"I am going to strike their left flank with the Fifth Corps, and when you hear the musketry, assault all along the line," were his instructions to Merritt.

The Fifth advanced in excellent order, sweeping round Pickett's left flank, and falling on his rear. For a half-hour there was a heavy fire, but the woods being dense the loss was not very great. When the order to charge bayonets was given, the men rushed forward, leaped over the entrenchments, and captured Pickett's front line. Pickett formed at new line, which he endeavoured to hold against the Fifth. Warren ordered Crawford to take them once more in flank, and sent one of McKenzie's brigades to aid him. Ayers's and Griffin's divisions had become disorganised by the success, but reforming, they advanced along the White Oak road, but were checked by Pickett's new line. Officers were urging the men forward, but there was faltering. Warren, accompanied by Captain Benyaud, rode to the front, and called upon his officers to follow his example. Officers of all ranks, from generals to subalterns and the colour-bearers, sprang forward. In an instant the line rallied, and with fixed bayonets leaped upon the enemy, and captured the whole force opposing them. Warren's horse fell, fatally shot, and an orderly by his side was killed, within a few paces of the entrenchment. When Merritt heard the roll of musketry he ordered the attack. His cavalrymen rode fearlessly through the woods, dashed up to the entrenchments, leaped over them and carried the entire line along his front in the first grand charge.

"The enemy," says Sheridan, "were driven from their strong line of works, completely routed; the Fifth Corps doubling up their left flank in confusion, and the cavalry of General Merritt dashing on to the White Oak road, capturing their artillery, turning it upon them, and riding into their broken ranks, so demoralised them that they made no serious stand after their line was carried, but took flight in disorder.

It was now nearly dark, but Merritt and McKenzie followed the enemy, who threw away their guns and knapsacks, and sought safety in flight, or, finding themselves hard pressed, surrendered.

Between five and six thousand prisoners and eighteen pieces of artillery were captured. The way was open to the South Side Railroad. Grant determined to turn the success to quick account. "Attack along the whole line," was his message to the corps commanders.

At ten o'clock Saturday evening, the cannonade began. All the batteries joined, all the forts, the gunboats in the Appomattox, the bat

teries west of Bermuda Hundred, and the monitors by the Howlet House. There was a continual succession of flashes and an unbroken roll of thunder. The rebels had no peace during the night.

"Send up the provost brigade," was Grant's despatch sent to City Point. He determined to utilise his entire army and put an end to the struggle.

"Send up the marines to guard the prisoners," was his second despatch, and the blue-jackets from the gunboats, with carbines, were sent ashore. The sailors took cars at City Point, and sang all the way to Hatcher's Run, as if they were having a lark.

Lee was in trouble. He sent a message to Longstreet, who was north. of the James, to hurry to Petersburg. Longstreet put Ewell in command and hastened across the James, with Fields's division. Lee had three bridges, besides those in Richmond; one at Warwick's, another at Knight's farm, and the third at Chaffin's Bluff. Longstreet, Lee's ablest general, stout, robust, with his staff, galloped across the middle bridge towards Petersburg, leaving his troops to follow.

The Richmond bells were ringing, not a pæan of victory, as after some of their successful battles, but for the assembling of the militia to man the fortifications from which Longstreet's troops were retiring.

Let us look at Lee's lines at midnight, Saturday, April 1st. Johnson, Pickett, Wise, W. H. F. Lee's cavalry are fleeing towards the Appomattox, beyond Hatcher's Run; A. P. Hill is holding the line east of the Run; Gordon occupies the fortifications from Jerusalem road to the Appomattox; Longstreet is hastening down from Richmond; Ewell is north of the James, and the citizens of Richmond are jumping from their beds to shoulder muskets for service in the trenches. Lee has not yet decided to evacuate Petersburg. He will wait and see what a day may bring forth.

He had not long to wait. Parke, commanding the Ninth Corps, during the night, prepared to assault. It was precisely four o'clock when the divisions leaped from their entrenchments, and with bayonets fixed, without firing a gun, tore away the abatis in front of the forts, swarmed over the embankments, crawled into the embrasures, and climbed the parapet. It was the work of five minutes only, but four forts, mounting between twenty and thirty guns, were taken, with seven hundred prisoners.

Grant began early on Sunday morning to draw the farther end of the net toward Petersburg. Sheridan, with the calvary and two divisions of

the Fifth, moved upon Sutherland's Station on the South Side Railroad, eleven miles from Petersburg. Grant sent him Miles's division of the Second Corps. Wright and Ord, east of the run, at nine o'clock assaulted the works in their front, and after a severe struggle carried them, capturing all the guns and several thousand prisoners.

Humphrey, who was west of the run, now was able to leave his position and join Wright and Ord. By noon we see the net drawn close. Sheridan at Sutherland's, with the Fifth Corps, then Humphrey, Ord, and Wright, all swinging towards the city, taking fort after fort and contracting the lines.

In the morning, I watched the movements on the left, but as the line advanced, hastened east in season to see the last attack on Forts Mahone and Gregg, the two strongholds south of the town. These forts were in rear of the main Confederate line, on higher ground.

The troops in columns of brigades, moved steadily over the field, drove in the Confederate pickets, received the fire of the batteries without breaking, leaped over the breastworks with a huzza, which rang shrill and clear above the cannonade. Mahone was an embrasured battery of three guns; Gregg, a strong fort with sally-ports, embrasures for six guns, and surrounded by a deep ditch. Mahone was carried with a rush, the men mounting the escarpment, regardless of the fire poured upon them. There was a long struggle for the possession of Gregg. Heth and Wilcox were there, animating the garrison. The attacking columns moved in excellent order over the field swept by the guns of the fort, and even received the canister without staggering. The fort was enveloped in smoke, showing that the defence was heroic, as well as the assault.

I dismounted from my horse and made my way well towards the fort, that I might see what I believed might be the ending of the siege of Petersburg. The advancing lines moved in compact order. They had heard of the successes along the line, and were nerved to heroic effort. They sprang into the ditch and for a moment were lost to view. The fort above them was lost to sight by the smoke from the Confederate guns. The next moment a line of view disappeared in the cloud, then a hurrah came to my ears-suddenly the rattle of the musketry died away the cloud rose heavenward, and above the gleaming bayonets I could see the Stars and Stripes waving in the breeze.

Through many weary months Fort Gregg had thundered defiance, but *its guns never again would hurl their missiles upon the men who were fighting to maintain the Republic. Sheridan had seized Lee's lines at

their farthest extremity, and now they were broken at the centre, and Petersburg was no longer tenable.

It was inspiriting to stand there, and watch the tide of victory rolling up the hill. With that Sunday's sun the hopes of the rebels set, never to rise again. The C. S. A.,-the Confederate Slave Argosy,-freighted with blood and groans and tears, the death-heads and cross-bones at her masthead, furnished with guns, ammunition, and all needful supplies by sympathetic England, was a shattered, helpless wreck.

CHAPTER XXVIL

IN RICHMOND.

Ar three o'clock the following morning I was awakened by an ex plosion which jarred the earth. It was the blowing up of the Confed. erate ironclads in James River. The shock aroused the entire army, which needed no other reveille that morning. The soldiers were on their feet in an instant, and General Willcox (commanding the first division of the Ninth Corps) accepted it as a signal to advance. He was lying east of the city, his right resting on the Appomattox. His men sprang forward, but found only deserted works. The last body of Confeder ates, the lingerers who were remaining to plunder the people of Petersburg, took to their heels, and the division entered the town without opposition.

The entire army was in motion. Engineers hurried up with pontoons, strung them across the Appomattox, and Grant began the pursuit. I entered the town soon after sunrise, and found troops pouring in from all quarters, cheering, swinging their caps, helping themselves to tobacco, rushing upon the double-quick, eager to overtake Lee.

The coloured population thronged the streets, swinging their old hats, bowing low, and shouting "Glory!" "Bless de Lord!" "I's been a praying for dis yere to happen, but did n't 'spect it quite so soon." "It jes like a clap of thunder," said an old negro.

I's glad to see you. I'm been trying and wishing and praying dat de Lord would help me get to de Yankees, and now dey has come into dis yere city," said another. The citizens of the place, also, were in the streets, amazed and confounded at what had happened. Provost - Gen eral Macy, of Massachusetts, established a guard to prevent depredations and to save the army from demoralisation. The Confederates, before retreating, destroyed their commissary stores, and set all the tobacco warehouses on fire. I took a hurried survey of the works in front of Fort Steadman, and found them very strong. The ground was honey combed by the shells which had been thrown from the mortars of th Ninth Corps.