brightly, and, as General Grant says, "favorable to further operations." At 6 P.M. of the 15th General Lee did not know where the Army of the Potomac was. On the 10th of June, Breckinridge's division of Confederates had been placed en route for the Shenandoah Valley, and on the 13th Early's corps (Second), together with Nelson's and Braxton's batteries, was sent to confront the Union forces under General Hunter. Hoke's division, with Read's battalion, marched on the 13th from Cold Harbor directly towards Petersburg, "then threatened by the enemy," as General Lee reports. Hoke arrived at Petersburg during the afternoon of the 15th. The other two corps (Anderson's and Hill's), during the 14th and 15th, remained on the north side of the James. By the morning of the 16th, however, Lee became aware of Grant's movement and the Confederate army was put in motion. Huger, Haskell, and Gibb's batteries of artillery crossed the James River on the pontoon bridge near Drewry's bluff, accompanying Pickett's and Fields' divisions, and on the 17th occupied the line previously held by Beauregard, which he had evacuated to go to the relief of Petersburg. Anderson reached the city on the 18th, followed soon afterwards by Hill, and they were ordered into the intrenchments. Besides the artillery, Beauregard had probably about 14,000 effective force of infantry, and he received no further reinforcements until Anderson's arrival. From the afternoon of the 16th, therefore, until the 18th, three corps (Smith, Hancock, and Burnside's) were only confronted by Beauregard's comparatively small force. General Hancock, with the Second Corps, had been ferried across the river at Wilcox's Landing, and proceeding at once, reached General Smith with two divisions, just after dark of the 15th. Waiving his rank, thinking that Smith knew more about the position than he (Hancock) did, he placed his divisions. at Smith's disposal. The latter, instead of making use of these troops to push his success, requested Hancock to relieve a part of his line in the captured works. A golden opportunity was thus lost, for Lee could not be convinced, or at least did not know, that the Army of the Potomac was operating on the south |