United States or Slovenia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
His forces and his movements were covered by streams, forests, hills, and by a very heavy chaparral or copse for miles in extent. "Silent would not attack in his front, as Laws expected, but concluded to plunge immediately into the chaparral and threaten Laws's right. This would compel the enemy to give battle at once or retreat.
The enemy were coming in quite a force for supplies, there being at the station four heavily-loaded trains, which had just arrived, for Laws's army. One train was burned, and the others were sent to Farmville. The enemy made an assault on our forces, but were repulsed, 25 pieces of artillery and many prisoners falling into our hands.
"Laws was attacked before he anticipated, although making a show of readiness; but he was resting on ground familiar to him and wholly unknown to our troops. Silent was notified of our repulse. It was apparent that Laws's whole army was on the field, and meditated an attack before our army could be brought into action.
About midnight he received Laws's reply, saying he did not feel as Gen. Silent thought on the subject of surrender, and during the night again moved out in order to escape. "On the morning of the 8th our forces moved at once. Slight contests only occurred during the day. At night the head of our cavalry column reached Appomattox Station.
On his return to his headquarters he dispatched officers to hasten Sedgewear's and Broomfield's troops with all possible speed. His wish now was to bring to bear as largo a force as possible against Laws's left, in order to prevent the discovery of the great space between Warner and Hanscom. Laws, however, had detected this gap, and was forming Hiller's Corps to move through it.
"Sherlin was here, with no force as yet save two divisions of his cavalry. He moved a force on the road in the direction of Farmville and found Laws's whole army moving to Appomattox.
His captures during the day were four pieces of artillery, thirteen stands of colors and about 2,000 prisoners. Night now drew her curtain over the scene, and our troops lay down to rest. "The next day was used almost entirely in winding the coil more closely around Laws's army.
Silent ordered a change, so as to move his head of column direct for the right flank of Laws's new position. Warner moved, with cavalry in advance, to Craig's Meeting House, his left resting at Chaparral Tavern. Sedge-wear was to join on his right, Hanscom to move from Chancellor City to his support, and Sherlin on the left and in rear of Hanscom.
Hume and Crooker were on the north side of the river confronting Laws; McKenon was at Prince Edwards; the cavalry column was moving in the direction of Appomattox Station; the second and Sixth Corps were moving to the north side of the river to attack the next day; Mullett was pushed to the south side to Buffalo Station; the Fifth and Twenty-fourth Corps were moving on Prospect Station, south of the river, to prevent Laws from escaping in that direction; Orden was following Sherlin, having taken with him Griffith, with instructions to attack the head of Laws's column.
The enemy threw down their arms and surrendered 7,000 men and fourteen pieces of artillery, with Gen. Ewelling and his seven subordinate Generals. This utterly destroyed the entire command that was covering Laws's retreat.
Word Of The Day