PETERSBURG!

 

GEN. EARLY

Threatens

Washington

 

SHERMAN reaches ATLANTA

 

Gen. Grant is in position around Petersburg with intent on laying siege to the city.  Marching from Cold Harbor last month, Meade's Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point. Gen. Ben Butler's leading Federal elements from Bermuda Hundred crossed the Appomattox River at Windmill Point and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of Petersburg under command of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard were driven from their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek.  On June 16, the Federals captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the Yankees would gain more ground at Beauregards expense driving his forces back once again.  Beauregard reinforced by stripping his Howlett Line at Bermuda Hundred and sending those forces post haste to the defense of the city.  General Lee, upon learning of the Federal advances on Petersburg, rushed reinforcements to Petersburg.  The Federals attacked our reinforced lines on June 18 but were repulsed with heavy casualties. By now our works are heavily manned and the greatest opportunity Grant would have to capture Petersburg without a siege is lost. The siege of Petersburg looks to have begun.   With Grant reinforcing himself at Petersburg, General Lee ordered General Early at Charlottesville, to march north into Maryland and threaten Washington thereby forcing Grant to withdraw troops from Petersburg to the defense of the Yankee Capital and weakening his hold on the now besieged city. At Lexington, the Federals in the valley, advanced against our rail and canal depots and the hospital complex at Lynchburg. Reaching the outskirts of town on June 17, his first tentative attacks were thwarted by the timely arrival by rail of Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s II Corps vanguard from Charlottesville.  The Federals withdrew the next day after sporadic fighting.  The Union line retreated through West Virginia and thereby took his army out of the Shenandoah opening the entire valley for Early’s advance into Maryland.   Early marched north through the cleared Shenandoah Valley from Lynchburg, slipped past the Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry and crossed the Potomac River at Shepherdstown into Maryland on July 5-6. On July 9, a makeshift Union force under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace attempted to halt Early's invading divisions along the Monocacy River, just east of Frederick.  General Lee’s plan to force Grant to remove a portion of his forces at Petersburg began to take shape as Grant forced to defend Washington deployed Gen. Ricketts Division to reinforce the Federal line.  Wallace now reinforced, by Ricketts's Division of the VI Corps that had been rushed from the Petersburg lines, was outflanked by General Gordon's Division and defeated after putting up a stiff resistance.  With Early's success into Maryland, Grant was forced to send the rest of the VI Corps on transports at City Point, away from Petersburg, to Washington. The Federal defeat at Monocacy aloud the veteran troops from Petersburg, to arrive and bolster the defenses of Washington. General Early continued to march on Washington.  Early's advance reached the outskirts of Washington on the afternoon of July 11, and the remaining divisions of the Federal VI Corps began disembarking that evening.  General Early would have to confront a reinforced Federal force and the heavily fortified forts around the Union Capital.  It was not General Lee’s intent to take Washington, but to divert Grant from Petersburg.  Early remained within a mere few miles of Washington before ordering withdraw.  A Union column, consisting of the VI Corps and elements of the XIX Corps under Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, pursued Early's army as it withdrew from Washington.  Wright's force was joined by elements of Crook's command, which had accompanied Hunter during his retreat through West Virginia.  On July 17, the Union cavalry passed through Snickers Gap and attempted to force passage of the Shenandoah River at Snickers Ford.  On the morning of July 18, the pursuing Union infantry moved through Snickers Gap. Federal Col. Joseph Thoburn led his division downstream to cross the river at Judge Richard Parker's Ford. Early's three nearby infantry divisions moved to defend the fords.  In the afternoon, Rodes's division attacked and shattered Thoburn's right flank on the Cool Spring plantation. The Federals made stand behind a stonewall at the river's edge, and beat off three attacks until darkness enabled him to withdraw.  The pursuit of General Early seems to be temporarily aborted. 

General Sherman has reached Atlanta and there seems determined to stand and fight. Under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the Army of Tennessee had retired south of Peach Tree Creek, an east to west flowing stream, about three miles north of Atlanta. Sherman split his army into three columns for the assault on Atlanta with George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland moving from the north. Johnston had decided to attack Thomas, but President Jefferson Davis relieved him of command and appointed General John B. Hood to take his place.  General Johnston, according to the War Department, had accomplished little in resisting Sherman from now being in position around Atlanta.  The President needed action and felt that the cautiousness of Johnston would do little in achieving victory in Georgia.  General Lee, when asked by the President in a letter, as to Hoods qualities for command, replied that Gen. Hood is a bold fighter, but he had his doubts as to Hoods other qualities necessary for such a command. Gen. Hood, in continuance with Gen. Johnston’s original plan, attacked Thomas after his army crossed Peachtree Creek. The determined assault threatened to overrun the Union troops at various locations. Ultimately, though, the Yankees held, and Hood fell back.  Following the Battle at Peachtree Creek, Hood determined to attack Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee. He withdrew his main army at night from Atlanta' s outer line to the inner line, enticing Sherman to follow. In the meantime, he sent General William J. Hardee with his corps on a fifteen-mile march to hit the unprotected Union left and rear, east of the city.  General Wheeler's cavalry was to operate farther out on Sherman's supply line, and Gen. Frank Cheatham's corps were to attack the Union front. Hood, however, gravely miscalculated the time necessary to make the march by Hardee, and Hardee was unable to attack until afternoon. Although Hood had outmaneuvered Sherman for the time being, McPherson was concerned about his left flank and sent his Federal reserves to that location. Two of Hood's divisions ran into this reserve force and were repulsed. The Confederate attack stalled on the Union rear, but soon began to roll up the Federal left flank.  At around the same time, one of our gallant soldiers took careful aim and shot and killed Gen. McPherson when he rode out to observe the fighting. Determined attacks continued, but the Federals held.  In the late afternoon, Cheatham's corps broke through the Union front at the Hurt House, but Sherman had massed his artillery on a knoll near his headquarters to rain shot and shell down upon our brave boys halting their drive.  The Federals regrouped and counterattacked restoring the Union line. The Union troops held their positions, and Hood has suffered high casualties for his efforts.  Sherman remains at Atlanta.   It is only a matter of time before Sherman throws his entire army at General Hood and the fall of Atlanta shall follow leaving Georgia open to the Yankee invader. 

 

Tom R. Grandy

Daily Richmond Examiner