Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/340

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but with the arrival of the main body of Lee's army, he was without much trouble, remanded to his original limits. It was after dark when Hagood received his orders, and being unacquainted with the localities, as well as unable to learn much from the confused and contradictory accounts of the volunteer guides who accompanied him when the fork of the City Point and Prince George roads, just beyond the New Market race-course, was reached, he halted his col- umn, and leaving it under Colonel Simonton, rode forward accom- panied by two of his staff, to make a personal reconnoissance. He encountered the enemy's pickets on the latter road at the ford where it crosses Harrison's Creek, inside of the original line of defences. The reconnoitering party had nearly ridden in it when they were warned by a wounded Confederate on the roadside. Turning across the field toward the City Point road, Hagood was opportunely met by a courier with a map from Colonel Harris, who had also the fore- sight to send a bit of tallow candle and matches. With the aid of this, and in conjunction with General Colquitt, who had come up ahead of his brigade, General Hagood determined upon the line of the creek he was then on, and put his men in position. Harrison Creek, running northward, emptied into the Appomattox in rear of Battery i, and its west fork across the Southern lines, at Battery 15. The creek was, therefore, the chord of the arc of our captured and abandoned works, and the line taken for the most part had very good command over the cleared and cultivated valley in its front. Tabb, holding Batteries i and 2, was relieved, and by the time Ha- good was well in position, with his left on the river, Colquitt's Brig- ade coming up, prolonged the line. The remaining brigades of Hoke arrived during the night, and Johnson's Division, from Ber- muda Hundred, at 10 A. M. next day. The Confederates now numbered 10,000 men behind their hastily entrenched line, and Burnside's corps coming up at noon on the i6th, raised the Federal forces to 66,000.

The morning of the i6th was spent in skirmishing and artillery fire. In the afternoon General Hancock, now in command, assailed with all his force. The contest was kept up into the night, and some advantage was obtained over our right.

NINETY THOUSAND AGAINST TEN THOUSAND.

Warren's corps had now come up raising the attacking army to four corps, numbering at least 90,000 men, and no reinforcements