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Volume IV.
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ACTIONS ON THE IVEL DON RAILROAD

GENERAL WARREN’S HEADQUARTERS AT GLOBE TAVERN. FROM A SKETCH MADE AT THE TIME.

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news, and congratulated Warren and his braveofficers and men on their success,” adding, “it will8erve greatly to inspirit the whole army, and provesthat we only want a fair chance to defeat theenemy. I hope he will try it again.” Well did thatar my need cheering up, for it had been under ablack cloud ever since the fatal mine affair, andfelt the long strain of the trenches on its nerves.

On the 20th Warren drew back his line abouta mile to more open ground, where his artillerymight play its part; and on the 21st Hill reap-peared before him to 1 ‘ try it again ” with his owneorps and W. H. F. Lee ’s cavalry, reenforced byPart of Hoke’s division of Ewell’s corps. Hill wasa dashing general, and he made a gallant effort°n Warren’s lines, now pretty well intrenched,

assaulting under cover of a cannonade of thirtyguns. But Griffin and Ayres were both old artiller-ists, and Hill’s long, serried lines were smashed byour guns before they got within reach of our mus-ketry. Later in the day Mahone selected a point,and ‘ ‘ hurled ” his division with his well-knownfiery energy fairly up to our,works on the left, butin vain. Hagood’s brigade alone got inside, andwere there made prisoners in a body, though partof them, in the confusion and delay to take themin, re-opened fire and made their escape. Besidesall the wounded, over two hundred Confederateslay dead upon the field in front of our defenses — asad sight, for, enemies as they were, they were boneof our bone and flesh of our flesh. Thus ended thelast an d most reckless attempt to dislodgeWarren. ])

ii. beams’s station.

Ever since the first investment of Petersburgboth sides had appreciated the importance of theWeldon Railroad, and every attempt on our part'VBs fiercely contested by the rebels. Wilson’soavalry raid was started off against that and theEynehburg Railroad on June 22d by GeneralWeade. [See p. 535,] Late in August, in viewthe success of the Fifth and Ninth corps atGlobe Tavern, it was determined to continue the' v ork of destruction down on this much-fought-forrailway. For this purpose Hancock was orderedover from Deep Bottom with two divisions toEeams’s Station. He arrived there on the 22d,a fter a most fatiguing march, and set to work at°nce with his accustomed promptitude and energy,and without rest. He found the station houseburnt, and some sorry intrenchments in a flat,Jvoody country, where two roads crossed, whichhad been hastily thrown up during the June opera-

tions, but which he did not stop to improve: onefrom the Jerusalem plank-road, by which he hadmarched; the other from the Vaughn road, run-ning from Petersburg to Dinwiddie Court House.He found the roads picketed by Spear’s brigadeof cavalry, and to this he added D. McM. Gregg’scavalry, which he had brought along.

Hancock had torn up and burned some miles ofthe track, when, on the evening of August 24th,Meade notified him that bodies of troops, esti-mated at ten thousand, were seen by the signalmen moving within the Confederate lines to ourleft, and advancing down the Halifax-Vaughnroad. It might be intended to attack either War-ren’s left, or Reams’s Station. Meade thought thelatter the more likely.

For some time next morning nothing appearedbefore Hancock but the usual parties of W. H. F.Lee ’s cavalry, that had sought to interrupt the

Tlie Confederate

I The total Union loss was 251 killed, 1148 wounded, and 2879 captured or missing = 4278.

loss is not officially stated.—E ditors.