Identifier: boysof61orfoury00coff (find matches)
Title: The boys of '61; or, Four years of fighting. Personal observation with the army and navy, from the first battle of Bull run to the fall of Richmond
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Coffin, Charles Carleton, 1823-1896
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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et on the Jamesprevented the accomplishment of his purpose. He thereforesent scouts through the Rebel lines to Grant, to inform himof the difficulties he had encountered and consequent changeof plan. I am going to White House, and shall want supplies atthat point, said he. The scouts left him on the 10th at Co-lumbia, and reached Grant on the 12th. Sheridan made arapid march, passing quite near Richmond on the north,and raising a midnight alarm in the Rebel capital. Couriers reported that the enemy were at the outer fortifi-cations, and had burned Ben Greens house, writes a citizenof Richmond. Mr. Secretary Mallory and Postmaster-General Regan werein the saddle, and rumor says the President and the remainderof the cabinet had their horses saddled, in readiness forflight.* Sheridan was not quite so near, and had no thought ofattacking the city. He passed quietly down the north bank ofthe Pamunkey to the White House, where supplies were in wait- * Rebel War Clerks Diary, Vol. II p. 446.
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o H CM o 1865.) THE LAST CAMPAIGN. 487 ing. lie rested his horses a day or two, and then moved toPetersburg. At daylight on the morning of the 25th of March Lee madehis last offensive movement. He conceived the idea of breaking Grants line east of Pe-tersburg, and destroying his supplies at City Point. The firstpart he successfully accomplished, but the last could not havebeen carried out. He massed Gordons and Bushrod John-sons divisions in front of the Ninth Corps, for an attack uponFort Steadman and the batteries adjoining. The fort was heldby the Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery. It was a squareredoubt, covering about one acre, and mounted nine guns,and was not more than five hundred feet from the Rebel lino.The Rebels tore away their own abatis, and in less than aminute were inside the fort. Almost the whole garrison wascaptured, and the guns turned upon the batteries. Colonel Tidball, commanding the artillery in the NinthCorps, quickly had his men at work. General Parke, com-

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