Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,000 pages of information about Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant — Complete.

Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,000 pages of information about Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant — Complete.

By the morning of the 22d Burnside and Wright were at Guiney’s Station.  Hancock’s corps had now been marching and fighting continuously for several days, not having had rest even at night much of the time.  They were, therefore, permitted to rest during the 22d.  But Warren was pushed to Harris’s Store, directly west of Milford, and connected with it by a good road, and Burnside was sent to New Bethel Church.  Wright’s corps was still back at Guiney’s Station.

I issued the following order for the movement of the troops the next day: 

NEW BETHEL, VA., May 22, 1864

MAJOR-GENERAL MEADE, Commanding Army of the Potomac.

Direct corps commanders to hold their troops in readiness to march at five A.M. to-morrow.  At that hour each command will send out cavalry and infantry on all roads to their front leading south, and ascertain, if possible, where the enemy is.  If beyond the South Anna, the 5th and 6th corps will march to the forks of the road, where one branch leads to Beaver Dam Station, the other to Jericho Bridge, then south by roads reaching the Anna, as near to and east of Hawkins Creek as they can be found.

The 2d corps will move to Chesterfield Ford.  The 9th corps will be directed to move at the same time to Jericho Bridge.  The map only shows two roads for the four corps to march upon, but, no doubt, by the use of plantation roads, and pressing in guides, others can be found, to give one for each corps.

The troops will follow their respective reconnoitring parties.  The trains will be moved at the same time to Milford Station.

Headquarters will follow the 9th corps.

U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General.

Warren’s corps was moved from Harris’s Store to Jericho Ford, Wright’s following.  Warren arrived at the ford early in the afternoon, and by five o’clock effected a crossing under the protection of sharpshooters.  The men had to wade in water up to their waists.  As soon as enough troops were over to guard the ford, pontoons were laid and the artillery and the rest of the troops crossed.  The line formed was almost perpendicular to the course of the river—­Crawford on the left, next to the river, Griffin in the centre, and Cutler on the right.  Lee was found intrenched along the front of their line.  The whole of Hill’s corps was sent against Warren’s right before it had got in position.  A brigade of Cutler’s division was driven back, the enemy following, but assistance coming up the enemy was in turn driven back into his trenches with heavy loss in killed and wounded, with about five hundred prisoners left in our hands.  By night Wright’s corps was up ready to reinforce Warren.

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Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant — Complete from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.