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UNION PICKET POST IN FRONT OF FORT SEDGWICK AND FACING THE CONFEDERATE PICKET LINE IN FRONT OF FORT MAHONE. FROM A WAR-TIME PHOTOGRAPH.
ACTIONS ON THE WELDON RAILROAD.
I. GLOBE TAVERN.
T he operations on the railroad connecting Peters-burg with Weldon, North Carolina , were a bitof strategy conceived by Grant in connection'withHancock’s and Butler’s movements north of theJames, in order to force a withdrawal of the en-emy’s troops operating against Sheridan in thevalley, and were intended by Meade to cut off onemore avenue of supplies to Petersburg. Meade alsowanted to attack the intrenchments on the southside of the James, believing that Hancock’s movehad drawn off all but two divisions from the de-fenses ; but in this he was overruled by Grant.
The movement therefore became a reconnois-sance in force, with instructions to the commander,General G. K. Warren , to make the best of anyadvantages that might be developed, to effect alodgment on the railroad as near the enemy’s for-tifications as practicable, and to destroy the roadas far down as possible. The track had alreadybeen pretty badly cut up by our cavalry, but onlyin spots and not beyond speedy repair. Warren started out early on the morning' of August 18th,1864, with his own (Fifth) corps, and a brigade ofGeneral A. "V. Kautz’s division of cavalry, underColonel Samuel P. Spear. The heat was intenseand the country so drenched with rain that thefields were well-nigh impassable for artillery. Grif-fin took the lead, with his division and Spear’scavalry, met the enemy’s pickets a mile from theroad,—which was guarded by General JamesDealing’s brigade of cavalry,— deployed his skir-mish-line, and advanced rapidly on the road incolumn of brigades, then turned to the south andwest. Ayres followed, but wheeled toward thecity, with Crawford’s division in column on hisright and Cutler’s division in reserve.
A report by Dealing to General Beauregard,
commanding the defenses of Petersburg, enabledthat commander to get troops on the road, andafter a mile’s march Ayres found himself con-fronted by General Heth’s division of Hill ’s corps,in position, with artillery. At the first encounterAyres was forced to fall back a little to preventthe turning of his left flank, but he quickly ralliedand finally, by the help of Hofmann’s brigade ofCutler’s division, drove Heth from the ground,though with very heavy loss. To what extent thisadvantage might have been immediately followedup is a disputed question. Crawford’s left wassomewhat engaged, but his passage through thethick woods and swampy ground, cut up with ra-vines, was found difficult. He could not keep upwith Ayres, and Warren halted within a mile ortwo from the Vaughn road intersection.
The intersection was the point Meade mostwanted Warren to gain. However, he was pleasedsufficiently as it was, and ordered Warren to main-tain his hold on the road “ at all hazards.” Hedirected Mott’s division, Second Corps, to establisha connection with the new works, and ordered outWillcox’s, White’s,) and afterward Potter’s divi-sions from the Ninth Corps ’ works to reenforce War-ren; these to be followed finally by Gregg’s cavalrybrigade and two hundred railroad men to destroythe tracks toward Reams’s Station. My divisionbeing nearest was first to arrive next morning, andwas ordered to bivouac near the “ Globe Tavern,where Warren had his headquarters. When Whitecame up he was posted farther to the right.
Beauregard likewise ordered out reenforcements,under Lieutenant-General A. P. Hill , viz., threebrigades under Mahone, Pegram’s batteries, andW. H. P. Lee’s cavalry — all of whom, with Heth’sbrigades, were concentrated at the Vaughn road
) General Julius White had commanded a division in the Twenty-third Corps, in Burnside’s army in east Ten-nessee . Immediately after the mine explosion, July 30th, he relieved General James II. Ledlie in command 01the First Division, Ninth Corps.— Editors.
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