Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/546

 540 Southern Historical Society Papers.

the accomplished Chief of Artillery of Longstreet's corps, and made arrangements for the disposition of the artillery for an attack on the morning of the 24th. The attack was to begin at daylight, with a heavy fire of artillery from Archer's Hill, on the north bank of the Appomattox, enfilading the enemy's line near the river, then the infantry of Hoke's division, sustained by Field's division, was to begin w'ith the capture of the line next the river, and then sweep along the line uncovering our front, thus rolling up the Federal right and compelling General Grant to battle in the open field at a disad- vantage. At daybreak on the 24th the artillery opened fire and did its work well. The skirmishers of Hagood's brigade, of Hoke's divi- sion, went forward very handsomely and captured the lines next the river. But through some mistake this success was not followed up — the gallant skirmishers were not sustained, and were soon made prisoners by the forces of the enemy turned against them. And thus the whole plan, so well conceived and so successful in its begin- ning, was given up much to the sorrow of the commanding-gen- eral.

In the preliminary operations about Petersburg up to July ist, Grant's losses footed up fifteen thousand men. On the 6th of July his engineers pronounced the Confederate works impregnable to as- sault. From this date the operations partook of the nature of a siege.

As it is not my intention to give any record of events after the siege of Petersburg, I will close my address at this point in the cam- paign of 1864 — a campaign, the full history of which would leave the world in doubt, whether most to admire the genius of our great leader, or the discipline, devotion, courage, and constancy of his sol- diers.

On the 4th of May four converging invading columns set out simultaneously for the conquest of Virginia, The old State, which had for three years known little else save the tramp of armed legions was now to be closed in by a circle of fire from the mountains to the seaboard.

Through the Southwestern mountain passes, through the gates of the lower valley, from the battle-scarred vales of the Rappahannock, from the Atlantic seaboard, by the waters of the James, came the serried hosts on field and flood, numbering more than two hundred and seventy-five thousand men (including in this number also rein- forcements sent during the campaign). No troops were ever more thoroughly equipped or supplied with a more abundant commissariat.