Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/277

Rh miles, when he encountered a hasty line of rifle trenches, held by Graham's light battery and a meagre force of dismounted cavalry—the whole under Dearing, a young brigadier of high and daring spirit and of much experience in war. This position, resolutely held for two hours, was finally carried by the infantry, yet Dearing, retiring slowly with unabashed front, hotly disputing every foot of the advance, so delayed the hostile columns that it was 11 o'clock A. M. before they came upon the heavy line of entrenchments covering the eastern approaches to the town.

Shortly after that hour, Smith moved by the Baxter Road upon the works in front of Batteries 6 and 7, but the men of Wise's brigade resisted his repeated assaults with "unsurpassed stubbornness"—I use the exact language of Beauregard —while the rapid fire of the light batteries completed for the time his discomfiture.

Smith had been told that the works defending Petersburg were such that "the cavalry could ride over them"—"a representation," says Mr. Swinton archly, "not justified by his experience," and he now proceeded to reconnoitre more carefully what was in his front.

consisted of a heavy line of redans connected by powerful rifle trenches, and were of such extent as to require a garrison of 25,000 men. In the opinion of General Beauregard, this line was in many places faultily located, and especially vulnerable in the quarter of batteries 5, 6 and 7. Reckoning his heavy gunners and the local militia, Beauregard had for the defence of this extended line, on the morning of the 15th, but 2,200 men of all arms, while Smith confronted him with above 20,000 troops. At 7.30 P. M. the enemy, warned by their heavy losses of the morning against assaulting in column in face of artillery served with such rapidity and precision, advanced at a charging pace in line, and after a spirited contest carried with a rush the whole line of redans from 5 to 9 inclusive.

Scarcely had the assault ended, when Hancock came up with the Second corps, and though the ranking officer, with rare generosity, which recalls the chivalric conduct of Sir James Outram to