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I then over-estimated his force at thirty-seven thousand infantry, supposed to be made up of S. D. Lee's corps, four thousand; Cheatham's, five thousand; Hoke's, eight thousand; Hardee's, ten thousand; and other detachments, ten thousand; with Hampton's, Wheeler's, and Butler's cavalry, about eight thousand.
This was a signal for Hoke's and Kemper's brigades to come in from that side. On Monday night of the first attack, at midnight, our ironclad gunboat, Albemarle, came down the river and cleared it of all the Yankee shipping, sinking and running off all their gunboats. The Albemarle was firing into Fort Williamson.
Everything north of the James continued quiet along our lines for a month or more, but we could hear the deep baying of cannon continually, away to our right, in the direction of Petersburg. When we had about finished our huts we were moved out of them and further to the right, in quarters that Hoke's Division had built. These were the most comfortable quarters we occupied during the war.
Hoke's Division lead off to take position and stood on both sides of a dull road leading through the thickets. Batteries were placed on his right. Next to the artillery was posted the Army of Tennessee, its right thrown forward.
On Monday morning, 16th of May, a very dark, foggy morning, Hoke's division, I think, with Barton's Virginia Brigade leading the charge, assaulted Butler's right next the river, breaking his strongly fortified line and capturing two thousand prisoners the first dash.
The movement was merely a demonstration to call off the enemy's attention from Hoke's attack upon Fort Wessells, which, after a sharp but short resistance, fell before the superior powers of Hoke's brigade; and that night's work was done. The Gunboat appears on the scene.
Second Army Corps: MAJOR-GENERAL JUBAL A. EARLY, Commanding MAJ.-GEN. JOHN B. GORDON'S Division. Brig.-Gen. H. T. Hays' Brigade. R. F. Hoke's " MAJ.-GEN. EDWARD JOHNSON'S Division. Stonewall Brig. J M Jones' Brigade. MAJ.-GEN. R. E. RODES' Division. Brig.-Gen. J. Daniel's Brigade. Third Army Corps: LIEUT.-GEN. A. P. HILL, Commanding. MAJ.-GEN. WM. MAHONE'S Division. J. C. C. Sanders' Brigade.
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