June 16, 1864
At four in the morning they began to ferry over the 5th
Corps; of this, two divisions were loaded from Wilcox's wharf and two from a
wharf near the bridge; the bridge itself being in constant use for the passage
of the main train. The 5th Corps would then march on Petersburg and take
position on the left of the 9th. . . .
Our information was that part of Lee's army, quitting Malvern Hill, had crossed
at Drury's Bluff and was moving on Petersburg. About nine o'clock the General,
with Sanders and myself, went on board the ironclad Atlanta. The Captain sent a
boat ashore and took us out in state. How sailor-like the Americans look, with
their blue shirts and flat caps! And these poor infantry, artillery, and
cavalry of ours, why, the more they serve, the less they look like soldiers and
the more they resemble day-laborers who have bought second-hand military clothes.
I have so come to associate good troops with dusty, faded suits, that I look
with suspicion on anyone who has a stray bit of lace or other martial finery. .
. .
At 10.30 General Humphreys and General Meade, taking only
Sanders and myself, embarked on a boat with General Ingalls, for City Point.
The boat started up the river with us, and we found it an hour's trip to City
Point. The river is very pretty, or rather fine, with banks that remind one of
Narragansett Bay, going to Newport, only they are, I think, higher. . . . City Point is a jut of land at the
junction of the Appomattox and the James. It must once have been a quite pretty
place, and consisted of a large number of scattered private houses, several of
them very good ones; especially that near which General Grant had his camp,
which is just on the river. . . . Grant had gone to the front, some seven miles
away, and we presently rode out on the Petersburg road, and met Grant
returning,1 a couple of miles from the Point. It was on going out of
the place that it occurred to me that someone had said that Hal's2
regiment was there; so, as I passed a shipshape-looking camp, I asked, “What
regiment is that?” “Fifth Massachusetts Cavalry,” said the darkie. “Is Colonel
Russell there?” "No, sa-ar. He's in der hospital. He was wounded yesterday!”
I felt a quite cold perspiration, as I asked if he were badly hurt. The man
thought not, but said he was hit in two places. It was tough to ride right past
him so, but the General had but two aides; we were expecting a fight, and I had
no business to stop in a road where I could not again find him. Meeting Colonel
Rowley, however, I asked him to see that Hal had everything and to say that I
would be in that night to see him. We rode on along an almost deserted road,
till we crossed the rail, when we came on Burnside's column, moving wearily
along. The men had done awful marching in a dry country, with a hot sun and
midst a stifling dust. I hate to see troops so used up. Passing through some
woods, we again got to an open country, then went a little way more in woods,
and came full on an open space in front of the captured line of works. . . . Just here Hancock had his flag and
General Meade was soon busy consulting about an assault, which finally was
ordered for six P.M. . . . From the
place we then stood I could see two or three spires of the town. Of this attack
I saw more than of most previous fights, or rather of the cannonade. The line
of our batteries was in plain sight, a little in front of where General Meade took
his stand, because the Rebels had long since cut down a wide zone of timber in
their front, to get a good field of fire. It was a most striking sight! The
air, hazy with dust, gave a copper-red color to the declining sun, which was
soon heightened by the powder-smoke that rose from the batteries. The firing
was very heavy and there was the continual whiz of our shells or those of the
enemy. It is curious, but the scene reminded me of one of those stiff but
faithful engravings of Napoleon's battles that one sees in European
collections; especially the artillerists loading and discharging their pieces.
The musketry was pretty heavy too. Birney and part of the others carried the
first line, but the assault was not a success such as we wanted; however, General
Meade ordered a column of 5000 men to be prepared for a moonlight attack,
which, as you will learn, took place at daylight next morning. The General had
a quite narrow escape, as we stood watching; for a round shot came bounding
over the country and hopped right in front of him and General Humphreys. The
attack over, I asked leave to go in and see Harry, and the General told me I
could have stopped when we came through had I asked then. So I got a fresh
horse and two men and started. It was an elegant night, with a fine moon —
quite perfect indeed. You could never have supposed yourself near a great army,
after getting past the railroad. There was scarcely a soul on the route. As I
got near the village there were some waggons going out to Butler, but these
were pretty much all. Nobody halted me, though I rode past a picket guard and
through the breastworks. It was not till I drew near Hal's camp that his sentry
roared out in a military voice, indicating much study of phonetics: "Halt!
Who goes there?" Then came a corporal of the guard in due style. . . . I ascended the stairs of what had been a
private house. It was about ten at night when I got in. There were a number of
cots arranged in a large upper room, each occupied by a wounded officer. On the
mantelpiece were medicine bottles, a pitcher of lemonade and a candle; and this
was a ward. Master Hal lay fast asleep on one of the cots, quite unconscious of
dusty brothers-in-law. . . . He was
mightily glad to see me, and we talked some time, in a low voice, not to
disturb others. I remember there was a wounded lieutenant next us, a good deal
under morphine, who had a great fancy that Lee had captured our whole supply
train. Finally I departed with a humble gift of two oranges and some tea, which
I had brought in my holsters. . . .
Then to Headquarters and found General Grant just going to
bed. He sat on the edge of his cot, in shirt and drawers, and listened to my report.
I told him the General would put in a column of 5000 men of the 9th Corps, by
moonlight. He smiled, like one who had done a clever thing, and said, “I think
it is pretty well to get across a great river, and come up here and attack Lee
in his rear before he is ready for us!” He prepared a despatch to General
Meade, which I took back.
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1 "Presently we met Grant and his Staff
coming back. ‘Well,’ he said; ‘Smith has taken a line of works there, stronger
than anything we have seen this campaign! If it is a possible thing, I want an
assault made at 6 o'clock this evening!’” — Lyman's Journal.
2 Mrs. Lyman's brother.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 163-6
