THE RECAPTURE OF FORT STEDMAN. J
F the Union entrenchments in front of Petersburg, Fort Stednian, with
'T Batteries X and IX on its right and Batteries XII and XI and FortHaskell on its left, covered Meade’s Station on the United States MilitaryRailroad, the supply route of the Army of the Potomac. [See map, p. 538.]Meade’s Station was the depot of the Ninth Army Corps. This part ofthe line—about a mile in length—was garrisoned principally by the ThirdBrigade of the First Division of the Ninth Corps, commanded by ColonelN. B. McLaughlen.
The First Division, commanded by General Willcox, was intrusted withthe defense of the whole line from the Appomattox to somewhat beyondFort Morton, and the Second Division (Potter’s) continued the defense ofthe line about to Fort Alexander Hays. The Third Division, under my com-mand, was in reserve to these two divisions. The division covered fourmiles, with headquarters at the Avery House, in the center, the right restingat the Friend House, a mile in rear of the works, north-east of Fort Sted-man, and the left behind Fort Prescott.
From the Avery House a ravine ran northerly about two-thirds of a milein rear of the works, to the Friend House, approaching Fort Stedmanto within less than one-third of a mile. From this ravine the ground rosegently to the works on the west, and more sharply to a ridge of irregularhills, on the east, behind which ran the army railroad. About one hundredyards behind Fort Stedman, between the fort and the ravine, there was aslight rise in the slope, upon which was encamped the 57th Massachusetts ,and to the left of this, some old works which the enemy had abandoned asour forces pressed upon the city. Between this camp and these works ran anold country road, somewhat sunken, from the rear of Stedman to Meade’sStation. All the undergrowth and fences had long since disappeared, and theground was generally open.
Before dawn on the morning of March 25th, 1865, Major-General Gordon,of the Confederate Army, with his corps and two brigades, numbering prob-ably 10,000 or 12,000 effectives, by a sudden and impetuous attack carried theline from Battery IX on the right to Fort Haskell on the left. This spaceincluded Fort Stedman and Batteries X, XI, and XII, and the bomb-proofsand covered ways connecting these works. It was, to a certain extent, asurprise, and the enemy captured some hundreds of prisoners, includingColonel McLaughlen. But before they were driven out of the works or cap-tured, the troops inflicted considerable injury upon the enemy, and theattack upon Fort Haskell, made at the same time, was repulsed with heavyloss. Fortunately, upon the line taken, the enemy could not easily deployfor their farther advance upon Meade’s Station and the railroad, the enfilad-
^Condensed, with revisions by the author, from the t( Philadelphia Press ” for March 17th, 1886.
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